Ceremony Info for Guests

The Wedding Ceremony is the most important part of this whole wedding weekend.  Yet, sometimes it seems to get lost in the shuffle of decorations, reception festivities, and other wedding events.  It might be because it is usually the shortest segment of any wedding and so requires a little less physical energy, but in reality it is the most emotional and intense part of the entire wedding celebration.

Our ceremony begins at 6pm.  It is at Fort Whyte, 1961 McCreary Road.  If we have good weather, it will be outside.  Please come early in order to sign our guest book, take a picture in our photo booth and take part in our ring warming ceremony.

Juan and I feel very fortunate that you will be at our wedding ceremony.  You have helped make us who we are and therefore play a vital role in our relationship and lives.  

See you soon!

Cocktail Reception Info for Guests

I know what you're thinking...

A cocktail reception, am I going to starve at this wedding?  

A cocktail reception, am I going to have to stand all night?

I have good news, the answer to both these questions is "No".  

A cocktail reception is not a sit down dinner, however there is seating - though it is expected that people will be milling about and will not be tied down to specific seat all night.  We are also fortunate because Fort Whyte has outdoor seating if the weather is nice right over the lake.  People are free to be outside or inside as they like.  If we have good weather, there will also be a fire in the evening!  

The Menu

Fort Whyte has a farm on site, growing veggies, raising animals, and making honey.  They do their best to source local and they raise their animals humanely.  

Appetizer

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Main Menu

Prosciutto Wrapped Prawns with Fig Balsamic Glaze

Chicken Skewers with Pineapple Curry Glaze

Bourbon BBQ Pork Sliders

Mini Grilled Fontina Cheese & Asparagus Sandwiches

Portobella Mushroom & Asiago Cheese Crostini

Mediterranean Chicken Crostini

Spicy Roasted Tomato & Eggplant Olive Oil Dips, served with Waterbread

Bison Carving Station – with Cocktail Buns & Condiments

Domestic & Imported Cheese & Crackers

Assorted Mini Desserts

Fruit Display

Coffee & Tea

Wedding Cupcakes

Made by Cake-ology: chocolate, spice, lemon, banana, and gluten-free

Wedding Shower - May 24th, 2014

So the one thing about weddings is that you get sort of spoiled.  I was already feeling overwhelmed with love and gifts from my mom's shower on May 10th, so I was a bit blown away by the generosity of everyone at my next shower, hosted by Toni, my mother-in-law.

Especially the effort that was put into the food!

One of the best ways to celebrate culture is through food and Juan's Salvadorian background was well represented today!  Toni and her friends made chicken tamales, pastel de elote (literally corn pie, but more like a baked casserole), casamiento (rice & beans, a traditional wedding dish), quiche, and taquitos.

Wow!  Jill said it best, I am very fortunate to be marrying into this family!

This was really a shower with a theme of food, Toni had everyone bring a recipe to share with me along gifts that all revolved around baking, the kitchen, eating, and drinking.  Yummy!  

It was a lovely time and I really enjoyed meeting new friends and conversing with old friends over a sit down meal and sangria.   

I also felt very fortunate to have both my mother and step-mother there to share this fun event with not only me, but my new mother-in-law.  Marriage really does bring family together!

Wedding Shower ~ May 10th, 2014

I don't know what to say really.  My mom and Michael did such a lovely job decorating that when Juan dropped me off at my mom's on Saturday afternoon we were both surprised!  I had a lovely afternoon with my aunts, friends, bridesmaids, and future mother-in-law.  I was definitely showered with love, attention and gifts.  

We sampled the white wine we'll be having at our wedding, snacked on sandwiches from Stella's, fruit, veggies, and of course Eszti's awesome mint chocolate brownies.  

I had a lot of help opening our wedding gifts! 

And my mom is a pro at making the paper plate hats covered in bows...

I'm looking forward to the next shower with another group of lovely ladies very soon!

Thank you so much everyone!

Love, Kelly

 

For Out of Town Guests

Destination Winnipeg!

We are honoured that you will be traveling all the way to Winnipeg to celebrate our wedding with us.  We want you to have a fabulous time during your visit to our city.  Summer is definitely the best time to be in Winnipeg!  We hope this information helps you enjoy the city and, of course, our wedding.

