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Melashenko - Wallace
It was a fun wedding that united Dana Melashenko and George M. Wallace in marriage at 5 p.m. December 22, 2002.
The ceremony took place in the hayloft of a three-story wooden stable located on the Jenkins Estate in Aloha, Oregon.
The hayloft was softly lit with candles and Christmas lights.
A red velvet runner separated two sections of white chairs and red roses adorned the chairs on the aisles.
The stage held two pillars of red roses with pomegranates surrounding the pillars.
Large white candles lined the walls between the audience and the stage and small candles hung in the window in front of the stage.
A guitar/fiddle/flute trio played "The Wedding Song" as the family was seated.
The music changed to a Christmas medley as the candle lighters Jennifer Nies and Megan Melashenko, cousins of the bride, carried trays of lighted red votive candles and placed them on white pedestals on the stage.
The groom and best man Ryan Muse, dressed in gray tuxes and red ties, took their places in front along with Pastor Karl Haffner, who is a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor at the Walla Walla College Church.
The bridal procession entered as the trio played Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major.
The bridesmaids wore red gowns and carried bouquets of white amaryllis and the groomsmen wore gray tuxes and black ties.
The bridesmaids were Brooke Millar, Jocelyn Jutzy, Amber Peterson and Ryan Lunsford.
The groom’s attendants were Cameron Libby, Danny Terry, Rob Mohr and Jeremy Beam.
Then came the maid of honor, Jaime Sandefur, the bride’s college roommate.
She wore a red gown and carried a bouquet of white amaryllis.
The flower girl, Cassidi Sandefur, wearing a long, sleeveless white dress adorned with tiny white flowers, tossed tissue snowflakes in the bride’s path instead of traditional flower petals.
And then, to the strains of Trumpet Voluntary, the bride, wearing a one-of-a-kind gown and carrying a bouquet of red amaryllis, was escorted up the aisle by her father, Bob Melashenko, who agreed with her mother, to give her in marriage to her groom.
The ceremony proceeded without a hitch until, without warning, the groom and attendant Cam Libby, left the room, taking everyone by surprise.
Curiously taken aback, the bride was left standing at the altar.
Pastor Haffner stated that the seminary had not taught him how to handle a situation such as this.
Signs of relief were heard as the groom and the groomsman reappeared with a guitar and stool.
Tears filled the eyes of many guests as the groom gazed into his bride’s eyes and sang "When You Say Nothing at All."
After the song, the groom once again stood face to face with his bride as they joined hands to say their vows.
Pastor Haffner pronounced them husband and wife, they kissed, and the guests cheered as silver bells were rung by the groom’s grandmother Florence Kitzan and his aunt, Vickie (Kitzan) Moore and cousins Rachael, Brittany and Jessica Moore.
Mr. and Mrs. George M. Wallace then headed down the aisle and out of the room, on their way to together forever.
The wedding party and 110 guests relocated to the main house at the Jenkins Estate for the reception.
An orchestra played holiday music and other appropriate songs while guests visited, took photos and enjoyed the repast.
At about 10 p.m. the newlyweds left amid cheering, and the party was ended.
After a two-week honeymoon to Kauai and Hawaii, George and Dana Wallace are at home in Vancouver, Washington. Dana graduated from the University of Portland with a journalism major.
She works for a magazine in Portland, Oregon. George graduated from Walla Walla College with a teaching degree.
He is employed by the Vancouver, Washington school district.
The bride’s parents are Bob and Connie Melashenko of Vancouver, WA.
She is the granddaughter of George and Beth Melashenko of Paradise, CA and Barbara Nies of Sun Valley, CA.
The groom is the son of Renee (Kitzan) and David Sloan of Salem, OR and Michael Wallace of Lebanon, OR. His grandparents are Florence Kitzan of Hebron, ND and Ed and Esther Wallace, Stayton, OR.
Special wedding assistants were Myra Peterson and Patti Sandefur.
