The most important part of any wedding is the people getting married and those who surround them in a circle of love. While that may sound like a Hallmark card, it was true for the wedding of JP Brosseau and Kelly Belanger, owners of the Old Courthouse Inn in Townsite.
JP and Kelly were married September 19, 2015 in a self-planned wedding that came together quickly, once the final date was confirmed.
The couple didn't use the traditional way of sending out invitations or save-the-dates. Instead, they relied on social media and word of mouth to expedite their special day, welcoming everyone who was an important part of their lives.
"It was about bridging communities and bridging cliques, and getting everyone there together for a common good," said JP.
The wedding came with heavy hearts, however. The previous March, JP's mother and namesake of the couple's cafe, Edie Rae, passed away. His mother's death hit JP and Kelly very hard and they drew on support from friends and family to pull together the September wedding.
"Without the help of the community, I don’t believe the wedding would have turned out as well as it did," said JP. "It was about community coming together to support us and love us during a hard and difficult time in our lives."
Taking an organic approach to wedding planning, or as Kelly called it, a "by-the-seat-of-their-pants" approach, the September date quickly grew nearer and nearer.
More than 220 people filed into the Patricia Theatre on a sunny afternoon in mid-September to witness JP and Kelly exchange their vows and be forever bonded, but this was no ordinary wedding ceremony.
JP's father, Leo Brosseau, walked the two men down the aisle where they were greeted by Brandy MacPherson, who performed the ceremony. JP met MacPherson, the owner of a 25-acre eco-farm in Shawnigan Lake, while doing personal-development courses on Gabriola Island and became very close with her over the years.
"I loved how she made the ceremony our own," said JP, "especially with the traditional healing bowl at the beginning."
The significance of the healing bowl was to expand consciousness of a community level, said JP, and to open peoples' minds to acceptance while calling on the spirits of family and friends to watch over the ceremony.
"I don't think there was a dry eye in the house," said JP.
After the ceremony, anyone in the packed theatre was invited to come up and say a few words about JP and Kelly, or perform a song.
"It was very surprising the amount of people that came up," said Kelly. "It was quite amazing."
From the theatre, the wedding moved down to Dwight Hall where a reception, potluck dinner and dancing took place. Again, the vibe was relaxed and natural, and the venue location was perfect for a couple that own a business and live in Townsite, and spend most of their time there.
"I love the Townsite and we wanted to keep it in the neighbourhood," said JP, adding that many out-of-town guests of the wedding stayed in the couple's hotel.
"At the end of the night all we had to do was crawl up the hill to bed," laughed Kelly.
"Or crawl back home to party more," joked JP.
Everyone knows there is no such thing as a perfect wedding, but according to JP and Kelly theirs was exactly what they wanted; a gathering of loved ones that fell within their budget, and a true reflection of the men themselves.
"There are lots of wedding planners, and lots of books on writing your vows, and so on and so forth," said JP, "and too many people are looking for an answer instead of just looking within."
Reflecting on the wedding, the couple agree that keeping things simple is the best way to go, as well as being sure to make the big day your own.
"Keep it honest and don't have a cookie cutter wedding," said JP.
Recalling the late-night scramble to write their wedding vows the eve of the wedding, and the general feeling of excited urgency during planning, JP and Kelly can now fully appreciate how the community came together to celebrate their love for each other.
"It was so unorganized," laughed Kelly.
"But it turned out perfect," added JP.
