Just about when the wedding service was to start the skies filled with angry clouds and we were happy Sarah had decided to have it inside! An accompanist warmed up on his guitar and keyboard as a piper practised filling the yard with haunting scottish melodies...there is something about the bagpipes. Additional decorating added a lovely touch to the service which was followed with the destruction of a wine glass to seal the deal.
Sarah and Bob were all about flowers and trees - Connon Nurseries from Trenton brought in a truck load of rented greenery. The stage was set with three large trees with smaller ones around the base of each one.
Not sure who that is in the photo...but each tree was filled with little battery powered candles which flickered through the evening. I tried to get a picture of them in operation but my flash made the trees too bright to get the effect. Here is what each one looked like - and there were perhaps 15 of these little guys in each tree.
Okay so here is one more shot and I won't show you any more of these trees after this - of course with a 40 foot ceiling you are only limited in height by what you can manage to drag in.
Hmm still can't make out those lights...But there were other trees too. Flowering trees at each of 4 posts and for the very first time ever a seating plan tree.
That was fun and different...but so was the bathroom treatment. Flowers were hung over each of the doors in the ladies washroom. The guys got nothing but then...they generally spend less time in rooms like this so a few bathroom items like deodorant, bandaids - guy stuff like that, is all they need...
Our ladies bathroom has never looked so good. The head table, Jennifer, was set among everyone else's and was taken down for the dance.
There were 9 candles on each table - oops and I see one sitting on an angle in this picture. We had trouble keeping them lit with the breezes blowing through the barn and then the wax poured all over the tablecloths...I am keeping my fingers crossed that our linen person can get the wax out...she can get a bit cranky when we surprise her with stuff like this. Its a good idea to put candles into something - to catch the drips and keep them lit. But do look at the linen napkins. I am not sure whether Sarah made them or not but they were very colourful and a departure for sure with at least 4 different patterns and colours going. We were sure we could get napkin rings but found the hunt a challenge. We ended up at the local Home hardware store where 1 inch lockwashers ended up working so well we got compliments - who knew you could outfit a wedding by going to the building contractors department?
The event was catered by Currah's and we think it was their best work in years. 4 food stations were set up. There was a potato station - baked potatoes and a range of toppings, the shish-kabob table with beef, chicken and vegetable skewers, a salad table and a dessert table. Everyone was eating quickly and of course you could then return to the table(s) you liked best until...well until you couldn't eat anymore. The plan was to have everything cooked such that people could enjoy that process as well. The BBQ was set up behind the barn with a proposed table near by. As luck and the weather would have it gale force winds attacked both the table and the 10X10 tent we had erected over it - so we had to move the table inside and take the tent down before it ended up in a soybean field. At least we didn't have the power outages the same storm caused in Kingston that night!
Pizza was served around 11 PM and it came from Picton. We have a closer pizza shop which could get pizzas here faster. Apparently they are doing two weddings here in the near future (I just called). Rockin' Rogers does a great job with a full range of pizza's and wings and other things. They are on facebook or you can call Diedre or Maria at 613.399.9090 - oh and they like to have a couple weeks notice...
Sarah and Bob had gift bags for everyone - I guess I didn't get a picture of the pretty little blue bags...but I did get a shot of the herb table. Everyone was encouraged to grab a potted herb to take home. Another great idea we hadn't seen before.
And with that - oh here is one more shot - kind of a fun idea for the wedding ceremony...
and another new idea - and the young man to the right played beautifully for the service...
I did want to mention the bus service. Grant Broomfield drove the Tripps Unlimited limosine coach. Leather seats - fun lighting, AC a great stereo and DVD system really made travelling by custom bus (this one was put together in California) look like the way to go. Grant was contracted to be onsite for 10 hours. He was to drive anyone anywhere (within reason) and although he had scheduled runs at 10,11 and 1 AM (I think) he also said that if 10 people showed up he would take them wherever on a moments notice. Now thats great service.
And thats almost it - the 136th wedding (give or take) we have done here is now history I suppose. All that's left is simply captured in photos, memories and the shiny new rings on Bob and Sarah's hands. Always an honour to work with wedding parties - and incredibly each one brings moments that make everyone at our end very happy to be doing the work we do. Best wishes to Bob and Sarah, and Melanie...we look forward to seeing you this Friday.
Sincerely:
Lynne,John,Bethany,Kailey,Ellen,Mekenzie,Ron and me