Michelle & Jason’s Manitoba Wedding
Michelle Ritchot and Jason Sigurdson
Married May 3, 2008
BOY MEETS GIRL – Michelle was running a shop, when her future husband Jason, an interior designer, came into it.
ON BENDED KNEE – Jason asked Michelle to marry him one evening a few years ago. “We had a nice long engagement,” says Michelle. “We were engaged for about two years and then decided it was time to get married.”
KISS THE BRIDE – The ceremony was held at St. Augustine Church, and a reception followed at the Riverview Curling Club. Approximately 180 guests celebrated the day with Michelle and Jason. Dinner included turkey and mashed potatoes, and the wedding cake was two-tiered with vanilla frosting and chocolate filling.
THEIR TIME AWAY – Shortly after their wedding, the couple left on a work-related trip to London, England. After their work was done, they stayed in London a little longer to enjoy some time together.
Photography by Blue Lion Photography
Text By Kimberly Mickelson
WORDS OF WISDOM – “Marriage takes work for everyone,” says Michelle. “You just need to keep in mind that you married this person for a reason. After reminding yourselves of the reasons you got married, you can work through all the hurdles.” As for wedding planning, Michelle encourages planning in a shorter amount of time. “We planned our wedding in only three months. We avoided dragging the planning out for a year like many of my friends had done, and we still had the most perfect day,” she said.
Wedding Gallery – Click on an Image to Enlarge.
Heather & Adrian’s June Wedding
Heather Billing and Adrian Fraijo
Married June 7, 2008
Carmen, Manitoba
BOY MEETS GIRL – Heather, an optometrist’s assistant, met Adrian, a Spanish youth worker, while he was studying in Canada.
ON BENDED KNEE – Adrian asked Heather to marry him while they were on a romantic skating path in the winter.
KISS THE BRIDE – Approximately 150 guests joined Heather and Adrian to celebrate their wedding day. The ceremony was held at Carmen Pentecostal Church, and a reception followed at Carmen Active Living Center.
FABULOUS FEATURES – The wedding dinner featured apricot chicken, a 7-layer salad, roasted potatoes, and cheesecake for dessert. The happy couples’ wedding cake was a three-tiered lemon cheesecake. Their wedding colours were bright and colourful, including grass green dresses, with bright orange and yellow flowers.
THEIR TIME AWAY – Shortly after their wedding, the new husband and wife shared a relaxing 6-day honeymoon at the Pinewood Lodge in the Whiteshell.
Photography by Blue Lion Photography
Text by Kimberly Mickelson
WORDS OF WISDOM – “Don’t get all caught up in the minor details of planning your wedding because in the end, everything will work out,” advised Heather.
Wedding Gallery – Click On An Image To Enlarge
Travis & Kara’s Wedding
Travis & Kara (Wiebe) Cooke
Married August 12, 2006
Carmen, Manitoba
Boy Meets Girl – Kara, an art teacher, and Travis, a budding architect, met in the fall of 2001 while both were attending university and started dating early in 2002. “We studied in the same building,” Kara says. “We found we shared an interest in design and had similar values. We had also both traveled in southeast Asia.”
On Bended Knee – Travis proposed at the Palm Room in the Fort Garry Hotel with the live ensemble playing romantic music in the background.
Kiss The Bride – The couple were married in Kara’s parents’ yard near Carman. A pastor from a local Mennonite Church performed the service. About 160 guests were on hand.
Fabulous Details – Kara’s and Travis’ wedding dinner consisted of stuffed chicken, roast potatoes, vegetables and a trifle for dessert. Guests were also served rollkuchen – a traditional Mennonite deep fried dough – and Icelandic prune cake, reflecting the bride’s and groom’s different ethnic backgrounds
Their Time Away – For their honeymoon, Kara and Travis spent two weeks in Brazil. “We had never been to Brazil before,” Kara says. “We followed the coast from Sao Paulo to Rio to Salvador and then went inland to Brasilia where we spent time looking at buildings. Brasilia is a mecca for modern architects.”
Text by Myron Love
Photography by LVB Photography
DJ by MoSound
Wedding Gallery – Click On An Image To Enlarge
Brad & Janey’s Fall Wedding
Brad & Janey (Bradford) McDonald
Married October 11, 2008
Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
Boy Meets Girl – Brad, a farmer, and Janey, a high school teacher, were introduced to each other by mutual friends in Portage La Prairie three years ago. “He seemed nice and was generous and honest,” Janey says.
On Bended Knee – Brad popped the question on December 21, 2007. The couple had gone to a local restaurant for supper. “After we finished eating, Brad brought out the ring while he had the house band serenade us,” Janey says. “It was very romantic.”
