The Details

Our invitations were made by Maria Josée Lopez.
The pearls are a gift from my Mom & Michael.

If often seems that in planning a wedding you can get bogged down in the little details and forget about
the larger goal - getting married.  In the end the only details that really matter are the bride, the groom, the officiant, and witnesses.  But it's always nice when you can appreciate the small touches that make everything come together.  Some brides say that they didn't even notice the flowers, or handmade decorations they spent months preparing, but truthfully I was very present on our wedding day and I noticed the details.  Here are some of my favourites, starting with the invitations...

The Dress

The Bouquet (The Flower Lady)

The Shoes

Something Old, Something Borrowed

The Boutonnières

The Ties

Juan's Custom Suit Selection

Clutches for the Bridesmaids

The Ceremony and Reception had their own details that I love...

Probably a few two many bird details...
but what can you do when you're at a bird sanctuary?

Cake Topper

Photo Wall, made by my Dad!

The Fire

There are so many details that go into planning a wedding, but it's so lovely when it all comes together.

Alloway Reception Hall, Fort Whyte Alive

Rehearsal Dinner

What a great excuse for bringing family and friends together before the big day!  Our rehearsal went very smoothly at Fort Whyte, though Juan and I did have to stay behind to take care of a number of small details that we didn't expect.  We were verifying alcohol counts and ceremony positioning while our friends and family had drinks and wondered if we decided not to go through with it after all!  Of course this wasn't the case and eventually we made our late entrance to a round of applause!

We can't thank my Dad and Lenore enough for not only finding Cafe Savour, but also for hosting the evening.  Owned by a dynamic husband/wife duo (Louise & Faiz), the restaurant was the perfect size for the thirty of us.  And their enthusiasm for local, healthy ingredients matches my own.  They closed the restaurant for our event and it was just an amazing evening.  Everyone had such a good time and Louise and Faiz put so much care into the details & food.

Leith, Paul, & Derek (groomsmen)

Jenny, Tracey, & Tamara (bridesmaids)

I took the opportunity at the dinner to give my fabulous bridesmaids a thank you gift that I hope they will be able to use for years to come.  We got to use these lovely clutches at the wedding!

It was also at the rehearsal dinner that my Dad took some time to welcome Juan officially into our family and provide some beautiful and funny insights and stories about Juan and I...he even quoted our Argentina Blog!  Juan and I could both tell that Dad had put a lot of thought, love, and research into his speech and we appreciated every word.  Unfortunately most our wedding guests did not hear this speech, but you can read it here.

Dad (Wayne), Uncle Mark, & Auntie Barb

Toni & Bill, Maria & Peter, Eduardo & Rachel,
& Juan's aunt Rosa Maria

Marija,  Juan José, & Lenore

Eszti, Me, Mom (Brenda), Michael & Graham

The food was also amazing as I have mentioned...

Greek Salad Reinvented

Lamb Shank

I loved the rehearsal dinner so much!  Food, friends, family, and the anticipation for the big day made for such a lovely evening.  As much as I didn't want it to end, I knew it was only going to get better and we needed to get some rest!

Father of the Bride's Speech

Good Evening Everyone,

And thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate Kelly and Juan’s wedding.  My name is Wayne and I am the father of the bride.  I am sure you are all looking forward to a beautiful wedding tomorrow.

I was trying to find a story about Kelly and Juan so i went to their blog site. The blog was about their trip to South America just over 3 years ago.  Lenore and I were able to travel with Kelly and Juan for about 3 weeks during their time in Argentina.  I found one story from their blog where Juan saved the day for me...

We were checking out a hostel to stay in and I pulled a mirror off the wall thinking it was part of a cabinet door. It broke. Now someone had to explain to the people running the hostel what had happened and negotiate a price to replace the mirror.  Juan saved the day for me.  Lenore and I had great time travelling with Kelly and Juan during that trip.  Back to the blog...

The last entry was Aug.24, 2011 and Juan was reflecting on their 6 months, 6 weeks, 6 days.  (He expanded on this with great humour & love)

After reading that part of their blog, it made me think back to that time. I thought that if they could spend 6 moths traveling together and then move to a different city for 2 years that they were going to be together for a long time.  And I’m sure they will be.  Their life together will be quite an adventure I’m sure.

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

I am so happy that Kelly and Juan choose each other.

I want to wish Kelly and Juan all the best on their wedding day tomorrow and to a wonderful future.

Please raise your glasses to the Kelly and Juan.

