Heidi Mikitka Matron of Honour

Michelle finally got to meet Heidi after having heard all about her for two semesters from Matt, a university friend (and now Heidi's now-husband). Heidi definitely lived up to all the hype. Some of Heidi's strengths include her creativity, her energy and her knack for organization: which was especially useful for organizing a chore list when Heidi and Michelle lived together along with two other friends. Heidi, also known as the Red Rocket, can often be found sporting the colour red from head to toe. She was eager to jump into the Cousins style adventures. She demonstrated a courageous and conquering spirit while venturing into the Cousins cottage for the first time one cold February evening at -26C, X-country skiing for the first time on an intermediate trail in the Gatineau's and taking up wakeboarding like a pro. Most of Heidi, Michelle appreciates all of Heidi's Sunday evening chats and faithful prayers.

Randy Seupersad Best Man

Randy and Chris go way back! They met while lifeguarding in Scarborough and have been friends for almost 10 years. They refer to each other as "Brotha from another motha". Randy does believe that weddings are a great place to meet people...in case you're looking to be met. ;)

Kathleen Saso Bridesmaid

Kathleen and Michelle met on the first day of school in grade 7 and have been true friends ever since. They skated to "The Flintstone's" in bright yellow dresses on a synchronized skating team together, but their friendship truly blossomed over the daily lunches that they shared at the Saso residence. It's possible that Kathleen may have caught a World Travel bug when the two ventured to Mexico together on a school exchange in grade 11. Since then, Kathleen has lived in many corners of the earth including Panama, Spain and Jordan. She is presently teaching Spanish Immersion to an excitable, adorable class of grade 3 students in Calgary.

Brian Cousins Groomsman

Brian is Michelle's twin brother. Chris aspires to cook with as many dishes as the Cousins twins one day. They are both fantastic cooks, but don't get fooled into volunteering to do dishes after the meal! Brian and his fiance Rebecca are well versed in world issues, but Chris appreciates getting his fill of geek talk with Brian as he works for a computer company.

Heather Viers Bridesmaid

Heather and Michelle met at a church function in Ottawa. Realizing that they were both studying in Waterloo, they struck a deal: Heather had a car for picking up groceries, and Michelle had a kitchen for cooking something a grade above Residence food. Deal on. On their first of such "dates", Heather joined Michelle at U of W and met Michelle's friend Greg for the first time (her now husband). Heather and Michelle were also roommates on a mission.s trip to Tanzania. Now both living in Ottawa, they enjoy many a girly adventure together.

Ainslie Bertram Groomsman

Ainslie is Chris' housemate. They met while teaching in Hammond which is as it sounds...some little place that nobody's heard of just east of Ottawa. Mr. Bertram is a kin grad, so when Michelle comes over, she and Ainslie talk shop while Chris gets a chance to clean up a bit before heading out again. While trading a housemate in for a wife is going to be fantastic, Chris sure will miss living with the guy. He's a ton of fun and a great motivator when Chris doesn't want to get up early to go for a swim.

Rebecca Saari Bridesmaid

Rebecca is Michelle's soon to be sister-in-law. Rebecca has a passion for fine food, cross-country skiing, and Brian Cousins. :) As of June 14th, Rebecca will be one of the Cousins clan herself.

Piggy is a very tricky little pig. He has turned up in many different places around Michelle's bedroom. He likes to play hide-and-go-seek a lot. He was pivotal in helping Chris propose to Michelle. We hope Piggy will hang around for a long time adding spice in both of our lives.

Marion Cousins Mother of the Bride

Mom became pregnant while working as a lab tech in Niagara. Due to miscommunication by her doctor, she was under the impression for some time that she was just having one really big baby – not twins, fewf. Wrong. However, she adjusted to the idea and carried the weight well enough to sell, pack and move the house while my dad started his new job in Ottawa. What a trouper. Since then, she has always gone the extra mile for her "little ones": homemade Halloween costumes, countless skating practices, birthday cakes that are never forgotten, and traveling to Toronto during her summer holidays for wedding planning! And one of my favorite memories: mom quickly slipping on her running shoes to join me for early morning walks and great conversation. These walks will always be worth making time for.

Rick Cousins Father of the Bride

Dad bought mom flowers and rushed home as soon as he could the day he found out that two were on the way. He then moved to Ottawa, leaving my mom behind. But work awaited: after all, he is a professional beaver. One who builds dams and manages water levels as a rewarding career. In his spare time, he can be found teaching his children to think about how something might work, instead of just randomly using trial and error to do the job. He is known far and wide for his great generosity and forgiving patience. Ex: the many times he has offered food & fun at the cottage to Michelle and all her groups of friends, or being patience when they drive his van into a ditch or break his ski poles. Most of all, Michelle has appreciated Car Ride Wisdom: primarily one-way conversations on any aspect of life, divulging sensible advice. It is certain that these speeches will continue to be helpful as Chris & Michelle venture into married life.

Rosemarie Atkinson Mother of the Groom

Mom was a big hockey fan, just as long as nobody came near her son. She always came out to watch, and even participated in the annual Mother-Son hockey games. Everyone knew mom. She volunteered at the elementary school and worked at the high school. Most of my friends call mom their second mom. Like a good Italian mother, taking care of her son was top priority. Mom became famous for the lunches she packed which made many of my friends very jealous. I always enjoyed mixed curling with mom throwing lead stones for me at the Tam Heather curling club on Friday nights. Coaching the JPII Swim team was extra special because my mom and I did it together. It was a big step for both of us when I moved away to Ottawa, but I look forward to hearing about what's going on back at home through our weekly chats and my trips back to Toronto.

Bob Atkinson Father of the Groom

There's a song called "Cats in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin. It describes how a man leads such a busy life, that he doesn't have time to spend with his son. As his son grows up, he becomes just like his dad. My dad lead a very busy life, but ALWAYS made time for his son. I remember following dad to the pool for the day while he was managing the facility, going on golf trips to Nottawasaga, curling bonspiels in Penetanguishene, and our mixed and mens curling teams. Dad coached my hockey teams, taught me to play every sport in the book, and not once turned me away when I needed his advice or help. I'm still trying to get dad to slow down, but I wouldn't want him to change one little bit.

Tara Atkinson Sister of the Groom

Men are from Mars and women are from Venus. Nothing is more true than this when it comes to my sister and I. We were definitely cut from different cloths. When I was in high school, I would describe my sister as the "wild child" and I was the "good kid". She's grown up a lot since then and we've grown nothing but closer together. My sister has been someone to lean on when times got tough, with good advice and a willingness to tell you like it is. Love ya sis!

Bill and Marg Cousins Grandparents of the Bride

Things that make me smile about my grandparents: Grandpa making my dessert disappear when I was young, and always joking around. The old-fashioned way that grandma pronounces the letters "wh", as in "white" and "what", and her fabulous home made bread! And of course the fact that I'm their favorite granddaughter! (... their only one... but...) I think it's SO cool that my grandparents use e-mail and the internet. They have always welcomed us with open arms, even on surprise visits. Grandpa has maintained the art of serenity and patience through his love for fishing. Grandma is always thoughtful: putting together goodie bags at Christmas with yummy foods and our favorite cookies. They continue to exemplify marriage as God intended. It is an honour to have them share in our wedding.

Toby Dog of the Groom

Toby is the family dog. He likes long walks on the beach, ice cold bottled or filtered water, and peeing on every tree he sees. When someone asks what type of dog he is, the best answer is rubber cause he's all over the place like a rubber ball.