A Moving Picture Studios Blog

Lise writes:

Hi, I met you at the Four Points wedding show and I’m hoping to win your amazing contest! So, I’m inviting you to my wedding to David Graham, on Sepember 3, 2010 at Pineridge Hollow. Hope you can make it!

WHY WE DESERVE YOUR WEDDING PACKAGE:

David and I love each other incredibly. We sing and dance together, make art together, teach about art together locally and internationally. Despite being two starving artists, we have started a bursary program in rural Kenya, to pay for one child a year to pursue the arts. We give everything we have to supporting each other through life and through our difficult but very passionate careers.

Although the costs of a wedding are far out of our reach, we cant imagine a wedding without our family and friends. Unfortunately, that has meant making cuts to the budget where ever possible. Photography is something we simply cannot afford, but simply cannot go without.

UNIQUE MOMENTS TO LOOK FOR AT OUR WEDDING:

Local art: Good friend of the Bride, Jennifer Reeder, will have her paintings on display in the garden as guests arrive to be able to enjoy a cool beverage and great local artwork. Reeders art skills will also be seen in the hand painted wedding invitations on homemade plantable paper by Lise and David.

A stepping stool guest book: We wanted to a guest book that would show just how important our friends and family are to our marriage. So were getting the guests to sign a footstool that will be brought up the aisle for Lise to stand on, deeply rooted on the wisdom of her family and friends, while she says her vows to David. This will also help the height difference between a 52 Lise and 66 David!

Let the good times roll: Musical entertainment includes the phenomenal band Papa Mambo, The Mariachi Ghost, and the amazing fire dancing by Ian Mikita and the Fire Pixies. Also, several musical guests and dancers dancing. Were going all live and interactive!

If you want us to kiss youve got to do this: A wedding reception for Lise and David wouldnt be right if there wasnt lots of laughter and silly good fun. Each table will have a surprise activity they must complete if they want to see the newlyweds smooch. Dont be surprised to see tables battling each other in a photo scavenger hunt, crossword puzzle race, Lise and David bonzai sculpture look-a-likes and Charades to name a few.

IF YOURE NOT CONVINCED YET, HERES OUR STORY:

The meeting of David and I was 10 years in the making. After years of near meetings we would finally be introduced on April 12, 2008. but it wouldnt be until a year ago that we would be able to connect the dots and realize we were literally meant to be together.

I grew up in Abbotsford, B.C., a small city recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records for having the most churches per population (or so rumor has it- but makes sense considering the huge Mennonite community). I was always different from my menno friends, in large part due to being the French Canadian whose parents were ex-Manitobans. My mom was raised in St. Pierre-Jolys just some 30 mins from the famous Mennonite city of Steinbach. In her days she remembers the Steinbach boys coming to her French town to get alcohol and girls. So, it seems rather fitting that my husband to be, David Graham, is a born and raised Steinbach man.

Now this is where it gets complicated, allow me to offer a concise-esque list of our lives previous to our meeting:

1998- David travels to Abbotsford for a youth conference. Of course he falls in love with a B.C. babe and continues to date her for two years by long distance. Turns out he fell for the wrong B.C girl, and she is Lises best friends cousin, and Lise grew up with her. Meanwhile Lise is dating a 69 Hildebrand guyDavid is 66 and his mothers maiden name is Hildebrand.

2001- Lise moves to Winnipeg to attend The School of Contemporary Dancers university program. Turns out she lives only 4 houses down from Davids older brother Andrew for 3 years.she has even partied there but never met David.

2005- At the The School of Contemporary Dancers student show, she sees her fellow dancer, Sarah being set up with a tall dark and handsome man, but would never meet him. Besides she was still with the 69 Hildebrand dud.

2007 Lise returns home from a trip to Africa and hosts a Triple Decker Apartment Party with her guy friends in the Apartments above and below her. All three are connected via a secret kitchen stairwell. David is pre-drinking at the apartment above and they decide to crash our girls apartment, only were still getting ready and Lise scurries off to hide in her room to get dressed. David sees her but cant find her the rest of the night. His friend (also Lises friend) tells him he would probably really like her.

2008- Davids younger brother Alex goes to see A Winnipegs Contemporary Dancers show and is introduced to all the dancers. Lise thought he was cute, but never imagined he would end up being her brother-in-law!

2008- That fellow dancer Sarah (see 2005) would turn out to be Lises best friend and roommate on top of being her colleague in the Winnipegs Contemporary Dancers company. (Were growing up, were graduated and ready for love now!) Sarah and Lise are both single and loving it, but Sarah mentions several times that Lise would really like a guy she knows named David.

April 12, 2008 Sarahs birthday at the Toad. Sarah tells me that guy named David is here at a table close by the bar. I stroll by and notice the table is full of my friends from the apartment above. I introduce myself, and lo and behold, David is the tall, dark and super duper handsome guy from 2005!!! Lise plays it cooltil David comes to sit next to her and out of shyness opens by asking him his favorite colour (Lises is yellow, but that was a recent change from her usual green). David says, Yellow, but Im really into green lately AND SO IT ALL BEGAN

happily ever after…

Thank You for considering our story.

Take Care,

Lise McMillan soon to be Graham