Yet another wedding season comes to a close, and what an amazing year it was. 2021 was filled with much joy, laughter, and a whole lot of love. And while the pandemic continued to throw curve balls from every direction, love continued to triumph. As I reflect on another amazing wedding season, here are the top 5 things I learned this year.
1. Getting married is awesome
On August 1st 2021, I married the woman of my dreams. Our wedding day was like a dream come true. I had been to hundreds of weddings up until that point, but it was amazing to actually understand what it was like on the other side. When I was standing at the front of the aisle waiting for my bride, it was like a surreal experience. Then our 3 kids walked around the corner, linked arms and big smiles. It was so beautiful, and emotional. After I gave them all big hugs, my bride Angela walked around the corner with her parents. She was the most beautiful bride I had ever seen. It was a moment I'll never forget.
2. Heat domes are hot
I've been living in the Okanagan since 2007, and if there is one thing I've learned about this region is that it can get very hot in the summer! 2021 was no exception, with a once in a lifetime "heat dome" blasting temperatures into the mid 40 degrees celsius. As a DJ, this presents a number of challenges that I had to be prepared for. Most of my wedding ceremonies take place outside, where heat can be very difficult to work with. Here is how I prepared for the challenge:
Backups for everything! This includes computers, speakers, microphones, cables; you name it.
A fan pointed towards my equipment blowing at all times to cool it down
Shade - an obvious
Ice packs to cool myself down. Let's be honest, the DJ needs to be fully functioning too
Plenty of snacks and water
3. Music is essential at every party
I have always known the power of music, but this season reinforced to me the true power of music. With the pandemic still raging on, provincial health orders prevented indoor weddings from having a dance floor. As a DJ, this obviously presented me with a big challenge. I basically approached every event with the same mentality I would have had if I was trying to pack a dance floor. Once first dance was finished and the lights dimmed, I would pump the same high energy dance songs I would normally play. I would see so many smiles, and heads bobbing, and people standing around their tables having a great time. At the end of these events, the bride and groom were so happy with how the evening turned out. If it wasn't for great music, I don't think the evening would have turned out the same way.
4. The Okanagan has the best wedding vendors
Again this is something I had already known, however the pandemic once again brought out the best in everyone. From last minute timeline changes to guest lights changing from 100 to 50 almost over night, every vendor, from wedding planners to caterers had to scramble to make the day move forward without any issues. It's amazing how vendors come together with the same goal - to give our clients the most amazing day.
5. Love always wins
With every wedding comes the risk of something not turning out exactly how you wanted it. Not only was 2021 a pandemic year, but we also had to deal with forest fires. This is a reality I had to deal with at my own wedding. We planned for an outdoor wedding right on the lake at my in-laws cabin on Kalamalka lake. The wedding did take place beside the lake, however you could not see the lake due to smoke.
I would be lying if I told you the I wasn't anxious as my wedding day approached. It is everyones dream that your wedding day will be picture perfect. When something like weather throws a wrench in that plan, it can be frustrating. What I learned though is that once your wedding day hit, there is so much love and happiness that you completely forget about the elements that are out of your control. Our wedding was like a dream come true, and the smoke did not damper our happiness in any way.