Thank you for coming to visit My Bridal Bouquet!
The big day has come & gone, but my bouquet remains a lasting memory of all the friends & family who showered us with love & support — including all you online friends who’ve been posting & re-posting about this project. (You can still read about all the stories behind the brooches in the archive.)
I thought I’d finally post a few of the professional photos, with thanks to Yorke Photography for being so amazing & letting us share these images!
Hello everyone!
Sorry I haven’t been as loyal about updating the blog lately. I do still have a few brooches that never made it on here that I plan on posting write-ups for, mostly to ensure I have a full record of all the wonderful generosity showed upon Alex & me leading up to – and including – our wedding.
Until then, I’m posting a few photos from our photographers of the final product. There will be more to post in the coming weeks; we did an entire photography session with just me & the bouquet!
Also, I’d like to point you to another blog. A wonderful bride-to-be here in the Moncton-area has decided to create a brooch bouquet of her own; I’m looking forward to giving her any knowledge I might have gained & seeing what she creates!
Thank you again for all your contributions and support – you helped make our day incredible!
For all you wondering … the big day has come & gone (hence the break in posting!) & was fabulous! I’ll work on posting some picture soon – I’m waiting to see if I can get a picture of the bouquet from our professional photographers to share!
My friend Karen left a little treasure on my desk at work one day. This little fellow will indeed find a place to twinkle among my treasures as I walk down the aisle. Karen’s package was wrapped up with red yarn, and her card held this ancient Chinese saying that suits Alex & I perfectly:
An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.
(There must be a little red thread between Karen and I, as well – we went to university together 10 years ago and have since shared cubicle non-walls (think Les Nesman) in three different jobs, and now her little ‘something blue’ will forever be part of our lives – as will our memories of her acting as MC for our wedding dinner.)
One of the most interesting people I met through Alex’s MBA program is a gal named Jana. She’s a person who faces life head on, asks the critical questions, and doesn’t just accept the status quo. She’s also got a huge heart and is the first to step up when someone – person or animal – needs someone else to speak for them or lend a hand. I hope a little bit of her tenacity rubs off by carrying her brooches in my bouquet!
Alex and I are quick to admit we’re a little bit geek. C’mon, we met at a camp for students with good grades where we chose to spend half of the summer before our senior year sitting in seminars and doing assignments! And yet, I think my little brother might give us a run for our money when it comes to earning the title ‘geek.’
I’m really proud of my brother for being more-than-a-little non-conformist, for living his life without apologizing for who he is. It also leads me to worry about him, but I also know he’s smart enough to know there’s an easier path in life – and it’s not the one for him.
I’m also really stoked he (along with his wonderful companion Kim) contributed a piece to my bouquet – and even more excited about how perfect a memento it is to symbolize the geeky streak we all love & share.
This pendant is made from a recycled mother board circuit, with a copper flower attached. They bought it from The Blue Kraken on Etsy.
One of the many reasons we decided to live near Moncton when we moved East was because of the immediate welcome we knew we’d get from a group of friends that go back to Alex’s childhood days. Among those people is Kristin – a gal with style and passion anyone would admire. She’s also a practical person; she chose these lovely flowers so that I could work a bit of consistency into my bouquet! They’re lovely pieces on their own, but together they do seem to shine a little brighter – kinda like people coming together in marriage. Thanks, Kristin, for all your help!
I’ve had the privilege to work with a lot of fantastic people over 
the years, cultivating friendships outside of the office with many. One of the people I feel most blessed to have been given the opportunity to get to know is Yvonne. There are so many qualities about Yvonne – her sense of style, her attention to detail, her work ethic, her generosity – that I look to as examples of how I’d like to be in my own life. Her choice of this lovely thistle brooch – “A thistle for a MacNeil; it just seems right to me!” – speaks to all of that and more. It’s a piece she received from a relative of her husband’s, Ralphie. Yvonne writes: “Ralphie was a lovely and generous woman. She would be very pleased to know her little pin was part of something so wonderful as your wedding bouquet!” I’m honoured to have her – and Yvonne – be part of my day in this way!
A few weeks ago, I posted about the wonderful memories I have of the love of family and friends I experienced in the home of Margie & Stanley Beaton in South West Mabou. Lo and behold, a parcel arrived in the mail the other day from the lovely couple!
The thistle is considered the Flower of Scotland; for some, its sharp thorns are seen as representing the ‘prickly determination’ of the Scots, while others see it as a symbol of nobility of character. Both interpretations are apt in my mind and are great symbols to have in my bridal bouquet.
Moran taing, Margie & Stanley!
My Dad & stepmom are part of a group of friends & family commonly known to us as ‘The Cabin Crew.’ Most of these folks own property along the same stretch of the Bras d’Or Lakes, though some just come to hang out there. It’s a fabulous little piece of heaven on earth – because of the view and because of the people. Friends who are there to help each other out, support each other when needed, and just to enjoy life with. Here are a few of the treasures the girls from the cabin crew sent along for the bouquet: as Maureen put it, they’re pieces that don’t have a story yet. I’m happy to have them start their tale with me.
My Bridal Bouquet 