Kiss The Bride – Brad and Janey were married at the Good Shepherd Parish Church in Portage.
Fabulous Details – Their wedding cake was provided by Bridgeman Cakes and Rentals. Janey describes the cake as a beautiful four-tier cream-coloured creation with banana chocolate chip and carrot cream cheese layers and orchids on the cake..
Their Time Away – Because their wedding was during harvest season, the newlyweds were only able to get away for a couple of days. They were looking forward to a holiday in Mexico at the end of March.
Text by Myron Love
Photography by First Class Photography
Cake & Decor by Bridgeman Cakes and Rentals
Wedding Gallery – Click On An Image To Enlarge
Bryce & Lindy’s Fall Wedding
Bryce & Lindy (McTaggart) Cole
Married October 11, 2008
Fort Frances, Ontario
Boy Meets Girl – Bryce was the brother of a friend of Lindy’s so they had known each other before they started dating five years ago. “Our personalities are very similar,” says Lindy who works as a dental assistant. (Bryce works in the mill in Fort Frances.)
On Bended Knee – Bryce proposed to Lindy in June, 2007. “We were just sitting outside one night when he asked me to marry him,” Lindy says.
Kiss the Bride -The couple was married in the Anglican Church in Fort Frances. The bridesmaids and groomsmen wore black. “I wanted eggplant colours but I couldn’t find any,” Lindy says. She notes that she bought her wedding dress in Duluth. She and her sister went for a drive there and went into a bridal store. “It was the first dress I tried on,” she says.
Fabulous Details – Bryce’s and Lindy’s wedding dinner was held at a lake side hotel and consisted of stuffed chicken, roast potatoes, a vegetable medley, salad, soup and dessert. The couple opted not to have a wedding cake. “We had cheesecake for dessert and a candy and buffet table,” Lindy says.
Their Time Away – For their honeymoon, Lindy and Bryce spent ten days in southern California. They flew to San Francisco and rented a car for the drive down the coast road to Los Angeles.
Photography by Jodi
Wedding Gallery – Click On An Image To Enlarge
Keith & Lani’s Winnipeg Wedding
Keith & Lani (Jones) Ivany
Married November 1, 2008
Breezy Bend Country Club
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Boy Meets Girl - Keith and Lani met in 2006 in Brandon where Lani (who’s now a human resource worker) was working as a bartender to pay her way through university. Keith is in the Canadian military and is based at camp Shilo. “When he came into my bar, I thought that he was the best looking guy I had ever seen,” Lani says. “We got to know each other and started dating a few weeks later.”
On Bended Knee – Keith proposed to Lani on May 10, 2007, at their home in Shilo. “He had it planned. I was home sick that day. He set the alarm on our new cell phone and when I picked up the phone, he asked me to marry him. It was a nice surprise.”
Kiss The Bride – Keith and Lani chose Breezy Bend for the ceremony because they had known other couples who married there and because Lani’s parents live nearby. The bride was piped down the aisle by a string quartet. The couple had 80 guests. “Having our families and close friends at our wedding made it awesome,” Lani says. “I loved it.”
Fabulous Details – Keith and Lani’s wedding dinner at the golf club consisted of roasted red pepper bisque soup, roast chicken, spring salad and chocolate ganache. “We didn’t have a wedding cake,” Lani says. “Neither of us likes cake.”
Their Time Away – Since Keith had recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, he was tired of traveling. The newlyweds drove out to a resort for a week to enjoy the spa treatment and relax. “It was perfect,” Lani says.
Text by Myron Love
Photography by Madix Photography
Venue and Catering by Breezy Bend Country Club
Wedding Gallery – Click On An Image To Enlarge
Solange & Shawn’s Destination Wedding
Shawn & Solange (Sookran) Galant
Married April 4, 2009, in Mayan Riviera
Boy Meets Girl – Solange, a construction project manager, and Shawn, a nine-year veteran of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers football team, originally met online. “Shawn added me as a friend on hi5,” Solange says. “I didn’t know him at the time but we started talking on the site and got to know each other very well.” The couple went on their first date in February 2006, when Shawn flew into Winnipeg from his off-season home in California to meet Solange in person.
On Bended Knee - Shawn proposed to Solange in a gondola at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas in January of last year. “We were in the gondola and Shawn asked me to tell him something I really liked about him. Then he told me what he really liked about me and brought out the ring.”
Kiss The Bride – The couple was married on the Mayan Riviera in Mexico. “We both like the hot sun and we have family all over North America and the Caribbean.” Solange says. “We thought we would make the wedding a vacation for everyone. We had a civil ceremony outdoors with about 30 relatives
and friends attending.”
