Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/171645
T he suggested mode of travel was a 4x4. Raindrops still sparkled in the trees, and the air was filled with the freshness that comes only after a light shower in the forest. Mind you, it also meant the odd mud puddle along the wooded trail. But guests simply smiled or laughed out loud as they donned rubber boots for the five-minute walk that would take them from the end of a dirt road in Midway, two hours from Kelowna, past rocky outcroppings decorated by Mother Nature's own hand, and finally to an historic railway tunnel now long abandoned and overgrown. The tunnel's cave-like entry was aglow with candles set into mason jars, elegantly simple, simply romantic. Then, as Paige Block and Kelvin Nicholls exchanged wedding vows at the tunnel's entry, a rainbow appeared in the sky. "We wanted a very natural, wildflower look, which was why we picked this location and chose daisies and sunflowers," Paige says, adding she and Kelvin had also spent many hours hiking and camping in the surrounding area, property that's long been owned by her family. "We also wanted getting there to be part of the experience. It's about a two-hour drive from Kelowna, and at the end you're on a dirt road probably thinking you've gone too far, but if you followed the signs we made you'd get there." In fact, almost everything used for decoration was handcrafted – including the benches, which were built specially for the occasion by family and friends. The same group had also happily pitched in to carry them to the secluded site earlier that morning. "We'd just set a date for building them, and told people to come over to Paige's parent's place if they wanted to help," Kelvin says. "Twenty people showed up. It was amazing." Following a tradition from their first date, a date that had included a Mediterranean-style picnic by the lake, the couple served picnic bags filled with a few gourmet treats before everyone headed back to Kelowna for the evening party. The outdoor menu featured such summer standards as granola bars, apples, and lemonade plus truffle popcorn for a twist and, as Kelvin is quick to mention "champagne of course." The couple's penchant for inspired food, often served with a touch of elegant whimsy, is hardly surprising considering Paige and Kelvin originally met at the Manteo's Resort where both were servers in the hotel's Wild Apple Restaurant and Lounge. "I had absolutely no interest in a relationship at the time," Paige admits, laughing at the memory. "I had plans to go get a degree in Foreign Politics from the University of San Diego and take a trip to Uganda." RW21_part 1.indd 59 9/19/11 3:24:52 PM