Summer Harvest

About the Couple:
Bride: Kristin Jane Millar
Groom: Mark Jeremy Neufeld
Occupations: Kristin is an actress and Mark is a carpenter.
How they met: At a wedding. Kristin thought Mark was cute but a bit of a jerk for making eyes at her when his date was beside him. Luckily, his date turned out to be his sister. Later that night Kristin told her family, “I’m going to get that guy.”
Fave date: “Our favourite date activity is probably making a delicious meal together and then sitting down for a highly charged game of Mario kart, cribbage, Scrabble or any other game where we can trash talk each other.”
What attracted her to him: “His ruggedly handsome looks and his piercing blue eyes. When we started talking it was the fact that I could tell he was really listening to me. He had a quiet authentic confidence about him. He intrigued me.”
What attracted him to her: “Her hazel eyes and mischievous smile. When we started talking it was that she had an upbeat and playful way about her. The little black dress didn’t hurt either.”
Engagement story: Mark asked Kristin to marry him on a beautiful June day while they put their feet in an outdoor fountain. Instead of yelling or hugging him, she stood there shocked and said, ‘I’m so scared,’ over and over and over again. Eventually she worked her way up to a head nod, then finally a ‘Yes…I think.’

The Wedding Day:
Wedding date: July 26, 2008
Guests: 130
Wedding theme: Warm prairie rustic elegance with a dash of vintage fun.
Her best moment: “Saying our vows to one another. There are no words to explain how I felt sharing that moment. The ceremony was open and welcoming to everyone. It perfectly represented who we are and what we believe.”
His best moment: “The moment I saw Kristin walk down the aisle. Any nerves I had just vanished. Everything hit me at that moment.”
Wedding song: “Steal My Heart” by Van Morrison.
Fave wedding gift: “It takes a lot of work to do a tent wedding. We had a whole planning group comprised of family who met constantly. There would have been no wedding without them. Their time and hard work is our favourite gift by far.”
Most unexpected moment: “Finding a blue 1950’s corvette parked in an alleyway when I was wearing my 1950’s vintage rollerskates! Something borrowed and blue!” 
Best surprise: For Mark it was how the dance floor was packed all-night long, even those you would never expect to dance were moving and shaking. For Kristin, it was seeing the tent for the first time.
Fave wedding detail: “The photo booth guestbook. It is the greatest keepsake for us, and people really had a lot of fun with it. Also, Mark loved the hip young bluegrass band that played old-time favourites. It fit perfectly with the environment, and it got everyone dancing and ready to go for the rest of the evening.”
What made his day: “How close everyone felt. There was such a strong sense of support and celebration.”
Honeymoon: “Mark planned the entire thing and surprised me by renting a little convertible and driving down to Chicago—it was such a great unique place to visit—art museums, theatre, the aquarium, the beach, a Cubs game at Wrigley field (which got completely rained out to the point that tornado sirens were ringing), and an impromptu day at a music festival, which neither of us even knew was happening until we arrived.”
The day in three words: Personal, relaxed and festive.

Vendors:
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Candies and Dolls, Manitoba; Frockstar, Manitoba
Ceremony location: Knox United Church, Manitoba
Cake: Chocolate Zen Bakery (chocolatezen.ca)
Caterer: Dandelion Eatery (dandelioneatery.com)
Favours: Winnipeg Photo Booth Rentals (pbrow.ca)
Flowers: Floral Elements (floralelements.ca)
Hair: Pink Star Hair, Manitoba
Hair accessory: Myrakim off etsy.com (etsy.com)
Makeup: Edward Carriere, Manitoba
Music: Oh My Darlin’, Manitoba; Travis Campbell, Manitoba
Registry: HBC (hbc.com); Small Indulgence, Manitoba
Rentals: Weatherwise Tent Rentals (weatherwisetentrentals.ca)
Tux: Grafton and Co., Manitoba

See more of Kristin and Mark’s wedding story in our Spring & Summer 2009 issue.