MIKE &
PENNY AUGUST 2014
Thank You
T
o our dear family and friends,
We have been truly blessed that we have been able to find our way to each other. And so much more that we have family and friends around us to celebrate in our joy and surrounded by so much love. THANK YOU for your thoughs, your presence, your prayers and your wonderful and thoughtful gifts. Your kindness and generosity are sincerely and deeply appreciated. You brought joy to our day, warmth to our lives and happiness to our hearts. Thank you for sharing in the start of our new chapter in our lives together. With all of our love,
Mike&Penny
OUR STORY by Mike and Penny Anderson Love lurks and waits in some of the most unexpected places but online is one of the best places to lurk. Mike was not under any guise but Penny took to the profile image of him with a smiling dog on his shoulder (Dexter) to be a good catch. Barkley had just come into Penny’s life that she is excited to meet fellow dog-owners. Apparently, Mike is not Dexter’s dog-parent but Penny took a chance and went out on a date with him anyway. Yes, she was late on their first date. Mike took that as a strike, but gave her points for showing up. Their first date took place at a board games café called Snakes and Lattés. Their date started at 4pm on a cold Saturday morning in March. He had a cup of coffee, she had a cup of tea. Over the course of their date, that’s all they had along with conversations, laughs and teasing smiles. They took the last train home together where their ten-hour date ended with Mike pulling for his stop. Mike went to bed that night thinking, “Longest and yet cheapest date ever. Yeah...she’s the one.”
“I was alone, you came along. All my troubles, they have gone”
- Marion Lunny Fillion
Credits & Details Theme and Style: Board Games / Modern Whimsical Color Palette: Navy, Peach and Yellow Accomodations: The Strathcona Hotel Bridesmaids Dresses: Lazaro, Jim Hjelm Groom and Groomsmens Suits: Tuxedo Junction Wedding Dress: Allure Shoes: BHLDN Photography: Jennifer Van Son - Bell (Jennifer Van Son Photography) Officiant: Ira Carty Hair & Make Up: Fancy Face Inc. Flowers: Jamie Chojnacki MoB and MoG Hair: Amy Griffiths (Bridal Collective) Ceremony and Reception Venue: Jump Restaurant Chef: Rhian Rodrigues Venue Manager: Julien Lavoie Day-of-Coordinator: Thelma Uson-Cantos
Bridal Party Mother of the Groom: Karen Wright Mother and Father of the Bride: Vilma and Ruben Castillo Best Man: Andrew Webster Groomsmen: Jason Glover and Christian Castillo (brother of the bride) Maid of Honour: Hayden Rosales (sister of the bride) Bridesmaids: Neome Sanico Potvin and Julie Easton (sister of the groom)
Hair & Makeup by Fancy Face Inc. Accommodations at the Strathcona Hotel
O
ne of the many things that was done differently from a traditional wedding is the bar being opened for guests before the ceremony. It made for a very relaxed atmosphere as family and friends from the bride’s and groom’s side meet for the first time.
Ordained Minister, Ira Carty, officiated Mike and Penny’s marriage.
The bridal party, with the exception of the bride, walked down the aise to the tune of Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles in instrumental guitar version.
The bride walked down the aisle to the tune of Just Like Heaven by The Cure in instrumental guitar version.
From left to right: Bridesmaids, Neome Sanico-Potvin, Julie Easton and Maid of Honour, Hayden Rosales
From left to right: Best Man Andrew Webster, Groomsmen, Jason Glover and Christian Castillo
M
ike, when I met you, I had no idea that my life was about to be changed. You are everything I had ever hoped for, the one I thought existed only in my imagination. You had stepped out of my dreams and into my life, and I realized that what I had always thought was happiness couldn’t compare to the joy loving you brought me. You are part of everything I think, do and feel. With you by my side, I believe that anything is possible. Because of you, I laugh; I smile and dare to dream. You are, and always will be, the love of my life. Today, I give myself to you in marriage. I will love you without reservation, cherish and hold you in the highest regard. I will support and comfort you through all of life’s joys and sorrows. I will encourage you, inspire you and be honest and faithful to you. I will stand by your side, in times of happiness, sorrow and struggle, in an apocalyptic scenario or during a zombie invasion. These things, I give to you for all the days of our lives. I love you, Mike. Your happiness is essential to my own. I vow to make you love life To always hold you with tenderness. To have the patience that love demands To speak when words are needed And to share the silence when they are not. I cannot promise to fix all of your problems but I promise you won’t have to face them all alone. I vow to live in the warmth of your heart and always call it my home.
