Svetlana and Dave ... UTROBINA Wedding Announcement!!!

[UTRO]

Hello Everyone

Svetlana and I wish to to Officially Announce our upcoming Wedding in Jamaica to the Members of RWD!!!

Due to the recent death in February of Sveta's Mum and the 'red tape' of marrying in Russia, we have decided to modify our original Wedding plans and marry in the Carribean. After all, we Met in the Dominican in 2007, got Engaged in the Dominican in 2008.... so why not Marry in Jamaica in 2009?!?

Take a look at the attached Invitation. Any Members wandering the Islands on April 7th are more than welcome to Wedding Crash!

Thanking all Members for their Advice, Comments and Help since joining. Warmest Regards,
Svetlana and Dave

[Faux Pas]

Congrat-u-lations Mon

[Gator]

Delightful!

Your story is a good one.

Will Sveta have bridesmaids?   

[UTRO]

Delightful!

Your story is a good one.

Will Sveta have bridesmaids?   

Thanks Gator and Faux Pas
Russian Bridesmaids would be good! It would really attract the Male Members!! But, unfortunately none of Sveta's girlfriends have the money to travel Her Best Friend... single, who was to be her Maid of Honour had the Wedding been in Kirov, just bought a new flat.
My Dad and his wife live in Fla during the winter and will be able to fly over. My Dad is to be my Best Man and his Wife will be Seveta's Maid of Honour.
One really nice thing is that Sveta's Dad will be able to attend to witness his only Daughter marry. This is an ironic result of Sveta's Mum passing away. There would have been no possibility of this happening three weeks ago. He had been caring for Sveta's Mum... she succumbed to Brain, Bone and Lung Cancer after only a 10 month battle.

[Diplomacy]

My deepest sympathies on the loss of her Mum.  I am sure she will be there, watching from above.

I wish you both a long and happy life together.  Do not forget the sunscreen. 

Congratulations!

[docetae]

Dave and Sveta, I wish you the best and a fast and quick procedure to get the permanent visa after. I just start a new work and can not take leave but I  wish you the same happiness that we share me and Anna.

[Daveman]

That rocks Dave.  Congrats to you and Svetlana.  Sorry you had such problems having the wedding in Russia, but glad to hear her dad can attend.

Good luck and best wishes for a smooth journey for everyone, and a beautiful wedding.

Dave 

[GoodOlBoy]

Congratulations Dave and Sveta.

I am very sorry to hear about Sveta's Mom.

I don't know how much you know about Ocho Rios. It is a pretty cool place. I have been there several times (3) with Marina. We stayed at Sandals (all inclusive) and another place for "adults only" (I forgot the name of it). I hope you booked an All-Inclusive because the price of food and drinks is kind of high on the island.

The fish is really fresh there. The lobster is also fantastic. 

Also, don't be alarmed but everybody from the taxi drivers to your room boy will try to sell you drugs. I think it is really the main source of income for the islander's. Seriously, on our bus ride from the airport (Montego Bay) to our hotel room in Ocho (about 2 hour drive), the bus driver approached almost everybody on the bus trying to sell us some pot or coke (when we made "stops" along the way to Ocho). 

Two things I would suggest to do : Go to Dunn's River Fall's.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2885827-action-pictures-dunn_s_river_falls_kingston-i-tgphotoid-2543802;_ylt=AuD5D8ZfEr8kRbe.t9mn.2RlHGoL


Take a good pair of sneakers to the falls for hiking.

The other thing is (if you like horseback riding), the island has some pretty good trails that will take you all the way up to the start of the mountain range and eventually you will wind up back down on the beach. It was a pretty cool adventure.

Marina and I wish you and Svetlana a memorable wedding. 


GOB
 

PS.... I almost forgot about the "rafting". It is kind of romantic. Bamboo rafting down a river, seating for 2. Kind of reminded me of Thailand. If it sounds interesting to you and Sveta, just ask the locals. They'll set you up.

http://www.tripwiser.com/trip_thing_to_do-Martha_Brae_Rafting_Ocho_Rios_Jamaica?itiNodeId=8a8c80fe165ecfa1011660e5abdd3ac9&eType=activity

[groovlstk]

Congratulations, Dave.

