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Retired B.C. teacher gets invite to Property Brother wedding in Italy

Drew Scott and his fiance Linda Phan say 害羞草研究所淚 do害羞草研究所 during week-long celebration in Puglia
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Linda Phan and Nina Fowell at the Mother害羞草研究所檚 Day tea. (Contributed)

It害羞草研究所檚 rare that an elementary school teacher is invited to a former student害羞草研究所檚 wedding.

But in a little village in southern Italy on May 12, retired teacher Nina Fowell was there with tears in her eyes to see Drew Scott and his long-time girlfriend, Linda Phan, tie the knot.

Drew and his twin brother Jonathan are best known for the Canadian television series Property Brothers, on which they help couples find fixer-uppers and transform them into dream homes. Most recently, Drew was featured on Dancing With The Stars.

The ceremony took place in Piazza del Borgo, between Bari and Brindisi in Puglia, along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Guests stayed at the Borgo Egnazia. The wedding was featured in People magazine.

Fowell taught the Maple Ridge brothers, including their older brother JD, in her Grade 6/7 class at Yennadon elementary.

害羞草研究所淎 connection with a Grade 7 teacher is very special,害羞草研究所 Fowell said.

害羞草研究所淭he reason I like teaching that grade is because there is so much going on in their lives at that age. Their bodies are changing, their school is changing, who they are is at a point of growth,害羞草研究所 she explained, adding at that stage, the twins were hard to tell apart.

All three of them, she said, were creative.

They came up with their own company, called JAM, which stood for Jon, Andrew and mom, and they were always entrepreneurial.

When they left elementary school, the brothers went to Maple Ridge secondary before Thomas Haney secondary.

害羞草研究所淲hen they hit high school, they really became their own guys,害羞草研究所 said Fowell.

害羞草研究所淒rew was into basketball, he wanted to teach basketball in high school, and Jon became Jonathan Silver, the illusionist, and wore black and the bling,害羞草研究所 Fowell added.

But during that time they never forgot their favourite teacher.

When Fowell retired, they sent her a video congratulating her. She still has it on her phone, and she played it for the guests during the wedding reception.

害羞草研究所淏ecause they said they weren害羞草研究所檛 going to kiss with the glass banging, you had to talk about some embarrassing moment and so this was mine. It was a visual,害羞草研究所 she said.

It starts off with JD saying: 害羞草研究所淵ou taught Jon, Drew and I so much over the years. Me, personally, you were the first teacher I ever connected with.

Then Jonathan pipes in with: 害羞草研究所淔or me, you were an inspiration. You just taught me never to give up and always follow my dreams害羞草研究所.

Suddenly, Drew steps into the frame, wearing a black wig, bright pink blush on his cheeks in a bikini top, skirt and headband, saying, 害羞草研究所楢nd you were a real inspiration for me too Nina. An inspiration in ways words don害羞草研究所檛 describe.害羞草研究所

害羞草研究所淭he sound wasn害羞草研究所檛 great at the wedding when they showed it, but Jon said afterwards: 害羞草研究所楴ow there害羞草研究所檚 a picture that will be stuck in your mind forever.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Fowell took her friend Brenda Jenkins to the wedding as a guest. It took three flights to get there and three to get back.

The wedding celebration was a week of events, starting with bachelor and bachelorette parties, a welcoming dinner, the wedding and, finally, a Mother害羞草研究所檚 Day tea.

Fowell remembers the food.

害羞草研究所淔or every four people, they would bring you four of something,害羞草研究所 Fowell said of the karaoke-style bachelorette party.

害羞草研究所淎nd they would just keep coming and coming and coming.害羞草研究所

At the welcoming dinner, there were booths with meats, cheeses, salads and deserts.

Just before the meal, Drew and Linda thanked their 300 guests for coming. Drew specifically mentioned Fowell and his former basketball coach from Thomas Haney, Mike Shannon, who was also present, and Linda mentioned some of her high school friends.

害羞草研究所淚 thought, 害羞草研究所極h my God, I got a mention,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said Fowell.

The wedding had a traditional menu, but Fowell says, it was extensive and you got served everything.

The Mother害羞草研究所檚 Day tea was an outdoor barbecue. The wedding took place in what appeared to be an 800-year-old building, although Fowell said she was surprised to learn it was only eight.

害羞草研究所淚t was beautiful and everybody cried, including Linda and Drew. Her dress was gorgeous,害羞草研究所 said Fowell.

Linda害羞草研究所檚 dress was designed by Claire Pettibone and was described in People as having a cathedral-length train with intricate, hand-beaded floral details on the bodice and sleeves and an open back draped in jewels.

Drew wore a Claymore Imports kilt made from Scott tartan in their family害羞草研究所檚 signature pattern.

害羞草研究所淵ou have to be a Scott to wear a Scott tartan,害羞草研究所 Drew told People magazine.

The first dance started out as a waltz and morphed into a masterpiece choreographed by Drew害羞草研究所檚 Dancing With The Stars pro-partner Emma Slater and her husband, Sasha Farber.

The wedding cake will be featured on the June 25 episode of Cake Hunters on the Food Network. It featured vanilla with goat cheese and strawberry balsamic, organic red velvet, carrot and chocolate hazelnut with a butter-cream frosting.

Instead of gifts, the newlyweds asked guests to donate to WE Charity, formerly known as Free The Children, founded by Marc and Craig Kielburger, to provide people in need access to clean water and help build schools for communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Fowell, though, decided she still wanted to give them something personal that spoke more to their relationship.

害羞草研究所淢y in-laws homesteaded a farm in Brandon, Manitoba back in the late 1800s early 1900s. They actually walked out from Toronto with their oxen and everything,害羞草研究所 explained Fowell.

On their property, they had a one room schoolhouse for the children.

Fowell害羞草研究所檚 gift was the bell that the teacher used to ring to call in the children.

害羞草研究所淲ell, I was their teacher and I thought that was appropriate,害羞草研究所 said Fowell.

害羞草研究所淭hey have a huge family and I thought it would make a great dinner bell.害羞草研究所

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Retired elementary school teacher Nina Fowell with the Scott Brothers, from left, Jonathan, Drew and JD, at Drew Scott害羞草研究所檚 recent wedding to Linda Phan in Italy. (Contributed)
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(Contributed) Retired elementary school teacher Nina Fowell with the Scott Brothers, Jonathan, Drew and JD. They were at Drew害羞草研究所檚 recent wedding to Linda Phan in Italy.


Colleen Flanagan

About the Author: Colleen Flanagan

I got my start with Black Press Media in 2003 as a photojournalist.
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