P
enny, as I was writing these vows for the 10th time, I realized that it will always be changing. The amount of ways of how you make my life better is endless. The thought of you brings a smile to my face and a calm to my soul. I promise to show you everyday that I know how lucky I am to have you; to tell you everyday how beautiful you are, to hold your hand every night and to never let us lose our spark. You are my bestfriend and the most important person in my life.
The couple exited to the tune of Perfect Day by Lou Reed.
Groom and Groomsmen’s suits from Tuxedo Junction
Bridesmaids dresses by Jim Hjelm and Maid of Honour dress by Lazaro
DIY Magnetic Seating Chart: by Mike & Penny
Macarons: by Kerry Ts
Cocktail hour word search: by Mike & Penny
DIY Centerpiece: by Mike
Flowers: by Jamie Chojnacki.
Laser cut Monogram: by Mike via Tool Library
sang
Jazz band: from lef to right, Chris Platt on Guitar, Phil Albert on bass, and Carissa Kimbell on vocals.
Father and Mother of the Bride, Ruben and Vilma Cstillo
I
’m so pleased you could all be here on this wonderful occasion, which Mike and Penny have gone to so much trouble to make absolutely perfect. And thank you for coming. It’s a wonderful start to their married life together, which I know we all hope will be as successful as today is proving to be. You see, Penny was born premature at 4.4 lbs and is so small that she could actually fit in a shoe box and I was afraid to carry her thinking she might slip between my arms. She grew up mostly with boys, brothers and cousins as playmates around her and would only wear shorts or pants and shy away from wearing dresses. I even have some uneasiness that she might end up being a tomboy. But look at her now so beautiful and stunning in her wedding gown with all the quintessence of femininity. Penny, over the past fifteen months when you have been planning this wedding, I have had plenty of opportunities to observe you demonstrating all those fantastic qualities you have possessed since you were a girl. You have been creative in your planning, patient when things went wrong, generous and helpful to others, intelligent when dealing with difficult situations and a delight to be with. Ours is not just a mother and daughter relationship, we are the best of friends. In short, Penny has been everything you could want in a daughter and more, and I can see that Mike has brought out the best in her. What can I say about Mike? I’ve known Mike for more than two years now and I can say with conviction that he is a very good man. Quite simply, Penny couldn’t have chosen better. He’s everything I would have looked for in a son-in-law and I’m delighted that he’s joining our family. To you Mike and Penny, I believe, that success in marriage is more than finding the right person – it is being the right person – and I am proud to be here celebrating the marriage of you two lovely people, who are not only amazing in your own right, but are also the right people for each other. Ladies and gentlemen, please charge your glasses and join me in a toast – to wish the Bride and the Groom, Penny and Mike, a long and happy married life together. May your joy never end like the circles of your wedding rings. To… the bride and groom, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Anderson!
Sean and Vanessa also had their wedding celebrations at Jump in 2012.
“
W
henever times get tough in your marriage, remember to always look back to how happy you two are on this day. Never go to bed on an angry pillow. Fight it out if you have to.”
“
L N
- Sean & Vanessa
earn the art of compromise and nurture your relationship.”
