Sicilian Wedding Day

Ron and I have been known to bend over backwards to attend any wedding we are invited to.  We love being part of the guest list at a friend's wedding and have traveled great distances to be there if we are able.  But this Sicilian wedding of our Russian daughter and her Lithuanian fiance can only be described as most memorable in every way.

The wedding was held in the village of Taormina on the southern coast of Sicily.  By all accounts, a most charming location with its narrow, cobblestone streets and breathtaking views.

 

 After a look around our daytime surroundings and a visit with Holly and Brett, I decided to join the ladies at the hair and makeup for the wedding party.  Although not officially invited, I felt I would be welcome as they always make me feel like part of the family.  Since we arrived so late the evening before, I thought it might be my only chance to visit with the bride.  I popped in unexpectedly, but Tatyana already had a clue I was coming and she rushed from her makeup chair to give me a big hug.  The same came from her mother, Elena and cousin, Nastya, and of course, my Holly.  I met a few other girls who were undergoing the magical transformation as well.  Witnessing the entire scenario was something I wouldn't wan to miss.  The dress, the shoes, the flowers, the photographers, all seemed to be perfectly in place.

Here are some of my favorite shots:  Tatyana gives her opinion to her pretty mother, Elena, in the hairdo chair,  while Nastya gets makeup by the window. 

Three of the beautiful women in the bridal party.   These are her American sister, Holly, her cousin and maid of honor, Nastya, and her best friend from childhood, Diana.  You can see for yourself how lovely they are.  Wish I could share pictures of all the special women who were there for Tatyana.











These are some of my favorite shots of Tatyana.  Once she got her dress on, she posed by the window for the photographer to do his thing.

Next she took some time to gather her thoughts and jot them down as they would be part of the vows she and Rustom  repeated to each other. 

Then, she gathered up her poufie skirt and scurried out the door to meet Rustam for photos of the couple together.  Isn’t she the beautiful bride?

Finally, it was time for the ceremony to begin.  We gathered in the wedding hall where the ceremony would take place.  The official who would marry them took her place. 

Olga, Tatyana’s sister-in-law, with her one-year-old daughter, Barbara, were there, as were the cute American couple on the bride’s side. 

And last, but not least, the nervous groom took his place waiting for his bride..

This one’s a bit fuzzy, but shows the happiness on the faces of Tatyana and her father as he walked her down the aisle.

After the official read the articles governing marriage in Italy, we left the wedding hall and waited for the bride and groom to appear.  They came down the steps to the traditional shower of rice and flower petals and we headed to the reception. 

The reception was held in a hotel a short walk away.  First, we rode the glass elevator to the roof for toasts and traditional Russian wedding  rituals.  Waiting for the elevator gave us a chance to get our picture made with the bride and groom.

Elena, Sergey and Olga presented the couple with a loaf of bread of which they were to partake.  Olga sang a lovely folk song as part of the ceremony.

The sky, the city, the water viewed from the rooftop and the great, glass elevator  were spectacular.  I couldn’t resist photographing my other favorite couple at the wedding..

After that we enjoyed a lovely five course dinner in the elegant dining room.  For the next five hours we experienced a little bit of every country represented through the toasts, skits, songs, dances, stories, gifts, and other traditions.  The most prevalent one was the chant from the crowd, “Gor-kuh! Gor-kuh! Gor-kuh!” much like our tradition of ringing a bell to encourage the newlyweds to kiss again and again.

We were very honored to be asked to sit at the “parents’ table” with Tatyana’s parents, Rustam’s parents, and Nastya’s mother.  They were such warm, lovely people that we couldn’t have enjoyed it more.  From time to time we interacted with the younger guests as we came to know each a bit from their participation in the celebration. 

At last, the cake was brought in and served to everyone—a delicious taste to top off the night.  By this time, it was after 11, and you might think the evening was coming to an end.  Oh no, it was only time to move the party to another location.  We all adjourned to a local nightclub for more dancing.  Ron and I made the scene there, but we didn’t last much past midnight.  Some of the guests (named Levanto) lingered until 3  or 4 in the morning.  This is just a small glimpse into a magical day that Ron and I will never forget.