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STARRYEYED
LOvEan & wiJuy 18h, 2009shnin lke schoo, Vncouver Indwrien
by luren Krmer
Photographed by Leanne Scherp
and Susannah Street
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Alana will never forget how she felt the first time she laid
eyes on Will.
The world just stopped, she said. He made such a strong
impres-
sion on me.
But timing was not in their favour when they first met. Alana
was out on a
first date that night with an acquaintance of Wills and it would
be two years
until she was free again to circle back and pursue those first
impressions.
I remember where he was and even what he was wearing when our
eyes firstmet, she says. Id asked him his star sign, Cancer, and
found out he was born
on my parents anniversary. He was my perfect sign!
Full of personality, spontaneity and enthusiasm for life, the
34-year-old from
Queen Charlotte City in the Haida Gwaii is delightfully
unconventional. In
January 2008, now single, fortified with a glass of wine and
driven by a strong
desire to see Will again, she called him but only got his
voicemail.
When Will returned from a trade show in Orlando, he was stunned
to find
Alanas voicemail. At first I thought it was a work call, he
laughs, recalling
how her number had displayed as Coast Eco Timber, the company
Alana
founded. But her name rang a bell, and gradually it came back to
me who she
was.
The couple met for a drink at the Wedgewood Hotel and then
headed out
for a game of pool. They got along so well that they met every
night after that.
I thought she had stunning good looks, a fabulous laugh and a
great sense of
humour, says Will, 43. Shes fiery, wild and crazy, but I knew
there was some-
thing special there.
Within two weeks, Will asked Alana to move
in with him. I was a lady, she jokes. I waited
three weeks!
The two found they had lots in common.
Both love to read, watch movies and play
Scrabble. Were both very involved in our own
respective businesses, and we love Roman his-
tory, Alana says exuberantly. But were also
very different in some ways. I wear my mind on
my sleeve, while Will is more reserved, steadyand calm. He
thinks before he speaks.
Within 10 months of their first date, Will knew for certain he
wanted to
marry Alana. He waited until the anniversary of their first
date, took her for din-
ner at West Restaurant in Vancouver and got down on both knees
to pop the
question.
It was just days after the wedding of Alanas sister, and she had
been so
absorbed in the family celebration that she never saw it coming.
I noticed
he was down on both knees and I knew immediately something was
wrong
because he has really bad knees! she laughs. But Alana had known
for monthsthat she wanted to marry Will, and she joyously accepted
his proposal.
The couple scheduled their wedding for July 2009 at the
Shawnigan Lake
I wear my mindon my sleeve...
Will thinks beforehe speaks
Top the eddin eiviie
incuded o dy o pre-eddinun. gue enjoyed perec
Juy dy shnin lke.
Right whie he coupeprepred or he ceremony,
ue pyed fedme on he n.
Below wi nd an hd crzy h pry on he
Fridy o ecome ue nd
brek he ice.
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School on Vancouver Island, where Alana had attended boarding
school as a
child. With four months to plan a wedding of 300 guests, she had
no time to
lose. I recruited my dads assistant from work to help me plan
the wedding, as
well as Christopher Jodoin of Vancouvers Christopher J Designs,
she says.
Because almost everyone attending the wedding was visiting from
out-of-
town, Alana arranged for friends and family to spend the weekend
in the dor-
mitories at the school and planned a three-day extravaganza to
celebrate their
nuptials.
On Friday night, guests attended a salmon barbecue featuring
salmon caught
at her fathers fishing lodge in Haida Gwaii. To break the ice
and create a fun
atmosphere, guests arrived wearing crazy hats and danced until
late into the night
to the sounds of a Neil Diamond impersonator, Nearly Neil.
The next day Alana and her six bridesmaids prepared for the
wedding at The
Aerie Resort in Victoria, while at the school, guests were
treated to a field sports
day featuring tug-of-war and sack races, coordinated and
organized by Alanas
friend, Jonathan.
