The rest of the Thank You Speech

Hello Friends & Family…it’s sure been a while since we posted on the blog and probably since we’ve seen you! So far this school year has been absolutely crazy! Craig is taking a full course load and has started working at Weber Motors Mercedes Benz dealership part time, though he is really enjoying his new job. I am working part time as well, as usual, and taking three classes, though one is advanced French, which feels like two classes instead of one, and I am working on my honours thesis proposal. In the next month, I will be sending out applications for English Master’s programs- can’t believe Craig and I are finally graduating this year! At any rate, as you can see things have been awfully busy for us, so we decided that instead of writing a complete and formal speech, we are going to finish the one we gave at the wedding.  Meaning that we are going to thank, right now, everyone we forgot to thank at the reception. Time isn’t the only cause for this decision though, we also feel like much of what we want to say to express our gratitude is extremely personal, so we will save the extended, detailed and personal thank yous for the thank you cards. By now, most of you should have seen the preview of our wedding photos, if not, you can see them here. We expect to have them all by the end of the month, so thank you cards will be along in November.

On to the Thank Yous….

In our speech we, sadly and embarrassingly forgot to the thank the following people:

1)    My Grandparents- Morris & Estelle Thompson and Molly & Jerry Scott: Thank you so much for attending our wedding, having you there with us was by far one of the best gifts we could have asked for. You are all an inspiration to us and we love you so much.

2)    Tom Chrismas: I can’t believe we forgot to thank you in the speech!! Thank you so much for helping Mom host the rehearsal dinner, for driving everyone around and for being such a supportive force in our family. We love you.
3)  Tracy Raypold: Tracy, thank you for the beautiful toast you gave at the wedding, your love and support mean so very much to us! xo

4)    Haley & Shae and their parents, Tara & Bill: Our nieces, ringbearer and flower girl, you both did such a GREAT job at the wedding and looked so beautiful. Tara & Bill, having them in our wedding was such a joy and a delight- they were great, and so were you! Thank you. xo

5)    Holly Thompson & her lovely friend Sarah Wylie: Holly, we did thank you for your terrific reading at the ceremony, but thank you also for recruiting Sarah to manage our music at the reception and for being such a great support to us. Sarah did a terrific job (thank you, Sarah) and we love you.

6)    Bette: Thompson Thank you, Auntie Bette, so much for bringing the horseshoe for me to wear at the ceremony. Carrying on a tradition that you shared with Tara, too, is so meaningful to me, and I am so grateful to have shared it with the two of you. xo

7)    Our photographer: Jessica Fern Facette. Dearest Jessica, I cannot believe we forgot to thank you after the wonderful job you did photography the heaps of people we organized together (family & friends) and even our dogs! Your generosity, professionalism and free spirit is loved and appreciated by all of us. Not only did you capture everyone beautifully, but already, in the preview, we can see that you captured moments very dear to us. You are a magical, mysterious and obscenely talented woman, and we are so grateful and so lucky to have had you for a photographer, and for our friend. xo

8)    Rob Corno & Gordie Gerbrant: I think perhaps we did thank you in the speech, but I need to explicate a little on it. Thank you for stepping down from the wedding party with such grace and love, and for throwing me the best damn stag party with the guys that I could have asked for. The laser tag, the burger spread, the beers and poker, but most especially the thought and love that went into planning it- it was friggen awesome! Also, having you pick me up on the day of the wedding to take us there, was a memory I will forever cherish- not to mention a special thanks to Gordie for supplying the kick-ass Mercedes for that special trip! Thank you for being such an integral part of my life! Additionally, thank you for helping Craig with the music set up and equipment and for training Sarah on how to operate the slideshow and music, you were integral to the team and to getting an impossible job done. We love and appreciate you so much! xo

9)    Caitlin Elm: My dear girl, you were remarkable! Thank you for the numerous make up trials and for coming to the hotel to do our makeup (me, Beav and Layne and the girls) the morning of the wedding. You did a beautiful job and having you with me before the ceremony was absolutely lovely. You have such a warm and beautiful spirit, I will always treasure the memory of you being with me and being so generous with your time and your talents. xo

