We met behind a burning tire and bus carcass barricade in the black streets of a city in revolution.
We got to know each other in the corridors of occupied city hall, singing ballads to exhausted yet unrelenting protestors. 
We fell in love in a cloud of tear gas, screaming and crying over the joyless fireworks and church bells from a dozen cathedrals.
We planned our future in the back of a humanitarian aid truck on a mattress of bulletproof vests and arctic sleeping bags.
We got engaged in an international airport in a crowd of anxious lovers and mothers, brothers and strangers, who gasped and hugged and applauded and cried when I dropped to one knee.

We're getting married in the heart of a city we call home, far away from the place we met, the place we got to know each other, the place we fell in love, the place we planned our future. 

We're getting married in a peaceful community park-- without barricades or burning buses, protestors or occupied buildings, tear gas or alarm bells or bullet-proof vests-- but with the beautiful music, rituals and traditions that made it so hard to leave (as well as a few others from neighbouring counties).

We want you to be a part of it. Everyone's invited.

All you need to bring is your love and a dish (it's a potluck). We'll share our favourite wedding traditions and music and you share your favourite dish.

SCHEDULE:

1:00 Preparation of groomsmen, tree dressing
with traditional Belarusian wedding songs

1:00 Preparation of bridesmaids, tree dressing
with traditional Ukrainian wedding songs

1:30 Procession from groom's house to bride's house 
with traditional Georgian songs by Zari Trio

1:45 Bride-bartering, parents' blessing
with improvised music by Emilyn Stam + John Williams

1:55 Procession to ceremony
with music by Lemon Bucket Orkestra

2:10 Wedding ceremony
led by Martin Frith, Michael Louis Johnson, Valya Firsova
with music by TBD

2:30 Celebratory parade
with music by Samba Elegua and the Boxcar Boys

3:00 Maypole dance
with music by Samba Elegua

3:10 Prayer for peace (Sholem!)
group sing-along

3:15 Toasting of the couple
sung by Zari Trio, Kosa Kolektiv

3:20 Potluck begins, performances

Stage 1 - the Batting Cage: Balfolk Toronto dance workshop led by Emilyn Stam
Stage 2 - the Tree: Traditional Georgian songs by TBD
Stage 3 - the Playground: Mediterranean/middle-eastern music by Zephyr
Stage 4 - the Fire Pit: Ballads and by Ada Dahli and the Pallbearers
Stage 5 - the Valley: You-make-up-a-song-title-we-make-up-a-song by Little Rambunctious
Stage 6 - the Oven: Sephardic and Moroccan wedding songs by Judith Cohen and Tamar Ilana

4:00 Hora
with music by Lemon Bucket Orkestra

4:10 potluck continues, performances

the Batting Cage: Ukrainian village dance workshop led by Stephania Woloshyn
the Tree: Sea shanties with Pressgang Mutiny
the Playground: Balkan-Flamenco-Sephardic songs with Ventanas
the Fire Pit: Flamenco song and dance with Flamenguitos del Norte
the Valley: New Orleans Jazz with the Boxcar Boys
the Oven: Choral music from around the world with Echo Women's Choir 

4:50 traditional wedding dances and games 
with Lemon Bucket Orkestra

5:20 candle ceremony
with music by Tangi Ropars (and everyone!)

5:30 Mnohaja Lita! 
toast to "Many Years" of health, happiness, prosperity, etc.

* we'll be taking donations to "Patriot Defence" in lieu of wedding gifts. They supply NATO-grade first aid kits to war-torn parts of Ukraine and train soldiers, medics, and volunteers how to use them.

* wear comfortable shoes because there will be lots of parading and dancing.