On a crisp December afternoon, Yukari Peerless packed up her two kids and headed to the bookstore B次元官网网址� to get married.
None of the romance between Peerless and Mark Davidson has been conventional, from the moment the social media-savvy couple connected via Tweetup, to DavidsonB次元官网网址檚 initial Facebook friend request, to their first face-to-face meeting during last yearB次元官网网址檚 BlogWorld conference in Los Angeles. It seems fitting then, that Peerless and Davidson would exchange vows in a rather alternative venue B次元官网网址� one thatB次元官网网址檚 also home to a non-profit agency aimed at inspiring children to write their own impassioned stories.
On Dec. 7, Davidson, an online communications strategist from Los Angeles and Peerless, an ESL agent and entrepreneur based in Victoria, held hands in the window of Tall Tales Books on Cadboro Bay Road, and before a handful of friends, became husband and wife.
Of the 83 marriages commissioner Cathy Lavoie has performed, this was the first she conducted in a bookstore.
B次元官网网址淲hen you think about getting married, you want it to be a positive experience,B次元官网网址� Davidson said. B次元官网网址淵ou want it to be full of positive feelings and attachments. ThereB次元官网网址檚 always been a good vibe there. It just made sense.B次元官网网址�
Tall Tales was one of the first Victoria locales Davidson experienced with Peerless and her young son while visiting the city.
B次元官网网址淚t was a no-brainer,B次元官网网址� Peerless agreed. B次元官网网址淲hy didnB次元官网网址檛 I think of that?B次元官网网址�
While the ceremony took place, store co-owner Drew Lormier stood behind the counter and greeted a customer, business as usual.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very unique,B次元官网网址� said Lormier, who owns Tall Tales with wife Kate. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e very flattered. It reaffirms what we are trying to do with our store B次元官网网址� to make it a place where families want to come.B次元官网网址�
Much of the atmosphere of Tall Tales is a result of the group with which they now share the storefront. Non-profit organization, The Story Studio Writing Society, which offers writing workshops to kids both in the shared studio and in schools, has been based in the space since January, 2012.
Earlier in the week, a group of much smaller people filled the seats where the wedding guests sat, flanked by shelves of brightly coloured books. An after-school group of kids gathered to put the finishing touches on their comic books, a series led by local Magic Teeth cartoonist Gareth Gaudin.
B次元官网网址淲e take the kids through the process in a very tactile, playful way,B次元官网网址� said Paisley Aiken, program founder of The Story Studio.
After three sessions, each student of a Studio course goes home with a bound book of their own work.
B次元官网网址淭hey get to experience success as an author,B次元官网网址� Aiken added. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about having an experience where they want to enjoy writing, find their creativity and develop it.B次元官网网址�
Courses at The Story Studio B次元官网网址� featuring authors across genres B次元官网网址� are open to anyone, with registration on a donation basis. Over the last year, the society, which has applied for charitable status, has worked with 300 kids, including some in school programming in the Greater Victoria and Sooke school districts, an aspect of the work Aiken would like to see expand.
The Story Studio partnership and the wedding further Tall TalesB次元官网网址� otherwise uncommon reputation.
In the summer of 2011, facing financial troubles, the Lormiers launched Tall TalesB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渉eroB次元官网网址� program, a subscription service to the store through which customers register to make automatic monthly payments of $10 that can be used month-to-month or held indefinitely to make larger purchases. Within a month of its launch, more than 300 people had registered for the program, many of whom have decided to continue to subscribe today.
B次元官网网址淭he only reason why weB次元官网网址檙e still here is because we put out a call with that program,B次元官网网址� Lormier said. B次元官网网址淚t was a way for people to support us that wasnB次元官网网址檛 a charity.B次元官网网址�
When the Lormiers moved their business from their downtown storefront on Fort Street to The Story Studio building in Oak Bay in September, it cut costs and offered more accessibility to those who wouldnB次元官网网址檛 otherwise have made the trip downtown, Lormier said. He hopes to see the store and studio collaborate on joint literacy events in the future, including an activity-based pre-school book club. But the doors could very well be open to more matrimonial occasions.
B次元官网网址淭his is the sort of story my grandparents told,B次元官网网址� Davidson said of the international romance. B次元官网网址淚 just knew. As silly as that sounds, as clich茅 as that sounds, I just knew.B次元官网网址�
And while the sentiment of love stories gone by remains for the lovers who met via Twitter, the details are now written in 140 characters or less.