10)    Kelly Dean: Without your brilliance, creativity, and design expertise, we would not have had such subtly lovely décor for the ceremony. Thank you for coming with me to figure it out, for your awesome idea and for the endless assistance in implementing the design- we all know how infuriating it could be! I truly felt like you were part of the family at the rehearsal set up and love that such a significant part of the day (and the photos) existed because of you! Love you, girl! Thank you SO much! xo

11) Cookie Makers- Alysha Young, Danielle Newton, Beav, Tina Kenny and Marie McDermott: Making cookie dough, forming it and rolling it with Beav, Lala and Dano, is definitely a favourite memory from wedding preparation. Knowing that such friendship and heart went into the creation of our delicious party favours, made them that much more special. Thank you Dano, for finding the recipe and baking a sample for Craig and I to try, and thank you to Beav, Tina and her mom, Marie, for baking and bagging those treats two days before the wedding so they were as fresh as could be. We received SO many compliments on them, and even heard that the Graffs were hoarding them at the end of the night! Haha

12) Dariel Lamb & Sarah Danielsen: Thank you so much for taking the time to clean up the ceremony décor for us so that we didn’t have to worry about it. Knowing that two lovely and competent women took care of that for us eliminated some of the day’s stress. Thank you so much!

13) Gwen Corno: Thank you so much for taking the time to help me with the printing of all the wedding invitations and paper goods, the effort you extended for us is greatly appreciated! We love you! xo

14) Arnaud Baty & Gosia Krol-Baty: Thank you both so much for your hard work and tolerance through the design process for our wedding invitation. We LOVE the invitation so much and it’s even more special to us for having your heart and soul and energy create it. We love you both immensely.

Now, I imagine, everyone understands why we were so adamant in thanking all of our guests and stressing the importance of the community that made it happen. We thank all of you, those who attended and those who wish they could have, for sharing your lives, your time and your love with us.

Next post: HONEYMOON!

We're Back from the Honeymoon!

Hi friends & family!


Did you miss me? Hahaha


First, I would like to thank you all again for coming to the wedding and sharing in what was an absolutely amazing day for both of us. We sincerely hope you all had as good of a time as we did (though I hear some had an even BETTER time! Haha). 


Second, Craig and I are working on writing our formal "Thank You" speech (since we forgot) which we will be posting here on the blog because it really is VERY important to both of us that we thoroughly thank everyone!


Third, everyone is asking about wedding photos! We are patiently awaiting the professional photos from our dear friend, Jessica Fern Facette, as she puts in a TON of effort with post-production work and has been a very busy lady this summer- so please be patient too. As soon as we have them, we will post some on the blog, print out our Thank You cards (so you each get a pro photo), write our thank you cards and send them out to you!


In the meantime, I am working on the Honeymoon blog post and loading up pictures onto Facebook. I will post a few here as well, for those that do not have Facebook accounts. Our wedding video will be posted here eventually as well. So, that said, you aren't finished with this blog yet! Haha

But today, after heaps of requests, we give you the long-awaited wedding playlist, including the song selections from the ceremony, slideshow, bouquet and garter toss, as well as the dance in its entirety. Lastly, we included the short list of songs I had to cut during the actual dance because we had more songs than time. I hope this helps others with planning weddings and other dance events!

First Dance- taken by close friend Kelly Dean

Ceremony Music Performed by Sean Armitage and Aaron Mohr

Groom’s Processional:    Hard Sun- Eddie Vedder

Bridesmaid’s Processional:   Blackbird- The Beatles

Bride’s Processional:   Wild Horses- The Rolling Stones

Reception:

Entrance Song:    Young Blood- The Naked and Famous

Slideshow:

Bride’s Portion:    The Suburbs- Arcade Fire

Groom’s Portion:     Make Believe (West Coast Version)- Thornley

Bride & Groom:    Home- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes

Dance:

Sea of Love- Cat Power

Wild Horses- The Rolling Stones

The Way You Look Tonight- Frank Sinatra

Footloose- Kenny Loggins

Sweet Caroline- Neil Diamond

My Girl- The Temptations

Fishin’ in the Dark- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Do Ya Think I’m Sexy- Rod Stewart

