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!