“We met in 2009 at a hostel we were both staying at in Budapest while on our respective gap years from Australia and Canada. We hit it off right away, playing drinking games and brutally butchering Hungarian karaoke over the course of a few whirlwind days, but we were both in our teens, short on cash and commitment, and wanting to explore the world a little more. We went our separate ways (followed by a VERY tearful and dramatic train ride from Hungary to Greece) but stayed great friends and kept in touch over the years while we built our separate lives in London, UK and Calgary, AB. On Christmas Eve 2013, Brendan booked a very spontaneous flight to see me in Calgary and we’ve pretty much been together ever since! 3 years of our 9 year romantic relationship was long distance, flying back and forth between England and Canada 3-4 times a year. Finally, in 2016, I moved to the UK and we’ve been living here ever since with our dog, Honey, and cat, Annabel. In March 2018, Brendan surprised me on a ‘hike’ (wading uphill in a bog during a storm with improper footwear) on the Isle of Skye and proposed. He couldn’t get down on one knee because of the mud, but the point was taken and the proposal joyfully accepted. Like many couples, COVID hit right before our original wedding in October 2019, leaving us to shelve our big ideas and get married in a tiny, strictly legal ceremony at a town hall near our home in London, England. We were able to have dinner at a pub that evening, but could only have 6 guests at separate tables – no vows, no music, no speeches, no dancing. Despite all of that, it was the best day and the most important part was checked off the list. Come October 2022, it was finally time to have our big wedding. We always knew it would be at Jasper Park Lodge. Growing up, my large extended family had reunions there so it was already special to me, but Brendan and I had gone several times on his visits and it felt like our spot. Friends and family came from all over the world, many of them meeting each other for the first time. It was the best reunion ever! We had a big BBQ onsite the evening before the wedding and everyone mingled until late in the evening. The day of the wedding was absolutely flawless and unseasonably warm. I got ready with my bridesmaids, mum and sisters in the Point Cabin while Brendan got ready with his groomsmen and family in the Stanley Thompson cabin across the property. It was a joy to finally put on my Halfpenny London Mayfair dress, with all of its ruffles and frills, and finally see Brendan in his custom velvet dark green tuxedo. The florals had elements of local and seasonal Canadian flowers incorporated with Australian blooms and were absolutely stunning. We wanted everything to be in harmony with the majestic nature of Jasper National Park and not take away from the Rocky Mountain backdrop – truly the best scenery you could ever hope for. The ceremony went off without too many hitches (the officiant went rogue at one point and our flowers fell over a few times) and then it was off to the reception after some photos with our photographers, David and Breanne Heidrich along the breathtaking vistas leading up to the property. The reception took place in the Tonquin & Spike Room in the golf clubhouse, and featured a bright, serene palette of autumnal, soft shades and lots of candlelight. My mum had spent years collecting second hand coloured glassware for the tables and they looked so delicate and pretty on the tables. Our friend Al had created a sign for us and we featured photos of loved ones we were missing, along with a hand-lettered seating chart and welcome sign. It was perfect! Food, drinks and speeches (where again, someone went rogue…ahem….Uncle Bob) were had and then we hit the dance floor for our first song (‘Your Song’ by Elton John) followed by ‘Can’t Hold Us’ by Macklemore which turned out to be the PERFECT party starter, and we danced away into the gorgeous evening. Another big hit? ‘Fat Lip’ by Sum 41. Don’t just take my word for it, try it at your own wedding and you’ll see. If we could look back and tell our 2020 selves one thing, it would be this: It was ALL worth it! All of the sadness, all of the fear, all of the resignation and anxiety, the long nights where we just wanted to cancel altogether, it was all worth it for the perfect weekend. We truly couldn’t have asked for more love, joy and celebration with our favourite people in the entire world. As for our marriage, it made us so much stronger and closer and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
– Kirsten, the bride
Previous Post
