By Ivor (Gramps) Williams

Williams, a retired journalist, formerly edited The Leader-Post, a daily newspaper in Regina, Saskatchewan, one of Canada’s western capitals.

BANFF, Alberta, Canada – Welcome to an almost-magical day, one full of pride and promise, reflections and celebrations. It dawned clear and cool, exactly the sort of weather the bride had ordered.

The nearby Rocky Mountain peaks, namely Rundle, Tunnel, Norquay and Cascade, stood snow-capped and beautiful against a bright blue sky. Gentle breezes fluttered. After several clear days, the ground had dried from earlier rains. Altogether, the setting looked breathtaking, as beautiful as anyone could imagine, also complying with the bride’s wishes.

On this, the wedding day for my grand-daughter Elizabeth Marie Wheaton and for her partner Geoffrey Milsom, dozens of voices echoed among comfortable raw-pine buildings in the picturesque Buffalo Mountain Lodge resort. Geoff and Beth’s close friends and relatives had come from across much of Canada, including Edmonton, Edson, London, Powell River, Victoria and Sarnia. Some were elderly, some middle-aged and others young, like seven-month-old Madi, Beth’s niece, a daughter of her sister and matron-of-honor.

Chairs stood in the outdoor “meadow”. There, at the foot of Tunnel Mountain, guests gathered soon after 2 p.m. The flowers on a small podium, toppled once by a sudden gust, weren’t placed out too early in case they lured the elk who roamed nearby.

Geoff, his best man Brad Lothamer and groomsman Kurt Kachamer paced the area, helping guests to their chairs. Geoff showed his parents, Merle and Bud, to front-row seats. My wife Dulcie and I arrived in a golf cart. At the meadow’s edge, sheltered by small pines, Beth waited with her parents, Judie and Gerry.

At a pre-arranged signal, three musicians played the wedding march. Beth’s parents escorted her to the front, joining bridesmaid Lee Ann Woolford and Beth’s sister, Jill Kazakoff, the matron of honor.

Music filled the valley. Little Hailey Lothamer had scattered white rose petals where the radiant bride and her groom walked and stood. A wedding commissioner, Carl, waited to officiate. Sandy Pendland, the bride’s longtime friend and god-mother, and Jason Kazakoff, the husband of Beth’s sister, read aloud poems chosen by the wedding couple.

“This wedding represents more than a ceremony,” the official said. It’s “a commitment for two lives", each pledging to give the other love and support. The rings that Beth and Geoff exchanged formed “a symbol of love and commitment”.

Soon the guests and wedding-party members entered the resort’s Wapiti Longhouse for cocktails before moving upstairs to dine at tables tastefully decorated with flowers by Geoff’s mother and friends. The mistress of ceremony, Beth’s friend and colleague Avril Herron, masterfully kept the speeches and informal toasts moving until the time came to fold up two tables and roll up a rug for dancing.

Bud proposed a toast to his son, humorously citing events from the family’s early years. Gerry recalled the many visits he and his family made to Banff when living in Edmonton. They’d always deemed Banff a special place. As for the bride, he called her determined and independent, fiercely loyal to her friends and to her much-loved dogs.

Until the evening’s post-midnight close, the small dance floor stayed in constant use. As the guests mingled, many of Beth’s lawyer-friends chatted happily to those more versed in canine agility.

Geoff and Beth had created a happy occasion for everyone, successfully merging two families and dozens of friends. We all wished them well.

Younger participants enjoyed this special event, beautiful day and splendid setting. But for a grandparent, nothing stirs pleasant memories and happy thoughts, even a sense of achievement, like a grandchild’s wedding. Maybe even the elk danced in the distance.

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