The Big Day

After an 8 hour drive we found ourselves at the venue of the wedding.  The hotel, shall we say was basic and a flight of stairs with a broken leg was, interesting and certainly not dignified in any way shape or form.  That is the last time those stairs will ever be mentioned!

The celebrations began at 10am at a mere 27 degrees.

Me and my little Brother Martyn

With our Dad, Liam & Freya

We were driven to the Register Office 30 minutes away by un-air conditioned bus.  At 11.45 and a mere 30 degrees, the bride arrived:

The Bride and her Mother Lydia

Deimante with her Father Peter

Then they were man & wife:

The Page Boys and Flower Girls - My new Nephew Gvidas, Martyn's new SIL Monika, Freya & Liam

Back to the bus and we then went to the church for the religious blessing.  In Lithuania the Catholic Church wedding is not legally recognised which is why we went to the civil service first.  In total shock, I was allowed to snap away:

The Page Boys and Flower Girls undertaking their wedding duties

The Civil Service was all in Lithuanian apart from the parts whispered to Martyn for him to answer.  The Priest spoke perfect English and the Church Ceremony was in English with readings in Latin.

Back on the bus, now 36 degrees we went to the local National Park where official photos of the couple were taken and we had a picnic champagne lunch:

Then to a local religious site called the Hill of Crosses, stopping off on the way for ice cream as the temp had now hit 37:

Back on the bus with the temperature starting to fall, its now 36.5 degrees and 6pm we head for the evening reception.  We dropped off the happy couple half a mile from the venue, who then drove and arrived in true Lithuanian style:

Some little guests just had to have a go round the car park:

It was now just after 7pm and the evening festivities begin.