Extended Details:

There are a lot of details that never really get divulged, not because they are not worthy, but more that the whole ceremony in itself tends to over run the smaller details that were in place the whole time, like what all the little things mean. Of course, this little page doesn't have every last secret, but it does have some neat little details.

The Wedding Colors: Cranberry & Silver

The Bride Maids Dresses: Were actually inspired by a dress shop in Montreal Canada. There was this store in the old market district that carried a lot of period clothing that was adapted to regular daily wearing. Meaning these were strong, functional costumes that were primarily based on older French designs of the 18th Century.

The Groom's Dress: More traditional turn of the 20th Century Tuxedos, with a lower jacket length and of course with Texas flare with hats and boots, although the intention is not a western style, but more of a old time spirit, with a little French feeling in there as well.

The Church: Is an old chapel that was built in 1846 right next to Duncanville. All the windows are stained glass, and commemorates the pioneer people of the area with names and dates inserted in the glass, mostly of which were the ones who founded Duncanville, or at that time, Duncan Switch. The church is an official Texas Landmark.

The Ceremony: We are both interested in putting a lot details back into the ceremony that are forgotten or less traditional to today's standards for a ceremony. We have not completely devised what this will be, but there are a lot of old traditions that originate from France and Ireland that we are looking at. My favorite so far is the "Coup de Marriage." I do not know if we are going to be able to work this wonderful old tradition of using a "common cup" actually at the toast of the reception, but in older times, the couple would drink from this common silver cup, that would also tend be used a baptismal for the babies thereafter, and then would be passed along to the next eldest member, typically the son for the future ceremonies. It is traditions like these that have spark some interest in the old times.

The Reception Area: Is actually the new local ice rink that is sponsored by Dr. Pepper and the Dallas Stars Hockey. The area is actually the observatory that overlooks both ice rinks on either side, and there should be a lot to watch seeing that on our same day, there will be a hockey youth final. There will likely be a lot of kids and people in the main hall way on the bottom floor, but we have been assured that there will be guards at the elevator and stairways to the second floor observatory to keep all those uninvited out of the reception area. We felt like this location was kind of symbolic of us, seeing that Canada has a lot to do with us now and that this is the star center, which is actually the theme of our house, as we have many Texas styled stars interwoven into our home.

The Honeymoon: Unfortunately, we had all kinds of neat plans to go abroad. I was wanting to go to St Petersburg Russia, but then we started to look at Spain as well, and then during our planning, we found that Kay got a new job, and would have to forgo the immediate honeymoon. So we will likely have to take our honeymoon sometime in the summer. We actually had a Carnival Cruise to Mexico with Kay's Parents in March, but unfortunately there again, I fell ill with abdominal pains that my surgeon quickly removed as an inflamed appendix that managed to get infected a day before we were scheduled to leave, but not enough to burst. I was told by many that I was very fortunate that we caught it early on.

The Engagement: It was pretty much assumed that we would get married pretty much the whole time we were dating (be it serious or not so), eventually. However, Kay was not taking any chances on me this time, so she actually mandated that she would not move into our new home until she had a ring on her finger. This was started back last summer, just before our Canadian vacation. Many expected that I would propose in Canada; however, at the time I was not ready. So when we came back and started to work on our house, she would remind me from time to time that she had to have a ring eventually. She was okay with it during October and November, but you could see the look of desperation in December as she actually mandated to herself that if she were to marry me, she would wait no longer than December 31st to be engaged.

Well, I would have given her that ring long ago, had I not wanted it to be a Canadian Arctic Diamond. These things are not easily to come by, and they are not the cheap stones of the store by any length, practically non-existent this far south of Canada. With these diamonds made from carbon within the ancient ice packs, they are very pure and start at a high quality range from the get go. All Canadian diamonds are laser inscribed with either a Maple Leaf, Polar Bear or Goose to show which mine they originated from, and then their AGS information as well mounted on side or girdle of the diamond. I managed to get the Maple Leaf diamond for Kay, but giving it to her had to have some shock value of course. I had actually purchased the diamond just before Christmas, but decided not to give it until after because I did not want it to be considered one of her Christmas gifts.

Had I more time, I might have actually jumped on the next Air Canada flight to Ottawa, or even further north to propose under the Northern Lights, but unfortunately, I was out of time. On Kay's clock, I was down to just a few days to play with. I had so many ideas actually, but quite ironically I came up with my decision after going to get my haircut with Mikel. For him, it was just going to be another haircut, but little did he know I was going to be old fashion about this, and ask his permission right there in his chair to marry his daughter. He was kind of shocked, and excited all at the same time. I decided to take him and Denise, and then my mother as well to the Fort Worth Historical Stock Yards. I had realized that although many consider this to be a romantic between the two time, we were actually more family oriented, and knew that Kay would rather have her family there to talk and enjoy the moment with. Fortunately, I was right in this assumption, as she spent the whole night ecstatic at the whole fact that she was finally engaged. She was telling everyone, right down to our waitress in fact that she was now engaged.

What had made the situation any more ironic, was running in her grandfather and Joyce at the Stock Yards as well. They were leaving as we were entering, and this was actually before Kay knew anything, so they did not get see Kay after the fact of being engaged. The reason for this was that I was wanting to throw Kay off. She had her sensors on high, just waiting for any last minute clue that I was going to propose. For this, we actually entered the Stock Yards and shopped a little before I drug her off back to my truck where I had stored the ring. We were putting up all the bottles of wine that we had purchased, along with some other little items purchased. I told her to come over to my side of the truck, and told her I had something I wanted to ask her. She walks up to me totally unsuspecting my next move, pulls out a small white box and says, "So, will you marry me?" She turned into a statue for a moment, and then began to cry. I flipped the box open to show her the contents, and she was murmuring something like, "Oh my God…" And she quickly flung that hand up there and told me to put it on her finger. She was all tears and then hugs as she said, "Yes."

That was a very happy moment for Kay I have to say, for which then we met back up with our parents who all ready knew what was happening. Kay was actually frustrated that she didn't pick up on any clues, or that no one in her family had tipped her off. Of course, she was all tears right up to the steak house, so her emotions were runneth over nonetheless. After our meal, and getting everyone back home, we came back to our house in Cedar Hill, which was finally completed enough to move in, and with another little twist, I pulled out a bottle of Canadian "Ice Wine." This is special stuff, as there is only one time of the year, sometimes only hours within that one day they can actually harvest this particular grape for the entire year. We had a final toast, and then that special evening's regale was over that particular moment.