Couple weds in Nelson, B.C., with little notice — but great support from community

This time last week, Tim Bowman and Leah Fried didn't know they were going to be happily married.

The couple planned to get married after spending the winter in British Columbia.

At home in Nelson, they consulted their astrologer to find out the best time for their wedding.

“She came back to us on Monday morning – early – with an email header that said 'Urgent' and the contents of that email said you need to get married tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day,” Freed told CBC. Radio West.

The “tomorrow” in question is Tuesday, November 25, at exactly 2:34 p.m., approximately a day and a half from the time the email was sent.

So the couple got to work.

Bowman began approaching officials in Nelson, a city of about 11,000 people in British Columbia's Kootenay region, which turned out to be fairly easy.

“We were constantly asked: yes, yes, yes, we can do this job. We can do this job. So in a short time we had several interested officials,” he said.

They then started making a list of places that would be suitable. They wanted to be outside and settled on Cottonwood Falls Parka picturesque place with Japanese gardens and a waterfall.

Bowman, an American, and Freed, originally from Kelowna, didn't really know anyone in town, but they needed to find witnesses for their marriage.

They published in local Facebook group looking for someone to be available on Tuesday afternoon to watch the couple get married and sign the papers saying so.

But the post did not appear immediately; the page administrator had to approve its content. It went live around 10 a.m. Tuesday, and Bowman said the comments started pouring in.

“In about an hour it got a ton of likes. There were about 20 comments asking, “Hey, can I take a picture? Can I come listen to music? and many congratulations,” Bowman said.

“All we got was yes.”

Witnesses, a photographer, a minister and a musician showed up almost unannounced at Cottonwood Falls Park to help make the couple's dreams come true.

“It really warmed my heart to see the community element come into play,” Fried said. “We are both very community-oriented and believe very much in the power of community.

“It's a whole other level when you're being supported by people you don't even know and who don't know anything about you except that you're getting married and in love and that they want to offer themselves up to celebrate it.”

Bowman and Freed exchanged rings made from twisted willow branches; the new permanent rings they designed and ordered are on their way.

“They’re really cute and do the job just fine until we get our stronger, stronger, more stable rings,” Fried said.

Reflecting on the wedding, Bowman said he was filled with “joyful laughter.”

“The universe is such a strange and wonderful place, and I’m glad I’m here to witness it.”

Fried said it all seemed “extremely miraculous.”

“Thank you Nelson for supporting us. We love you…we will definitely spend time here in the future.”