Remembering my wedding day

Slowly I am seeing pictures of it.

(including the one above,

with our wedding candles

a gift from our male sponsor from

the Greek monastery)

I wanted to write something before

more of my memory of this day

disappears...

*

The day was a shining perfect day;

I woke at 4 AM I think

and had lots of time to get ready.

I was at church by about 9:30 and was

greeted by my familiar church family

all dressed up for the wedding

later at 3 pm.

It was Sunday and the sun shining

and it was clear, cool and blue skied.

I had a bag of rose petals and leaves

left over from the flowers and

the photographers came

(they are Orthodox as well)

and we met and I was so happy.

I went inside and the next while I put

rose petals and leaves by the main three icons

we venerate.

Something I have done in the past

for the feast day that I am

writing this post on

the Elevation of the Holy Cross.

*

I had confession the night before and felt

prepared and able to be at prayer,

which confession often helps one with.

*

Liturgy was wonderful and

my Orthoman's sponsor and some of his children

were with us in the same pew.

I remember seeing my friend who we

have walked many times to church together

Sunday mornings

in a different pew later in liturgy.

*

My spiritual father had myself and my Orthoman

come first to communion

as we needed to leave a bit before the end of liturgy.

*

My Ukrainian mother had food prepared

and made a beautiful table for four of us...

my sister, my Orthoman and one of my dear friends

who had already done my nails

and who did my make up that day

(we had been practicing and buying makeup

at various times in the summer).

We ate and the photographer took pictures on and off...

*

My hair dresser was a bit late.

My Orthoman went off to hang out with his sponsor and family

while my sister and other friend

hung out with me and helped me get my

Grandma's wedding dress on.

*

The hairdresser came.

I remember being upstairs at the candle desk and

giving a message to my Orthoman

via his sponsor's daughter

which included

madly in love with my Orthoman

message.

We were both so happy.

*

Since the hair dresser was late

we did hair and make up at the same time

and many kids from church came down to visit me

as many were in the church hall

(different than the church basement where I was getting ready)

until the wedding.

*

And so I talked with various girls from our parish

as my hair was done,

dress on and make-up being applied.

My sister-friend and sponsor came

and got her dress on.

My sister was wearing on her wrist

my sister-friend's Cross necklace that I had gotten

from Holy Dormition Monestaries'

gift shop

(I was wearing one from there as well,

a red-jeweled one).

I had golden silk coloured komboskinis for

various of my Orthodox female friends

and gave them out

(except some that I did not see or have time to

give out then)

and so my sister-friend and her sons

played by my feet as we talked and

some of my nieces and nephews
were down by me as well

as well as church kids

and it was so much fun...

*

And later it was just my hair dresser

a Bulgarian whose Mom goes to my parish

and who I have gone to for 7 years

and my friend who did my makeup.

We were running behind

and my hairdresser quick

put my friend's hair up

in one minute and

so I said goodbye to my

longtime hairdresser

and soon went up stairs with my dear friend

who did my make up

helping me with my train as I went up the steps.

*

As my family is protestant we had my Dad

walk me into where I would be betrothed towards the back of

the church.

My dear friend held my train

and my Dad slowly processed in

following the

two wonderful kid icon bearers

ring bearer

and two little flower girls

and my sister-friend and my sister.

*

It was my wedding day!

I saw my Orthoman standing in the front

with our two priests

smiling wide

and I knew the smile on my face was

as big it could ever be.

I remember seeing many of my friends;

I vividly remember seeing a library friend

who came

and my family and all was dazzlingly beautiful

as the choir sang and my Dad brought me in.

*

The betrothal went beautifully

with my Orthoman's priest doing his ring

and my spiritual father and priest doing my ring.

Our male sponsor put the rings on our fingers at

the end of this part of the service.

*

Rings on, my spiritual father led

my Orthoman and myself into the church by the

small table that had a beautiful white table cloth

that a very loved parishioner in my church

lent me and had brought to liturgy that morning.

It was an older cloth

that her grown son had been

swaddled in for his baptism;

very precious and dear...

*

I was holding a small bouquet of roses and a small

white Brides Bible in honour of my Grandmother

who also held a small white Bible in her wedding.

I had a red silken komboskini on my left wrist

and my comfortable red Birkenstock sandals

on my feet.

*

The Gospel in the liturgy that morning

fittingly enough was about the parable of the

wedding garment and my spiritual father

explained that the guest who had no wedding garment

was lacking in love;

that love is the wedding garment.

*

The Crowning went all two quickly;

I remember trying to really pray throughout the service;

I and my Orthoman had been to the Greek monastery that past

Monday and the Abbess told me specifically to

pray to Christ during the service.