“
- Ryan & Donna
ever forget to say I LOVE YOU. Happy wife, happy life.” - Tony & Lucy
I
hope you’re all enjoying the food and the good vibes this evening! I want to start by congratulating the lovely bride and groom and thanking you all for coming tonight. For those of you who don’t know me…I’m Hayden, Penny’s proud little sister. When Penny had asked me to be her maid of honour, I was thrilled! But I was also a little nervous about the speech I knew I would have to prepare. So I started thinking and thinking…and thinking of what to say … and the only thing I could think about was how much we fought growing up! We had to share a room for what felt like forever, and don’t even get me started on how long she would hog the bathroom in the morning! But I’m glad I get the chance to be up here today because I get to share with you a side of Penny that I’ve never really appreciated before…she is kind, extremely considerate of others, and kind of a girly girl (although she would never admit it!). But most importantly, I can see that she is genuinely happy and in love with the man sitting beside her today. I never knew Mike before he dated my sister, so I can’t tell you horrible stories about him, but I can tell you how perfect he is for her. Before Mike came in the picture…the words Penny and Marriage never crossed my mind. She was this Ms. Independent woman who didn’t need that special someone. But women, even independent women like Penny who can take care of themselves, who do the right things, who live happy fulfilling lives -- you notice a difference in them when they have the love and support of a REAL MAN. I see that difference in Penny today. Mike, you understand her when no one else does, you give her your constant support even when she’s being her usual stubbon-self…But most of all…you tolerate her cheesy classic Penny jokes that most of us can’t handle – now that’s love. As I stand here on this special day, I’m glad that these two have found each other. I just have some advice for the newlyweds. First off Mike…the wife is always right. And Penny, always have a burger handy when you need Mike to do something…you know how he gets when he’s HANGRY! But in all seriousness, remember this moment right now. As the years go by, no matter what life throws your way, let the love that has brought you together today make you strong and there’ll be nothing you two can’t overcome. Penny, I am so happy for you! And Mike I would like to officially welcome you into our crazy little family. If everyone could please join me in raising a glass, to Mike and Penny, here’s to love, laughter and happily ever after. Cheers, I love you guys!
F
irstly, I would like to thank Vilma and Ruben Castillo.
Not so long ago, I received a call from Michael. He said, “Mom, I met the most beautiful woman.” I can still hear the excitement in his voice. He told me about their first date and how they talked all night. It was amazing. Hours had passed seeming like minutes. Years later, they still had things to talk about. It seems like yesterday that I brought a little bundle of joy home. A boy, to a young man, to an adult that I’m so proud of. And now, here today, I watch him marry the woman of his dreams. Penny, I know you are supportive of Michael in all his endeavours as he is of yours. You both have shown yourselves to be compassionate, understanding, adventurous and humorous individuals who have formed a strong union. Michael calls Penny his “lucky Penny”. And he is absolutely right because she is absolutely priceless. A toast - to Penny and Michael. Congratulations on your wedding and may you always have lots to talk about and time will always seem like a blink of an eye. We love you both. Penny, welcome to the family.
Mother of the Groom, Karen Wright and her husband Bill Wright
G
ood evening. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Andrew, a long-time friend of Mike. I want to thank everyone here for joining us today on this incredible day. We have all the ingredients here for a perfect wedding. Gorgeous bride, beautiful bridesmaids, fantastic venue, and the groomsman are situated and uh, Mikes here check. It is an incredible honor to stand up here as the best man to Mike Anderson, like I won an award. Kind of waiting for Kanye West to steal the microphone and tell everyone why someone else is more deserving of the honor but... I will do my best My earliest memory of Mike was on the first day of grade 9 at St. Mary’s high school in 1993 - more than 20 years ago. I remember walking down the hallway all insecure and terrified when all of a sudden this guy walks by. He had ripped jeans, with long underwear underneath, army boots, some sort of rocker t-shirt with long hair that was green or red or something. Guy had more facial hair than I can grow today. He was everything that Degrassi Jr. High warned me about so I stayed clear of him. That is not where our story began. About a year and a half had passed, I was walking through the 1000 islands mall with my girlfriend Robin (you Brockville folks are supposed to cheer when people from the big city mention something about Brockville). Anyhow, we were walking through the mall and Robin says, “Hey, there is this guy that I used to date that I want you to meet. He works at A&W.” I thought to myself, “No, I don’t want to meet your ex-boyfriend but yes, I do want a Teen-burger with onion rings.” So we walk up to A&W and she introduces me to this guy, I’m thinking... “You used to date this guy? red flaaaag Robin... Red flag!” Well, there were a lot of red flags but Mike... he was not one of them. From that day onward, Mike was my best friend, and brother. If we weren’t