Elias and Amelia first met in the early fall of 2015. It was Quad Day at the University of Illinois, and they were both nervous freshmen who were anxious to meet new friends after just arriving to their new school. U of I’s Orthodox Christian Fellowship was hosting their annual Quad Day dinner at their campus headquarters, the NIKA House. As Amelia embarked on meeting new people that day, she kept in her mind the possibility of meeting a fellow incoming Illini whom she heard of from her close friend. His name was Elias Pagones. That evening, the NIKA House was full of new faces. Elias, immediately recognizing Amelia from his friend’s pictures, parted the crowd, stepped forward, reached out his hand to Amelia and said “Hi, I’m Elias Pagones.” Elias and Amelia’s friendship grew throughout the next few years during their undergraduate schooling: they sat next to each other in Greek class, carpooled to church together, and Amelia would often drive Elias to school and back during breaks. It wasn’t until their last semester senior year that they started dating. Over the last four years, Elias and Amelia continued into graduate programs and their relationship became long distance. Amelia went to veterinary school, and Elias set off for seminary. On November 23rd, 2022, Elias brought Amelia back to where it all started, the University of Illinois, to ask her a very important question. They walked around campus, visited all of the buildings that they loved, including where they had Greek class, the coffee shop where they would have chess battles, and the spot where the NIKA House once stood. Finally, within the newly renovated St. Nicholas Orthodox Church close to campus, Elias proposed. Afterwards they were greeted by the church community that cultivated their relationship; they were surrounded by some of the people they love within a place that they love.

The wedding ceremony in the Orthodox Church is regarded as one of the seven sacraments. It is our blessing and our honor to share these first moments in our marriage with you. Our wedding ceremony in the church is very important to us. As the wedding approaches, we kindly ask for your prayers and we are grateful for your love. We cannot wait to start our lives together surrounded by our loving family and friends. Thank you for reading!