Thank you Martin for tackling the time-challenging job of MC. You were fun, funny and your words heartfelt. We are so honored that you agreed to be the man with the mic, and we hope you had a night to remember.

Thank you Auntie Carmel for making the church so picturesque and festive. Every wedding should be surrounded by fresh life, nature, and beauty and you provided us with just that.  

Thank you Red for traveling all way from Santa Fe, New Mexico, your smile and friendship were at our side and will be always,  and thank you Giuliana and Yerzhan for making it all the way from Almaty--we love you and admire you for your adventurous spirits and generous hearts. We miss you all so much and can’t wait to visit.

To Grace, Bill, and Jeana for making your first intercontinental trip together in order to be with us (and Grace for facing your fears of flying). Family is and always will be of primary importance for us. Not having you at our wedding was never an option. Jeana, we are especially and eternally grateful that you put all these travel plans together, took your parents around the world and back, and for delivering an emotional, fun, and heart-warming speech. We wouldn't have done it without you here. We love you sis, you were so beautiful, are so beautiful and you are a light in our lives.

To James, you are the bestest of best men, brother, friend, and awesome adventurer (there's a bowling alley in Kiel with your name on it). James! You pinned down and hit a strike in  the job of tuxes, and also bravely took on the task of taste-testing our dinner selections (may the rest of your life be void of gutterballs). With Helen by your side, you made wedding jobs joyful and decadent, as we wished them to be. You are a great team. We couldn't possibly list all the time consuming things you both did for us, but we remember your smiles and enthusiasm throughout and we love you for it and know we could and can count on you for anything (selfie-sticks in hand). We adore your gift!, and it will hang it in our first kitchen. Remember:

“Fight and you may die. Run and you will live at least a while.
And dying in your bed many years from now,
would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for
one chance, just one chance, to come back here as a young man and tell
our enemies that they may take our lives but they will never take
our Paddington Bowling Club!"

To Nadia, sister, friend, and the only person John couldn't look at during the ceremony without bursting into tears upon seeing your smile and the love in your eyes. Your pride and belief in both of us is matched by how much we miss and love you. Thank you for your exquisite designs that we included for all of the invitations for the wedding, layleylee, and for our guestbook! We will proudly be embossing it on the cover of our wedding album too. You were indispensable labeling and mailing all the invitations throughout your pregnancy, and holding the guest list from being corrupted from mr.youknowwho. Finally, we want to say, that the toast/ speech snafu worked in our favor in the end as we got to read it slowly to ourselves. But in addition, we can’t thank the Bekarian family enough for the 10-course meal, wow! 

Rubina, our little flower person, who did not what-so-ever enjoy all the fuss, but we are so pleased that you made it so Nadia got to walk down the isle too. Thank you to little Liana for being so patient, arriving in perfect time after the wedding. You were worth the wait, such a cuddly addition to the family. Thank you Arram for arranging the most beautiful of classic cars-- a job that perfectly matched your personality. By the way, there’s a beer store Paula and I have pinned down in Kiel-- all craft, and classic-- there will always be a couple of cold beers waiting for you in any home we have.

To Angie, Maid of honor, sister, friend, always with a smile and hands full. We could count on you day or night, and did. You helped us pick our reception and spent countless hours researching venues, options, aesthetics and trimmings. You were Paula's confidant and style maven and always said "Paula, just do it" right when she needed to hear it. To Nick for taking Michael and the boys to get tuxes and for letting your bow-tie fiasco be beautifully captured on film (see "getting ready" photos). Nick, thanks for making the comment that if everyone is present in black-tie, they deserve to have their meals served to them and avoid stepping on a stray blob of mashed potato! You were right in line with Mum and we always know your hilarious and trenchant comments come from a place of kindness and love.  To Miles, thank you for being the perfect gentleman and bearing our rings and creating such a fantastic Lego pillow (ahem, thanks Nick). You looked stellar in your tux and are a gorgeous little man.

And to Tom for stealing the show (as usual), and for walking down the aisle with such assuredness of your day’s task as flower person. 

To Loulou-- Mum, for being the rock, the keen observer, for always noticing the subtle details and providing such advice with wit and a smile. Who else would wake up in the middle of the night with thoughts on the wedding, down to the finest detail. We aspire to your style and elegance and joy. Finally, we almost miss your cooking as much as we miss you. Thank you for taking us to the outback to show John a different side (literally and metaphorically) of Australia. We will always remember it. 

Finally, Michael-- Dad. Thank you. Your generosity, kindness and impatience allowed us to make this happen in five months instead of five years (We still hear you..."Did you pick a venue? Why not? Make a decision! Pick someone!") We love that if you call us, and we don't answer, you'll call back, and call again. We know you'll never let us get too far away from you. There is no way to thank you for all you've done. We love you. You truly are, "The one who knocks."

And to keep with us always, the knowledge that we got to walk down the same aisle that you and Mum did! We can't think of a better start to our relationship.

(and this photo I found taken the first night you met my future husband, my how you wouldn't stop talking)

And to our dedicated team of professionals - you were all outstanding.

DJ Services by: XYDJ

Make Up and Hair: Liv Lundelius and Joyce McGee

Reception: The Grounds of Alexandria

Flowers: Florals by Silva

Photography: Dan O'Day