Wedding Day Part 2 - Ring Ceremony and Luncheon

Saturday afternoon we hosted a ring ceremony and luncheon in American Fork. This was scheduled for 1:00, but in true Hawaiian and Greek fashion, we didn't start until 1:30. The ring ceremony provided an opportunity for all of our close friends and extended family members to join with us as we parents shared our thoughts, feelings, and advice for the young couple. They then stood and shared their feelings with the group. Neither Rikki nor Zakk had prepared speeches, but each spoke sweetly from their hearts about their love for each other. Zakk shared his memories of the first time he ever saw Rikki and their first "date," nearly six months later.

Dale spoke first, followed by me (Rochelle). Then Shanie (Zakk's mom) spoke on behalf of herself and Zakk's father, Michael, who passed away when Zakk was a teenager. I'll share video excerpts from the ceremony, but out of respect for the privacy of others, I'll stick to the more light-hearted comments and advice from Dale. As a little bit of background, you may have noticed that Zakk is in the Army. He's currently stationed in Anchorage, Alaska. He will be here in Utah for another week then return to Alaska. Rikki has one semester left at Utah State University. She will receive her cancer treatments over Christmas break, then join Zakk in Alaska after graduation in May.

Dale's Words of Wisdom:

Not quite so lighthearted, here's what I had to share:

Following the exchange of rings, we served Hawaiian food for lunch--teriyaki chicken, ribs, mac salad, rice, seafood wontons. Food was catered by the Original Bamboo Hut.

Dale had prepared a traditional cultural dance performance for after lunch. While we waited for that performance, my brother Ryan took the microphone and shared this small tribute to Rikki and her nerdy ways:
-
(thanks to Kevin Koeven at Two Travelers Media for capturing this clip. We'll have more from them in our "Reception" post)

As Dale mentions at the beginning of this video, we recognize that many of you will be expecting a performance of the traditional Haka dance. That is not what Dale prepared.


[This post is part two in a three part series. Click here to view part one]