Ceremony on Joeperry Lake
The Civil Ceremony
John A Gardner’s Toast to the Brides
Finally on the road!
After a civil ceremony, last minute shopping, two days of packing, hundreds (it feels like) breastfeeds, one flu, another cold, a series of sleepless nights, the arrival of a brother from BC, and after, did I say, a civil ceremony…we are finally on the road.
Indeed, we completed the official business yesterday in what turned out to be a lovely, quiet ceremony at city hall. Now we can look forward to celebrating with our friends and family.
The car is packed to the gills, and the children — having cried throughout the entire loading of the car, which took approximately
six hours — are fast asleep…for now. With the city in our rearview mirror (which we can’t see out of), we are heading eastbound on the 401 towards beautiful Bon Echo.
New Information from our Reconnaissance Mission
Last week we packed up the twins and our wagon, and headed out to Bon Echo to investigate details for September 15. Included here are all the details you will need to know:
1. Change of time: the wedding will take place at 3pm to give time to those who are arriving same day. That means you should expect to be at the put-in for 2 pm at the latest to ensure you get to our site on time.
2. Rain cover, in the unlikely event of bad weather, is on the east side of the park and highway, beside Bruce’s canoe rental shop and the ferry. If we decide to move to that location, I will update this site with a notice.
3. Things to bring: guests will need to bring their own cutlery, a cup and a plate, as well as a cushion or seat to sit on if they think the Canadian Shield might not suit them.
4. Canoe Transport: If you are hoping for a canoe-ferry from the put-in to the island, remember to let us know when you plan on arriving at the put-in. Give yourselves time to drive through the park and walk the 600m trail from the lot to the lake. If you are renting, you should find Bruce in his shop on the east side of the park. He rents canoes for 4hrs at $20, 8hrs at $25 and for 24hrs at $30, and accepts only cash. There’s more information here.
5. Getting there: Bon Echo is closer than we remembered. It took us 2.5 hrs to Napanee, and then it’s 50 minutes north from there.
6. Groceries: there is a Foodland in NorthBrook, about 20 minutes south of the park.
7. Mobile network is dodgy at best. Don’t expect to rely on it whilst in the park. Rogers customers may benefit from a new nearby tower, but only intermittently at best. Bell customers may as well leave their phones in the car. Heck! Let’s all leave our phones in the car :).
Getting geared up
As August draws to a close and we’ve put some of our summer projects behind us, we are turning our attention to wedding prep. We have tuned up the car; now we know we can at least get there. We took the twins on a boat ride; we know their life jackets fit and they seem happy enough in them. In fact, we’re lucky, they seem happy most of the time. And, yesterday we made a trip down to MEC to get geared up.
Our primary concern was ensuring that we can rent some of the key gear we don’t already own — extra tents for Suzanne’s brother, for my parents, for example. A couple of bigger trip packs for the extra stuff we might be bringing. We also considered warm clothes for Willow and Theo. Most items were for 24 months and up. I’m guessing that most families don’t take their newborns camping.
We managed to find just what we were looking for so there must be other crazies out there too.
Now, many have asked us what to wear to a camping wedding. And, frankly, that’s a really great question. We have no idea. We chose a camping wedding because it’s simple…in a way. It’s us at our most basic. So, having said that, keep it simple. I know that most of my camping clothes I’ve owned since I was a little kid — wool shirts and sweaters, stained and burned quick dry pants, wool socks and the like. I’m sure that we’ll try to dress it up a little for September 15, but as I tell my students before our camping trips, a person can get perfectly outfitted at Value Village for a night in the woods. Of course, at a Toronto private school kid, it’s likely their first time visiting a thrift shop. The most important thing is to make sure we’re all warm in the event of a cold weekend, and dry in the event of rain. Check out our suggested clothing list if you need help packing.
Another Taste of Gabriela on Uke
Music, Fire and the Evening Air
We love nothing more than music. We’re always chasing new songs, searching for cool concerts and trying to learn new instruments. That’s right. We keep trying to pick something up — the guitar, the cello, a drum, violin, piano. And, yet — while our gifts are many — they appear not to lie in the realm of music. Luckily, we’re surrounded by many gifted friends who will fill the camp air with song on September 15 as we gather for an evening bonfire. When we were at Bon Echo last Thanksgiving, Gabriela entertained us as she learned the ukulele. Here we present two of her covers (Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine and Skinny Love by Bon Iver). Now, a year later with a year’s experience under her belt, she’s only that much better. I wonder what she’ll play on the big day?
Why Bon Echo?
The real question might first be, “Why a camping wedding?” When we first started playing with different ideas, we realized that we wanted to create an event whereby the experience itself and the venue also were meaningful to us and to our friends and family. We thought about different places, and kept returning home. In order for our wedding to touch us in the most intimate way, we decided we would have to get married at home. That way, we would forever hold the day close.
A beautiful idea. Definitely. We love our home, plan on staying here forever, seeing our children through school and dating, celebrating our anniversaries and birthdays. It made clear sense to invite our friends home to celebrate our love. Panic, however, began to worm its way into our planning as we contemplated hosting our wedding shortly after the arrival of our twins. We decided we needed to simplify. We needed to make things more manageable so we could enjoy the day and not worry about logistics and preparations. Clearly, we needed to go camping!
While at first the idea of a camping wedding suggests nothing but logistics and preparation, we also know that there is something beautifully simple about camping. We will all be present on the day at our most elemental states. There can be nothing more intimate than sharing an experience on the land together, free of our day-to-day distractions and absolutely in touch with ourselves. Bon Echo is a park we’ve already shared with both friends and family. It’s a place that is perfectly Ontario. It is a place that we will return to often. And, after September 15, it is a place that will remind us of our beginnings, of our great love, and of the support our friends and family have shown us. And, that’s why Bon Echo.
You’re invited
We’re excited to have you join us on this special weekend at Bon Echo Provincial Park. We will have support staff on hand to help with camp set up and ferrying people over to the island. Be sure to read through the What to Bring page to ensure you have everything you need to make your stay a comfortable one. Folks have already started to book their sites — when you book yours please comment on the Wedding Banter forum, leaving your site number so that people will know where to find you.
If camping is not your thing, check out the Accommodations page to see what alternatives are available in the area. We have reserved a couple of cabins at Marble Lake Lodge to serve as staging areas for food prep and such, but there are also a couple of other options in the area.
With regards to gifts: we want only your love and affection. Everyone has already been so generous with Willow and Theo, we would be embarrassed to receive anything more. If you feel you must mark this occasion in some way other than by your attendance at Bon Echo, please make a donation to your favourite charity or to one of ours. We support the following organizations:
- Light the Night in celebration of the lives of Maria Luisa Gardner and Marie Porter
- Tri Adventure for Africa in the hopes that we can help build brighter futures for 51 Ugandan children as they pursue their education
- Volcano Theatre which presents some of the most fantastic theatre in the city.
Please RSVP using this website. We look forward to seeing you there!