Time to Celebrate!

Amanda: Our first meeting was an awkward affair for me. It was a Saturday morning, I was stumbling, eyes barely open, to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. From the kitchen, I heard the front door open and men’s voices enter my all-girl apartment. I was suddenly aware of my pajamas and began attempting to come out of my sleepy fog in order to remember how to hold a conversation. As my roommate introduced this tall bearded British man, my initial thoughts were “Nice accent” and “Wow, what a beard!” (That was in addition to the panic of trying to remember how to hold, and end, a conversation gracefully). Eventually, I made it back to my room to safely sip my coffee in peace. It took us a year before I began to experience what a kind, intentional, wise, goofy, steadfast and dependable man I had just met. I’m so happy to know him and to see him every morning for the rest of our lives. Chris: It took about a year, from that first meeting chronicled above, for the thought to enter my head: "She's cute. And she has a kind face. I bet we'd get on. But... I never run into her. Not gonna happen." I was soon surprised to find that this girl who I'd only caught glimpses of from month to month, was suddenly popping up everywhere I turned. The same service at church, movie nights, conferences; and every time we spoke I felt the spark of connection. "This is a girl I feel alive around; I wonder if she feels at all the same way?" And then... nothing. Nothing bad - just our schedules falling out of sync as I got busy with one thing, and her another. I'd turn up somewhere, look around the room, but she wasn't there. "This simply will not do. I've had enough of chance meetings. I need to find out where she'll be and be there so I can ask her out." This led to an evening around a mutual friend's fire-pit. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Dec 3rd 2020. This was the big day. We'd both been hoping for and looking forward to this day our whole lives. But planning, well, that was a month in the making. And what a month it was! Coming at the end of a year that was the hardest for many people, but for us, it was a good year. Strange, but good. Due to Covid and travel restrictions, and our realisation that being together was a lot better than being apart, we realised that the time was now. And that meant planning it all in a month. A month of quick decisions and following through, a month of unknowns and having to see what will happen. It was a lot, but it was worth it. The wedding was very DIY with all hands on deck. Not only Amanda & I, but family and friends blessed us with their gifts of time, labour, and the material needs of putting on a wedding. We couldn't have done it without the support of so many we love and who have loved us so well. Psalm 65:11 says: "You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance." I felt like this day was the crowning achievement of my year. The culmination of good things long sought for. It was hard but my life was filled with abundance. Because I got to marry my beloved. My memories of the day itself are of a morning spent on last minute preparations, rushing to and fro, and wondering how it would all come together. But then being whisked away to a good lunch by my brother Will, and friend Matt. Slowing down to steak and conversation, reflecting on our history, and what was to come. Then preparing, getting dressed, and going to the first look. It all became real, we were there, taking photos, all dressed up; surrounded by family, smiling, dancing. Then it was on to the ceremony. 35 people gathered for us. It was outdoors in December, and although cold with a hint of rain, I just remember being happy to be there. I was amazed to see how beautifully everything came together, beyond what I could have hoped for.

Our wedding day was so peaceful for me! From start to finish it was marked by the kindness of my friends and family. My mom and sister prepared breakfast for everyone who then headed to the venue to complete the decorations. I was able to have a quiet morning getting my hair done before grabbing coffee and heading to the venue myself. I was blown away by the work my friends and family had done. We were blessed by our friends, Dave and Tarah Webber who provided their backyard and their friend Jacelyn who provided many of the gorgeous details. My wonderful sister had put together an amazing charcuterie board, which I was way too excited to eat. Nothing could keep me from experiencing the joy and happy anticipation of starting life with my love. I had an accident with coffee and the train of my dress, which was a funny blip on a day full of joy. Thank God for amazing friends! They worked on the dress right up until I left for my grand reveal with Chris. They also created a beautiful scene to get married in, they helped me get ready, and they made this day more beautiful than I could’ve imagined. Tony led a thought-provoking and tender ceremony during which we invited our leaders and older married couples to pray for us and offer words of encouragement. It was important to us to take a moment and invite Jesus into our marriage through worship, and amidst the worship a mighty wind blew at the perfect time. We were able to video chat with Chris’ family and friends in England, who had celebrated us from afar, at midnight their time. Our goals for this day were to get married in a beautiful place, to have our community around us, and to eat good food. And we met every goal, with the amazing support of our friends and family. Every moment felt intentional but happened too quickly. Now that travel and other restrictions are gone, we are so excited to be with our larger community and family who couldn’t attend our wedding day. I can’t wait to see everyone on the dance floor!