Kalistan

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Empress is Married in Eveari
Martin Collins-Ananto to be named Emperor-Consort
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
September 15, 5641


Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Mary I Ananto and His Highness Emperor-Consort Martin Collins-Ananto

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Mary I Ananto has been married.  The long awaited event happened in Eveari Grove in the northern foothills of the Green Mountains in Ananto.  The event was a civil ceremony, held at the Eveari Grove Outdoor Pavilion, which is a favorite spot for the Empress when she is hiking in the Grove:  She loves the rusticness and the deep woods feeling of the old growth Redwood grove in this area, and wanted to share it with those who came for her wedding.  The Ceremony was conducted by the Baron of Northridge, Baron Carl Overton, who is one of the Empress' direct vassals.  At 12:47pm, the Empress and Mr. Martin Collins were pronounced Husband and Wife, and their lives as a married couple began.

The Empress opted not to engage in a Brethrenist Ceremony, as she is not a member of the Practice, however, many members of the Eveari Brethrenist meeting were invited, and Her Imperial Majesty and her new Husband were nonetheless presented with a Brethrenist Wedding Certificate as a memento of the Service, given her status as a Birthright Brethrenist.  The Wedding ceremony was short and official, and both the Empress and Mr. Collins wrote short statements of commitment and read them during the ceremony.

Following the ceremony, there were wedding photos, where not only the wedding party took photos, but also the family, and all guests.  The photos were then published in an official souvenir wedding album, a copy of which was provided to each guest during the reception.  After the photos, the royal couple went to the reception, where they greeted both members of the Kalistani Government and Peerage, The Gaduri Viceroy, and foreign dignitaries.  In attendance were

• His Excellency Chancellor Szymon Nowik and longtime partner Mateusz Gawryś of Valruzia, who were the first foreign guests to arrive at the Wedding,
  
• His Excellency, Premier Ngawang Delacroix the Custodian Wangdue Tenzin from Xsampa, who offered Her Imperial Majesty two Xsampan Yaks that will graze freely across the Nevaran Plateau
  
• His Majesty, King Romulo, Her Majesty Queen Nicole, the Prince of Amateria Artemio, Princesa Carlota, High Councilor Formoselle, and Royal Councilor Montalivet from Egelion, who presented the royal couple with a custom made silver broach of an owl wrapped in laurel leaves, engraved with diamond and citrine,
  
• Her Highness Queen Jaanika and Prince Kristiāns of the Empire of Dolgava
  
• His Highness the Grand Prince of the Crown Tommaso and Her Highness Princess of the Crown Melissa from Istalia who offered to make a generous donation to the Redwood Fund to continue planting trees on the Northern Slopes of Ananto for wedding gift,
  
• His Majesty King Alexander III and Her Highness Queen Madeline, Ambassador to Kalistan Prince James, Prime Minister Rosalyn Woodbury and Crown Princess Arianna from the Kingdom of Hutori, who donated 25 million Lira to the Dulnerstaad Ocean Wildlife Center, and presented to the Couple a gift of a very large, uncut Hutorian Ice Diamond from the Isle of Sutton on behalf of the Owise Nation of the Mashacara.  As a personal matter, King Alexander III also gifted the royal couple a bottle of Skyhold Reserve Whiskey from the Royal Family's personal stock.
  
• Dr. James Forrester, Administrator-General of the newly independent Commonwealth of Lodamun, who graciously and cordially accepted Her Imperial Majesty's invitation to the wedding last month
  
• (The Luthorian Emperor Richard II and Empress Valeria were delayed when they boarded the wrong train in Kaliburg, and ended up arriving in Eveari an hour after the reception began.  They were welcomed nonetheless, and Her Imperial Majesty made a special effort to welcome them and tell that that despite just completing her second visit to Luthori a month earlier, she had been looking forward to finally meeting the Luthorian Monarchs at long last.)
  

