Now where did I leave off...
The bridal attendants at the venue explained to us how we were to walk from the mansion up to the aisle for the ceremony and then.. before I knew it... the procession started. I won't go into the particulars of the procession except for two details: 1. Mishka (looking very dashing in his tux <3) walked his mom down the aisle) and 2. Katerina's father looked so proud as he walked his daughter down the aisle.
And then the ceremony began.
Their ceremony was very personal and was hand-crafted to represent their unique heritages so that there was a mix of both Jewish and Ukrainian Catholic traditions. There was the breaking of the glass, a hand binding during the vows, a ceremonial cloth which they stood on to symbolize the shared path they take in marriage, and wreath crowns placed on their heads during the ring exchange. I very much hope to include these traditions as well as others in my own ceremony one day.
In the blink of an eye, it was over. They kissed and were announced husband and wife.
Mishka was my groomsman escort and the first thing I said to him as he walked me out was "Congratulations, you're a brother-in-law".
Then it was time for the post-ceremony private couple pics. I had been elected sometime before the wedding to reprise my role as "train wrangler" for these pictures and so I made my way out with the happy couple to the gorgeous outdoor grounds of the mansion. Once again, there were some beautiful shots taken in some wonderfully romantic poses which I will likely be looking to encore during my own couple shoot some day :).
Then it was on to the reception and I was whisked away upstairs for the Introductions. The bridal party was announced and then we moved into the drawing room for Katerina & S's first dance. They chose a waltz and had actually taken dancing lessons in order to perform it. I think they did a great job and they certainly looked like they were having fun!
Finally, it was time for dinner. And I was STARVING! You'll notice I haven't mentioned food since the breakfast Katerina treated us too before getting our hair done. That's because there wasn't any! The groomsmen went out for a huge lunch of cheeseburgers and fries while the bride/bridesmaids had scones from starbucks at 8 o'clock in the morning. Fair? No. But I did look gorgeous..
The food was great. It was a stations sort of thing so you got as much as you wanted to eat. My favorite was pot roast with a chipotle bbq sauce (I'm a huge chipotle fan). Mishka and I sat with the Bride & Groom, the best man, the maid of honor, another bridesmaid and her boyfriend, though we saw only a little of the Bride & Groom since they were making their rounds to be good hosts.
After dinner it was on to the dancing! I won't tell you too much about the dancing except that I ROCKED IT! on the dance floor. I didn't realize how much fun I would have dancing. I actually wished we could have been dancing longer. Katerina actually voted me 2nd best dancer at the wedding after one of S's cousins (but personally, I think I danced better ;) ).
At the end of the night was the bouquet toss and... yes I caught it. And when I caught it Mishka's grandmother said "It is as God wished." SO SWEET!!!
Shortly after the wedding came to an end. The next morning I helped Mishka's family pack up their car before they gave Mishka and I a ride back to college. We didn't arrive back at my apartment until 9:30 at night and let me tell you.. once again... we were starving. We picked up some burgers and ate while watching a movie until it was time for bed.
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