THE WEDDING!!

July 15th was the day, and it was incredible!! My baby boy is now a husband…crazy!!! Don’t they stay young forever??? He was so handsome, and Melissa was the most beautiful bride!!

Like most weddings, I’m sure, the planning and preparation doesn’t always run smoothly and unexpected things can happen! For example, Melissa’s sister, Erin, and Ryan’s groomsman, Aaron, and other groomsman’s girlfriend were driving to the venue to help set up the day before and who could have expected a deer running into their car (actually Melissa’s mom’s car!). Part of the deer rested in the car…. Anyway, I won’t get into all the gruesome details but suffice it to say, no one got hurt and they made it to the venue and carried on!! The car was not so lucky! Having said that, the day was perfect!! Lots of happy tears…actually I feel that between my own wedding and Ryan and Melissa's wedding, I have perfected the ugly cry! No need to show pictures of that!!

The wedding party…Melissa’s best friend, Lindsay was her maid of honour and Ryan’s sister, Alana, was her bridesmaid.

They had so much fun getting ready! Everyone's shoes, including the bride's, were somewhat unconventional, but were perfect just the same!

I love this picture!!

Ryan’s best man was Tye!! That’s right, their dog!! He was the hairiest best man I’ve ever seen, but very handsome just the same, and he played his role perfectly.

Of course, Ryan also had humans standing for him as well! Daylan and Aaron were awesome. They came from Calgary and really embraced the day. They were so much fun!

The wedding was at the Pennhills golf course in Truro. Such a beautiful venue for a wedding! Barry and I were lucky enough to be staying at an RV park that was literally 5 minutes away from the venue.

Melissa was walked down the aisle by her stepdad, Greg and her mom, Joan. It was so special that they were both by her side. Melissa was absolutely breathtaking!I Stunning!

Also...look at Joan's dress!! I love it. She looked so beautiful!!

And of course, Greg looked very handsome!

Ryan and Melissa wrote their own vows. Not many guests were left with dry eyes, that’s for sure! Their words so eloquently expressed their love, their journey together and their promise to each other for the future. Ryan, like his mom, is a crier…we had a bet on who would last longer without tears. I think it was a tie!! Neither of us lasted long, but neither of us were nearly as messy as I thought.

The venue provided the meal which was delicious; Joan decided to bake all the desserts! She’s a wonderful cook/baker so not surprisingly, the desserts were delicious as well.

Melissa added a special touch to the reception. We had gathered old pictures of her and Ryan growing up and then fun, silly pictures of them together as adults and the pictures played on a big screen throughout the reception until the dancing start. She thought of everything!! This was a very sweet surprise to Ryan…I had some pretty ridiculous pictures!! Sorry, Son!!

About the dancing, Ryan and Melissa danced to Sail Away by David Gray. Such a beautiful song to symbolize their love and unity. First dance as husband and wife…oh my heart!!

So…if you want a good cry you should listen to the Mother and Son song Ryan and I danced to. I was having so much trouble finding the perfect song for us, and then Lindsay found one and suggested it to Ryan and Melissa. They knew right away that I would love it, and I did! Words cannot describe how perfect this song was so you should just listen to it! Make sure and grab your Kleenex before you click here!!

Overall, it was a perfect day full of family, friends and a lot of love! The happy couple!!

If you want to see more pics of the wedding click here.

Many people travelled from different provinces for the wedding, and Barry and I were so happy that Maureen and Kemis came from Calgary AND they stayed with us for a few days after the wedding! They had done some sightseeing on their own when they were in Halifax, but we got to take them to Wolfville to the Grand Prè Winery for a late lunch. Thank you, Bonnie, for the recommendation! The food and the wine was fantastic, not to mention the company. For those of you who love bacon like Barry does, bacon jam should not be a thing!!

After a very busy and wonderful week, Ryan and Melissa are very happily married, Maureen and Kemis went back home to Calgary, and we are headed to the Cabot Trail!! Can't wait!