First, it started off on Tuesday with a manicure and a pedicure at Orchid Beauty Centre. I went to the East Broadway location. I made an appointment a week ahead of time and when I arrived 30 minutes early they accommodated me no problem. They have quite a few staff on at one time and can do a mani and pedi at the same time (even gel, they have a portable UV lamp). I opted for a gel manicure ($25) with a sparkly top coat and a regular pedicure ($25) with nail design ($5 extra) on the big toes. This includes a design (in white, with gold and silver accents) and 2 little gems. The price is fantastic. A regular pedicure at most salons is $40-$60 and here they do hot towels and a nice massage.
I then headed to Dona Lucia on Georgia Street to get my eyebrows threaded ($7). It takes just 5 minutes and lasts as long as waxing (3-4 weeks). It's half the price of waxing at my usual salon and they do a great job! I like to leave them on the thicker side, having them thin is just too much upkeep.
My mom arrived at 6 pm and we went for dinner at Bandidas Taquiera (12th and Commercial). We both had the quesadilla with salad. For dessert, we had the gluten-free chocolate cake and cinnamon flan. Everything was delicious and the atmosphere was casual and lively. I go here often with friends. I love the cake, it's made from quinoa and is rich and decadent. The flan is always smooth and creamy. For $40 (including one alcoholic beverage and one iced tea), this was an excellent meal for an excellent price.
After a good night's sleep, we left early in the morning for the drive to Penticton. We ate at Theo's, which you can see in my last blog post. We checked in at the Ramada Inn, where we stayed in an apartment-style suite. We went to the pool for a bit, it was a little on the cool side and the towels were scratchy but hey - it's a pool and it was hot out! The hot tub was nice, though. The hotel room came with all the usual amenities, including a big, circular bath tub and nice fluffy towels. I was disappointed there was no complimentary robe. :(
Although it was quiet at night, the place was packed for mid-week. There was no parking. We had to park in a weird spot I don't think you're supposed to park in. No one noticed.
After hanging out with family all day, we went to Uncle Terry and Auntie Alannah's farm in Okanagan Falls for the rehearsal dinner. There was a roast on the spit and lots of booze and snacks. A large portion of my sister-in-law's family was there, with just my mom, sister, brother-in-law, and I representing my brother's side.
Behind the main house is the "Pit", pictured below.
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| We took family photos in front of this |
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| The outhouse. One of the only places with cell reception. |
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| The Pit |
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| Hilarious! He's officiating the wedding. |
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| The bride's brother, Sean |
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| My brother-in-law with my two nieces and his dog |
We had baron of beef and potato salad for dinner. It was f-in delicious! (We also had an argument over whether it was called "baron of beef" or "beef dip". Apparently it's baron in the west and dip in the east. I've always called it beef dip, but for correctness sake, I'll use baron of beef in this post.) We left around 10 pm to get a good night's sleep for the wedding the next day.
We took advantage of the $3 off coupons for the breakfast buffet in the Ramada's pub the following morning. The buffet was more than adequate: scrambled eggs, waffles, french toast, bacon, sausage, toast, english muffins, cereal, and fruit. It had been sitting out quite a while and everything was cold. We waited for fresh food to come out and that was good. I only ate one plate so the $11.95 it cost probably wasn't worth it, but you would pay that or more at any restaurant.
After taking an hour's walk around Penticton and visiting my sister in her hotel across the street, we got ready for the wedding. I don't have a decent picture of myself (yet), so I'm waiting for one to appear on Facebook to post here. My dress was a maxi with a hot pink, grey, black, and white geometrical pattern. I also wore a grey, black, and white feather clip in my hair. I just left my hair down and curly - it's the easiest style to hold in the heat.
We drove 8 kms outside of Penticton to Naramata, where vineyards abound. The scenery is beautiful with the lake on one side and rolling hills of grapes on the other.
The wedding was held at Hillside Estate Winery Bistro. This was actually the first wedding to be held there! It's a gorgeous space, with a bell tower and winding pathway up to the bistro.
The ceremony started at 3 pm; we got front row seats (there was no reserved seating, but everyone seemed to know family sits upfront). First came the two girls, my nieces Krissy and Kensington, the flower girls in adorable dresses with green tulle at the bottom that came down just like flower petals. Krista's sister, Tara, came before her in a lovely sheer cream Grecian gown with roses. Krista walked down the aisle in a stunning cream Vera Wang dress to "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones sung live by a friend. Thank goodness for the hankies they provided (and the waterproof mascara I bought that morning), because I needed it. Her brother officiated the ceremony and provided much needed comic relief. The vows were touching and the kiss at the end was so red-hot I had to look away!
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| The Bell Tower |
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| Drinking Jars that also told you what table you were seated at. We were at "Ludwig Van Beethoven". Each table had a placard with their wedding vows printed on it. Beethoven's: "Ever mine. Ever thine. Ever ours." |
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| Guitar Guest Book |
I was having such a good time at the wedding, these were all the pictures I got (except for the first dance, below). The food was out-of-this-world outstanding. It was made by Chef Rob Cordonier, who tied for best chef in the Okanagan by Vancouver's Eat Magazine. There were 8-10 courses (I wasn't paying attention) served family-style, but oh do I ever remember the short ribs with plum sauce, the pork cheeks, the crab donuts, and the roasted golden beets!
The cake was gorgeous, covered in pink buttercream roses with the following tiers: chocolate peanut butter, sour raspberry and lemon, and pina colada. I tried both the lemon and the chocolate, both were moist and flavourful, and the frosting was creamy and buttery and mmm... everything you want in a frosting. I didn't get a picture of the cake. It was made by a friend in Kelowna who I don't know the name of, but when I find out, I'll link to her. She's apparently just starting a cake business.
Then came the dancing! The winery has an upstairs balcony where the Young'uns set up and a circle of roses was scattered on the floor. We all stood around the circle and watched the dance; it was a pleasure seeing two people so ecstatic to be married.
It started raining around 10 pm, so we moved the party back downstairs to the bistro. The Young'uns are an awesome band; the drummer does most of the singing. They do great covers and are never off key. The band set up again and my brother picked up his bass and joined in. Some people took turns singing. Everyone was on their feet dancing like nobodies business and we had a great time. The festivities ended around 11:30 pm and we drove back to our hotel, exhausted and happy.
The next morning we had brunch at the Barley Mill Pub in Penticton. I had the reuben with yam fries. Yum! My brother had the "Double Down": a burger on a pretzel bunch with a reuben sandwich in the middle. He enjoyed it... but yeah. No.
After brunch, we headed home. Like I said, what a week! I have such a big, loving family and am so so so so lucky.
My sister's wedding is less than a month away! I'll post updates on getting ready for that plus more reviews in the next few weeks.
Ta!
Awesome blog, would read again :)
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