About eight months ago, we attended a Russian wedding and posted it on our blog. We are happy to be equal-opportunity bloggers. We have now attended a Latvian wedding and can't wait to tell you all about it! If you don't really enjoy weddings, please skip today's post....it's ALL about weddings.
The marriage was between two of our very good friends, Eva and Dainis. They had decided they couldn't afford a big wedding and were just going to go to the government wedding center (where everyone has to get married in Latvia ) and have a family luncheon afterward. But Eva changed her mind about a month ago and decided to have a reception at the church with food, dancing, cake and friends. That meant they needed some help to put together that big of a shindig in a short amount of time. Elder & Sister Davis volunteered to decorate the chapel/cultural hall. Lina Blume was the wedding planner, matron of honor and the photographer. Her husband was best man. With the help of a few members and senior missionaries we managed to put together a pretty decent reception in just three weeks.
It took three full shopping days to get all the stuff we needed....can't tell you how much Elder Davis enjoyed that. He was the chauffeur, financier and bag carrier; a real PIP- Pretty Important Person.
Dec. 7th, the night before the wedding, 6 people came to decorate the church at 5:30PM. We left at 11:30PM and just had a few finishing touches to do the next day.
This was the guest book...
Lina painted the heart on a canvas and all the guests were told to sign their name and best wishes for the bride and groom on it.This was the bride and grooms table. We had a difficult time decorating the podium so it wouldn't look like someone was going to get up and give a talk at any minute.
You can't really see the bouquet of purple roses lying between the two blue lace bowls full of "snow balls" and lovebirds. The vase of white roses were a gift for the bride and groom.
Lina made a lot of tissue paper balls to hang from the ceiling and they looked great.
You probably have no idea how hard it is to find "tissue paper" in Riga. Crepe paper is available everywhere but tissue paper is rare.
So the big day finally arrives! Dec. 8th. We will show you what Dainis had to go through to get his bride, using photos his friend Aivars took. Marriage involves a lot of Latvian traditions.
First off, the groom buys a bouquet of flowers to bring to his bride. She will get mad if they don't match her colors so he has to be careful to get the right ones.
Next he is greeted at the door of his bride with a puzzle. Which of these lipstick kisses belongs to his wife-to-be? Dainis isn't sure.....
He needs a closer look.
He manages to guess correctly and he enters the tiny apartment of his true love...is she ready for him?
Of course! Eva looks like a princess and, with her mother looking on, Dainis presents the bouquet of flowers to his true love.
And gives her the first kiss of the day.
It's time to go! There was lots of snow on the ground and Eva needed white boots for after the wedding ceremony. 
Together they get in the middle seat of a mini-van and ride to the wedding center with Sebastian chaperoning from his car seat in the back.When they arrive at the wedding center...
The first people they see? Elder & Sister Davis!
"Eva, you are so beautiful!"
Sister Adams can't stop smiling she is so excited.
Elder Davis: "Let me get your picture!"
Dainis can't stop smiling either!
We all hurry inside to take off coats, hats, gloves, scarves...it's winter and that means lots of layers.
Lina and President Blums with Sebastian are already inside the wedding center.
Guests arrive:
President & Sister Kovalevskiys Elizabeth & Juris
Zaiga and Aivars
Dzintars (Dainis' brother) and his wife
Simona and Zane
Zane shows off her new butterfly hair ornament....
The bride and groom get ready for their grand entrance to the strains of Mendelssohn's Wedding March. Lina and Janis Blums are the witnesses
They hold the flowers the bride and groom give to their mothers.
Arm in arm....
Dainis can't believe it's finally happening....he's getting married!
The registrar says a short rehearsed speech ...
...and the bride and groom are asked to sign the registry.
Next is the ring exchange...
Dainis slips the ring on Eva's finger....
Then it's Eva's turn....
They are pronounced man and wife...and they kiss.
Ahhh... everyone is either smiling or fighting tears of happiness.
The registrar says a few more words...
And flowers are handed to each of their moms (and Eva's grandma).
And now we present to you Mr. & Mrs. Lepess.
Everyone gets in a receiving line with their flowers....Elza waves "hi".
Noemi, Jazeps and Martins give their best wishes....
...and now it's Sister Davis's turn... she gives a big hug to Eva!
And says she is so very happy for her.
And a big hug for Dainis!
After all, he was the luckiest guy on earth right then to have Eva as his wife.
Aivars catches Sister Davis in a really happy moment.
Behind her, Elder Davis looks pretty happy, too.
Oops, Dainis gets a phone call....
A kiss for luck....and they are on their way to a happy life together.
Stay tuned for Dainis and Eva's reception....
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