Hung Up- Madonna

Just Dance- Lady Gaga (featuring Colby O’Donis)

Hey Ya- Outkast

My Maria- Brooks & Dunn

Fat Bottomed Girls- Queen

The Seed- The Roots

New Orleans is Sinking- The Tragically Hip

Stand By Me- Ben E. King

Chattahoochie- Alan Jackson

I Need You Tonight- INXS

Rock Your Body- Justine Timberlake

Shoop- Salt N’ Peppa

I Gotta Feeling- The Black Eyed Peas

Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy- Big & Rich

Fences- Phoenix

Bust a Move- Young MC

Could You Be Loved- Damian & Stephen Marley

Billie Jean- Michael Jackson

Roses- Outkast

Somebody Like You- Keith Urban

Mr. Jones- Counting Crows

Thunderstruck- AC/DC

Pour Some Sugar on Me- Def Leppard

Stuck in the Middle- Stealers Wheel

Groove is in the Heart- Dee Lite

Paper Planes- M.I.A

American Boy- Estelle (featuring Kanye West)

Miss You- The Rolling Stones (Dr. Dre Remix)

Body of Years- Mother Mother

Float On- Modest Mouse

In Da Club- 50 Cent

Sexy Back- Justin Timberlake

Dog Days are Over- Florence + The Machine

Bouquet Toss: Single Ladies- Beyonce

Garter Toss: Immigrant Song- Led Zeppelin

SADLY, songs that had to get cut due to time restraints:

 No Diggity- Black Street

Something is Not Right with Me- Cold War Kids

Pumped Up Kicks- Foster the People

The Sweet Escape- Gwen Stefani (featuring Akon)

Empire State of Mind- Alicia Keys & Jay-Z

Fire- Joe Budden (featuring Busta Rhymes)

Gold Digger- Kanye West

E.T- Katy Perry (featuring Kanye West)

Kids- MGMT

Dashboard- Modest Mouse

Ms. Jackson- Outkast

Last Night- The Strokes

Blister in the Sun- Violent Femmes

Say it Ain’t So- Weezer

My Body- Young the Giant

Out of Town Guests: Things to Do in Edmonton

Hello Dear Guests,


Just in case you aren't familiar with Edmonton, or have long since forgotten its little gems, here are some things to do or check out while your in town for our wedding:


All of our wedding festivities are taking place within 5 blocks of each other in Edmonton's downtown core. If you are spending the weekend, I highly recommend taking the time to check out the City Market farmer's market just north of Jasper Avenue on 104 Street in Edmonton's Warehouse District (only 2 blocks from the McKay). The market runs every Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and you can find out more about it here.


Edmonton's Warehouse District also boasts some great little shops including Sobey's Urban Fresh, C'est Sera clothing, Chemistry Clothing, 29 Armstrong, the Queen of Tarts bake shop & bistro, Tzin wine bar, Ric's Grill and the Blue Plate Diner (a personal favourite that serves amazing brunch on Saturdays and Sundays). Also, I have been hearing rave reviews for a new restaurant on Jasper and 104th called Corso 32.


Not far from there, on 103 Street, you'll find great restaurants like Haweli (East Indian cuisine), Sabor Divino (European cuisine) and The Creperie (French Cuisine). And right across the street is Edmonton's City Centre Mall which has a ton of shops (check out The Artworks) and a movie theatre. Nearby at Churchill Square, you'll find the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Winspear Centre, the Citadel Theatre, and the Stanley A. Milner Public Library and City Hall. The Art Gallery of Alberta also has a little restaurant called Zinc that I hear is amazing.
Closer to The Matrix, you'll find the Wildflower Grill, Audrey's Books, and a multitude of shops, bars and clubs down Jasper Avenue.


If you want to venture over to Whyte Avenue, just south of the river, you may like to wander over to Edmonton's Internation Fringe Theatre Festival where you can check out tons of shows and cool vendors like my friend Jonathan Luckhurst. Whyte Ave is also home to cool restaurants like Accent, Dadeo, Tasty Tom's, Julio's Barrio, Artisan Resto Cafe, Cafe Mosaic, Continental Treat, Chianti's,  and our personal favourite, The Next Act Pub. If you like a great atmosphere, original artwork, and kick-ass burgers and beer, check it out! Last but not least, if you are on Whyte Avenue you MUST stop by Block 1912, a European Cafe famous for its drool worthy gelato!


