My Brother's Wedding Was Awesome!
Once upon a time there was a little boy who insisted very strongly that he would never get married, as he was always going to stay at home and live with Mommy forever! That little boy is married now - in fact despite being the youngest of three kids, he was also the first to leave his Mommy and be united with his spouse.
And what a wedding it was! Lots of tears, lots of laughs. Truly I couldn't have wished for anything better for either of them. The way they look at each other, the way they compliment each other in their personalities... it's the kind of love I hope and pray all of us are able to find one day.
A few of the highlights of the wedding included:
- The entire wedding party was best of friends: Catherine's sisters Christine and Susanne were on her side, while they husbands Mark and BJ were on Daniel's side. Catherine's best friend Melanie was there, along with Melanie's husband Graham on Daniel's side. The married couple had people vouching for their union on both sides... I've never seen a closer group of friends in a wedding party.
- Daniel and my mom have been playing this silly game for years that involved a silly picture of my mother. The picture started off taped to Daniel's computer screen, made it's way to mom's slippers, then to Daniel's textbook, mom's Christmas gift, underneath Daniel's pillow... When Daniel went away to university my mother put it under his bed at university and that's the last she'd seen of it in a year and a half. Sure he'd gone and lost the thing, she sent him an email saying "I Won!".
My mother walked him down the isle, they did their life-long secret handshake, then Daniel reached into his pocket and handed my mother a folded up piece of paper. She took it back to her seat and opened it up to find the picture and a note in big bright letters: "I WIN!" :) MY mom burst into tears of course.
- They wrote their own vows. I wish I could remember them to post them here but they were truly tear-inducing. The last line ended with "My heart, my love, my life is yours. I am yours."
- They walked back down the isle to the oldies classic "I'm a believer" (thought that love was only just a fairy tale. Meant for someone else but not for me) I was thrilled for them and it was their day so I forced myself to ignore that ugly little voice welling up in my heart that was trying to remind me that this is my mantra in love and life. I'd heard that if you're single that weddings get worse the older you get. I was ready to battle that little voice.
- After a week of clouds and rain, the sun broke - just two hours before their wedding! They got a really light shower while the sun was shining, which produced a beautiful rainbow. Amazing!
- The reception was superb! So many hilarious and touching speeches! My brother Michael took off his shoes and did a little jig in front of everyone. (I was in stitches the moment he took his shoes off, because I knew what he was doing) There is a french-Canadian tradition that if you're the older brother and your younger sibling gets married before you, you have to dance in your socks. There was no dance at the wedding, but Michael made sure to do his duty. He rocks! :)
- My song went great! Everyone was in tears - my mother was sobbing, a response which I hadn't expected. The audience also responded well to the funny line that I stuck into the chorus on the second time through (about having lots of neices and nephews for me). I was told by at least five or six different people at different times that I should consider submitting some of my songs to the Christian music industry.
My aunt Rosemary even said:
"I believe you've got a real gift to be able to touch people with your words, and I believe that's God-given and therefore to keep that to yourself would be really selfish." hmmmmmm
- The slide show featured pictures from our childhood, and to our horror and delight, a shot of all but one of the Kruszelnicki cousins naked together in a bath-tub. Is it mandatory for parents to embarass their offspring at weddings?
- The slide show also featured a beautiful country song I'd never heard before: Keith Urban - Making Memories of Us. I cried with happiness for them while the little voice came back in the form of "gosh I hope I find a magical love like that"
- I didn't catch the bouquet. I made everyone laugh with my exagerated effort and athlete's pose as I "desperately" prepared to catch it. I stood right in the front but the 5 foot 10" bridesmaid behind me reach up her hand with no effort and snatched it front the air. She said "it's too easy when you're this tall" so I told her to hurry up and get married so the rest of us would have a chance at our turn :)
That's about all for the wedding highlights, though much much more could obviously be said. As Daniel was not having a dance, I found the Queen's University swing dance club which was doing a special dance that night, and joined in on their fun until 3:30 am Whooohoooooo!
The drive back to Ottawa on the back-roads was phenomenal - the reds and golds and bright orange leaves were at their prime and passing over tree-covered islands and rocky mountains was breath taking! Fall only gets worse from here as the cold sets in, but this is fall at its absolute best!
And the absolute best is what I wish the happy couple as they enjoy their honey-moon in a cottage featuring a hot-tub and a fire-placeup, up in the gorgeous and scenic Muskoka area. He'll be hurting when he comes back to class having missed a week in med-school, but I think they will both agree as they live the rest of their lives together, that it was well worth it.