Fabulous Details – Solange wore the Diana wedding dress designed by Enzo Ani. Solange and Shawn chose a Brazilian restaurant for their wedding supper. Waiters brought around swords with meat attached to them and sliced the meat right at the table. The wedding cake was a traditional Mexican “three-milk” cake, a three-tiered cake decorated with traditional Mexican flowers.
Their Time Away – For their honeymoon, Solange and Shawn are going to be going to Trinidad where Solange was born. But that will only happen after football season.
Text by Myron Love
Photography By Wedlife Photography & Video
Jeff & Robyn’s Manitoba Wedding
Jeff & Robyn (Shlachetka) Blatz
Married August 2, 2008 in Wabowden
Boy Meets Girl – Robyn and Jeff met in 2004 in Steinbach. “I was junior flight school,” says Robyn who is a pilot with Perimeter Aviation. “Jeff is a carpenter. I was attracted to farm boys and I guess he had a thing for woman pilots.”
On Bended Knee – Jeff popped the question on Robyn’s birthday ( May 5 , 2007). He came to her house, went down and one knee and proffered THE QUESTION and the ring.
Kiss The Bride – Robyn and Jeff were married outside her parents’ place by the lake. She wore a six-layer, poofy wedding dress and he and his groomsmen wore black tuxedos. “Everything went smoothly for us,” Robyn says. “That was out of character. After the ceremony, we went out in a canoe for the pictures.”
Fabulous Details - The dinner was held at the arena in Wabowden with catering provided by a local caterer. Instead of a wedding cake, the couple had a huge dessert table highlighted by a chocolate fountain. After dinner, everyone took a dip in the lake.
Their Time Away – “That was the best part,” says Robyn of their honeymoon. “We jumped into our ‘92 Mustang LX and drove out west camping along the way. We went as far as Kelowna. We stopped for horse back riding in Jasper and dropped into the West Edmonton Mall. We had no idea where we would end up each day.” The last stop on their honeymoon trip was a Motley Crue concert in Winnipeg.
Photography by North of 55 Fine Art Photography
Gowns by All Occasions
Carl & Sara’s Manitoba Wedding
Carl & Sara (Rempel) Enns
Married December 31, 2008
McGregor, Manitoba
Boy Meets Girl – Sara, a Youth for Christ outreach worker, and Carl, who works at Titan Truck Sales in McGregor, originally met in 2002 in high school in McGregor. She was in Grade 10 and he was in Grade 9. “I didn’t care for him at that time,” she says. They started dating two years ago after they both returned from missionary work abroad (she in Mexico and he is Australia) for Youth With a Mission.
On Bended Knee – Carl proposed on August 16th. The two of them were driving back from a friend’s wedding in Saskatchewan. They stopped to admire the sunset. They started talking about their relationship and Carl brought up the subject of marriage.
Kiss The Bride – The couple were married in McGregor’s Evangelical Mennonite Church. They arrived to have the ceremony in the evening followed by a reception and then a “Praise and Worship” service at 11:00 to welcome the new year.
Fabulous Details – Sara and Carl’s wedding dinner consisted of sweet and sour meatballs, chicken breasts, corn and potatoes. For the wedding cake, her mother and brother built a three-tier wedding cake out of wood. His brothers and sisters brought their favourite dainties and piled them on the wooden cake. “We invited the entire community to celebrate with us,” Sara says. “It was a lot of fun.”
Their Time Away – For their honeymoon, Sara and Carl spent a week in Cuba. “It was nice getting away just the two of us and relaxing,” she says.
Text by Myron Love
Photography by Blue Lion Photography
Ryan & Christen’s Brandon Wedding
Ryan and Christen (Schombaert) Nickel
Married August 16, 2008
Brandon, Manitoba
Boy Meets Girl – Ryan, an urban planner, and Christen, a veterinary technologist, met in Saskatoon where they were attending university and started dating in 2006. . “She was really a lot of fun,” Ryan says of Christen.
On Bended Knee – Ryan proposed to Christen during the 2007 Christmas holidays. He proposed while the two of them were going for a walk around the skating Oval in Brandon with all the lights on.
Kiss The Bride – Ryan and Christen’s wedding ceremony was a traditional ceremony in St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church in Brandon.
Fabulous Details – The reception and dinner were held in Brandon with chicken and cheese cake on the menu. Christen’s grandmother made the wedding cake out of rice flour (with chocolate and vanilla icings) since the bride is allergic to wheat.
Their Time Away – Ryan and Christen booked into a hotel in Fernie, B.C. for a few days and spent time exploring the area.
Text by Myron Love
Photography by Photography By Dale
Decor/Rentals by Party Professionals
Flowers by Grower Direct