As for shopping on Whyte, my favourite shop right now is Kika, a little dress shop on 105 St and Whyte, but you'll also want to browse The Plaid Giraffe, Chicken Scratch, The Tin Box, Gravity Pope, the Junque Cellar, Blackbyrd Myoozik, lululemon, Colourblind, Foosh, Plush, American Apparel, Bamboo Ballroom, Que, Sophia's, Bang On,  Beadworks, Bizou Lash Studio, another C'est Sera, Crankpots, Coney Island Candy, Crave Cupcakes, Devine and Decadence vintage clothing, Lush handmade cosmetics, and too many more for me to remember!

For a map of the McKay Avenue School click here.


For a map of The Matrix Hotel click here.


Hopefully this helps you to plan your trip to Edmonton and your time between our ceremony and cocktail reception. And as always,  please feel free to email us with any questions!


Love,
Athena & Craig

Update to Important Guest Information!

Dear Guests,

The wedding is rapidly approaching at 23 days away! This coming weekend Craig will celebrate his stag party with his friends and family and the next weekend Athena will celebrate hers. There are still lots of little things to plan and take care of, but things are moving along rather smoothly, and we are getting VERY excited to celebrate our love and relationship with all of you!

That said, there are a couple of things we would like to share with you to enable you to best prepare for your participation in our big day.

1) We would like you to know that there are two Disabled Parking Stalls behind the school for those with Provincial Placards for Persons with Disablities as well as access through the door closest to those stalls for people unable to manage the front steps. Please ring the doorbell at the "Theatre" door and wait for an escort to let you in and lead you to the elevator.

2) In addition to the two free alcoholic beverages, the house selections of red and white wine will also be provided at no cost to you throughout the night. A big thank you to Craig's parents, Ron & Norine Raypold, for their generosity and hospitality to our guests!

Again, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns and we look forward to seeing you on August 20th!

Lots of Love,
Athena & Craig

Next Post: Information for Out of Town Guests

ATTN: GUESTS! Things You Will Want to Know About Our Wedding

Dear Guests,


Just yesterday, as Craig and I discussed weddings with our best man, Ted, and his beautiful  fiancé , Dariel, we realized that there are some things we should let our guests know to prepare for our upcoming nuptials (36 DAYS AWAY!).

1) I have said this before, but here is a reminder anyway: Our ceremony is taking place in a museum, the McKay Avenue School, which is also the Edmonton Public School Archives. There are lots of different pay parking lots in the area as well as metered parking. There is also some free parking in behind the building, though several stalls will be reserved for the bridal party and immediate families.

2) There is about a 5 to 5.5 hour break in between the ceremony and the reception. This is so that we can go for our pictures and an intimate family dinner prior to our cocktail reception. You may like to wear a more casual "daytime outfit" for the ceremony and then go home, run some errands, have a nap maybe, and then get all dressed to the nines for the cocktail reception. We thought our guests would prefer a larger chunk of time in between the events so that they could actually DO something during that time. I know that in between ceremonies and receptions there are usually 3 hours or so and most guests go out for a drink and a bite and then they are tired and full for the wedding. (It's happened to me A LOT!)

3) We are providing all of our adult guests with 2 free drinks per person (tickets will be handed out at the ballroom entrance) and free non-alcoholic beverages for the evening. If you plan to drink beyond those two free ones, you may want to bring some cash for the bar. PLEASE DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!

4) Cocktails run from 7pm to 8pm and the wedding party will arrive (and be announced) at 8pm sharp. We will then launch into speeches, the slideshow and cake cutting. We'll be doing an impromptu receiving line as people come up for cake, so that will be your chance to greet the bride & groom. We're aiming to begin the dance at 10pm and a late lunch will be served, buffet style, around 11pm.


Please feel free to email us with any questions or concerns.


Lots of Love, 
Craig & Athena

The Proposal Story

And now… the long awaited proposal story.

