Wedding Festivities

With our Slovak daughter, Janka Elizabeth, arriving at the  bride's parents' house in Východná

Delicious food and cakes were enjoyed by relatives.

With our Slovak daughter, the bride, Katarína Joy

Such a beautiful bride!

We were so thrilled to be there!

Gorgeous dress, gorgeous hair, gorgeous bride!

With both of our beautiful Slovak daughters!

The bride's parents, Janka and Juraj, waiting for the arrival of the groom.

The wedding coordinator/announcer arrived, dressed in traditional folk attire.

Announcing the arrival of the groom, Michael Joshua, bringing the bride's bouquet!

Katarína pinning on Michal's boutonniere

The blessing from the parents

The decorated car and the wedding announcer

Katarína coming down the aisle with her father

Katarina's brother and sister-in-law

The processional

The pastor's wedding sermon at the Lutheran church in Katarína's home village, Východná.

Michael Joshua & Katarína Joy

Mr. & Mrs. Guráň

Enjoying cakes outside the church with Luba, our sweet former land-lady!

The happy couple outside the reception hall

Traditions!

Preparing to enter the reception

More traditions!

Getting things started at the reception

Wedding toast

Congratulations!!

The starter course, and the cute decorated cookies!

The bride and her proud parents

Juraj and Janka with Ana and grandson Juraj

Another tradition - the mothers put a "bib" around the bride and groom, and they had to serve the soup course and feed one another one-handed.  Marriage requires cooperation!  

The "bib" seemed like a tablecloth tied around them both.

Katarina trying not to spill Michael's spoonful of soup!

And now it's her turn to be served soup!

A very successful first bowl of soup as husband and wife!

Enjoying our soup, and feeding ourselves!  

The main course

Cutting the cake

LOTS of cakes!!  

First dance - the live band was super!

They played the wedding shoe game!  (Questions are asked,  and back-to-back, the bride and groom answer by raising a shoe to indicate their responses - him or her.)

With Vierka and her daughter Radka

Friends at the wedding!

Vierka gave me two hand-knitted hats to keep me warm!

At midnight, and entire buffet was set out with a second meal, and the traditional folklore group from Východná came to conduct many Slovak wedding traditions with much singing and dancing. 

The traditional ceremony by the folklore group was lovely.

There was a folklore band providing the music

The bride now wears a scarf signifying she has become a married woman and no longer a girl with free-flowing hair.

Tim dances with Katarína in the Slovak equivalent of the "dollar dance" - money goes under the cloth and into the basket on the lap of the lady in the chair, and then the next dancer is given a "shot" before dancing with the bride.  

The new Guráň family wearing traditional clothes

With our Slovak daughter and new son-in-love!  

Two beautiful Slovak daughters!

Singing more traditional Slovak songs

And dancing the night away, now to the traditional songs!

It was an amazing afternoon and evening, experiencing so many wonderful and beautiful traditions involved with this lovely Slovak wedding.  We pray for God's blessings on their marriage their whole lives!