[Our Wedding]

August 25, 2007 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Ceremony: 4:00 PM
Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church
Graf Ignatiev Street

A Bulgarian orthodox church that opened in 1903, Sveti Sedmochislenitsi was converted from the 16th century “Black Mosque.” The mosque, famous for its black granite minaret that collapsed during a 19th century earthquake, was abandoned by the Ottomans after the Bulgarian liberation in 1878. Before the mosque, the site had been home to a 4th century Christian church, and to a pagan temple built by the Romans before that. The church takes its name–which means something like “The Holy Seven”–from the Bulgarian saints Cyril and Methodius and their five disciples. It is located at the edge of a small public park right in the heart of downtown Sofia.

We have already gotten many questions about appropriate attire for the wedding. The Bulgarian church is not particularly conservative about these issues. Let’s just say that we’ve seen people coming out of weddings in this same church wearing things we’re too modest to wear at the beach. Petya will be wearing a white dress, and Kyle a grey suit; as long as you don’t look better than we do, you’re free to wear whatever you like. August in Sofia should be warm, but not unbearably so. We encourage you to wear whatever will make you comfortable.

Reception: 6:00 PM 
MOTTO
Aksakov 18

The reviews of Motto invariably describe it as “trendy” or “popular with foreigners,” but we swear that’s not why we chose it as the location for our reception. We picked Motto because the food is fantastic, the atmosphere is nice and casual, and the garden is just about the nicest place in the entire city, as far as we’re concerned. We hope you’ll agree. Wedged in between the neighboring apartment buildings, the garden’s white walls enclose a brick walkway circling a large grassy area. In the middle stands a large, shady tree, with tables and benches scattered around it, leaving plenty of space for us to talk, drink, and eventually dance.