And what a wedding it was! Lots of tears, lots of laughs. Truly I couldn't have wished for anything better for either of them. The way they look at each other, the way they compliment each other in their personalities... it's the kind of love I hope and pray all of us are able to find one day.
A few of the highlights of the wedding included:
- The entire wedding party was best of friends: Catherine's sisters Christine and Susanne were on her side, while they husbands Mark and BJ were on Daniel's side. Catherine's best friend Melanie was there, along with Melanie's husband Graham on Daniel's side. The married couple had people vouching for their union on both sides... I've never seen a closer group of friends in a wedding party.
- Daniel and my mom have been playing this silly game for years that involved a silly picture of my mother. The picture started off taped to Daniel's computer screen, made it's way to mom's slippers, then to Daniel's textbook, mom's Christmas gift, underneath Daniel's pillow... When Daniel went away to university my mother put it under his bed at university and that's the last she'd seen of it in a year and a half. Sure he'd gone and lost the thing, she sent him an email saying "I Won!".
My mother walked him down the isle, they did their life-long secret handshake, then Daniel reached into his pocket and handed my mother a folded up piece of paper. She took it back to her seat and opened it up to find the picture and a note in big bright letters: "I WIN!" :) MY mom burst into tears of course.
- They wrote their own vows. I wish I could remember them to post them here but they were truly tear-inducing. The last line ended with "My heart, my love, my life is yours. I am yours."
- They walked back down the isle to the oldies classic "I'm a believer" (thought that love was only just a fairy tale. Meant for someone else but not for me) I was thrilled for them and it was their day so I forced myself to ignore that ugly little voice welling up in my heart that was trying to remind me that this is my mantra in love and life. I'd heard that if you're single that weddings get worse the older you get. I was ready to battle that little voice.
- After a week of clouds and rain, the sun broke - just two hours before their wedding! They got a really light shower while the sun was shining, which produced a beautiful rainbow. Amazing!
- The reception was superb! So many hilarious and touching speeches! My brother Michael took off his shoes and did a little jig in front of everyone. (I was in stitches the moment he took his shoes off, because I knew what he was doing) There is a french-Canadian tradition that if you're the older brother and your younger sibling gets married before you, you have to dance in your socks. There was no dance at the wedding, but Michael made sure to do his duty. He rocks! :)
- My song went great! Everyone was in tears - my mother was sobbing, a response which I hadn't expected. The audience also responded well to the funny line that I stuck into the chorus on the second time through (about having lots of neices and nephews for me). I was told by at least five or six different people at different times that I should consider submitting some of my songs to the Christian music industry.
My aunt Rosemary even said:
"I believe you've got a real gift to be able to touch people with your words, and I believe that's God-given and therefore to keep that to yourself would be really selfish." hmmmmmm
- The slide show featured pictures from our childhood, and to our horror and delight, a shot of all but one of the Kruszelnicki cousins naked together in a bath-tub. Is it mandatory for parents to embarass their offspring at weddings?
- The slide show also featured a beautiful country song I'd never heard before: Keith Urban - Making Memories of Us. I cried with happiness for them while the little voice came back in the form of "gosh I hope I find a magical love like that"
- I didn't catch the bouquet. I made everyone laugh with my exagerated effort and athlete's pose as I "desperately" prepared to catch it. I stood right in the front but the 5 foot 10" bridesmaid behind me reach up her hand with no effort and snatched it front the air. She said "it's too easy when you're this tall" so I told her to hurry up and get married so the rest of us would have a chance at our turn :)
That's about all for the wedding highlights, though much much more could obviously be said. As Daniel was not having a dance, I found the Queen's University swing dance club which was doing a special dance that night, and joined in on their fun until 3:30 am Whooohoooooo!
The drive back to Ottawa on the back-roads was phenomenal - the reds and golds and bright orange leaves were at their prime and passing over tree-covered islands and rocky mountains was breath taking! Fall only gets worse from here as the cold sets in, but this is fall at its absolute best!
And the absolute best is what I wish the happy couple as they enjoy their honey-moon in a cottage featuring a hot-tub and a fire-placeup, up in the gorgeous and scenic Muskoka area. He'll be hurting when he comes back to class having missed a week in med-school, but I think they will both agree as they live the rest of their lives together, that it was well worth it.