Elopement in the Rain
Weeks prior to their arrival, (they are from Ontario) I headed out to Penticton to find the perfect location for Lynn and Gavin’s elopement ceremony. I took my bike and made an afternoon of it. I got lucky and found three spots that I felt they would like. Of course, I took pictures and sent them to Lynn. She got excited, but couldn’t decide, and asked if I would make a map so that they could check out the locations once they arrived. I told her I would do one better and meet them the day before their elopement, and drive them around.
I met them at Poplar Grove Winery, which is where they planned on having a romantic dinner for two after the ceremony. After our greeting, they hopped into my Subaru and off we went on our scouting trip.
Each location had its pros and cons. One had a great view, but the landscape included buildings that were, shall we say, less than pretty. Another spot had a beautiful garden and some great vineyards, but not so much a view of the lake. The last location I found had a great view of the lake and a vineyard. The drawback was that it kind of required hiking boots to get there. As I started leading them through the sage brush, I could see that Lynn had her doubts.
“You know I’m wearing a dress, tomorrow, right?” she said. “And shoes.”
I just smiled and hoped it wouldn’t matter as soon as she saw the view. As we crested a little hill, we could see the lake. Lynn and Gavin both fell in love with the setting, and the view.
“This is perfect,” Lynn said, giving Gavin a smile and a hug. “But what if it rains?” she added.
“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” I said. “We don’t get much rain this time of year.”
The next day it rained… all day long.
Ceremony on a Cliff
Tolerating the rain just outside their Air B&B was one thing, but I had my doubts as to whether Lynn and Gavin still wanted to use the site we scouted the previous day. Imagine my surprise when Lynn asked me if I was still into it.
“Definitely!” I said. “But you might want to bring a towel or housecoat, if you have one. The sage brush will be wet, and you’ll get soaked squeezing through it all.”
Gavin waited under his umbrella as his bride-to-be dashed into the house to grab her housecoat. I rushed ahead of them, giving myself enough time to prepare.
When I arrived, Sondra Richardson, their marriage officiant, was busy setting up. She was already wet and we hadn’t even begun. I love it when the professionals put the wishes of the bride and groom above their own comfort. It demonstrates a high level of dedication.
It wasn’t the dry, sunny day we experienced the day before, but it was beautiful in its own right. Lynn and Gavin were awesome, the way they rolled with it. Their smiles were genuine, and I think we managed to capture some great memories.
