We are celebrating with biscuits, jam and dark roast coffee this morning.
Three years ago today is the day we surprised our family and friends. We eloped. Well, technically I suppose a person must run away to elope. We just didn’t tell anyone until after we were married. I suppose that isn’t exactly true either because we asked our closest friends in our Mayne Island community to marry us and be our witness. Then of course we had to also swear our local baker to secrecy in order to have a cake to serve with coffee and champagne after the ceremony.
But considering that we had lived together for eight years and had given no indication that we would ever marry, we did take most by surprise.
It was a cold December day that year as our friend John drove us to the local Mary Magdalene church.
We were like deer in the headlights as we walked up the isle of an almost empty small church.
Neither of us had expected the emotional significance of a decision we had thought we were making for some very practical reasons. This part of the surprise was on us.
The ceremony was short and included a poem written to me by David. The signing of papers happened with grace and ease.
It was so cold we could see our breath. Thankfully the candles gave off such warm light. In very short order we were leaving the church.
It was snowing when we stepped out that door and headed back to our home – la casa de inspiracion. The warmth of our heated floors in our strawbale timberframe house and the smell of freshly brewed dark coffee added to the festive mood of the morning.
There was the ritual slicing of the cake.
As you can see we are not a pair of youngsters but we giggled with the same nervous delight of a couple twenty-year-olds. After all, we were going away on a honeymoon. But before we could change there was one last requests from our witnesses. They wanted a picture of me in my shoes.
They look pretty non-impressive from this angle don’t they? Let’s try this again.
I can tell you honest and true – these shoes were NOT made for walking. But I also think that the photo op request was because I am usually barefoot or in walking shoes or hiking boots and so these shoes were particularly amusing to our guests. I will quietly admit to you that even at just past the age of fifty-one, I felt like such a beautiful bride in this dress and these elegant shoes.
Today, we give special thanks and warm hugs to our friends Thomi, John and Joyce who were a big part of this intimate elopement and to our family and friends who we love and who love us back. Thank you all for just being you and letting us be us.
© 2012 Terrill Welch, All rights reserved.
Liberal usage granted with written permission. See “About” for details.
Purchase photography at http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch
Creative Potager – Visit with painter and photographer Terrill Welch
From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
Terrill Welch Artist website at http://terrillwelchartist.com
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Creative Potager 
Oh, so, romantic. Thank you for sharing these cherished memories with me, Terrill.
You are most welcome Leanne… and it was very romantic indeed 😉
So wonderful that you’ve shared one of your most memorable precious moments! Feeling the goosebumps! Am all the more excited to one day to meet David! Love and blessings to your both! Keep growing in love!
Thank you so much Mila and that day may eventually arrive. We will just keep trying.
The loveliest (true) story I’ve read today. Congratulations!
Thank you Maureen 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it.
Congratulations Terrill and David on your anniversary. Your happiness is so apparent. Thank you for sharing the story and pictures of the day. Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Brenda
Thank you Brenda and yes I look forward to seeing you soon. David has decided to stay home but I shall be there and I am really looking forward to it.
Oh, I remember, Remember, REMEMBER! Thank you for the lovely virtual walk down Special Memory Lane.
I thought you might Laurie. I went to link to the previous post this morning after taking the breakfast photograph and realized that it was no more. It had bee posted in the Gaia community. So I went hunting in the my photo files and found the images and went about creating this memory post for us. A task that was going to take only a few minutes ended up with a memory-romp of about half a day 🙂
lovely, loving memories shared here and how nice to have biscuits and coffee to linger over and dwell on. I like the photos and it made me think of our wedding day and how we never ever look at the pictures. I found our engagement photo while cleaning and were look American Gothic and hippie at the same time – made me laugh.
thank you for sharing.
I am writing like crazy so I can take 2 weeks off with kids and get started on the New Year. I have another special giveaway on my Christmas post and that too made me think of giving away a copy of your lovely book just a short hop back in time – Suzen was so pleased .
Last night we had a impromptu meet and greet party at our house for our new neighbors 24 folks came some with children – it felt a festive and a lovely way the let others meet our new neighbors next door. The gal is from Vancouver BC and just got her Doctorate in Nursing at Columbia University – then the job here running the emergency medical clinic for the county. It was a delightful evening – and then again so many folks commented on your fabulous APPLE BLOSSOM painting once again sitting on the music stand on the piano. I wrote down your blog site on 10 strips of paper to share. It is just an angel of delight to me….a harbinger of lovely beauty to come.
I wrote about my Painting Workshop and put up my art on the Dec. 10th post on Patricia’s Wisdom…humble pie and soul nourishment.
Many happy healthy years ahead…blessing on you and yours. Love is in the air!
Ah it just be the holiday season Patricia. It has taken me days to get back to your comment. Thank you so much for the summer of your current posts and activities. I am pleased that the wee painting is providing so much joy and interest. I wish you and your family all the best of the holidays and look forward to connecting again in the New Year.
Oh my, thank you so much for sharing all this retrospectively with us! Re-visiting! May your years ahead together be amazingly wonderful and full of marvelous surprises and extreme satisfactions!
Delighted to get a better sense of what you both look like!
Om! So wonderful to have drop in. It has been a while since we have connected. Well at least you have soe idea what we look like in our wedding clothes anyway. I sometimes forget about the often invisible beyond our words experience of the blogging and social networking world. I recently did a few short videos and for many it was the first time they had heard my voice. Come to think of it I mostly have imaginary real-life images of most people I connect with regularly online. What the mind doesn’t know it will make up! 🙂 All the best of the holidays Om and I look forward to connecting again in the New Year.
Happy Anniversary! Your story made me smile 🙂
Smiling is good! All the best of today to you and the in the New Year rkb665.
oh my god, congratulations terrill. been so long we dont visit blog eachother. and i’m surpricing when i click your blog. what a romatic bundle that you share to us. and you absolutely look gorgeous with maroon dress and a pair of beautiful shoes. you really look a fashion blogger now. aaaah terrill i miss you. sending a bear hugs for you from me and Al. look at his photos here: http://wulanasihsetyarini.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/three-is-better-than-two/
hugs
So good to hear from you Wulan and see the new blog post! What a beautiful baby boy you have. So precious and I love his outfit. You are looking as beautiful as ever as well. It seems that life is good for you. I wish you all the best of the holidays and a wonderful year ahead. And give that little fellow an extra hug from me.
The loveliest of posts. Though I am here far too late, I lingered longer than usual to take in the pride, memories and loving, which has obviously persisted to this day. I didn’t realize it was a scant three years ago, but have been deeply impressed with this wonderful relationship since I first laid eyes on this great blog. Each photo is priceless, and further proof that when the chips are down what you value most in this life are your family relationships. It’s what make this blog so especially meaningful. And who wouldn’t hanker to be married in a church like that?
Happy Holidays to you and David and your entire wonderful family Terrill.
Thank you Sam! I have just returned a couple of days ago from some great time with family. I trust that you are enjoying your own family togetherness and the best of the holidays to you and yours.
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