Professional Photography - Brian Tao of Luxography
If you would like to order any of Brian's photos, you can view his print prices
online. For questions, feel free to contact Brian at
brian@luxography.ca or call 416-717-2799 (Brian is located in
Toronto so if you're calling from the USA, dial a 1 first).
Photos from friends:
Andy: Photos
David & Morgan: Photos
F'jord: Photos and Video
Riana: Photos
Matt: Photos
Ann: Photos
Paul: Photos
Beatrice: Photos
Danyel: Photos
Thanks all who have taken photos and shared them! If we've forgotten to add your
photos in the above list, send us an email and we'll add them.
Welcome to Nikita and Kev— I mean Lenore's—wedding!
This past week, I was faced with writing two speeches: a
conference talk about privacy enhancing technologies, and
this one. I wondered if there was any way to combine them,
thus saving some effort, but I figured you wouldn't want to
hear about Diffie-Hellman, whereas the conference folk may
very well enjoy hearing about Nikita's wedding.
Nikita and I were procrastinating by updating our CVs
recently, and we of course noticed the non-trivial overlap
between them. We both went to Waterloo Math for our
undergrad, Berkeley CS for our grad, sharing the same
advisor, and we have publications in common. We've worked
together, played together, and gone on trips together. Now,
of course, Nikita is a professor, and has inspired my own
return to the academy, which will make it all the more
important to make sure all of our conversations don't
devolve into work geekery.
I've known Nikita and Lenore for a long time. In fact, I'm
one of the few people that met them both, before they met
each other. The late '90s in the Bay Area was a magical
time: money was free, and parties were plentiful; Prince
entirely underestimated the meaning of "Party like it's
1999". It was on this backdrop that this couple met.
Between the House of Toast, PAIP, and Nikita's own parties,
Lenore was drawn (kicking *and* screaming) into our little
circle of friends, many of whom, of course, are here today.
Since then, I've gotten to know Lenore and her many
superpowers: her power of illogic; her power of insta-sleep
(and the associated power of squealing); her power of
compassion and caring, as evidenced by her CASA work; and
her amazing power to make my lj friends page scroll faster
than a speeding bullet. I have shared many experiences with
Lenore: happy ones, scary ones, and fuzzy fuzzy fuzzy ones.
I look forward to many more positive experiences with the
Snorisov—I mean Borisov and Borisova—family.
I'd like to close with a short poem; I'm sure Mr. Snitow
will have one of his own to offer a little later on.
Rammsaleh, pammsa-Le-
nore and Nikita did
enter their marriage
before us today.
Of course their wedding's not
hypertraditional!
They're unique people; they
did it their way.
Congratulations to Nikita and Lenore: not a new couple, but
a long-time couple, entering a new stage of their lives
together. Nikita and Lenore!
(Note: For those who don't know, Kevin was Nikita's roommate for most of
his years in California. Since they hosted parties through which many of us know
each other, many of us also are very familiar with the phrase "Kevin and Nikita"
since that was on every part invite)
Hi my name is Molly and I've known Nikita and Lenore for more years than I
care to count. It means so much to me to be given this privilege, tonight. Thanks guys.
When Lenore called me many months ago and told me that she and Nikita had gotten
engaged, my immediate thoughts were "FINALLY!" followed immediately by
"OMIGOD IT'S GOING TO BE THE BEST PARTY EVER!". And boy, was I ever right about that one.
Look at this crowd, all my favorite people in one room and I don't even have to get married!
Thank you all for coming and making this an even more incredible day for Lenore and Nikita.
As most of you know by now, I have been stressing about making this speech for a long time.
Despite the fact that I have usually lived very far away from them, Nikita and Lenore have been
such a big part of my life and I didn't really know where to start. When I need a shoulder to
cry on I know I can call Lenore, her emotional insight and unwavering support and special kind
of logic always make my troubles seem less dire. When I need a couch to crash on, a ride to the
airport for a 6am flight or if I ever have the urge to discuss the finer points of computer security,
I know that Nikita will be there. Whenever I wanted to travel to a far away and exotic place
Nikita and Lenore are sure to have similar plans. So where was I to start?
I knew I wanted to make an amazing speech, I wanted to say something special, and memorable
but I have so many fond memories of time spent with Lenore and Nikita that I got a little overwhelmed.
I could talk about our adventures and misadventures in Africa... or in Amsterdam... or in London... or in
California... or in Toronto... or in Waterloo... or in New York... and I could go on. I could also talk
about all the amazing people that I met through them, and continue to meet through them. But then
I realized that I would quickly become all weepy, and just end up incoherently blubbering
"I love you guys, I really do!" and that would be no fun for any one...
So then I had this AMAZING idea. It seemed super appropriate and memorable perhaps even funny.
A well known fact about Nikita is that he is a huge ABBA fan. So I thought I'd do a speech made
up of ABBA quotes. How cool would that be!!!!
Knowing that Lenore was not as big a fan as "Nikikita", I decided to run it by her first:
I said "Knowing Me, Knowing You" "I Have a Dream" but she wasn't "Head over Heels" for the idea.
Normally our little "Angeleyes" is such a "Super Trooper", but she went "On and On and On".
I thought, "Mama Mia!" "Does Her Mother Know" this girl is so "Gimme Gimme Gimme."? She won't
even "Take a Chance on Me". But that's the "Name of the Game", "The Winner Takes it All".
So I said to all those who tried to help, "Thank You for the Music", but "When All is Said and Done"
I'm afraid that this idea had met its "Waterloo".