When Craig and I first started dating, one of his best friends got married (our groomsman, Paul). Because of that, we pretty much began discussing our hypothetical future wedding from the very start of our relationship. Who would stand up with us? Would we have a big wedding or a small wedding? Would it be indoor or outdoor? What kind of rings would we get? What would be the most important parts? Etc., etc. Oddly enough, most of what we discussed in the summer of 2007 is exactly what we have planned for our wedding this summer!


In February of 2010 Craig spontaneously pulled me into Michael Hill Jewellers to look at engagement rings. We’d been occasionally looking at rings so that Craig could get the right idea of what I wanted (lots of little diamonds, antique-vintage looking, no solitaire), but this time we walked in and the second ring I tried on was THE ring. The one I had in my mind but couldn’t find for so long. We were both elated because we’d found it and because it was an affordable set: engagement ring, wedding band, and anniversary band for $1200. I was (and still am) a firm believer in not spending more than $1500 on a ring. That night we went out for Sarah’s birthday and told everyone we knew that we’d found the ring. I even sent my mom a text message (she was in Mexico) and the silly lady thought that finding a ring meant we were engaged.


Having found the ring, however, didn’t mean that a proposal would be immediately forthcoming; Craig wanted to pay cash for the ring instead of purchasing it with credit. But a couple of months later my friend Jeff was showing me a picture online of the ring he’d bought for Heather (they’re married now), so I looked up our ring online and it was on sale for $800! I immediately messaged Craig and he asked my ring size. I was pretty sure he’d buy it soon, but knowing Craig he would delay the proposal for the right moment.


Sometime in early May, I received a call on my cell with an unknown name. When I answered, the caller asked for Craig, to which I replied, “I’m sorry, this is his girlfriend’s phone you’ve called, can I help you with something?”


In a frustrated tone, without even introducing herself, the caller blurted, “I have this ring sizing here and I am not sure what to do with it!”


Taken aback, I said, “I don’t think that I am supposed to know about this.”


“It’s not a diamond or anything,” she retorted.


Annoyed by her attitude and unprofessionalism, I asked, “Is this Michael Hill Jewellers?”


“Uh, yeah…”


“Well then it better be a goddamned diamond because that’s what we picked out there. Tell me what the problem is and we can fix it and Craig will never need to know about this conversation,” I said.


“I can only speak to Craig since it’s his name on the order,” she said. Exasperated, I gave her Craig’s number and she had the audacity to ask me not to tell him about the erroneous phone call. At that point, I called a friend. She told me to “take it to the grave” and not tell him, but my friend Corey (Dano’s fiancé) insisted that Craig should know that the jewellers ruined his proposal. I didn’t know what to do, but ended up telling Craig two days later when Corey called and asked me if I had told Craig yet. When Craig asked me what I was talking to Corey about, I couldn’t lie and told him what happened. He was pretty upset, especially when he told me the problem was that they couldn’t size my ring small enough, they said they couldn’t size it smaller than a 5, and I am a size 4. Consequently, he went into Michael Hill’s the next day to sort it out and called me afterwards. Apparently, not only did they ruin the proposal, but they also charged him to size all 3 rings, when they shouldn’t have, and he was fed up, so he got a full refund and told me we’d find another ring somewhere else. As expected, I was devastated. Not only was I not getting the perfect ring, but the proposal would obviously be delayed.


Now, being the end of May, my 29th birthday was fast approaching (June 12) and I was trying to figure out what to do that year. To me, birthdays have always been a big deal, the one day of every year that all of my friends and family will get together just for me (added bonus: I get to be the centre of attention!). My mom attributes this, of course, to Middle Child Syndrome. Either way, it’s always a special time and I usually pack an entire weekend with birthday festivities. Yet Craig had never understood all the birthday planning and commotion and had “screwed up” so-to-speak on my previous birthdays. So, interestingly, he was making a big deal about my 29th birthday: he wanted to plan something for the Saturday nigh0t. His sudden enthusiasm for my birthday was a bit suspect and gave me cause to ponder. In combination with the ring episode, my mind kept wandering back two years to when Craig first moved in with me.


