A Wedding Adventure

The white card left in the mailbox was bereft with a contour of simple elegance. Within its center, the scripted typeface announced a joyful occasion, a formal affair that normally endures time itself. The request inscribed on the card was a simple one, written in silver lettering: would we be so grateful as to join the happy couple in celebration of their love ? It was the celebration itself that we were invited to - the formalities that precede the reception was reserved for close family and friends. Still, whereas the style of the card was formal, the invitation itself was sincere. It was therefore with happiness in our heart that we agreed, by formal response, to join them in the happiest day of their lives.

It has been almost a decade ago that our close friends introduced us to the soon-to-be newlyweds. Of course, our friendship was not as profound as the relationship that had grown between the four of them. Nevertheless, we had the privilege of socializing with them on a number of occasions, and had grown quite fond of the two of them, both as individuals and as a couple. We therefore made a decision to attend, and through a formal response, we confirm our attendance, hoping our appearance would tighten the bond that had started to form.

Now that the formalities were over, it was time to plan for the big event. In addition to what was obvious to Jill (such as what to wear or who was going to attend), my job was to find the location of this big event. Never one to leave without a map or a sense or direction, I rely on trusty good ol' Google Maps. After all, it has never let me down before, and its accurate representation of rural routes in Ontario has always steered me in the right direction. Little did I know that this would precipitate the lateness of our arrival.

My source tells me that the ride is no more than 65 km, and should take approximately 40 minutes to arrive. Given that our urgency to arrive on time was mitigated by the fact we were invited to the after-party, we gave ourselves a full hour of travel (and notoriously getting lost) when we left the house.

After one hour of travel, we knew we were lost. The dirt road we had ventured on suddenly turned into mud, and the "Road Closed" sign up ahead was a good indication that we had taken a wrong turn somewhere. How is this possible ? Could it be that my trusted source that had always shown me the way, be so wrong as to send me on a wild goose chase ?

Luckily, Jill was with me, and in her ever-knowing wisdom, she suggests we stop and ask for directions. I pull into a country farmhouse, just in time to see the farmer come to greet me at the end of his driveway. He was dressed in jeans and a trendy T-shirt. His clothes were somewhat dirty with the grime of everyday work on a farm. The years he has spent working outside were etched on his face, and the wisdom emanating from his eyes told courageous stories of struggles establishing his farmland, and making a living of it.

In a subtle eastern European accent, he greets us politely, then asks if we are looking for the weeding. It is obvious at this point that we were not the first strangers to stray from our destination. This fact makes me feel a little better, although the trepidations in my heart confirmed that Google may have let me down. (Oh, Google, you trickster, you!)

After getting proper directions from the man, and saying hi to the young boy standing next to him, we were well on our way back. It turns out we missed the turn-off about 25 minutes away, and the road was on the left-hand side of the road, not the right, as we had found out. Cursing Google (not too loudly, after all, I know all will be forgiven by the time I get re-united with my laptop), we backtrack, and eventually find the location we were looking for.

It was a beautiful night for the end of a wedding. It was a clear night, the stars shone through the heavens almost as if the happy couple had ordered them to come out and stay in place. Ever now and then, a shooting star could be seen over the hue of the milky way, proving that the heavens arrange themselves sometimes for their sole purposes.

The site was stunning. Walking up the plank boardwalk towards the reception hall, the expanse of an artificial lake to our right shows the reflection of the stars into the dark depths of the water below. It seems as though you could stoop down, and scoop the stars from the sky. The contour of lake was peppered with candles, giving the edge of the water an orange glow. But it was the island and the events that followed that made this wedding site one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

The applause and the laughter now reaching its crescendo inside, we knew the speeches were finally finished. The first to come out of the rustic-looking cottage were, obviously, the smokers. I can't say I blame them - after two hours of Aunt Bertha telling stories of the groom running around naked at 2 years old, I'd be desperate for a cigarette also! As the crowd trickled out of the hall, we met up with our friends, and waited for the first dance to begin.

It was the timing that made it so perfect. Without fully understanding what was going to happen next, a soft melody starts playing outside, and a spotlight is thrust to something in the middle of the lake, something that, in admiration of the beauty all around us, had eluded us. There, approximately 50 feet from where we were standing on the edge of the lake, was an island, no more than 20 feet in diameter. But it was the shapes standing on the island that left all in awe. The newlyweds were dancing their first dance on the island, beneath the stars of a beautiful summer's eve. It seemed perfect - after all, what better way to show your love than to share an intimate moment with the 200 or so guests that came to witness this great event ? Finally, I think it was the fireworks that had everyone in awe. The dance ended in a crescendo of lights and sound, leaving us all with goosebumps and stories to tell for a very long time.

We had a good time that night, despite our getting lost. We drank, ate, danced, socialized. Finally, it was around midnight when we decided it was time to leave. After all, the bride and groom have some...uhm...business to attend to, and although it was quite early, it was a weeknight, and many of the older relatives had already had enough.

Jill and I dropped our friends off at home, and headed back to our place, with the feeling that we were lucky to be invited, to be a part of something so special between the two of them. In addition, I don't think our friends would have gone if we hadn't, and as such, I feel vindicated of the trouble we've been through.

Now, the only item that remains is to find out why Google led us astray. I think I'll save that one for tomorrow, turn the lights out, and go to bed.

Good night everyone!