To me there is no doubt that our union and marriage was designed and made in Heaven.
Marilyn and I grew up about 200 yards apart and two blocks from one another in Greenfield Park, Quebec.
We had known each other well in high school. We were both sports fanatics, (especially basketball), and after school, had shared the little gym at Royal George High countless times. In fact, the gym was soooo small, on the way to winning the Canadian Championship, Mar's team scrimmaged against the boy's team after each had practiced in their respective ends of that little "box". (So did Mike and his teammates have a major contribution in the girls winning the All Canadians? Hahaha .... to this day I like to think so!)
Mike and Mar's brother Bruce were also best friends for a year or two until their post high school years took them down very separate roads. So Mar and I also remember each other very well from the oft times I was invited into their home in GPK after school. (I remember her coming home in that cute little RGHS skirt and blouse uniform.)
After those high school years we did not see each other for over three decades.
Fast forward 32 years .....
My cousin Ros E'd me about a website called Classmates.com. I registered my name but did not pay the 25 dollars, or so, to get the contact info for all my old school friends, figuring I might at a later date.
Again fate kicked in. One week after adding my name to Royal Geroge's list I received an E thanking me for registering and PAYING! Included was the E-mail address of everyone from RGHS who had registered!
Lo and behold .... there was Mar's contact info. I was busy with work but, all excited that I might finally find my old buddy Bruce, I quickly sent out a very abbreviated E-mail simply saying something like, "Hi Mar, where's Bruce?"
Fate! Mar was also at her computer at that very moment and immediately dashed back, from Barbados, "I'm fine, how are you!"
Embarrassed, I replied with an apology for being so curt and like they say, "the rest is history".
That was in 2000. We have courted for eight years after being out of touch for 32.
So 40 years after blocking her shots on a basketball court, (hahahaha), we were wed on March 15th, 2008 in the most simple, loving and beautiful wedding ceremony ever held anywhere.
"Come grow old with me. The best is yet to be!"
Saturday, March 15, 2008
We converted our family room into our little wedding chapel. By chance, exactly one week before the ceremony, I was retrieving something from our cold cellar and noticed the potted daffodils had started to sprout. Ros had given them to us as a house-warming gift last year. We couldn't figure out where to plant them in the garden ... it had to be somewhere special ... so the indecision became special. We planted them in these large clay pots and put them away in the cold cellar until spring. For that one week before we traded "I do", we forced the daffs under the kitchen 'fleur'escent light 24/7. On Thursday they began to open and by Friday night they had blown open in all their glory to frame the aisle in our "chapel".
Here I am the night before. Cool and collected.
Using his trusty Nikon, Jude did much of the photography found on this site. Thanks TelBud!
Here's Mar, also cool and collected, moments before donning her wedding dress.Mar had always dreamed of a white wedding and her dream was about to come true with the Man of Her Dreams. (again, 'Mike's Version')
Robyn about to help Mom get ready for The Big Moment!
"Okay Mom, rub it along your lips like this ...."
There's never been a prettier Bride!
Even on a wedding day the groom has it the easiest! It took me about three minutes to put on a shirt, pants and jacket ....
Just about ready to go ....
The photos are not exactly in chronological order. Sorry. This was taken a few minutes after Pastor Rudy had left as we caught a moment together as the newest Mr. and Mrs. in the living room.
How extra special the day was for us with Marion and Criss in attendance all the way from Connecticut.
Here are our two videographers, son Michael and Robyn's beau Manu.Michael's ambition of a life in film/videography will definitely result in a professional video of our nuptuals. He will be combining both videos into one, bouncing back and forth from each ... can't wait!
Our good friends Don and Gloria, our great neighbours from Central Ave.
We posed for everything ... even pretending to eat!
There were so many special things about our wedding. I was up early in the morning to design Mar's bouquet. For me, it was an extra special thing to do. Now how many grooms can claim that!
During the ceremony ...Left to right, Ali-Cat, Marion, Criss snapping and Michael videographing.
I think this was right after we had been declared husband and wife. What's that Mar? Oh sorry. I think this was right after we had been declared wife and husband.
Rudy was an incredible pastor! The ceremony was beautifully done.
Look at Mar's concentration! Or was she thinking, "Perhaps he should have added some gypsophlia to this bouquet."
Another moment from the ceremony.
Michael getting it all on video.
Soon to be Mrs. and Mr.
Don and Gloria with us.
Michael and Michael, or Mike and Mike
Ali the Rose between two thorns!
Three Generations. Robyn, Ruth, Marilyn and Kelly.
Mar found "Ring Bear", (embroidered on his right foot), a week before the wedding when we went shopping for the decorations. During the ceremony he was waiting on the mantle behind us, with the rings tied onto his neck ribbon. Two rings are embroidered on his left foot. Was there ever a cuter ring bearer?
Mar and Cindy
Mar, her dress, and the bouquet. This is probably the best shot of the bouquet I am proud to say I designed the morning of our wedding ... a special moment I'll never forget ... the thought of the significance of those flowers as I designed them ... that the next time I saw them they would be in the hands of a very Special Lady coming up the aisle to me ....
"Hey Mister Rilstone, the guests have left. Wash the dishes, put out the garbage, scrub the floors, pour my bath .... "
This is the crazy pose the boys on Mar's swim team did after they had won the All-Ontario swim championship a couple of years ago. I am sure they will laugh when they see us imitating THEM on our wedding day!
Left to Right with the Newlyweds ...Gloria, Marion, Criss, Nora, Stan, Cindy, Ali, Don, Jarrod, Ruth, Kelly & Jude, (hard to see, but they're in the doorway), and Michael.
Robyn is missing ... she grabbed Jude's camera to do this shot ....
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