The Frenchman is now officially a part of our family.  The wedding took place on a glorious fall Sunday afternoon.  I have watched in fascination as they toiled to make their day one of love, comfort, joy, simplicity and hospitality.

Our family of “helpers”.

The objective was very intentional and with a vision shared by their bridal party, friends, family and the folks at Fort Gilbraltar, they beautifully achieved their goal.

The scripture quote below from Romans was read at their wedding ceremony.  It is also the theme of this blog space and is quoted on the “About”.  So how did Reb and Seb go about “practicing hospitality” on their wedding day?

They knew that they wanted to celebrate somewhere in St. Boniface.  Since Seb is French and Reb is Metis, the geography made perfect sense.  If you recall, Seb had proposed on the Provencher St. Bridge.  Their ultimate choice of Fort Gilbraltar as their venue had a great deal to do with the success of the day.  They were quite sure when they met with the expert staff at the fort that their vision for the day was embraced by all.

The room was soft and warm even before it was full of all the people who love the couple and had traveled from near and far to celebrate the day with them.

With personal touches like the decorating of the mantle, it felt like you had entered someone’s amazing home.

The outside space at the fort is almost as beautiful as the inside and provided a relaxed space for the kids to run around and the adults to enjoy the last warm rays of the setting sun.  Late in the evening a bonfire was lit and little paper bags of smore fixings were set out for a treat.

The split second timing of the wedding party entrance was absolutely magical and set the scene for the rest of the evening.

I decided that it would be crass for me to take photos of the food throughout the evening and so I don’t have specific details to share with you, except to say that Reb & Seb also wanted the eating portion of the celebration to be in keeping with their overall vision.  As a result, instead of having a formal sit down dinner or even a buffet style where people would be “stuck” at a table, they wanted finger food to be passed around for a considerable length of time so that guests would be satiated but unconfined during the process.  My personal favourite were the mini tortieres, both in theme and taste.  But the biggest hit was the poutine bar that was set up late in the evening.  Not only were the fries perfection (and you likely know that I am a French Fry snob) but the savoury gravy and the “real” cheese curds were sublime.  I am a purist regarding my poutine but I understand that the pulled pork topping was an enormous hit as well.

Of utmost importance to Reb and Seb was that the joy of the day would be captured in an informal and unobtrusive manner.  The fabulous ladies of  “Hello Love Photography” ensured that this was achieved.

Kath’s quote: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Love-that is all.

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