Snapshot Wedding Summary: Part 1 (Victoria)

A few weeks have passed, and the dust has settled, so now seems as good a time as any for a little wedding-trip narration.

It was a balmy 25°C as we left Regina, heading in to a much more temperate 15°C in Victoria. In Calgary, we were told we most likely would not catch our connector from Vancouver to Victoria. By the end of our layover there, they finally told us "there is no way you'll catch it." So, we did what we thought to be the responsible thing - we canceled our hotel reservation for that night, and told our ride (my sister Candyce) that we weren't going to make it to Victoria today. However, half way through the Calgary to Vancouver flight, a stewardess came over the system saying, "I have some great news for you Victoria-bound passengers! The Victoria flight has stated that they will wait for you, so you are going to Victoria tonight!"

OK... So, now what? We landed in Vancouver, were quickly zipped off by golf cart to our Victoria gate, and found our seats on a small little aircraft (37-seater) filled with tired passengers who had been waiting for us for an hour... Sorry folks. 15 minutes later we were in Victoria. Since our ride-givers were probably asleep, we took a shuttle to the hotel, which thankfully hadn't given our room away. Success!

The rest of our Victoria time was smooth. We got to do some wall-climbing with Candyce and Nathan on Friday. That was a blast. I hadn't climbed in a while, but I like it. I used to teach wall climbing at camp, so it was good to get up on a wall again. The wedding day was really neat. We took pictures in the early afternoon before the wedding. We were marveling at the vegetation in Victoria. So many big, old trees and lushness! Quite different from the horizon-based beauty of Saskatchewan. I felt sorry for my poor brother, Brett. He had a mild case of something that felt like H1N1. So, he didn't enjoy the picture taking quite as much as everyone else...

After pictures, we hung out and ate food until the wedding. (That is Candyce in her wedding dress, which is safely concealed by a towel, lest some rebellious bit of food plan a staining revolt.) The wedding ceremony was very rich. It was filled with liturgy and music (a choir hand-picked by Nathan, the groom, sang the ceremony music - very spectacular!). Jenn and I helped with serving communion. It was unexpectedly an emotional experience for me to serve communion, to look each person in the eye and say, "The blood of Christ shed for you." It was the response of especially the elderly that was most striking. There was a sense of security and the knowing that comes from lifelong experience that resounded when an older man or woman would nod and say, "Amen."

The reception was fun. It was like a family reunion for my dad's side. It was neat to introduce Jenn to them as my wife, since she hadn't met most of them. The next morning we all got together again for a brunch at my uncle Larry's, who lives on the Island.

That afternoon, Jenn and got to see something very cool (to us). The Luthor Mansion -- that is, Hatley Castle, but it poses as the Luthor Mansion, the residence of Lex Luthor, in the CW show, Smallville. At least, the Hatley Castle poses as the exterior of the Mansion, since the interior scenes are taken elsewhere, like Burnaby or somewhere. Hatley Castle was built by a wealthy family back at the turn of the 20th century. It now functions as a small university. It is in Victoria, a mere 20 minute drive from our hotel, so how could we not go take a look! The funny thing is, in Smallville, the Mansion is supposed to be in Kansas. Kansas has no ocean (obviously), but if you stand on the landing in front of the castle and look away from it, this is your view:

Obviously some skillful camera work is put to use in Smallville to convince the audience that this old castle really is nestled in the woods of Smallville, Kansas.

Our time in Victoria was a lot of fun. Lots of time with family, and lots of time to sight-see. Candyce and Nathan put a beautiful wedding together, and it was truly wonderful to be part of it. Candyce and Nathan are in Europe now, on a whole spectrum of adventures, which you can follow if you like, at "The Adventures of Nathan and Candyce."

Our trip to the Island was especially memorable for Jenn, since she had never been that far west before. She wasted no time in getting her feet wet!

That concludes the Victoria chapter of our week of weddings. On to Montreal!