Father-daughter chat

Me: “Dad, I was thinking of not doing the whole walk-down-the-aisle thing. Would you be offended if you didn’t ‘give me away’?”
Dad: “Only if you would be offended if I didn’t give a speech."

That’s why he’s my dad and I’m his daughter.

Pop! Pop! Fizz! Fizz!

I’d already done cupcakes. Gourmet donuts, too. But I wanted to treat the guests at our engagement party to something new. Something they’d be surprised by. After perusing Pinterest for some party ideas, it was decided: A popcorn bar.

I love, love popcorn. Knowing this, a few years ago my boyfriend bought me the Great Northern Popcorn Company Little Bambino popcorn popper. My colour theme would be red to match the popper.

For the paper cones, I printed the ‘save the date’ on white sheets of paper, rolled them with red or black construction paper, and then taped them with washi tape (decorative Japanese masking tape) I found on etsy.com. Also, if you google how to make the cones, I found the instructions not very helpful. Instead do what I did: Roll one corner over to the middle of the other side and hold it there as you tightly roll the bottom. Tape the top first to secure it, and then tape the bottom. I found that using regular tape and then covering it with the washi tape was stronger than the washi alone.

For the popcorn seasonings, I had earnest intentions of making the spice blends myself. After searching for different flavourings, I found myself on bulkbarn.ca. There were tons of popcorn seasonings. What I lacked in the kitchen I made up with naming the flavours.

Sour cream & onion ==> Sour cream of the crop!

Dill pickle ==> I’m pickled

Vanilla sugar ==> Birthday cake

Movie theatre style ==> His BUTTER half

Cinnamon sugar ==> Cinnamon toast

Popcorners White Cheddar ==> White (cheddar) dress

Barbecue popcorn seasoning ==> Such a JERK!

Many guests used more than one shaker and created their own popcorn concoctions. I’m told that Cinnamon toast and Birthday cake were best when combined.

For the bottles, I just picked up a bunch of salt shakers from the dollar store, along with some ribbon, plastic bowls and matching scoops, and gingham and polka-dot napkins. I put the cones in a galvanized bucket, the kernels in a white bowl, and olive oil in a mason jar. I displayed the shakers on a picture frame I bought at a church bazaar sale. The measuring spoons were set out so guests could make their own popcorn. One guest told me that she loved the smell of the popcorn when she entered the house.

In addition to all of this, we also had a ton of different cheeses – 14 to be exact – that were picked up from the Hamilton Farmers Market. I wanted them to be cheese people had never heard of or tasted before. From coconut to mango, from extra-extra old to hot chili, the cheeses were meant to spark conversations among our guests about the types they tried, and encourage others to do the same. There was also some fresh and dried fruit to change up the palette.We had so much fun, and are thankful for everyone who came (and those who were thinking of us and who couldn’t make it). We feel the love.

Heck, why not read more: Two published stories of mine on wine and cheese, and Joanna Kam’sinvites she designed for the occasion.

• Love it: Lisa’s invites.

• What does 100 calories of cheese look like?

• Health benefits of white wine.

Why having an untraditional wedding sucks
Getting married is much more about expectations than anything else. I want a wedding that will be fun, stylish and entertaining. But I don’t want the traditional white dress, a lineup of bridesmaids and the typical clichés you could expect from a reception.

But saying that instantly means I want an untraditional wedding. I didn’t even realize that until my mother said it to me the other day. I was like, yeah, I guess that’s what I want. Until…. I learned that meant tacky.

Just search “untraditional wedding” on Pinterest, and the usually stylish social media site becomes a source for purple tiered cakes, Pepto-Bismol gowns, groomsmen with their drawers dropped and anything else that will make you wince.  When I tweeted that I as having trouble finding anything thing “untraditional” that I liked, my writer friend Jowita Bydlowska (yes, that’s a name drop) tweeted me the above tiara-adorned bride.

So there I have it. Untraditional means tacky. And that sucks.

Heck, why not read more. Here are three published articles I wrote:
Evangeline Lilly in a dress that isn't bridal white.
What to wear to your engagement party.
Wedding dresses you can buy at the mall.