Here comes the bride, BAH BAH NAH NAAAAH! (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Landucci)

It’s been one hell of a wedding season. Not only did our fearless leader, John Horn, marry the sassy and adorable Michelle Burtnyk; pretty much everyone I know either got hitched, participated in some capacity in a hitchin’, or complained about the lack of potential hitch in their life. It was an exciting and, frankly, exhausting time.

While I would never, on pain of social demise, commend any one of my friends’ nuptials over another, there was a featured event in Weddingmania 2010 that struck a chord in my community-oriented heart.

My very good and very unique friends Jenn Van Elk and David Barnes were married over the Labour Day weekend in Duncan, BC. Jenn and David are the kind of couple Gumbooters get really excited about: they’re natural community builders with the ultimate open-door policy. They are generous, down-to-earth, and two of the funniest people I’ve met.

They also have a knack for flying in the face of tradition.

To demonstrate: the festivities featured 11 bridesmaids – each in a dress completely of her choosing – and a mere 3 frightened groomsmen. The bride wore a $50 wedding dress, purchased from a thrift shop, measuring 50 square feet (approx.). She rode to the end of the aisle on her horse. When she gracefully slid off of said horse, the soothing melody that had welcomed the wedding party ceased and the wedding march began. It was, of course, a death metal rendition.

The Karaoke Gods were pleased that night. (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Landucci)

During the ceremony the bride and groom had the Justice of the Peace laughing so hard she couldn’t remember her script. After the ceremony, the couple skipped formal photo-taking in order to spend more time with their guests.

The dinner? A potluck. The speeches? Cut short, if necessary, by a gong. The after-dinner entertainment? Some of the best and most painful karaoke I’ve ever experienced. Did I mention that all of the guests were camping on-site, and that the event was held at a 21-acre horse farm? Because they were, and it was.

From start to finish, the event was a testament to the individuals – all of the individuals – involved. Which makes a lot of sense, really.

The Black Swan, site of countless historical karaoke massacres, proudly hosted the Barnes-Van Elk Stag-and-Doe free of charge. (Photo courtesy of Devon Dobson)

Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an entire… wait for it… community to nurture most relationships. We compliment the love we feel from and for our partners with equally strong friendships, and those friendships serve as pillars of support when our relationships grow cloudy. A strong community will rally around a relationship in need, and reflect all of the positive, beautiful things about a couple. And a good couple, much like Jenn and David, form the cornerstone of any strong community.

Instead of adhering to strict traditions that often prove tedious to all parties, the Barnes-Van Elk tribe chose to serve their desires and those of their community.

Camping and a toonie bar kept the cost low for guests, while the potluck made things manageable for the couple. Eleven bridesmaids lightened the load of preparation, but no unflattering bridesmaid dresses were forced upon us. Friends volunteered to DJ, while still more friends sacrificed their dignity on the alter of karaoke. We all gracefully accepted the audible assault of death metal during the ceremony to humour the groom, who spent the better part of his 20s screaming into a microphone.

And, looming over the festivities, symbolic for all of the reasons you’re likely imagining, the gong greatly benefitted us all.