Making it happen
Our names are Shannon and Jeff. I've heard it said that when you meet the right person, you just know. That is how I felt when I met Jeff. We had our first date at the Calgary Zoo, so when we got engaged, we thought it would be an amazing location for our wedding ceremony and reception. So the planning began and everything was going along well. We had a tent booked, the menu picked, tropical floral arrangements planned and even ordered personalized animal cracker boxes to hand out as wedding favours to our guests. It was going to be great. But it turns out Mother Nature had different plans for us. In June, unprecedented flooding swept through Calgary and other parts of Southern Alberta. The swollen Bow River spilled its banks and the Zoo had to be closed. Its animals were moved to higher ground. Once the water receded, it was clear the damage was devastating. The Zoo's kitchens and other buildings were destroyed. For a couple of weeks, our wedding plan was up in the air. While we waited for word, Jeff and I realized things could be so much worse. Many people lost their homes. Some lost their lives. Other brides and grooms with weddings that same weekend had to scramble last second to find other venues. So we joined my coworkers from Global Television in High River one day, helping families gut their homes. It was a wonderful opportunity to gain some perspective. As I said, things could have been much worse. When it was becoming clear the Zoo was beyond immediate repair, we started to look for a plan B. We contacted the Fairmont Palliser Hotel, as that was where we'd planned to stay on our wedding night. Its ballrooms that were big enough to fit our guest count were all booked, but Heather was determined to do what she could to help us. So we lined up another venue for our reception, but we were able to book the Turner Valley Room for our ceremony. Heather helped to make certain it was a fairytale afternoon for us. She made sure everything was set up beautifully. And she also offered us a discount on the room, which, considering we had money tied up with the Zoo, was such a tremendous relief. The Palliser was an absolutely stunning venue and made for a gorgeous setting for family photos. I cannot tell you what a relief it was to have a fantastic spot for such an important moment, especially when we had to scramble to change our plans. And our story with Fairmont does not end there! Just days after our wedding, we flew off to Maui and spent nine amazing nights at the Fairmont Kea Lani for our Honeymoon. It was so wonderful to relax and unwind after months of planning - and especially after a month of last minute changes because of the flooding. We made it all happen. But it really would not have been possible had it not been for the amazing staff with the Palliser and the love and support of our families. August 10th really was the best day ever.