Once again I am lucky, for I know that Lenore has such a big heart that she will eventually
forgive my little ABBA dialogue. What she doesn't know is that she is also very lucky that I
didn't go with plan B and use the puppets and backup singers.
After much deliberation and a few attempts to outsource, I realized what I really wanted to say.
Having known Nikita and Lenore for all this time and having seen them struggle and grow together,
I think that they bring out the best in each other. Lenore, Nikita... you are two of the luckiest
people I know. In this big crazy world of ours, you have found each other. I hope to see you
continue to grow and challenge each other to be bigger and better people. I hope to see that
delightful playfulness that characterizes your relationship for years to come.
Of course no wedding speech would be complete without a cheesy aphorism about how this is
just the beginning for Nikita and Lenore, but really... we all know this is no beginning,
but rather a logical continuation of what has come before. To Lenore and Nikita!
Dear friends and family, it is my pleasure to extend to each of you a very warm welcome on
behalf of Lenore and Nikita. My name is Martin Frith. I am an officiant with the
Humanist Association of Canada.
A few comments before we begin-
A few announcements before we begin- although we live in a wired age, you're requested to turn off all electronic devices so you can enter into this ceremony.
A word about the ceremony. Just as Nikita and Lenore have chosen each other from among the world's multitudes, they have also carefully chosen and designed each element of this ceremony, including their vows.
This is a very happy day and you too have already played an important part in the formal proceedings by your presence here today. Some of you have travelled from both coasts of the United States, from Vancouver, and as far away as Russia. But all of you have come to signify your support for Lenore and Nikita and to celebrate their love.
They thank you very much for your love, and your presence here today.
The words that will be spoken here today are significant, though they are not what join these two. Nor is it this ceremony. We are not here to mark the start of a relationship but to recognize a relationship that they have nurtured for over 61/2 years. Lenore and Nikita have already joined themselves together, and we have gathered so they might bear witness before us of the friendship, love, trust and respect that has grown between them.
We are here to witness their statement of love and commitment. Lenore and Nikita, to create a life together
requires that you honour the uniqueness in each other and in yourself; that that you not ask your life
partner to be any less than the person they are; that you embrace the other in their complexity—in their delights, in the fullness of their dreams. This is both the gift and the challenge of married life; to live together with openness, honour, courage, and honesty.
Today let us celebrate with Lenore and Nikita, in their hopes and desire for what they are yet to be together and as individuals.
Lenore and Nikita, do you come with joy and anticipation to this moment when you will be legally joined in marriage? Do you pledge to treat each other with kindness, respect and compassion, to listen to each other and to speak to each other with honesty, today and always? Reply: We do.
Lenore and Nikita, as you celebrate your love today, you remind us that marriage need not be a melting pot in which differences cease to exist. As you become a married couple you bring together your two pasts, each with the richness of your own family and cultural traditions. As you have already, may you continue to celebrate the heritage of the other. With the support and encouragement each can give to the other, you will be able to develop new personal dimensions, adding new memories and new hopes to those you are bringing into this union. May the love that has brought you together continue to grow and enrich your lives.
For a reading, Nikita and Lenore have chosen an excerpt from the book titled,
"Gift from the Sea". It is
written by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Charles
Lindbergh's wife. Nikita's sister, Maia Buterin, will deliver the reading.
"Here the bonds of marriage are formed. For marriage, which is always
spoken of as a bond, becomes actually, in this stage, many bonds, many
strands, of different texture and strength, making up a web that is
taut and firm. The web is fashioned of love. Yes, but many kinds of
love: romantic love first, then a slow-growing devotion and, playing
through these, a constantly rippling companionship. It is made of
loyalties, and interdependencies, and shared experiences. It is woven
of memories of meetings and conflicts; of triumphs and
disappointments. It is a web of communication, a common language, and
the accepance of lack of language, too; a knowledge of likes and
dislikes, of habits and reactions, both physical and mental. It is a
web of instincts and intuitions, and known and unknown exchanges. The
web of marriage is made by propinquity, in the day to day living side
by side, looking outward and working outward in the same direction. It
is woven in space and in time of the substance of life itself."
Nikita, do you take Lenore to be your partner through all of the days of your life, to love her and to cherish her, to help her and to honour her, and to give her understanding and comfort in whatever the future may bring in confidence that together you are responsible for your destiny. Reply: I do
Lenore, do you take Nikita to be your partner through all of the days of your life, to love him and to cherish him, to help him and to honour him, and to give him understanding and comfort in whatever the future may bring in confidence that together you are responsible for your destiny. Reply: I do
I, Nikita, love you, Lenore, and want to share the rest of my life with you, through
good times and bad. You have been a true friend, a faithful companion, and an equal
partner in our relationship for many years. I promise to be all of these things to you
as well, but more than that, today we create a new family and I promise to hold
the interests of our family above my own. I call upon these persons here present to
witness that I, Nikita, do take you, Lenore, to be my lawful wedded partner.
I, Lenore, love you, Nikita, and want to share the rest of my life with you, through
good times and bad. You have been a true friend, a faithful companion, and an equal
partner in our relationship for many years. I promise to be all of these things to you
as well, but more than that, today we create a new family and I promise to hold
the interests of our family above my own. I call upon these persons here present to
witness that I, Lenore, do take you, Nikita, to be my lawful wedded partner.
For several thousand years, men and women have exchanged rings as a token of their wedding vows. The ring is the symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end. Love freely given has no giver and no receiver - for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May your rings always call to mind the freedom and the power of this love!
As the ring is placed on the finger, each party says:
Lenore/Nikita, "I offer this ring as a symbol of my love and affection for you."
