As a general rule, I don’t cry at weddings, well unless they’re tears of laughter.  Though I will admit that I see some things differently since having a daughter.  However Ashley and Catlin were working the sentimental angle pretty hard with a few things at their wedding.  For starters there was the music, we’re talking Mack Morrison’s Return of the Mack, Third Eye Blind’s Semi-Charmed Life, all the way up to Sky’s Some Kinda Wonderful.  The music of my youth was playing all night, so there’s that, then there’s the candy bar.  They had Chews gum (one of my favourites still today), some big feet, sour keys, and little chocolate chip cookies that look exactly like the ones you used to get at McDonald’s in a little white box when we were kids.  So yeah, they were having me feeling all sentimental about my childhood.

Ashley and Catlin’s ceremony was a 7:00 start and when Ashley walked down the aisle and stood with Catlin, he set the tone pretty quickly with a “hello beautiful”.  It was a good way to remove some of the stiffness that can be felt at times during what’s typically the most formal part of a wedding day.  The whole ceremony was great with a few comments interjected here and there, keeping the mood light with lots of laughter.  That, and the fact that Ashley and Catlin walked up the aisle before the paperwork was signed, made for a memorable ceremony.  Hey, sometimes you’re just excited to get on with the rest of the day :)

After the ceremony we went over to the Public Gardens for family photos, only to find that the gates had just been closed.  We decided to take the photos in front of the main gates and then we sent the family inside before crossing the street to another park for some wedding party shots.  We did a few photos there and then piled into a cab and went up to the Citadel for a bit of a different look.

With the photos all done with, all that remained was some dinner and drinks.  The evening wrapped up promptly at 10:00 as Ashley, Catlin and a number of their friends and family had to leave for the airport at 3:00am to go to Cuba for wedding part 2 as they’ll be having another ceremony down on the beach in Varadero.  I’m sure when they had planned both weddings they would have imagined the Cuban part would have been the one with the nicer weather, but the Halifax portion was on the nicest day of the year so far and will certainly give Cuba a run for its money on the weather front.  Judging by all the good people I met at Ashley and Catlin’s wedding, I’m sure they’re going to have a great time down south.

Congratulations Ashley & Catlin!!!

Enjoy!!!

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