wedding rings

Our Goldsmith....friend Michelle sent us these snazzy photos of the rings.

we spoke about this in an earlier post. These photos do the rings justice.

more about our elopement....weekend activities

Our time in Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) was incredibly relaxing. We were able to indulge in some of our favourite things: antiquing, eating really good meals at fabulous restaurants and walking around exploring.

• Fine Dining - it was completely accidental but our elopement weekend coincided with the gastronomical extravaganza Fabulicious. Many of the best restaurants in town participated which meant 3 course meals for $34 or less. Needless to say we ate very well.
• NOTL -the first capital of Upper Canada is a beautiful town teeming with historical residential homes and buildings. I don't believe I have visited a more quaint town. There are strict bylaws in place with regard to the construction of new buildings and renovations to existing buildings (e.g. you can pass the McDonalds and Shoppers Drug Mart just outside of the town and not notice they are there).
• Antiquing - There are several antique stores and we had fun exploring these.
• Fort George - NOTL is steeped in history so we felt obliged to check out Fort George, a national historical park. We watched a musket firing demonstration, an abbreviated overview of the war of 1812 and a tour of the Fort.
• Niagara Falls - a trip to Niagara would not be complete without a visit to the natural wonder that is Niagara Falls.

There are so many wineries in the region that we could have explored but David wished to wait to visit these when we return at a later date, when I can indulge in the wine tours and tastings.

more about our elopement...the playlist

Music has played an important role in our relationship. During our first year together we were living in different parts of the country (I was in Winnipeg and Dave was in Banff) so there was an intense period of letter writing and mixed tapes were often included in the envelopes. This playlist includes songs that were on some of those mixed tapes as well as a cross section of music we've enjoyed together over the past 12 years.
This playlist was the soundtrack to our elopement weekend - here it is, the songs listed in no particular order

Cello Song - Nick Drake

Two Lovers - Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

Hit The Ground Running - Smog

I Could Drive Forever - Smog

Suedehead - Morrissey

Raising Arizona Theme - Carter Burwell

Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) - Kd Lang

Helpless (Neil Young) - Kd Lang

Crying - Roy Orbison

On Your Shore - Enya

Shepherd Moons - Enya

Do You Love Me Now? - The Breeders

Hey, that’s no way to say goodbye - Leonard Cohen

Suzanne - Leonard Cohen

I believe in you - Kylie Minogue

Caribou - Pixies

Hey - Pixies

monkey gone to heaven - Pixies

Wave Of Mutilation (UK Surf) - Pixies

La La Love You- Pixies

You and I - Wilco

The Calculation - Regina Spektor

Dirty Old Town - The Pogues

One Headlight - Wallflowers

Lovefool - The Cardigans

I feel - The Sundays

Look At Me - John Lennon

Jealous Guy - John Lennon

Gone For Good - The Shins

New Slang - The Shins

Landslide - Smashing Pumpkins

One By One - Billy Bragg & Wilco

California Stars - Billy Bragg & Wilco

The State I am in - Belle and Sebastian

The Boy with the Arab Strap - Belle and Sebastian

Lucky Man - The Verve

Harvest Moon - Neil Young

Viens Mallika Sous Le Dome Edais From Lakme - Howard Blake

You're so cool - Hans Zimmer

Sarah - Ween

Wild Horses - The Sundays

Hasn't hit me yet - Blue Rodeo

Lodestar - Sarah Harmer

Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths

In My Life - Beatles
If I Fell - Beatles

Nantes - Beirut

Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies

This Women's Work - Kate Bush

You're so great - Blur

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic- The Police

So long, Marianne - Leonard Cohen

Hey there little insect - Jonathan Richmond & Modern Lovers

more about our elopement...birds in sync

We noticed the abundance of birds while driving around Niagara, likely due to the vineyards. At times the birds moved as one in the sky, similar to a school of fish in the ocean. We suspect the locals do not appreciate the choreography of the birds as honeymooning/newlywed tourists do. Enjoy the video. p.s. the song in the background was on our elopement playlist.

more about our elopement....the story of the rings

As we mentioned earlier our friend Michelle Lischinsky designed and created our wedding rings for us. After a few consultations over tea, she artfully designed a pair of matching rings that reflected our preferences regarding style, esthetic and material.

While we were at the hotel enjoying the warmth of the hearth, Dave spent some time attempting to capture a shot of the rings.

David and Brandy elope, November 21, 2009, Niagara-on-the-Lake

Their first date was a road trip to a wedding in The Pas, Manitoba. After twelve wonderful years of enjoying and participating in the fine weddings of their family and friends, David and Brandy decided that it was indeed time....to elope.

Planning

They asked their good friend Michelle Lischinsky to design and make their wedding rings. She did a phenomenal job and they are grateful for her creative talent.

The timing of the event was decided by baby.

The month of November was selected because David's season with VIA ended, Brandy had a week of vacation planned and - on a meaningful level - Brandy parent's were married in November.

They threw around ideas for possible destinations and settled for somewhere in Canada and Niagara-on-the-Lake came out the winner.

Brandy reserved a room at the Charles Inn and booked an officiant (Rev Derek) and a professional photographer (Kathy).

They took 6am flight to Toronto on Fri, November 20 and drove to Niagara. Their first stop was the city hall in Niagara Falls to pick up the marriage license. They had a lovely lunch (the first of many exquisite meals to be enjoyed in the region) and headed to Niagara-on-the-Lake to get settled before the big day.

Details

The day of the wedding, the pair stopped by a florists and ordered the perfect floral arrangement, bouquet and boutonniere.

Brandy and David were married at 4:00 pm. Just prior David met with Rev Derek to fill out paperwork and to get assistance pinning the boutonniere. Hugh (professional witness) gave advice on how to properly wear a pocket watch. Brandy did her own hair and makeup and wore a maternity bridal dress ordered from Isabella Oliver. The ceremony was short but meaningful; David and Brandy read their own vows to each other. One half of the couple (David) got misty. Kathy (who was the second witness) took photos of the newly married couple for the next 45 minutes before they climbed into a horse drawn carriage for a one hour ride through the old town of NOTL. David and Brandy then returned to enjoy champagne, compliments of the hotel. (Brandy admits she indulged in a very small glass, which seemed appropriate and forgivable given the occasion). They shared an amazing dinner at the restaurant at the Charles Inn, one of the best - if not the best- restaurant in NOTL.