attempting to piece together a band at the hill, we were chilling at Tim Hortons or wandering the streets of Brockville “staying out of trouble”. After high school, we went our separate ways. Life started getting in the way and we couldn’t hang out as much as we would have liked. Every time we did meet up though it seemed that we would pick up right where we left off. Distance and time meant nothing. I don’t consider Mike just my best friend I consider him my brother – my older brother by 9 days. So as my brother, it gave me immense pride and joy to see him meet the love of his life, Penny. I had the pleasure of meeting Penny for the first time a few years ago. I knew instantly that Mike had himself a keeper when I handed her a lit Roman Candle and she squealed with glee as she slowly pointed the Roman Candle at a house next to the field we were standing in, essentially showing the neighborhood with balls of fire. For anyone else, that should have been a red flag but for some reason I liked it. And she clearly thought Mike was a keeper. I also realized quickly that Mike wasn’t the only man in Penny’s life. According to Facebook, two-timing Penny was seeing another man. This so-called man is named Barkley. Mike competes with this Barkley fellow for Penny’s Facebook attention every day. So I had a look at Penny’s Facebook and pulled off some of her posts. I would like you to play along and tell me who Penny is referring to: - “Chillin’ like a villain. He’s been sitting like that on the couch while he waited for his meal...like a boss” - Nice Mike. Oh wait. no.. this was Barkley. - “My cute little fartbag” - This one could go either way but on this particular day I think she was referring to Barkley. -“Our little guy graduated level 1 obedience school. Time to celebrate...beer!” - I hope this was Barkley - yes it was Barkley. So Facebook was a bit short on material regarding Mike but in person it is clear that Penny loves Mike. I am so glad to now have Penny in my life. Mike was there the day that I started dating my beautiful wife and stood in the best man shoes on my wedding day. So as his best man I should probably give you some words of wisdom to send you on your way into a blissful life of marriage. I am sure my wonderful wife Lindsey would agree that I have this marriage thing totally figured out after 5 years (his wife shouts, “6 YEARS!”). OK, I have absolutely nothing figured out. Perhaps now that you are married we can figure it out together. What I can give you as advice is for you to just keep being Mike, and Penny to keep being Penny. Love you both and wish you all the best. A toast to the bride and groom.
We
’ve been eyeing the forecast all week and the reports have been calling for rain, but it turned out to be the perfect day. We’d like to think that the people who couldn’t be here with us today had a helping hand in it. We’d like to thank everyone for coming to celebrate with us tonight. I know we asked a lot, giving up a long weekend, which turned out to be pretty friggin’ awesome, but for those of you missing out on cottage time, you can catch up right over there (pointing to the open bar). We’d like to give a big hand to Chef Rhian and all the staff here at Jump for the amazing job they’ve done tonight and to the Carissa Kimbell Trio for providing the perfect soundtrack to the evening. And we want to give a big thanks to our Tita Teng for helping us make this evening go smoothly. I’d like to thank my mother and father-in-law, Ruben and Vilma for raising a beautiful, caring, thoughtful daughter, who I promise to cherish and take care of for the rest of my life. And to my mother, for raising three fantastic kids… me being the best. You helped shape the person that I am today, and influenced the decisions I’ve made; this one being the best obviously. Thank you for everything. And of course to our wedding party, the lovely bridesmaids that stood up there with us, and help keep my wife together throughout the day. Each of you mean so much to us. My groomsmen, I couldn’t think of a better bunch of hooligans to have up there with me today. I can’t put the words together to describe how thankful I am to have you guys with me, but believe me, the Bromance is there. Thank you guys for your patience. I know you’ve needed it for all my procrastination, for putting up with my last minute decisions and all my “I’ll let you know tonight” then you don’t hear from me for 3 days. You guys are awesome. You accept my sense of humour and still invite me to hang out! We love each and every one of you and we are so grateful you could all be here with us today. As some of you know, Penny and I met online. We would craft long letters to each other for weeks on end, finding out so much, and still wanting more. When we finally took the step to meet in person, she was late. Strike one. We met at a board games café, I bought us coffee and tea, brought out boggle, put our game faces on, and we were ready to rock. But the game was just for show. We talked and talked, the conversations flowed with ease and before we knew it, the day had turned to night and the last train home was minutes away. We had talked for 10 hours straight on a single cup of tea. It was the cheapest date I had ever been on… then I knew she was the one. Even after 10 hours, we still had things to talk about. That date led to another, then another and the dates haven’t stopped since. Everything has fallen into place, and I’ve found my forever playmate. She’s someone I can share everything with, whose heart will love me at my worst, and arms that will hold me at my weakest. You’ve made me happier than I’ve ever thought possible.