Jacalyn & Mark got engaged flying high in a little white airplane over her father’s farm.
They live in Alberta, but decided it would be fun to throw a great big grassroots party on that same land where they decided to spend their lives together–or at least on the land underneath where they made that pact. Jacalyn’s dad truly spared no effort to make this happen: he cut paths through the trees, cleared the woods for the ceremony, laid a cement floor in the hangar to hold the reception, and then built a bridge to connect the two. He also built all those benches to make a natural church setting out of the tree covered clearing.
Such love in the details!! The wildflower centrepieces were picked from the edges of the property, mason jars hand painted and twine-tied, the arbour decorated that morning by one of the bride’s sisters. Leaning old doors (and their lovely doorknobs), lanterns bobbing in the breeze, custom puzzles to piece together and strange symbols to mark the tables, like ‘fire’ and ‘ants’ and ‘putter’—inside jokes? I think yes.
This whole event was meticulously plotted out with not a few drops of sweat, certainly some tears and absolutely a whole bunch of laughs1` to get through the tough parts. Like on the very day, when the sky turned dark like a hurricane bruise and then broke open with a ferocious rain for at least an hour right smack between the ceremony and the dinner–no need for despair, the bar was open and everyone had an awe-inspiring spectacle to gaze upon. And then, as though to signal this young couples tenacity and resilience, and natural beauty too, there landed a double rainbow, right there for all to see. I mean really, how perfect is that?
What an amazing memory to have to mark your future life together: “remember honey, when the sky exploded at our wedding, rained down like cannonballs on all our guests and then finished it’s tirade with a two-rainbow salute? Like a kiss from God just for us?”
And that’s not all, there were tables of home-cooking painstakingly prepared on site (and in spite of the rain), some very funny speeches, toasts and more toasts, a send-off of what must have been almost 100 hot-air lanterns, and then some dancing to live music under twinkly lights and a skyful of stars.
Best wishes to the these two lucky people. xoxo
