High school! Introduced through mutual acquaintances, we became friends in ninth grade and remained close through high school and college, though we never dated. We fell out of touch after college, but a few years ago Mary decided to hit up her former BFF...and the rest is history.
We will receive the Sacrament of Matrimony according to the Byzantine (Ukrainian Catholic) Rite. The Ukrainian Catholic wedding ceremony shares some features with the typical Western wedding ceremony, such as the couple's exchanging of rings and profession of vows, as well as many aspects that are unique to Ukrainian Catholic tradition, such as the rushnyki (traditional embroidered towels), the Common Cup, and the Crowning. We will provide programs so you can follow along during the ceremony, but if you're interested in learning more about Ukrainian Catholic weddings, here are a few links to get you started: http://stjosephukr.com/mysteries/marriage/ http://www.archpitt.org/the-holy-mystery-of-matrimony-according-to-byzantine-rite-practice/ http://www.tserkva.ca/marriage.html
Semi-formal attire, please.
We're excited to be sharing our wedding day with you, and want you to be fully present with us as we celebrate this joyous occasion. For that reason, and out of respect for the sacred space in which our ceremony takes place, we ask that you silence and put away all cell phones, ipads, cameras, and other electronic devices during the ceremony.
Yes! Though the ceremony will be unplugged, you can snap away during the reception, and we'd love to see all the great moments you capture! If you post any photos to Facebook, Instagram, or elsewhere, use the hashtag #dzwonshank2019 so we can find them later.
If you are using GPS to navigate to Woodend, be sure to enter your destination as the complete venue address: 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815. This will guide you to the main entrance gate. If you simply enter "Woodend" or "Woodend Sanctuary," you will be lead to the back entrance. Once you arrive at Woodend, drive all the way up the driveway. The reception is to be held inside the mansion at the top of the hill. You will find parking spaces to the right of the mansion (across from the Audubon Naturalist Shop), behind the mansion (by the main entrance to the building), and down the hill toward the exit gate on Brierly Road.
There are dozens of hotels just a short distance from the reception venue. We have a room block reserved at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda. For more information, check out the "Travel" page.