HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-02-13, Page 20ISABEL CAMPBELL
R.R. #4 Wingham
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Seaforth & District Community Centres is an excellent
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reception.The hall holds between 300 to 400 guests.
SEAFORTH & DISTRICT
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Call Doug Hugill, Marty Bedard or Kevan Broome
(519) 527-1272
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PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2002.
Couple plans morning ceremony, outdoor reception
KELLY CLARK
Certified Esthetician
CARLA PAWITCH
Certified Esthetician
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
It didn't arrive as a Valentine's
gift, but rather a precursor.
Early February, 1999, our elder
daughter showed us her engagement
ring. The wedding, the not-to-be-
rushed couple announced, would not
take place until sometime in 2001.
One thing was definite, however,
the day would not be lavish or
extravagant, but like thiS couple,
modest, natural. And while two
years seemed a long way off, the
idea of an outdoor ceremony became
a more popular notion with each
passing day.
With our first daughter, let alone
child, to be wed, there was no
question Mom was going to be
involved. The key as time went on 1
discovered was to lend support and
observations without crossing over.
It was a fine line.
In the early going suggestions
popped out from nearly everyone
with no particular attention paid
either to probability or plausibility.
Occasionally one would seem sound
and it was tucked away in a mental
notebook for future reference.
(Note: This was eventually
discovered to be a foolish method as
that old mental notebook proved a
less than accurate account and there
was occasional quibbling over minor
forgotten details. I would, therefore,
highly recommend a more tangible
record.)
Winter segued intd spring and with
the arrival of June we thrilled at the
profusion of lush blooms on our
many backyard snowball bushes,
and the heady aroma of lilac. This
would be, I remarked, a nice setting
for a wedding. However, as
flowering snowballs melt away
quickly, we knew the window of
opportunity would be short.
Checking the calendar we
determined that June 2 would
probably be the right time.
With the day set, the question was
what time. Several years ago a
friend's daughter was married in a
morning ceremony with an
afternoon reception. Nicki
mentioned she liked this idea, so the
wedding, it was decided, would be at
11:30 a.m.
Throughout the remainder of 1999
and the first part of 2000 things
coasted along. The first weekend of
June arrived, snowballs and lilacs
yet again in place, affirming that the
time was right.
From this point on momentum
picked up and with wedding guide
never too far away, our daughter, her
would-be groom found themselves
in the middle of some serious
wedding planning.
It wasn't long before we learned
the first lesson of many. There is no
such thing as a simple wedding. Like
air in a balloon, new ideas blew
around, inflating the original
concept.
The first thing noticed was how
difficult it was to keep the guest list
down to the number first intended.
Not one for show, but respectful of
obligation, our daughter responded
to this by insisting on an intimate
service to be witnessed by
immediate family and close friends.
The reception would include other
relatives and acquaintances.
Where originally the plan, had
been for a simple barbecue, our
German background dictated that no
party could be a good party without
copious amounts of food and drink.
The plan then became to serve hors
d'eouvres beginning at 1 p.m., with
supper starting at 3:30 for those of us
whose day would have begun in the
wee hours. The buffet would run
continually through to 5 p.m.
Knowing Mother Nature's
pernicious streak, common sense
advised that a tent must be rented,
but a conversely optimistic streak
drove us to consider the bare
Minimum for size — one that would
accommodate all the guests in a
pinch, but not for a long time.
By the end or the year, attendants
had been selected and were fully
immersed in the excitement. Tent,
tables, chairs were rented, the
minister booked and photographer
lined up. The search for the dress
had begun and the colours chosen.
February was the first consultation
with the woman who was designing
the bouquets and centrepieces. Her
work had been admired by us at l an
earlier wedding and our daughter
was confident in leaving the
majority of the decision here to the
expert. Daisies and lilac were the
only request.
As things began to intensify
around the young bridal couple, Dad
and I became immersed in a project
of our own— the great outdoors.
Blessed with wonderful neighbours
who volunteered their property for
the tent, we had a whole yard'to get
in order.
Finally, as early spring greeted us,
4i1M/ , . WC.
there was a sense of having it all
together. Dresses had been found,
fittings were underway, details were
finalized with the caterer and
invitations had been sent.
Our future son-in-law and his best
man spent a day helping my husband
landscape, while daughter and I
picked up baskets and pots of
flowers which I had left for planting
in the late winter at a local
greenhouse. By the end of May they
Spa
Essentials
were 'blooming lovely'.
The weather during the days
leading up to the wedding, we
prayed, was a sign that Mother
Nature was getting things out of her
system. However Friday dawned as
cool and wet as the preceeding
several days. Deciding the ceremony
would have to be in the tent, we
cleared out the tables and set up
chairs, decorating with white lights
Continued on page 21
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Fait accompli
Though the threat of rain resulted in the ceremony being
moved into the tent, the bad weather held off for the photo
session and afternoon reception.
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