The big day was simply ethereal. As Steven later said, "The wedding was magnificent, enchanting..." And enchanting it was. From Nina's dress of Indonesian lace and Italian satin, to the caravan of black Mercedes, to the best man's custom designed bowtie, to the banquet of nine courses, and then of course the waterfall tiered cake to follow.... it was overwhelming. There will be professional photos uploaded on Facebook sometime next week, and I will sneak a few of my favorites on this blog. =)
I had the privilege of being Nina's maid of honor, and it was so much fun. She was the ideal bride, in every way. I was inspired by her tranquility, her excitement, her attention to detail, her thoughtfulness of her guests, her devotion to her fiance/groom. And the Lord's blessing was all over her and Steven as the event turned out better than anyone could have imagined!
The ceremony was held in the church, fresh for it dedication that coming Sunday, with the pristine white marble tile spreading like a milky glass sea from the foyer up to the wedding arch. Floating candles, a profusion of white Dutch roses, floor-length satin drapes gathered in billowy folds along every wall, an overflowing gift table... every thing was a fairytale. Nina's wedding colors, pearlescent white and dramatic royal purple, stood out in vivid contrast against the empty canvas of the newly-finished church. Wow.
The ceremony was packed with emotion. Both fathers cried, the mothers cried, the best man (Kendon, groom's brother) kept chasing the ring bearer (Sasha, bride's little brother), the guests awwed at the first church wedding they had ever seen. The vows were bilingual. Steven recited his in English, and Nina in Russian, but the first kiss was without interpretation.... everyone cheered =)
The reception kicked off the arrival of the caravan for the destination photoshoot. The bridal party rode in sleek black Mercedes, while select guests followed in a white bus. We toured the historic parks and gardens of the city, frolicking along cobblestone streets, playing at the fountains of the Grand Theatre where the Russian ballet performs, and jumping off WWII monuments. The main sights were the Kharkov Arch and Reflection Pool, adjacent from the theatre, Freedom Square, second largest square in the world, and Park Gorkova, a small city in size with mile-long alleys and perfectly sculpted lines of silver fir, delicate birch, shady maple, skyscraper cottonwood. The morning started with romantic rain showers, and ended with translucent sunshine. Thank you, God, for adding your own touch =)
Congratulations, Steven and Nina!
With love from your little sister <3
I looooooooooove her dress. And I'm SURE you could only find a modest beauty like that in Europe. Here in America, almost everything is hideously strapless. Boo.
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