Words - two extremes?

Lately, I have been looking for words again as some of my brides have requested help with finding readings. To be honest finding something that hasn't been seen before is not likely. There are the tried and tested and then there are the "new" ones that are currently doing the rounds.
However I went to a wedding last Saturday - as a guest - and saw in the order of service the title A Lovely Love Story. I thought i knew what it would be having seen that title before but it was new to me. I have to say the lady who read it deserved a huge WELL DONE. Try reading it aloud and you will see what I mean.

A Lovely Love Story

The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice.

Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.

Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.

The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with kind words and loving thoughts.

I like this Dinosaur thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.

Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny.

He is also quite clever though I will not tell him this for now.

I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur, thought the Dinosaur.

She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice.

She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.

But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.

He is also overly fond of things.

Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?

But her mind skips from here to there so quickly thought the Dinosaur.

She is also uncommonly keen on shopping.

Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?

I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.

For they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.

I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping, thought the Dinosaur.

For she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides,

I am not unkeen on shopping either.

Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old.

Look at them.

Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.

And that, my friends, is how it is with love.

Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together.

For the sun is warm.

And the world is a beautiful place

And then, by chance I came across this beautiful lullaby. The words are so beautiful and I don't think they would be out of place at a wedding. And there is a book with illustrations by Nikki McClure - see it here . If you'd like to listen to it, it's by Cub Country and from their home page choose Stretch That Skull Cover and Smile and it's track 12 (links don't work beyond their home page, sorry)

May the stars drip down in light on you 

And you close your eyes to see the moon 

And sleep will pull you through 

May the starlight find you 

Dreams of sand out in some desert wide 

That will blow all day into the night 

And there will come a new dune 

May the sand wash over you 

Somewhere out in the old ocean tide 

Where the seaweed and the starfish hide 

You'll float away on waves of blue 

May there always be a moon 

Then the morning light comes gently in 

And you wake to sunshine and the wind 

Whose whispers will be true 

May I always have you

credits

Jeremy Chatelain

Fab new find!

I'm not sure how many blogs/sites my readers follow, but my inbox is always full of updates. Sometimes they get a cursory glance before the dustbin but at other times, something catches my attention and I spend time looking through the blog/site and every now and then I find a gem. Again, I'm not sure how far my readers will go for something that takes their fancy but I buy from Internet sites in Europe and North America quite regularly. Yes, the delivery is more than it would be from a UK site but when I find something I love, I always weigh up buying a similar product with a cheaper delivery or the one that originally caught my eye. I feel I will always know that I went for second best ... (I do hope my husband isn't reading this!)

So I have a fab new find. It's called Pressed Cotton and they sell goods for gatherings! The website immediately appealed to me. I love the strap line on the home page: shop for your wedding .use for your home. Organised by style or category or products, the style headings are so evocative - Southerner, Explorer, Daydreamer, Gardener, Romantic, Eclectic, Modernist, Treehugger and Inventor. How could a treehugging, daydreaming, romantic gardener with a penchant for exploring and with an eclectic, modernist daughter NOT fall for this site?

I've chosen my favourite images from the site but PLEASE do have a look for yourself.

I found a gem

Every now and then, I come across a venue that is perfect. From the moment I step on to the property, I just know it's one of those extra special places.

Early in December, I had an appointment to meet with an Innkeeper and look at her Inn. I was tired having had two full days of meetings in Toronto (starting an hour after I landed), it was raining, no, more heavy drizzle and grey. There was no sign of snow which brightens and lightens the landscape, it was just dreay, wet and grey. The journey was easily 3 hours in good weather and I knew I could add at least half an hour for the weather. So I was grumpy - very grumpy!! I think we'd taken a wrong turning at least 3 times and I was almost ready to phone my apology, turn round and go back to Collingwood. Suddenly the Inn sign was there and we turned into the estate ... and I knew, just knew that the journey had been worth it. My mood lifted and then as we turned a corner at the end of the Inn, I was met with the most amazing scenery - it really took my breath away. A lake, woodland, a beautiful old Canadian manor house and a mist across the water - the perfect setting for a wedding in any season. I'd choose sunset with snow but that's just me!

The Inn in Winter

The Manor House in snow

The Inn in Summer

The Manor House in Summer

One the estate's cabins

Sun loungers overlooking the lake - a possible ceremony location

A tranquil pond area could also serve as an outdoor ceremony location

An indoor reception area

Four poster bed suite in the House

A terrace bedroom in the Inn

A double room in the House

Winter sunset across the lake

We welcomed 2013 in Collingwood

I must say I'm looking forward to 2013 as last year was somewhat of a mixed year for us. We lost a parent but gained a fabulous little granddaughter, so now I have a pair of a pair! My son's 2 boys, Robert & Toby and my daughter's 2 girls, Ivy and Mia. We spent Christmas with my daughter and New Year with my son and his boys in Collingwood. The boys took to the slopes at Blue Mountain for the first time and yes, Gramma had tears in her eyes when she saw them suited and booted - with helmets - for their first ski lesson. They're doing well and really enjoyed it after a few misapprehensions. I think they thought it was as easy as it looks!

Ready for the off!

Collingwood Town Hall

Ice Sculptures for New Year in Collingwood's Hurontario Street 2012

Collingwood is our Canadian 'home' town and we love it there all year round. It's where the idea of Maple Leaf Weddings started so I give no apologies for going somewhat over the top in featuring a wedding that took place there. It shows how beautiful the location is in the summer. Mimosa Flower Studio's blog reported  "This weeding was chock full of pale pastels ... lavender, blush, butter, ivory, soft green ... and seasonal florals including peonies, garden roses, delphiniums, lavender, herb and fern plants, moss, lily of the valley, succulents, lisianthus, clematis vine and other tidbits of gardeny goodness!"

Credits:

Floral Design: Mimosa Flower Studio / Wedding Planner: Distinct Occasions / Event Design: Design 2 Decor / Wedding Cake: The Caketress / Wedding Photography: A Brit and a Blonde / WedLuxe Winter Spring 2013 issue

Wedding Venue: Private Residence in Blue Moutain, Ontario

 So, there you have it. Collingwood in winter and in summer - the choice is yours. Even though the comparisons are no direct ones, let me know what you think. I'll perhaps to another blog featuring summer scenes and a winter wedding!!

Inspiration

I follow a blog - BowTies & Buttercream - based in Toronto. They have published some amazing inspiration boards. I couldn't wait until the morning to show this one; it's just SO ...

Would you? could you? wear that dress? 

If not you could think about an ivory one and still use the bridesmaids' colours. 

Think the word I was wanting is 

BEAUTIFUL