8 North Bay, Canada, For a Wedding - June2022

 

Entry 8 – North Bay, Canada. For a wedding - June 2022

Each year we nominate a target location for our travels. North Bay, Canada was our target location for 2022.

A fringe benefit of a target location is the spoils we encounter whilst journeying to our target location. For our, 2022 spoils, as described in our previous four entries, the delightful scenery, driving across Canada, making our way to North Bay.

Our daughter lives at North Bay with her partner. They had made plans to be married in 2020 which became annulled by the sudden onslaught of the world wide covid-19 pandemic.

They had decided to put a hold on any marriage plans with a “No pressure mum and dad, but as soon as you can get here, we will get married!”

Fast forward to 2022 and their marriage plans were resurrected. The world was still under the influence of the covid-19 pandemic but with lessening conditions of compliance. The marriage plans were scaled back to parents and siblings, hoping to minimise the ongoing impacts from the pandemic created restrictions.

We arrived at North Bay to a lovely, bubbly atmosphere. It was a beautiful feeling. Though there was some guidance provided by one daughter to her father. Sorry, “but,” those shoes and trousers are not good enough. Poor dad thought he was to be quite stylish for the wedding. First, we visited an op shop, then mother nominates a suit hire business. Under one daughter and mothers’ direction, poor dad had to perform clothing modelling duties. Decision made with an additional $20 priority booking fee paid and a seemingly problem was addressed.

Initially all of our family were attending the 2020 wedding. Now 2022 and with the ongoing pandemic restrictions we thought it would be too difficult for our two Australia based sons to comply with ongoing, various covid-19 conditions. To everyone’s delight one son was able to negotiate around these restrictions, arriving at North Bay two days after us.

Mary was debating what to present for our evening meal with the arrival of our son. Her daughter was quick off the mark with, home-made pasties mum! Her home-made pasties were very appreciated with one daughter spotted going back for more sometime later.

The five of us spent a day shopping, completing our wedding day clothing requirements. It was good times together with lots of chatter.

We even fitted in some fine dining time.

One son helped his sister with some wedding present delights, providing some unique Australian treats she once loved.

It was wedding time. A holiday rental home had been secured for two nights stay about an hours’ drive south of North Bay where everything was to be conducted. It was another different wedding experience for us, achieved mid-week. All the wedding attendees stayed at the rental property for both nights. Our first picture shows the wedding mob, coming together pre-wedding day at North Bay.

Everyone arrived at the holiday rental home around 4 pm the day before wedding day. It was a lovely atmosphere with both families combining together. It was a fabulous setting and we launched a canoe, with some paddling exercise in place of walking exercise.

As the sun was setting two canoes were launched for a final exercise run.

The following day, “Wedding Day,” everyone shared a wedding day breakfast. The great atmosphere just continued. For us, we thought it to be a special setting, creating a special atmosphere with both families getting prepared together.

The make-up artist and hairdresser arrived. It was a lovely “special feeling,” watching from the side lines where the bride, groom and bride mothers had their make-up and hair set. The last special picture during this period shows mother Mary getting makeup applied with daughter having her hair set and son with his eyes assessing the contents of the fridge.

The wedding decorator arrived setting up the wedding décor. Next the photographer arrived and started snaping pictures. The celebrant arrived and the wedding vows were exchanged. It seemed to provide to everyone’s needs, the girls with hair and make-up, the boys enjoyed chilling, the marriage vows and signatories were completed in a no fuss concise manner. It just seemed to run smoothly keeping everyone occupied with minimal waiting around.

We were in Canada, a land with plentiful lakes. It seemed a fitting exercise for the bride and groom to paddle off in a canoe after exchanging their wedding vows.

 

 

 

  The caterer arrived, dishing up scrumptious food.

We were dished up many different servings of delicious food our taste buds couldn’t get enough of. After it seemed like everyone was suffering from food over indulgence. We were all feeling rather exhausted, happy to just sit with quiet chatter after our wedding meal. By around 10.30 pm everyone had retired for the night.

The following morning everyone worked together tidying up the house, the wedding décor was collected and we all departed by about 10.30 am. A couple of hours later we were seated back at our North Bay house with the wedding behind us other than anticipation for viewing of the wedding photographers’ pictures.

The newly weds enjoyed their Australian Granny's quilting panel.