Wedded Bliss :)

Our big day finally arrived, praise the Lord! Only days after Christmas, and in the throes of an illness that claimed Larissa's voice, we proclaimed our vows (well, Larissa more like whispered them) in a service of worship to the Lord and before many of our family and friends. Highlights of our ceremony: an amazing choir made up of our friends who did a smashing job of opening and closing the service with powerful hymns, a great charge by Eric Russ (Clay's roommate from seminary) to the couple, lanterns, candles and roses to set the mood, a Finnish wedding march to welcome the bride and Larissa's hearty reply to the question: "Will you love him, honor him, comfort and keep him, and forsaking all others remain true to him as long as you both are living?" A: "you betcha!" Yes, both Clay and Larissa lost it during the ceremony (could you tell? :)

Our reception at the Hawthorne Hotel was festive and fun. Our long-awaited and much rehearsed first dance swing number set the mood for a night of kicking back on the dance floor. Thanks to Tom Baskett, who did an awesome job as emcee, and Andrew Pomazon who coordinated our music, the party flowed on. Included in the night: A Finnish tradition of stealing the bride. Larissa watched from a 2nd floor window as Clay serenaded her on his guitar to get her back. Also, we had a rousing Greek dance (thanks to Klia Kapaniris) which got everyone out on the dance floor. To those of you who joined us: Thank you for celebrating with us! We definitely had a blast. To those who couldn't make it: We missed you and hope these photos give you a taste of what it was like. We love you all!

We leave on our honeymoon in two days and will be in touch when we return!