Weddingbee Blog

One of the surprises waiting for me on my wedding day was this sweet ride:

(photo by my mum)

Now it had been the plan all along for Cinnamon Buns’ step dad to drive my dad and me to the venue in his car. What I wasn’t expecting was ribbons and tulle! Apparently our mums were out in the parkade on the wedding day morning, giving the car a bit of flair.

Cinnamon Buns’ step-dad also managed to take the great shot of me above, sitting in the car with door open, trying to figure out how to get myself out without messing up my ‘look’. It was extra-special that he drove dad and me to the ceremony because he was diagnosed with kidney cancer during the engagement, and with all the meds he was on at the time, not to mention the 5-pound tumor, he wasn’t feeling too perky. (The tumour has since been removed, yay! And his energy is slowly coming back.)

One delicately-shod foot exits the car…

….and I needed my dad to give me a good pull to get the rest of the way out!

This photo sponsored by Canadian Blood Services—it’s in you to give. Don’t worry, we also have a portrait version of this photo without the Blood Services van, but it makes me giggle. I can’t really pretend I wasn’t getting out of a fancy car in an alley in the most expensive piece of clothing I’ll ever own, so why try?

Beautiful sun doesn’t mean it isn’t windy, so I had to make sure to hold my veil down all the way in. I love love loved wearing my veil, I loved the style, but it just wanted to fly away with any little gust of wind!

Mum took this photo, and I absolutely love it! Then she had to run and sit down, because the bride had arrived, and she had to be seated last before the processional could start.

The dudes got into place.

And then they waited for us ladies.

We’d chosen to walk down the aisle to Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. We had timed it in our rehearsal, and it worked perfectly for my two bridesmaids to walk down the aisle during the intro, then I would enter when the words to the song started. One of the few disappointments of the day was that our DJ was not nearly as awesome as some bridal forums made him out to be. According to the threads I read, if you wanted the best in Calgary, you wanted this guy. For me, he was late, which meant guests who arrived early were locked out because the groomsmen and our DOC friend thought it best if he was at least mostly set up before people came in (I agree). He didn’t have all the correct cables, which sent one of my bridesmaids running to work to grab a connector (luckily most of our bridal party has AV set up as a job requirement) he was plugging and unplugging things with speakers live during the reception, resulting in huge pops and bangs… a groomsdude sorted him out after that. The mix of music he played during the dancing was pretty much spot-on though, I will give him that, he can definitely read a crowd. (YMCA? Yes, please!)

But the processional song started early, when my mum walked down the aisle. Did it ruin my day? Or even my minute? No, but I do remember noticing and thinking ‘Well, not much to do about this right now!’

So dad and I walked. I tried to remember not to walk too fast, I think I remembered to smile—I’m never at my best when people are staring at me, even if they are our nearest and dearest.

And then all of a sudden I was standing on a riser facing the world’s most awesome man, in front of 65 of our family and friends.

Did all your vendors live up to expectations?

Unless otherwise noted, all photos in this post are by Fotograffika.

The Cinnamon Bun Recaps:

• Baking Pies
• Rehearsal
• Girls Getting Ready
• Guys Getting Ready
• First Look
• Photos in the Park