My wife and I are planning to spend a week at the Grand Lido Negril in April or May, if we're there we'll be sure to crash your celebration

[catzenmouse]

Congratulations to you both!!!

Hope things go smoothly with her visa and her adjustment to the new country and situation. I lived in Canada for 14 years and many times I wish I still did!

Ken

[ScottinCrimea]

Congratulations David!  I wish I could attend as Ocho Rios is one of my favorite places.  I still recall with fondness the falls and the bathwatere warmness of the Caribbean there.  It's a great place to start a new relationship and a great place to celebrate anniversities.  I will be there in spirit.

Scott

[Tamara]

Dave and Svetlana,

I am very happy to read about your upcoming wedding.  It is very sad Svetlana recently lost her mom, but I am sure her mom would have been so happy for her daughter.

Congratulations and enjoy your time in Jamaica! My husband and I went to Ocho Rios last year, right before the hurricane (don't remember its name, so many) hit them hard.  Beautiful place and you will have wonderful memories of the wedding!

 

[UTRO]

Dave and Sveta, I wish you the best and a fast and quick procedure to get the permanent visa after. I just start a new work and can not take leave but I  wish you the same happiness that we share me and Anna.

Thanks Benoit,
We have already begun gathering documents and filling out the paperwork for Sveta's Permanent Visa. Once we get the Certified Wedding Certificate, from the Jamaican Government, (hopefully 2 months after our wedding) we'll send everything to Canadian Immigration and Citizenship, CIC, for processing. While we're on our Honeymoon, we'll fill out the Forms for Sveta to visit me in Canuckstan on a Visitor's Visa, as you did for Anna. Hopefully we'll have your luck! We won't be holding our breath though Thank-you for all your help and guidance. It has certainly made a lot of things clearer to us!!

[UTRO]

My deepest sympathies on the loss of her Mum.  I am sure she will be there, watching from above.

I wish you both a long and happy life together.  Do not forget the sunscreen. 

Congratulations!

Thanks Diplomacy, I'm sure her Mum will
As Sveta text-ed to me the night Tatiana died, "You know, it's so weird... But Mum cared for me even in her death... now we can book the Wedding Trip and we're not breaking any rules - even the 40th day of praying for her (orthodox tradition) before leaving - March 29... If she had died just a few days later it would not be good for us to leave.. I feel so strange as if she did it for me".
I found out about Sveta's Mum's death while walking alone in a gentle snowfall on a frozen northern Ontario Lake at about 9:30pm. My cellphone vibrated in my jacket, I was quite surprised because I hadn't found a signal all day to text Sveta a hello. The message simply read, "Mum died". I continued to get messages from poor Sveta for about an hour after that and then nothing more.... No Signal.
I flew out to Russia the day after that. Thank god for a multiple entry Business Visa(!) The funeral was a sobering experience. Travelling to the Orthodox Church with Tatiana's casket and having complete starngers come by during the regular church service to say a few words... Church Babushkas peering, shaking their heads and expressing their thoughts to Sveta's Dad. The Priest reading Prayer... Standing in a Cemetery in -15C weather, watching people cry and listening to eulogies, seeing the gravediggers backfill the grave by hand with shovels and erecting the Cross, eating bread, sausage, meat pies and drinking tea/vodka shots at the grave before saying our last farewells, Sveta's Dad calling Tatiana's Cell one last time.... listening to her lovesong ringtone.... we all cried at that point....
It was this sad event when Sveta's family completely accepted me as one of them. I was brought into the morgue while Tatiana was being prepared, allowed to ride in the family Funeral Van to the Church and Cemetery with Tatiana's open coffin at our feet.... Sitting at the Head Table during the Remembrance dinner at a Health Sanatorium immediately after the Cemetery..... This is something I will never ever forget. It's true... no matter where you are from, People are People and we all share the same emotions and life experiences.

[UTRO]

That rocks Dave.  Congrats to you and Svetlana.  Sorry you had such problems having the wedding in Russia, but glad to hear her dad can attend.

Good luck and best wishes for a smooth journey for everyone, and a beautiful wedding.