Lady Anya Waltrip, who greeted the foreign dignitaries with Her Imperial Majesty and the Emperor-Consort said she was thrilled at such an excellent assemblage of dignitaries and expressed regret that more nations could not be represented. “The Important ones are here at any rate,” Lady Waltrip said. “That’s really what matters.”

Her Imperial Majesty and the Emperor-Consort take the first dance at their Reception

After meeting with all the guests, dinner was served.  Her Imperial Majesty, a long time vegan, was served tofu stir fry with a side of garlic seasoned rice noodles and fresh greens, while the Emperor Consort had red snapper over rice pilaf and a side salad.  The guests themselves had several options for their meal, and the kids had their choice of various kid friendly foods, including chicken alfredo personal pizzas.  Desert was either fresh fruit (which of course, the Empress opted for) or artisan gelato brought in from the Eveari Gelato specialist Enzio Gorlami.

The cake cutting followed.  Her Imperial Majesty had two cakes prepared, a smaller one for those who wanted a vegan option, but the main cake was several layers tall, and was shared by all.  Following the cake cutting and toasts to the newlyweds, there was dancing and general conviviality.  The rules of the Protocol were officially suspended during the reception, and for many Kalistanis, this was the first time they were welcomed to come and speak directly to Her Imperial Majesty without a formal audience.  Most Kalistanis still observed the protocol nonetheless and spoke primarily to either His Highness the Emperor-Consort, or the Her Highness, Princess Margaret to ask them questions, refraining from speaking directly to the Empress herself, though taking the opportunity to ask questions about her.  The Empress graciously accepted their deference, and acknowledge their salute with respect of her own toward them.

Finally, the band arrived and began by playing a waltz to which the Empress and Emperor Consort claimed the first dance.  It turns out that both of the couples are excellent dancers, and people allowed them their space.  The dance ended with the Emperor Consort bowing to kiss the Empress' hand.  Then, as the royal couple returned to the head table, the dancefloor was opened to the guests who danced and drank and stopped by to wish the Empress and her new husband well.  The Empress, for her part watched the festivities, but opted to remain at the table, where she greeted guests and spoke with her Mother, Her Highness Princess Monica Ananto-DeLaurentis-Morrison, her Sister, Her Highness the Princess Margaret Ananto-Westmoreland, and her Aunt, Her Highness Princess Michelle Ananto-Sandoval.

Mother to the Empress, Princess Monica, together with Her Imperial Majesty and Princess Margaret

The Empress also spent a significant amount of time speaking with her cousin, Nicole Reina Montalivet from Egelion and caught up, as well as her long time family friends, Queen Jaanika of Dolgava and Prince James of Hutori and Chancellor Szymon Nowik of Valruzia.  Meanwhile, the new Emperor Consort took the opportunity to dance as the band played mostly modern tunes.  At about 7:45, the Royal Family and several royal guests were driven back to Ananto Estate about a half a mile away to retire for the evening, while the band was replaced by a local disc Jockey, DJ Evi, who spun dance tracks in a super extended mix until after midnight.  As the open bar closed, and guests boarded shuttles to Eveari, which was just a few miles away, the wedding was declared a success, and almost everyone there had a fantastic time.

The next day, the Empress invested His Highness in the Ancient Order of the Gray Smoke, as a Stranger Knight Companion, the title fitting the Spouse of the Mistress of the Order.  She also granted the Emperor Consort the County of Sulari in Suldanor for his demesne.  The Emperor Consort will move into Cliff House where he will maintain a personal office, and says he would like to continue his journalism.  He also said he would like to be involved in professional sporting ventures on some level.

All those who turned out for Her Imperial Majesty's Wedding are thanked most graciously for their attendance.  As royal weddings are important events, the Empress considers the attendance an affirmative statement of comity, if not outright friendship, and she is truly appreciative of those who were kind enough to take the time to attend and celebrate the occasion with her and her new Husband.

@LaModa