Encore weddings are one of a kind!

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My beloved and I are off to the Okanagan this weekend. Leaving Saturday morning we will spend the next four days touring the wine country and….. wait for it… deciding on a place to hold our wedding next April.

Yes, we’ve set a date, and a destination. Now, we have to actually pick the place.

There is something surreal about it all. It feels odd, weird, different (and I’m starting to get the ‘wonderful) to be planning an “Encore” wedding at this stage of my life. (I read that somewhere ‘encore wedding’ and thought it was kind of cute!)

And it feels exciting too!

C.C. is very engaged (I know, I get the play on words. 🙂 ). Deciding on the destination was not just a “Hey honey, I think we should get married ‘here’.” He has opinions. Preferences. Ideas.

Imagine that! A man who wants to co-create our wedding event!

And there are considerations. We both want a small wedding. Except, small to C.C. is 100 – 120 people. Small to me is 20 – 25. But then, at a normal family wedding on his side, family accounts for about 50 – 60 people. My side, we’re about 10.

Along with being about us, we both want the wedding to be about our children and us, about the joining of our families into one family. So, we have ideas on how we can create that sense of ‘we’re all in this together.” It’s important to honour all our ideas, including those of our children, and to incorporate them in some way so that it truly is an ‘us’ wedding.

And then, there’s the romance. We want it to be meaningful and memorable. To be a statement of our love. Of who we are as a couple. And to be fun and romantic and whimsical and witty too!

And that’s where the critter steps in. “Seriously? You’re 60 Louise. It’s not like you’re some young, blushing bride. You’ve been here before. Like, don’t get all gushy about this. It’s just a formality…..” And he goes on. And on. And on.

Okay, I tell him. I hear you. I’m not going to be wearing a frothy cupcake of a long white dress with a long trailing veil carried by a coterie of giggling bridesmaids and dancing flower girls throwing rose petals.

But I do want it to be a statement of who we are, a statement of our commitment together, and of our relationship — of how we are together and what we mean to one another, and what our family means to us.

And age doesn’t matter. And age does matter. Because at this age, we get to do it our way — and the best part… we know what ‘our way’ is!

So there! Take that you pesky critter and stuff it up your kazoo!

Which is why we’ve chosen the Okanagan.

Originally, we thought of the Russian River Valley in California which we both love. Challenge is, cross-border organizing seemed to be more daunting, and the distance meant more logistics to juggle.

We talked about Tofino, my daughters’ and my favourite place, but C.C. has never been and getting there is a full day’s journey, even from Calgary.

We also thought about having it here, at the golf club, and while it is appealing in logistical ways, we both love the idea of an away wedding. Something that provides an opportunity for those travelling to join us to experience another part of the country that is stunningly beautiful and filled with lots of wineries and sunshine and beautiful places to explore.

And did I mention, we both love wineries and wine country and wine? 🙂

Even the date is an opportunity to ensure our children know how important they are to our union. My eldest daughter has to be at Royal Roads University on Vancouver Island the Monday following the date to begin a 3 week residency. Which means, she’ll have to travel on Sunday from Vancouver to get settled in. Holding the wedding on the Saturday would just be too much of a time crunch for her, and having it the weekend before means she has to take additional time off work prior to her away stint.

Easy-peasie. A Friday wedding it is!

So, if anyone has any ideas, thoughts, creative inventions on how to make an ‘Encore Wedding’ one of a kind and the best kind of wedding there is, share away! I’m all ears and open mind and frothing at the bit to get creating. See, even if my dress won’t be all frothy and froufou, there’s a whole lot of frothing going on, she writes while taking a sip of her frothy morning latte!

And just to be clear…. while I may not be a blushing bride, I am a bride-to-be and I’m kinda excited about that!

BTW — for those of you who missed it, The Proposal happened last Dec 8. It was…. memorable.

 

 

 

26 thoughts on “Encore weddings are one of a kind!”

  3. Dang the critter, Louise! You will be the most beautiful bride! I am so excited for you and I just think it will be an amazing celebration of LOVE…love and bonding. I will keep my mind open and if I come up with anything I will write to you. But honestly….having your family there and honoring the bond of love you all have….ah! pretty much everything else will just be the icing on the cake…Oh…there will be cake….right???? 🙂 ❤

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  6. Congrats, Louise! My guy and I go to Wine Country in the Okanagan every year. Just on our last trip a month ago, I said what a beautiful place for a wedding! There are so many gorgeous wineries with stunning views. The Oliver area rocks. Tin Horn Creek, Hester Creek, Burrowing Owl, to name a few great ones. I’m sure you’re familiar with all of them. I love the idea of an ‘encore wedding’! Hope to hear more about your plans 🙂

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    • I will most definitely keep you informed — I’m looking forward to this weekend — there are some amazing wineries in the area — I’m leaning towards Naramata because of the town itself — which I love! 🙂

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  8. I’m so excited for you both! Perhaps you can honeymoon in that Russian valley place in California? Oh and you can be a blushing bride if you want…and you can wear a cup cake frou frou gown if you want… and you can do whatever else you want! ❤
    Diana xo

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  9. The wedding I performed Aug. 15 had one of the most creative bride and gooms I ever met personally. They wanted symbols of those dear ones who had passed and could not attend in the physical sense. So I wore a necklace from a great aunt, The tartan around the flowers were from her Father’s heritage, the veil was from her grandmother, and there was an altar set up with photos and sentiments of them. Everything they wore had meaning. It was brilliant! And if I ever get married again I will be doing something similar. I would want to add more things that are representative of the closest family members to me. Like the Sands of Time where you layer coloured sand and momentos close to the glass walls of the container so you can see the layers and momentos. I love the theme, even if not the actual sand. Perhaps there is an idea in there that can get your creative juices flowing. ha ha ha! Love you so much Louise. May you have every blessing of what is wonderful and good in this world heaped on you and your family, so much so, that it fills the holes and heals the wounds of the past.

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    • How beautiful Sheryl — I love the thought they put into it and the fact you are sharing your discovery! Thank you. Now I have to ponder how we’ll embrace such a beautiful idea.

      I think of you often — hope you are well and thriving. We really do need to connect in person! Much love to you my friend.

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      • I get to see you almost on a daily basis through your thoughts and words, beautiful and meaningful. You are so soulful. I really do need to talk to you, one on one. Spirit is nudging me to see you. Gently of course. Would you please send me your phone number? Perhaps PM me on Facebook with it if you would rather or email me. That would be great too. My number is public, so here it is. 587-830-3600. It’s a new number from the last one I gave you. Let’s do it!

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  11. Congratulations to the blessed couple! Such a lovely idea! I can feel the excitement, love the tone of your words, bouncing around merrily! Louise…blushing sure would lend more charm! Have fun!! Looking forward to all the stories.

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  12. Please take this sock and stuff it in the critter’s mouth.
    Enjoy the ride. Let go. Embrace your inner romantic teenager! Make it special for the two of you and not anyone else. This is all about you and CC. Ride this wave. Get juicy and embarrass younger and older peeps. Discover something to make you blush 🙂
    So so happy for you Louise!
    Val x

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