Dave 

Thanks Dave Jamaica is probably the easiest place on the planet to get married and the Marriage Certificate is recognized by both Canada and Russia. (and the USA)
A plus is that Russian Nationals can travel to Jamaica without a VISA.... provided they don't have to Transit through an American airport! Ask Ravens9273 about that! Sveta and her Dad will fly from Moscow and change planes at Frankfurt, which has a Visa free Transit Zone and then fly directly from there to Montego Bay

[UTRO]

Congratulations Dave and Sveta.

I am very sorry to hear about Sveta's Mom.

I don't know how much you know about Ocho Rios. It is a pretty cool place. I have been there several times (3) with Marina. We stayed at Sandals (all inclusive) and another place for "adults only" (I forgot the name of it). I hope you booked an All-Inclusive because the price of food and drinks is kind of high on the island.

The fish is really fresh there. The lobster is also fantastic. 

Also, don't be alarmed but everybody from the taxi drivers to your room boy will try to sell you drugs. I think it is really the main source of income for the islander's. Seriously, on our bus ride from the airport (Montego Bay) to our hotel room in Ocho (about 2 hour drive), the bus driver approached almost everybody on the bus trying to sell us some pot or coke (when we made "stops" along the way to Ocho). 

Two things I would suggest to do : Go to Dunn's River Fall's.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2885827-action-pictures-dunn_s_river_falls_kingston-i-tgphotoid-2543802;_ylt=AuD5D8ZfEr8kRbe.t9mn.2RlHGoL


Take a good pair of sneakers to the falls for hiking.

The other thing is (if you like horseback riding), the island has some pretty good trails that will take you all the way up to the start of the mountain range and eventually you will wind up back down on the beach. It was a pretty cool adventure.

Marina and I wish you and Svetlana a memorable wedding. 


GOB
 

PS.... I almost forgot about the "rafting". It is kind of romantic. Bamboo rafting down a river, seating for 2. Kind of reminded me of Thailand. If it sounds interesting to you and Sveta, just ask the locals. They'll set you up.

http://www.tripwiser.com/trip_thing_to_do-Martha_Brae_Rafting_Ocho_Rios_Jamaica?itiNodeId=8a8c80fe165ecfa1011660e5abdd3ac9&eType=activity

Hey GOB and Marina..... Thanks for the Kind Wishes and the Links/Advice!
Well I guess Jamaica is what, a 45 minute flight from Miami?!? Common' down Mon lol!
Sandals was our first choice, either Negril or Whitehouse , but it really wasn't affordable for guests.... Yes, RIU is an All Inclusive
Sveta's Dad is a huge Fisherman, so I want to take him out on a Deep Sea Fishing Charter... any advice there?? You know this Wedding/Trip for him has come at no better time He has become so absorbed in it..... helped to take his mind off of Tatiana's death. Thankfully he was able to get an International Passport in only 2 weeks.... Sveta took a look through his closet last week for clothes for the trip and everything was so damn Soviet!! You know, back when the Communist Government would send Party Members to resorts on the Black Sea?? In most of the photos I've seen, he was wearing dark Suits..Soviet Beachwear!! Sveta took him shopping last weekend and he purchased khaki slacks, sunglasses, light coloured linen shirts, beige shorts and a swimsuit! He's gonna' look great!

[UTRO]

The Countdown is on and I'm heading out the door to the Airport and catching my 16:40 flight to Jamaica Mon!!! Sveta and her Dad will be getting there 45 minutes before me.
See you all back here as a Married Man 

Dave and Svetlana

[groovlstk]

Good luck and have a great time, Dave.

[SMS60]

Good to hear the news................ Congradulations!!!

Have a good time.......Which I'm sure you will.

Have a safe trip.

[Diplomacy]

Have fun and do not forget the sunscreen.!

[GoodOlBoy]

Have a good trip Dave and a very happy wedding to the both of you !


GOB

Rick and Marina Hill


PS...I just read your post about the "fishing". There is plenty of that down there, don't worry. Just ask the guy at the front desk. Everything is NEGOTIABLE in Jamaica. I am into Scuba, so I did some of that on both sides of the island. Underwater visibility is great. 

[Faux Pas]

The Countdown is on and I'm heading out the door to the Airport and catching my 16:40 flight to Jamaica Mon!!! Sveta and her Dad will be getting there 45 minutes before me.
See you all back here as a Married Man 

Dave and Svetlana

Have a wonderful wedding and a great time! Stay out of the ghettos though. There's currently as much lead flying there as Mexico