At 5:00 pm, guests gathered in the schools chapel to watch Alana
walk down
the aisle on her fathers arm. Her Shih Tzu dog Bear was the ring
bearer, and
minutes before Alana was to head down the aisle, Bear lost the
ring. That was a
surprise, says Will wryly. Hed tried to sway Alana from giving
Bear the ring, but
she had been adamant about it.
Bear is such an honourable dog, she protests passionately. He
kept me
warm at night and with him around I was never lonely. Its
because of Bear that I
never married the wrong man!
A frantic search for the ring ensued, and luckily, minutes later
Alana spottedit on the ground outside. As she walked down the aisle
in her Monique Lhuillier
gown, she remembers feeling thrilled upon seeing her
husband-to-be at the altar.
He shone, he was so beautiful, she says with teary eyes. I felt
so proud to be
becoming his wife and so happy about my future. It just hit me,
oh my gosh, Im
going to be his wife!
At the end of the ceremony, organ music announced the newlyweds
as they
walked out of the chapel, but it soon gave way to All You Need
is Love, played by
musicians who popped up from among the guests. Will had arranged
the band to
surprise Alana, tracking down musicians in Shawnigan Lake for
the occasion.A formal reception followed in the schools dining
hall, which was elegantly
decorated in blue, gold and khaki. Thirty school friends and a
handful of teach-
ers were among the guests that night, and after dinner they
partied to the music
Top wi ih hibroher nd bemn, M.
Left the drmicvued ceiin ohe chpe en rdiion, eyeheic o
heceremony.
Below Friend ndneihbour oered
conruion erhe ceremony.
With four months to plan a wedding of 300 guests,Alana had no
time to lose.
64 real weddings
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of The Odds, a Vancouver band, in a nightclub-style enclave
designer
Jodoin had created.
Alana comes from five generations of family in the forestry
indus-
try, so the next day, before heading home, guests were treated
to a BC
Loggers Breakfast. It was the hugest breakfast, with everything
you can
imagine, she says.The couple drove away from the wedding with
Alana at the wheel of
a 1966 Stingray Corvette belonging to her fathera car she had
never
before been permitted to drive. They honeymooned in southern
France,
Cap dAntibes and the Cotswolds before returning home to
Vancouver
to begin their lives as husband and wife.
Today, when they look up at the stars, they know there are a few
up
there named after them. Our master of ceremonies was UBC
astrophys-
icist Dr. Jamie Matthews, says Alana. As his gift to us, he
named two
binary stars in the sky after us. Theyre called Alana loves
Will. rw
TheDetails
1 Alana wore a Monique Lhuilliergown with a sweetheart
neckline.The bridesmaids wore different stylesof blue dresses to
complement theirdifferent body types.
2 Patisserie Daniel in Victoria made thechocolate and organic
cherry cake.
3 Nearly Neil added to the fun atmo-sphere of the Friday night
before the
ceremony.
4 The designated kids area had con-tainers overflowing with
chocolate,candy, crafting supplies and toys.
How they did it
The Dream Team
Venue Ceremony &
Reception:
Shawnigan Lake Schoolwww.shawnigan.caPhotographer:
LS Photographywww.lsphotography.caDecor Rentals:
Art of the Party
www.artoftheparty.caDecorator:Christopher J
Designwww.christopherjdesign.comVideographer:
Don [email protected] Dress:
Monique Lhuillier, Bisou Bridalwww.bisoubridal.comBridesmaids
Dresses:
Frockswww.frocks.caGrooms & Groomsmens
Outfit:Ralph Lauren, The Tux Storewww.thetuxstore.comBridal
Party/Altar:
V&J Plant [email protected]/Servers:
Prolific Entertainment
[email protected] Jockey:
Summit [email protected]
Below to emue he bundn nur beuy o Vncouver Ind, he couperened
prouion o m ree or he cenrepiece.
1
2
3
4
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