Katie's Wedding

So! The big wedding! This was something we'd all been looking forward to for a while -- although as I said before, it seemed surreal. How is it that Katie and Stefan are old enough to get married? They're mere babes! (never mind the fact that they're barely a year younger than Mr. Pickles and I were when WE got married...)

It's a beautiful thing watching someone grow, and mature, and blossom into a person with integrity and a beautiful soul. I am 12 years older than Katie -- I remember the summer right before she was born, when her whole family flew out from Ohio to vacation in California. I remember Aunt Terri's bulging belly, full of the life that would become this beautiful woman.

Katie turned 6 soon after I arrived in her hometown as a college freshman. Her family gathered me in and loved me and made sure I didn't miss home too much.

this is the best picture I have of walking down the aisle -- the others from the wedding day were all blurry :(

I got to watch her grow through some fun years. I remember how cranky she was because she wouldn't take a nap on the car trip we took to Niagara falls my freshman year. A couple years later I attended her first Holy Communion. She asked me to be her sponsor for Confirmation. When I graduated she was 9. She was a junior bridesmaid in my wedding, and present when my first-born was baptized. We were there when she went to senior prom, and again for her high school graduation.

presentation of the icons -- a Ukrainian tradition

It wasn't until last summer, when she lived with us, that I got to know her as an adult. But I've been privileged to watch her grow from a little tyke with pigtails and who loved pwincesses, who endured the razzing of 3 older brothers (who I'm sure are gagging over most of this post, if they bother to read it at all) and regularly had her little feelings hurt, to someone who has grown into a sweet, understanding, capable and generous woman. I think she is much more mature and empathetic than I was 12 years ago. :)

astounded by Aunt Terri's traditional beautiful wedding embroidery (the one she made for us is still enthroned next to our front door!)

All this goes to say that I love her like the little sister I'd always wanted. So what a privilege it was to be able to share in one of the happiest and grace-filled days of her life!

leaving for the church!  they live just a few doors down from their parish -- Katie said she'd always dreamed of walking down the street to get married in her home parish!

Queen of the Day and her entourage

I can't tell what I love more about this -- Uncle Jim's tender kiss to his baby girl, or the look of unbridled joy on Stefan's face!

 Because Stefan comes from the Ukrainian Rite, there were many Ukrainian touches added to the wedding.  Katie is Roman Rite, so the Wedding Mass itself was western, but Katie and Stefan were basically married twice -- once with the Roman exchange of vows, and again with a Ukrainian priest marrying them in the eastern tradition.   As her brother Phil (who's been married 11 years) said, "Hey, I only feel half married!"

being crowned King and Queen (that's the gorgeous head of Nana in the foreground -- the materfamilias watching her youngest granddaughter getting married!)

The Ukrainian traditions added a lot of richness to the ceremony.  At one point half of the congregation (the Ukrainian side) :) began singing in Ukrainian a song of blessing for the newly married couple.  It was so touching!  It truly was just a beautiful wedding.

awwww...

What a great-looking family.  Good job, Aunt Terri and Uncle Jim!