The day after the wedding Danka’s parents through a party for our family. It was a good informal setting to get to know them better. Danka’s mom is quite the hostess and put on a wonderful spread. Danka’s father also has a hand in the cooking and prepared a traditional Slovakian soup with sauerkraut and spicy sausage. Mmm, was it ever good.

The feast

The host family including Danka’s two brothers

Jon’s cuts the cake for dessert

The day after the wedding I decided to take a walk in downtown Bratislava with Timothy. It’s a very nice city with lovely architecture that is preserved quite well. The feeling in this city is very different from St. Petersburg. There is a mixture of modern and old architecture in very close proximity.

Statue and building in downtown

Old town square

Gargoyle

The final pictures…

Before heading off to the reception the official wedding photos were taken with the family members. The couple several cute shots with the old Mercedes as well. Fun!

The couple and the parents

The couple standing by the car

The couple kissing while be shot from the rose bushes

The couple riding off to the reception in the old car

The receiving line…

The receiving line stretched on for a very long way. Greeting in both English and Slovakian could be heard as the crowd pressed past the newly married couple. Lots of smiles kisses and hugs were exchanged by all.

The first person in the receiving line

Jon

Danka

My mom and dad in the receiving line

Outside after the service…

It was a lovely sunny day for a wedding. The weather couldn’t have been better. After the service everybody quickly moved outside to enjoy the air and to congratulate the new couple on their marriage.

My two lovely girls outside after the ceremony

Pastor and Don and Mavis who came over from the US to be a part of this wedding

The outside of the church

The car which will deliver the couple to the reception

The wedding ceremony…

The wedding took place in a lovely old church located in downtown Bratislava (Slovakia’s capital). The church is an old Lutheran church that is probably 150 years old. The ceremony included lovely pipe organ music, a special song by my lovely wife, and a dual language service. The Slovakian government required that my brother have his vows specially translated into English so that he fully understood the vow he was making. May the Lord bless Jon and Danka as they begin their new life together.

Jon anticipating his bride

A view from inside the church – so beautiful!

My lovely bride singing the love song she wrote for us. She’s a cute one!

A happy bride after the ceremony

We have come to celebrate my brother’s wedding. Jon and Danka are to be married tomorrow. There are a large number of people at the wedding to celebrate their marriage including many family and friends from the states. These are a few pictures from the day before the wedding.

Timothy in the park behind Slovakia’s “White House”

Ramona practicing her song that she will sing at the wedding

Picture from left to right: Danka’s father, mother, Danka and her aunt