A Family Wedding

The weekend after Thanksgiving I attended the wedding of my grand-niece, Andrea and her beau, Chris. It took place at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and was a very intimate and elegant affair.

I drove there on the Saturday via Hwy 7 so I could drop into Paisleys Quilt Shop. Then I made my way to the Lord Elgin Hotel where there was a block of rooms reserved for the wedding attendees - right across the street from the NAC.

I made my way on foot to the Prohibition Public House for canapés and drinks after the rehearsal.  Chris' parents and a couple of his cousins joined my family and myself in the Dominican Republic for a week at Christmas in 2024. It was nice seeing them all again. After mingling with the families and enjoying some snacks and a beverage, I toddled back to the hotel for the night. The next morning I Uber-ed to Working Title Kitchen for brunch with my cousin, Jeannie. I hadn't seen her since her mother's (my Aunt Margaret's) funeral in 2015. We had a lovely time catching up on the major events in the last 11 years of our lives. Jeannie then drove me back to the hotel so I could rest up a bit before the 4pm wedding.

I made my way to the NAC at about 3:15. In the lobby, I spotted the sign showing where the wedding and reception were going to take place - upstairs in the Rossy Pavilion and O'Born Room.

Once up there, final preparations were being made for the ceremony.

The string duo played while we milled around and visited.

The weather was spectacular that day and the view northward from the second floor was stunning. Parliament Hill is beyond the distant crane. The Canadian War Memorial is more in the foreground and to the right.

Chateau Laurier Hotel just across the street to the north of the NAC.

Darryl, the father of the bride and husband of my niece, Rosa (aka Tay), was very excited and posed with me for a quick photo.

Rosa and the brother of the bride, Derek, emerged and also posed for photos.

Rosa and Ana are my sister's two daughters. 

My other grand-niece, Melisa, chatted with her husband, Will, and her cousin, Derek. Facing the other way is the groom's father, Paul.

After the ceremony (during which there were not many dry eyes) I got a lovely shot of the bride's train.

Chris and Andrea, the new husband and wife.

Down the hall, final preparations were being made for the reception dinner. The seating chart was on display. On the table in front, were pottery bowls hand-crafted by Jane, the mother of the groom, a skilled potter. They were our souvenirs of the wedding. On the bottom read 'A & C 10.18.26' The colour scheme matched the bridesmaid's dresses and even the theme of the wedding shower which we had attended the month before.

I was honoured to sit at Table 1 with the family. There were so many lovely touches - personalized menus with the meals listed that we had selected ahead of time. All the flowers and decorative pieces of fruit were fresh.

This is a better shot of the floral display that the couple stood in front of at the ceremony. It had been moved into the O'Born Room for the dinner. Being at Table 1, I was able to get some great shots of the bride and groom as we waited for dinner to be served.

I only managed to get this shot of dessert.

After the speeches, the music began. The bride had the first dance with her father.

Oh yes, and Veronica also attended the wedding!

The proud parents then took the floor and invited the rest of the attendees to join them. The music appealed to a multi-generational audience.

I even got a selfie with Ana and her husband, Shawn.

The whole event was so tasteful, meaningful, elegant and enjoyable. Formal, yet not stuffy. Everyone was so happy - both for the happy couple and for the opportunity for the friends and families to celebrate together.

It was an easy stroll back to the hotel for some quiet time after a very busy couple of days. 

The next morning, I started for home, arriving mid-afternoon. I baffed out for the rest of the day and had absolutely nothing on the schedule for the next day. Tuesday ended up being a pyjama day.

On Tuesday, Andrea and Chris flew to Japan for their 3 week honeymoon. 

And just like that the long-awaited event was over.