I remember we both bowed under the Gospel book that

my beloved deacon of my church in Ottawa

was holding for the reading;

I remember my sister-friend's husband standing behind us

reading the Epistle.

I remember looking at my Mother and smiling as

she also was radiantly beaming.

I remember everyone looking so beautiful.

*

We we hand-tied in a beautiful Ukrainian cloth before

the dance of Isaiah and

were standing on another one in front of the table.

*

I remember walking carefully by

my Orthoman around that table;

the homily was towards the end

and my spiritual father talked about the Gospel

that is read at all Orthodox weddings

of the marriage at Cana.

I was tired by this time

and two chairs were gotten

for me and my Orthoman to sit

in front of the table and

our sponsors and my sister stayed standing

while my spiritual father spoke to us

beautifully of this parable

being as the Fathers said

a miracle of pure beauty

and how the Mother of God and all the Apostles

were there at the marriage feast

in this parable and so would be also with us.

The whole world seemed to shine in

glorious beauty.

*

The homily ended and our two priests

blessed us with our two wedding icons that

were hand-written at the Greek monastery

and we processed out holding them

smiling out at all of our friends and family.

*

The line for greeting everyone was really special.

I was singularly aware of each person I talked to

and was so happy;

my sponsor and friends made sure I had

water to drink and some almonds to eat...

*

My Orthoman and I went to my favourite tree with

our photographers and we

were both so happy and excited about the pictures...

Afterwards we all went in the photographer's

car to the reception and I called my friends

as I was coming

and my dear friend had my makeup there to

do a quick refresh and we talked to more kids outside and

then we were introduced with everyone cheering and clapping...

*

I remember vividly seeing the older couple in my parish

who are like the matriarch and patriarch there

and who had blessed me that liturgy and in the receiving line.

(The same of whose white cloth was adorning the

wedding table at the church).

They are both in wavering health and when I realized that

both of them made it to the wedding reception I was

so honoured and pleased

that it was the first thing I wrote down in my wedding journal

jottings.

*

We had a large head table and could see everyone there

(family, friends, church family...about 150 people);

after liturgy I was able to invite two people to the reception as

two others were not able to make it

and I loved seeing everyone there;

I remember seeing one of the newly invited

with two other of my dear friends

all three Russian speaking

(from three different countries/areas)

and seeing all my friends at their tables...

*

I had done the table chart myself as I knew

everyone there and we had a teen table and

it all went really well...

*

The caters brought the table clothes and votive candles.

My and my Orthoman's familiy

brought the flowers, ballons and white lights.

Our male sponsor brought over the icons,

crowns, candles and tray

and the two Rushnyks.  

*

My Orthoman and I had prepared some

joke kisses as of course we would be

asked to do this at the wedding reception.

It seems that every one's favourite was the first one

when we handed each other a Hersey kiss.

*

The meal went wonderfully

and each of our sponsors said a heart-loving honouring toast

and we had cheese cake

and my Orthoman and I cut ours in the front

with our cake knife and server that we

had been gifted with

earlier that summer.

We had a short slide show and

the head table

was seated in a half circle in the front

including my Grandma;

and I was so surprised by the cheering

(I think from the large teen table in the back)

when we had the slide with my Grandma and Grandpa's

wedding picture and I mentioned that I and my

Grandma were there

and that I was wearing her dress.

We remembered our parents and grandparents...

*

We were married on St. Phanourios' day and

had an icon hand-written in Romania to present at

our wedding to my church

and I presented it to my spiritual father

and one of our beloved parishioners talked to us

while I and then my spiritual father were

holding this icon

about how wonderful St. Phanourios is.

*

One of my Uncles was especially happy about

the gift of this icon and

I was surprised at how deeply his joy was

shining out of him...

*

We gave out Dutch little King peppermints and

Queen Willamina peppermints and talked to guests

as they were leaving...

including some of my closest girl friends...

*

Various kids were talking to me and my Orthoman

and at one point my sister-friend's second child

who is newly three years old

came running up to me and I scooped him

up in my arms...

My Godson

who is not yet 1 years old

was sitting behind the head table and at one point

was sitting on my train that was behind me as I ate...

*

My spiritual father and his Matuska stayed to about the end

as did my immediate family and deacon's family

and we talked;

happily there was wine left over and my deacon

took some to share at the church meal next weekend

after liturgy

though I would not be there myself

and this made my heart glad...

*

I wished many from church goodbye

and to some that I would see them on Tuesday

for the liturgy for the beheading of St. John the Forerunner.

*

My parents drove us newly married to our hotel

and gave love and hugs goodbye...

*

It was a perfect beautiful day

and it went by so quickly...