I’ve been meaning to blog a little bit more about our Wedding, but have been going back & forth about how I want to discuss it. At first, I thought it would make sense to try & give some tips based on what we learned. As I’ve distanced myself from the day, however, I’ve realized that that’s never been the intention of my blog. I’m not an expert on wedding planning by any stretch, just a girl with a lot of opinions. & this blog has never been of the advice-giving kind. I’m more about sharing stories. So let’s get back to that.
Many of our wedding guests had to travel to our wedding. In fact, the majority of our guests had long drives or flights to join us. While it wasn’t what you’d typically picture when you hear “destination wedding”, it really was one. & it’s for that very reason that we had things planned for the whole weekend. Our Sunday wedding worked out perfectly for organizing a true summer weekend in Kelowna.
N & I set out for the interior the Wednesday before. We would leave on our honeymoon immediately following the wedding, so we were pretty eager to say goodbye to work for a few weeks & start our vacation. We couldn’t think of a better way to kick things off than by joining our friends for a quick visit in the Shuswap. We spent Thursday boating & hiking & learning new skills behind their beautiful boat. Our lovely hosts provided the perfect start to our weekend with good food, amazing company, & our favourite lake activities. We were so grateful for their invitation, & so glad we decided to take the extra vacation day.
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| A day on the Shuswap with some great people – photo from H |
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| Wakeboarding & Wakesurfing |
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| H showing off her skills while I’m just happy to be up! |
The boys had a golf game scheduled early Friday morning in Kelowna, so they packed up the car & set out pretty early. We couldn’t check in until the afternoon, so we took our time packing the cars & making the drive. Friday was pretty low key. We had lunch & drinks on a patio, settled into our accommodations, met extended family, & enjoyed the perfect Okanagan weather.
Saturday was a bit busier for the wedding party. We started the day at our venue, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, for our rehearsal. My parents, our commissioner, our party joined us to rehearse the ceremony for the first time. I blubbered through our I do’s in typical Alanna fashion. It was ridiculous, but no one there was overly surprised. We left with explicit instructions to drink a lot of water & the knowledge that we were definitely going to forget parts of what we’d just practiced.
We had most of the rest of the day free to enjoy the weather (or finish up some last-minute crafts, as I think my mom did…) so N & hit the pool at his parents for a couple hours before convincing my dad to take us out on the boat. We both wanted to have one last wakeboard before the wedding, so a bunch of us loaded into the boat & went for the tamest wakeboard ride of my life. I don’t think there could have been a more perfect way to spend my last day as an Adair.
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| Just hanging out inside the wake |
Our rehearsal dinner that evening was on Earl’s patio downtown. N’s brother had worked at that location so he was able to get us good spot for dinner. N’s mom even got to come by early & add some decorations. It was a great choice, as the patio overlooks the marina downtown. It’s got one of the best views in Kelowna!
We shared a bunch of appetizers, & had some great summer drinks & a lovely meal. There were even a couple little speeches. I was so impressed with N’s. He has a way with words that surprised most of the Wedding Party, since that’s not a side he often let’s anyone see. I even managed to get through the majority of mine without many tears. The entire Wedding Party still had money on me crying through the ceremony. I can’t really blame them.
After dinner, N’s mom had planned a party for everyone at the house they rented. She wanted to give everyone a chance to meet each other & mingle before the Wedding. We arrived to find the backyard set up with lights, coolers full of drinks, & even the cutest s’more roasting station. It was a really relaxed evening with everyone before the big day & gave us a chance to welcome our guests to Kelowna.
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| Adorable Smores by N’s mom |
At the end of the night, I said goodnight to N & caught a ride back to my parents place. We’d decided to spend our last night apart.
(Some of these photos are mine &some of them are from Instagram or Facebook albums. All of them are marvelous!)
Three years ago, I stood in front of our friends & family & told you,
