Last December, [former First Soloist] Chris Body and I celebrated our three years together as a couple. I had it all planned; three little presents, each representing a year that we had spent together. I was rather proud of my ideas, but he had something much better planned – a marriage proposal! I remember thinking to myself at that moment that I didn’t know that one single person could make me so completely happy…
Our preparations began in earnest. We decided to get married in Paris. Planning a wedding from a distance is not an easy feat but with the invaluable help of our families and friends things began to take shape. Everything had a personal touch: from the invitations, which we made ourselves, to my wedding dress, which Ruth Bartel, Resident Cutter extraordinaire from the National Ballet’s wardrobe department, custom made for me. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever worn (and Chris liked it too)!
We were married in Paris on July 25th. In keeping with French tradition, the ceremony had two parts: first the civil service, which was held at the Mairie du 13ème arrondissement, then the religious ceremony, which took place in the beautiful Eglise Saint-Médard. Chris was so calm, and looked so elegant in his suit. I felt a profound sense of pride in becoming his wife.
A few tears of joy later, we celebrated the event with our guests in the oldest house in Paris. Originally built as a hostelry in 1407 by the celebrated alchemist Nicolas Flamel and his wife, it is now home to a fantastic restaurant that bears his name. On the programme: apéritifs, gourmet food, dancing and lots and lots of champagne (the Jourdain family is from the region). The reception was also a chance for our two families, having only previously met via webcam, to get to know each other in person, which proved to be a moving event. In all we had 43 guests, made up of family and close friends who came from across Canada and Europe; their presence there with us was the most beautiful gift we could have received.
For us, the day remains as a marvelous, profound moment of shared joy, filled with emotion and the memory of being surrounded by so much love and attention is utterly overwhelming! I am so happy to be able to call Chris my husband and now, as the song goes,
“Je vois la vie en rose…”
[Photo credits, from top to bottom: 1. 2. & 5 Photo by Jennifer Kropac. 3. Photo by Jeff Morris 4. Photo by Kevin D. Bowles]
