Our Wedding

The Proposal

Joe proposed to me on July 13, 2001 (yes that was Friday the 13th! He was not thinking about the date... just that the setting was perfect!). We had been talking about getting married and we were being harrassed by all of our married friends and my mother. He started joking that he could not rationalize paying so much for a ring and a wedding when we could buy a big screen TV instead. It became a running joke that if he got me a ring, then I would buy him a big screen TV.

For our Vacation, we went to Quadra Island (a 10 minute ferry ride from Campbell River on the North end of Vancouver Island).
We arrived early, and had lunch at this great resort on the island (which was amazing) and checked out the island for a good place to take some sunset pictures. (Joe had recently become obsessed with this - or so I thought

That night, we went out for an amazing dinner and headed down to a private beach not far from the resort (see picture for location). We took some pictures and just sat there enjoying the peace. Joe started talking about how he felt bad that I had been covering most of the bills lately and that he had not been able to help out much. Then he takes a Future Shop flyer out of his pocket and says there is a reason he has been so broke. I immediately knew what was going on but I did not want to spoil the moment for him so I played along and got excited that he was buying us a TV. Then I got all nervous and stupid and started going on and on and on about all the TV's. He just sat back and watched me make a fool of myself until he had had enough. The next thing I knew, he was on one knee in front of me with a little box in his hand. After a lot of "Oh my God!" and crying, I finally managed to say yes!

Very close to my engagement ring and wedding band

the only difference is a small diamond on the side of the band (facing my heart)

The Planning

Right after the proposal

(note the red face from crying!)

Joe right after proposing

This postcard shows exactly where we got engaged

We planned the wedding ourselves and somehow managed to keep it about us. Joe designed the invitations, reply cards, and programs which we made.

Together, we created a romantic and elegant wedding that was absolutely perfect! (Of course, I still had to be me and wear comfortable shoes though - my Sketchers!)

The dress

Our Wedding Day

August 31, 2002

The invitation my talented husband designed

I have a new definition of perfect now. It is when all sorts of things can go wrong, but you simply do not care. Our day was beautiful and we were both relaxed and happy. The reception site made many errors (including placing my fathers table in the far corner of the room-ouch!) but it was still everything that we planned.

I was never nervous, only excited and in awe that this day had begun. My bridesmaids and my mother could not get over how calm and relaxed and happy I was. In the limo, the bridemaids kept waiting for me to get nervous and start crying. I just told tham that it was impossible for me to be nervous over something that made me so happy.

Getting Ready

The bridesmaids and I

I am a huge cry-baby... I cry for absolutely everything. On the day of the wedding, I cried only once... A friend and neighbor of my mothers, whom I had never met, sent a card for me. In it, she explained that the flower Heather was a symbol of luck in marriage. In the card, she enclosed a sprig of dried Heather that came from her bridal bouquet and asked that I carry it as my "something old". She said that she had been married for 54 years and hoped that I would have the same happiness. I started to cry over the shear generosity of this woman I had never met providing me with something so beautiful and important to her. This woman has since become a surogate grandmother to me.

While I was telling the story of the heather

(I love that I have this picture to remember the story by)

St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church

My Mom and Dad with me before the Procession

The Ceremony

When I saw Joe at the end of the aisle, he looked so amazingly handsome. I could not stop staring at him with this huge smile. The two of us were so relaxed that we had our arms around each other and my father tells me that at one point, Joe had his hand in his pocket. I just looked out at all of our friends and family and loved that they were all here to witness this day with us. We messed up a few parts of the ceremony, but they only helped to make the day unique for us.

Joe escorting our Mom's to light the unity candles

Joe escorting his Grandmother (Mama)

Kieran got nervous and wanted his mom with him

(note she's also wearing the boutanniere he refused to wear!)

Dad escorting me down the aisle

View from the Church balcony

My favorite picture with Father John

Since we didn't get our first kiss inside...

Our guests assembled on the church steps

Pictures in the Park

I love this picture with Kieran...

Walking through the Park

Kieran during a serious moment...

... and Kieran during a fun moment!

One of my favorite "posed" shots

Our rings

The Reception

Everyone commented on how beautiful we both looked and how relaxed we were. We recieved so many compliments on the food, the decorations, the music... everything that we had slaved and stressed over - it all felt perfect.

We arrive at the reception

The Bridesmaids

(l-r: Belinda, Grace & Kelly)

The Groomspersons

(Joe's Dad, Alda & David)

How the tables looked

Our Votive Holder Favors

they were favors, placecard settings and added decoration

Our First Dance

(I Don't Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith)

One of the things that will remain a favorite memory will be of Joe's 80 year old Grandmother (Mama). Our reception site has a balcony that leads to the hotel pool and hot tub. One of Joe's groomspersons and two of the Bridesmaids decided that they wanted to soak their feet in the hot tub. So off they go, holding their skirts up and standing up to their thighs in the hot tub. Mama comes over and we all think that she is going to scold Joe's sister (Bridesmaid) & tell her to get out. Instead she asks if that feels good and says she wants to come in! So, there is Mama, lifting up her dress and pulling off her stockings to crawl into the hot tub. It was priceless. There was more than 1 roll of film shot of them all in the hottub (see below for a pic). The girls kept trying to hold her dress up so that she would not get wet, but she smacked their hands and told them to leave her alone. I loved it!

Grace, Alda, Mama, and Kelly

Addison (emcee), me, and Joe

(I love this picture for purely selfish reasons - Check out how small my waist looks!)

My favorite picture

The guest table

Our Honeymoon

For our Honeymoon, we went back to where we got engaged for 2 nights. The Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge is located on Quadra Island (If you are familiar with Vancouver Island, Quadra Island is a 10 minute ferry ride from Campbell River). We stayed in a private cabin that looked out over the water. We could watch the cruise ships passing at night.

The cabin we stayed in for our honeymoon