Pupusas in the Park

Juan is from El Salvador.  The smallest and most dense country in Central America.  It is beautiful with mountains, lakes enclosed by volcano craters, rivers, ocean, and a tropical climate.  Some fun facts about El Salvador...

1. El Salvador is the only country in Central America without an Atlantic coast line
2. El Salvador is known as the "Land of Volcanoes".  It has some of the most active volcanoes in the world
3. El Salvador's early inhabitants were the Maya
4. El Salvador is famous for its beautiful beaches and hosts world surfing competitions
5. El Salvador's cellphone density is one of the largest in the world (125 cellphones per 100 people)

It is also home to some fabulous food, which we wanted to share with our friends and family as part of our wedding celebrations.  So we booked the covered picnic site at Assiniboine Park, ordered 150 pupusas, and crossed our fingers for good weather.  We had perfect weather!

Site 4 @ Assiniboine Park

This is how pupusas are usually served.

Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador.  Made of corn and filled with beans, cheese, pork, or a combination of each, pupusas are usually pulled apart and covered with salsa and curtido (a type of coleslaw).  Juan would also make sure to tell you that they are best eaten with your hands.

  

Juan serving up pupusas

Friends & Family enjoying the weather

Eduardo & Rachel

We had so many friends and family come down to enjoy a beautiful day in the park.  It was such a perfect way to spend a Wednesday evening in the lead up to the big day!  Thank you everyone for coming out and taking a bite out of Juan's culture (and soon mine too).

A Bachelorette to Remember

Thanks to Eszti Nagy, MOH, we did remember my bachelorette party!  What a fabulous, elegant, and delicious experience!

It all began at my place with some white wine, there were only a couple of us - Eszti, Tracey, and Trish, but it was a lovely way to start the night.

I was then driven to the secret location where our night would ultimately take place - The Winehouse.  Located at 1600 Kenaston Commons many of us had never been to the private wine store before.  Once we had all gathered (13 beautiful women), we were escorted into a back room where a long candlelit table had been set for our dinner and wine pairings for the evening.

Over the course of four hours a real slow food and wine experience was presented to us by Offer Kuban, an ISG Level 2 Sommelíer, chef Janine Meijer and sous-chef Graham Peltier of Bistro 7-1/4.  Over a five-course meal we traveled the world of wines and experienced new foods that many of us may not normally have indulged in.

Gonet Sulcova, brut champagne from France, paired with Kumamoto Oyster, Black Cod Ceviche, Ripple Chips with Truffle Salt, Sherry Vinegar, and Egg Yolk.  

Field Recordings, chenin blanc from California, paired with Honeydew puree, Chiffonade Ice Berg, Celery Leaf, Marinated Edamame, Pea Shoots, and Celery Leaf Oil.

Forrest Estate, pinot noir from New Zealand, paired with Duck Liver Mouse, Duck Confit, Seared Duck Breast, Rhubarb Chutney, Celery Root Puree, Walnut Oil, Smoked Salt, and Kale.

Photo Credit: Tracey O'Neil

Photo Credit: Eszti Nagy

A palate cleanser of Elderflower and Lime Granita

Bodegas Resalte de Penafiel, reserva tempranillo from Spain, paired with Lamb Chop, Saffron, Smoked Paprika Rice, Veal Sweatbread, Raisin Green Olive Sauce, Lemon, Green Pea and Mint Gelee, and Pickled Carrot.  

Photo Credit: Tracey O'Neil

Cantine Benedetti, recioto della valpolicella (a delicious dessert wine, that Tamara later bought for me as part of my wedding present - thank you!) from Italy, paired with very Dark Chocolate Pate, Roasted Cherries, Vanilla Green Peppercorn Zabaglione, and Burnt Almond. 

At 11pm we were all full.  Full of fabulous food, delicious wine, and knowledge of wine processes, winemakers, and wine countries.  The only down-side is that we were also a little sleepy and sober!  We had a remedy and most of us made our way to the King's Head for some beers and Beatles tunes.  We lucked out and got the only table in the pub and then we closed it down.  Leaving a 2pm, a little tipsy, and very happy.  

I couldn't have asked for a more elegant dining experience and was so happy to have my closest girlfriends out that night to celebrate my upcoming wedding.  I am grateful for these traditions that bring friends and family together, but we need to invent a few more so that we do these events more often!   

My sincerest thanks & love to all the ladies who came out on June 14th.  It was a night I will always remember with great joy.  

Photo Credit: Abby Matheson