On August 20th Chris and I got married. The wedding was on Gabriola Island in British Columbia, not to far from where I spent my early childhood on the coast. It takes a bit of effort to get there. Our friends and family from New York, Tennessee, Virginia, Alberta, inland BC, Portland, Seattle, Texas, Detroit and Maine all had to travel by ferry or sea plane to get to the wedding. Luckily it was a very beautiful spot and worth the effort. We had rented a property on the ocean with an old lodge and a number of very basic cedar cabins where nearly 50 of our guests stayed for four days. Another 50 guests travelled to the wedding for the day or stayed nearby on the island.
Our wedding was do it your self. Before anyone arrived, Chris and I foraged for wild plums on the island with an old friend of my mother’s and my sister helped us to make it into little jars of plum chutney and plum marmelade for our guests.
My mother spent a week driving us around to gather ingredients to make both a welcome Indian dinner and a wedding picnic reception for 100 people.
My sister grew flowers in her garden in Vancouver and the rest were foraged from the forest near the lodge or purchased from the local dahlia farm. Our friends created magical moss and flower gardens to decorate the tables.
Chris’ wise and beautifully spoken father Reverend James R Green married us by the ocean. I wore the white Sari that Chris’ mother had worn for her wedding. Chris’ brother and aunt devised a family and friend tree a using Polaroid camera and branches. Our photographer was our dear friend, Katherine Endy.
The crafty folks that I work with in NYC had made a tissue paper flower bouquet and our puppeteer friends choreographed a beautiful and comical bouquet toss (complete with live music). Our musician friends played music for the ceremony and dancing AND also got everyone to sing songs together one night.
I came up with a gluten-free wedding cake recipe. My mother and aunties spent 12 hours baking the cake. Our friends picked blackberries for the cake and decorated it.
In addition to doing all that I’ve listed above (and much more) our guests also cooked the meals and cleaned the kitchen…..all weekend long. It’s the kind of thing that you can only pull off if your friends and family are really fabulous cooks who enjoy visiting over the preparation of food. We happen to be those kinds of people!
Here are the menus for the Indian Dinner and the wedding picnic. If you click on the dish it will link to the recipe (once I’ve posted it). The recipes that are underlined have links to recipes already and I will be adding more every day. This may all take a while for me to post…so keep checking back! Please note that the recipes (with the exception of the wedding cake) will only make a regular amount so if you are trying to feed one hundred people you’ll need to multiply.
Indian Welcome Dinner
- Baked Potato Samosas
- Wild Gabriola Plum Chutney
- Vegetable Biriyani
- Turkey Keema
- Rima’s Gingered Eggplant, Spinach and Tomato
- Chai
- Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)
Wedding Picnic
- Roasted Potato Salad with Garlic and Rosemary
- Swiss Chard, Onion and Smoked Gouda Gluten-Free Quiche
- Coronation Chicken Salad
- Kerthy’s green salad with Apricots, Hazelnuts and Blueberry Dressing
- My Mother’s Amazing Crab Dip
- Aunty Mona’s Bean Salad
- Wild Caught Local Salmon grilled on the BBQ
- Corn on the cob (leftovers made in to corn fritters)
- Gluten free Lemon Ginger Blackberry Wedding Cake
Big Sis Little Dish 
It was indeed an unforgettable and glorious day. The food was delicious and the sights and sounds a delight to the senses – culminating in an enchanting swim in the sea in the late afternoon heat. Such a joy. Blue sea, blue sky, music, food, wonderful costumes, happiness, chat, the meeting of hearts and minds. Food for the heart. Food for the soul. Food for the imagination. Glorious food.
I love this post Erin! And I loved the experience.
And I love YOU.
Wow, that was so fun!
Love,
Silvi
OOO! congratulations!! it all sounds so beautiful!
-Violette
Oh what a great idea to share your wonderful recipes from the wedding meals! Love the photos of the cooks. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such lovely friends and family! Being together for the weekend and creating a shared experience was so special. Thanks so much to everyone who celebrated Chris and Erin’s wedding with us on Gabriola Island. Intrepid travellers all!
Heard from your mother what a lovely time it was. Congratulations to you both! Sounds like it wasn’t just beautiful and fun but delicious too.
Before the wedding I was whining about missing swing jazz camp. But it was worth every minute. Your friends and family are so cool! (oops I’m one of them 🙂
A sweet, beautiful festival of a wedding that we’ll remember always
love to you and Chris
Ieva
aka Silvi’s mom
aka Niko’s mom
Such a beautiful experience – to be remembered always. Such fun now, to read about it all.
… and then I remember Gabriola and I smile!
Great new photos, Erin. The one of you, Chris and Rev. Green made me cry, it is so lovely.
A truly Beautiful Day for a Very Special day ,so glad I was there .Love the pictures ,very tasty food,Thank you
Reblogged this on mlbduncan's Blog and commented:
Inspired me for my 60th Birthday Party!