Please refer to this blog post as the big day gets closer, we will continue to update this post so that you have all the information you need.

The Hotel
You can stay anywhere you like, but we have established a special rate at the Clarion Hotel & Suites for our guests.  Here's why...

1. Location.  The Clarion is located at 1445 Portage Avenue and is next door to Polo Park Mall and within walking distance of a variety of restaurants, such as Earls, Red Lobster, and Boston Pizza.  It is very close to The Forks, Assiniboine Park, and our house - all places where events will be taking place before and after the wedding.  The hotel is also a reasonable drive to Fort Whyte, where our wedding ceremony and reception is taking place.
2. Economy.  The Clarion offered one of the most affordable rates of all the hotels we looked at.
3. Amenities.  All hotel rooms have fridges and microwaves, internet access, and weekday newspapers.  The hotel is attached to The Pancake House and has a wonderful spa onsite - Urban Oasis Mineral Spa - as well as a fitness centre, pool and water slide, and a lounge.  There is also a daily airport shuttle from 7:30am to 10:30pm.     

A special rate has been established for our wedding: $129.99/night plus taxes (double occupancy).  For reservations please call the hotel directly at 1-855-216-6393.

The pool at the Clarion

When to Travel
If you are thinking of staying an extra couple of days we encourage you to come before the wedding weekend rather than staying afterwards.  We ask this out of sheer selfishness since we'll be leaving on our honeymoon after brunch on Sunday, June 22nd and won't be able to spend time with you.  We plan to have a few events throughout the week leading up to the wedding and would love you to be able to attend.  We will provide more details as we get closer to June.

Pupusas in the Park ~ Wednesday, June 18th 2014 from 4:30pm to 8:30pm
Join us at Assiniboine Park for an evening of fresh air, family, friends, and of course, everyone's favourite Salvadorian dish...pupusas!  Everyone is welcome.  Bring a lawn chair.  We'll be at site #3 on the west side of the park.  The site has a shelter, so come rain or shine!  Click here for a map.

Sunday Brunch  
We have reserved the 2nd Floor Banquet Hall at The Current located within The Inn at the Forks for Sunday brunch following the wedding.  Our out-of-town guests are invited to attend.  Brunch begins at 11am.  

Explore the Forks Market after brunch!

The Registry

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Your presence at our wedding is desired.

No gift is required.

However, if it pleases you to do so...

You will find links to our registries below.

Bed, Bath & Beyond  #541043353 www.bedbathandbeyond.ca 

Merci Registry www.merciregistry.com/kellyandjuan

A Year of Engagement

The Exchange District

The numerous wedding books that I have thumbed through since Juan popped the question say that the engagement period is a time to reflect and prepare for a lifetime together.  This means asking the tough questions about values, goals, expectations, and needs.  I have come to believe, however, that this time of reflection is a myth, a mirage in a very hot desert, a bit of folklore for the uninitiated.

Our year of engagement has been a whirlwind that started with champagne and celebration, quickly morphing to one of planning, invitations, research, decision-making, and a series of mega and mini-celebrations.  And we're not even at the main event yet!

Don't get me wrong.  I wouldn't change any of it for the world.  But my goodness!  There are so many things to do.  Though it could also just be us.  After Juan proposed we did move to Winnipeg.  We also started new jobs, traveled to Guelph, and I finished school and graduated.  It's been such a busy year and I feel like we've barely had a moment to breathe.  

Well, that's not actually true...

One right of passage for the newly engaged is the engagement photos.  To pose or not to pose.  That is the question.  Juan and I disagreed on the answer.  In the end, however, we didn't have to decide because our lovely photographer decided for us.  

Cousin's was where Juan and I had our first date.

It's also a place where we have shared numerous beers together.

We got engagement photos.  I'm so happy we did.  Not only was it an unseasonably warm fall day, but we had so much fun!  This was a time where we had a chance to breathe and enjoy each other's company - at times I think we forgot Julie was even there.  

Julie Fulsher, of Sterling Images, is our wedding photographer.  Her and I went to high school together and she took amazingly beautiful photos at my very good friend and bridesmaid, Tamara's wedding.  We hope you enjoy some of her photos and her extremely flattering blog post about us.  

Love, Kelly & Juan