Northern Nuptials

Dragon flies performed an aerobatic dance during the wedding vows between Kirsten Murphy and Jason Squires, two CBCers who were married on Hideaway Island. It was a warm sunny evening, with a good breeze that kept the biting bugs at bay. Rain fell later, while we ate and drank inside the geodesic tent perched on top of this large island--a 40-minute ride if you take the big pontoon boat rented for the occasion. But the precipitation didn't last long, and soon we could mill outside and a fire was started (though there's a ban on fires in Yk right now) in a pit on the rocks.


I've never seen a bride have so much fun at her wedding. Dressed in her gorgeous ivory gown, rimmed in dirt as the night wore on, Kirsten ad libbed during the vows. It was casual, yet ceremonious. Guests arrived in all kinds of attire and I ended up in sneakers and a fleecy jacket over with my long skirt, as the air cooled off.


We ate cheezies and devilled eggs and barbequed steaks and a homemade cranberry cake with strawberries and chocolate sauce. News producer Harmen Meinders played DJ, providing tunes for the dancers in the crowd, using equipment from the CBC's head technical guy who has a side business and was working another wedding. I made a couple of amazing connections, discovering two people who were also raised in Richmond Hill, including Randy Henderson, host of the morning show. I also discovered that I've been dubbed "The Hammer" at work, which I'm told is a compliment...


The first boat back left at 9 p.m. and the next was leaving at about 12:30 a.m. But I got a ride in Jeff Gardiner's power boat at midnight. (He's my rhubarb supplier.) We motored back in about 10 minutes time.


As someone at the wedding commented: YK is a wonderful place for weddings--either on an island like this one in summer or in the ice castle that's built on the lake in winter. Tuxedo parkas--love to see that.