Our friends and family helped to make out wedding memorable for us. Special thanks to Brigitte, Xavier,Christian, Jordan, Alex Stavitsky-Zeineddin and her family, Scott Morgan, Bobby, Kelly and Cheryl Diamond, Alicia Hatcher and Cheryl Fisher, Pastor Jim Kreft, and the Pilgrim Lutheran Church for making this all possible.
Thanks to Kaaren's dreams and planning, great internet prices, and Alicia Hatcher's help and floor plan, the church hall was transformed into a banquet hall. On each table, there were three clear, low, glass vases, with river pebbles and one orchid stem. It was calming and beautiful. Cheryl Fisher helped to make sure that the linens looked fabulous! Thanks to both of you!
Kelly Diamond and his wife Cheryl helped to get things started, visiting the bride and groom before the ceremony. Kelly made sure that the important photos were taken to remember the day.
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| Kelly and Cheryl Diamond and Mark |
Opal, Mark's mother, and Aunt Mary visited Kaaren and Mark before the ceremony. George, her father, waited in the church.
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| Kaaren's dad, George Schnabel (Deceased, November 20, 2011) God Bless HIs Soul! |
Alex Stavitsky-Zeineddin, bridesmaid, and Kaaren's children did everything they could to help have a beautiful wedding. Those two grandchildren were especially adorable. They had two special friends to play with them - Alex's boys, Sebastien and Pierre. The four of them were quite cute and had a great time, after Jordan carried the ring pillow down the aisle, and Christian gave away the bride!
Christian, Brigitte's son, Kaaren's grandson, walked her down the aisle and gave her away! Didn't he look great in his tux?
Michael Rossi, the Choir Director, and a National Opera musician and associate conductor, played the trumpet while the wedding party marched down the aisle. It was the same piece played for Princess Diana's procession. He played another trumpet piece to finish the ceremony.
Melissa Kreft, a young soprano in training, sang two songs, one in French, one in English. Guests were delighted by the trumpet and voice pieces.
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| Melissa Kreft, soprano and Michael Rossi, Music Director |
Aunt Mary read the Corinthians' passage about the character of love, followed by a brilliant sermon by Pastor Jim Kreft of how we can apply that in their relationship. We certainly do work on it, and we're having fun while doing it! Pastor and his family gave us a beautiful, framed poem about the presence of God in a loving marital relationship. We'll keep that in a prominent part of our home!
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| Mary Brotherton reads the first lesson. |
When Pastor asked "Who's going to kiss the bride?" Christian answered, "I will," and Jordan said, "Nobody." Mark ignored them both!
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| Christian and Scott become friends! |
We had fifty-eight guests. You all made us feel wonderful, and helped us to have fun. Thank you so much! You all looked beautiful. Many people danced really well, and we loved your sharing this event with us. The thank you notes are staggered, and arriving or "in the mail." You all spoiled us so much!
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| Grandpa Schnabel, Aunt Mary, Kaaren & her family, and Mark and family, plus Sebby Zeineddin | ! |
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| The wedding party: Alex, Brigitte, Kaaren, Mark, Xavier, Christian, Scott and Jordan's playing! |
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| Mr. and Mrs. Morgan |
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| Jim and Teresa Sotelo, Mark, Opal Morgan, Scott Morgan |
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| Kaaren and her Dad, George; Mark and his Mom, Opal |
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| Xavier, Grandpa Schnabel, Jordan, Christian, Brigitte, Kaaren &Mark |
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| So many Schnabels, the married couple, Agnez's and the Brothertons |
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| Mark and Kaaren with her new in-laws |
There were many toasts: Kaaren's father gave the first, in honor of the sacred nature of marriage. Opal gave a toast to our being a happy couple, and to Kaaren's becoming her daughter-in-law. Xavier, Best Man, toasted to how ideal Mark is for his mother; Kelly toasted to Mark's "kicking the trombone out of the bed," because, "Now you've got her." Kaaren toasted to the church and pastor for making it possible to have such a beautiful wedding, and for allowing a champagne toast. She then toasted her family and guests for being there and sharing the day with us.
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| Alex and Paul Zeineddin at Wedding Party Table |
Mark, in Kaaren's eyes, was the star "toaster." His words were beautiful, and unforgettable: "I married my best friend. She has changed my life. So now, finally, I can say, 'To my wife.'"
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| A toast to the wedding party, friends, family and the church! |
Alicia Hatcher, a church friend of Kaaren's, and her daughter, Carolyn, spent three nights, with Kaaren and her family, making sure that the event would go off smoothly. She worked all day the day of the reception, helping Bobby and Xavier. Her generosity is an example of Christian generosity and kindness. She says that it's because she "loves weddings," and so does Caroline! Now she's Kaaren's "new best friend!" Kaaren and Mark thanked her with jewelry from the Dominican Republic.
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| Kaaren's "new best friend," Alicia, serving the wedding party (see Caroline follow!) |
Alex, Kaaren, Xavier and Bobby prepared the soups, vichyssoise and gazpacho. and put together the hors d'oeuvre table. Bobby and Xavier made sure that everything looked beautiful on the tables and that the food was out on time. We had buffet hors d'oeuvres and a sit-down meal for the soup, and main course. Angela, a personal chef, had the main dishes under control; salmon and chicken; each with perfect seasoning and vegetables. The vegetable platter had a Spanish omelet by Alex, and hummus in tomatoes, with some ratatouille. After the main course, there was cheese and French bread.
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| Best man, Xavier, helps set up the feast! |
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| Personal chef, Angela, and her assistant. Smell that food! |
Before the meal, Mark and Kaaren danced the rumba to a beautiful song chosen by the photographer who made our engagement photos. After the meal, we started to dance again. Instead of joining us, the guests showered us with bubbles. It was so romantic! We hope that it was captured on film! Each table had a disposable camera. The guests were busy taking pictures!
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| The first dance; a rumba |
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| Let's boogey! |
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| Peggy Fancey and her son Ricky |
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| Don't let the simplicity of the cakes fool you. They were dynamite! |
We still need to have the table cameras processed, and will post the good photos when we have them done.
After the cake, the bubbles and "last dance," we left the party, a bit worried about how long Xavier, Brigitte and Bobby King would be there cleaning up. As we passed under bubbles outside, we met Sandy and Michael from the church. Volunteers, many of them, came to clean up after the celebration. Thank you so much! Kaaren, Bobby and Xavier hadn't slept the night before the wedding. Thanks to you, Bobby and Xavier could finish quickly and go home to rest!
Kaaren and Mark went to BWI to a hotel, so that they could leave on their honeymoon on the twentieth. Mark and Kaaren agree that their wedding day was the "best day of their lives," until they realized that, living together in such love, each day is even better!