We’d been together for about 8 months when Craig moved into my tiny downtown apartment. Oh how I loved that little place, a big four plex circa 1932 with original floors and fixtures. It was tiny but it had so much personality and I had given it a kitschy vintage diner décor. Needless to say, my kitchen table was a little square diner table that barely accommodated two people and Craig wanted us to get something bigger. So off we went to the antique malls in search of a larger diner table. At the Rocky Mountain Antique Mall we found a mid-size red Formica top table with chrome trim and a leaf- EXACTLY what I’d wanted and for only $160. I wanted to buy it on sight but Craig wanted to wait a couple of days to see what else was out there. “Craig, this isn’t Ikea,” I explained, “they have ONE table not thousands!” I was adamant, but Craig was stubborn, so two days later we went back and the table, of course, was gone. I was really mad, but trying not to be mean about it as we hopelessly looked for something on par with that table. I gave up the search, to my dismay, but two months later Craig gave me that table for our one-year anniversary. It was gone because he’d bought it for me and hid it at his parents house! This was probably the only time in my life that I was happy to receive a practical gift- I’d made it very clear to everyone that I never wanted a practical gift (i.e. house wares, bedding, appliances, car stuff). I much prefer to receive gifts that I would love to buy for myself: books, clothes, jewellery.


Clearly, if the table secret was on my mind, and Craig was making a big deal out of my birthday, I was putting two and two together and coming to the awfully hopeful conclusion that Craig had lied about the ring and was planning to propose for my birthday. Why else would he make a big deal out of my birthday for the first time in three years? When I told Beav my suspicions she disagreed saying that Craig wouldn’t propose on my birthday and I ought not to get my hopes up. Those hopes were really shattered the day before my birthday when he sent me a text message asking where the wrapping paper was. I burst into tears at work and had to talk myself out of being upset and remind myself that I should be happy that he wants to make my birthday special and that a proposal would come eventually.


The next day, I went for brunch with my friend Jordan and came home to a beautiful bouquet of flowers and the first card Craig ever bought for me (a good and sappy one too- I cried). He told me I could have the rest of my birthday present once I was ready to go for dinner, so I showered and got ready and put on a cute outfit. When I told him I was ready to go he went downstairs and came back up with a huge box. As I followed him into the living room, I asked, “What is that? An appliance?!” He set it down on the coffee table and told me to open it. As I took off the wrapping paper, it became clear that it was, in fact, an appliance. “A toaster oven?” I asked, incredulous, “Is this really a toaster oven?” Craig was all encouraging smiles as I struggled to maintain my composure. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife to open the box, convinced that the box was merely a joke, only to discover that the gift inside really was a toaster oven. I looked up at Craig as I tapped the top of the oven with my finger, completely confused, and said, “Seriously? This is really a toaster oven…”


Craig nodded emphatically, “Yeah, babe, you can make pita pizzas in it!”


“You want a toaster oven,” I exclaimed, “I have never said I want a toaster oven.” At this point, I was trying not to get upset with him while also trying to figure out if he was totally screwing with me. Still smiling, he reached into his pocket and said, “Well…if you don’t want that you can have this instead.” And in his hand was the ring, the one we’d chosen. Before I even knew what I was saying or thinking, I asked him if he was going to get down on one knee, so he did, still holding the ring out to me. I took it and asked him if he was actually going to ask me, and he said, “Will you marry me?” Crying, I put the ring on, said “yes,” hugged him and laughed. Best birthday EVER.




Engaged June 12, 2010



McKay Avenue School

So, my good friend Kelly, along with Danielle, Corey and I went to the McKay on Wednesday night to try to figure out our ceremony décor and Kel couldn't find it. Turns out the McKay Avenue School lettering is hidden by trees, AND it's a museum, which you should know. So, when you pull up on 99 Avenue and 104 Street you'll see a large red brick building, and a sign near it that says: Archives and Museum. Hopefully that clears things up in advance. 


As far as parking goes, there are meters in front, and Impark lots nearby- you may need to walk a little ways, as well as stalls in behind the school. However, we will be reserving those stalls for the wedding party and immediate family.


Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns!
Athena & Craig