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Cosmonaut's bride: Wedding had 'a non-traditional touch'
NEW YORK (CNN) -- On Saturday, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, a crew member on the international space station exchanged vows with his bride, who was at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The bride, Ekaterina Dmitriev, spoke to CNN's Wolf Blitzer Tuesday. BLITZER: Ekaterina, first of all, congratulations. DMITRIEV: Thank you. BLITZER: I guess this is an unusual wedding. But why couldn't you wait? DMITRIEV: Because Yuri and I are so much in love. Just ecstatically in love. BLITZER: Another month or two would have been a big deal? DMITRIEV: No. BLITZER: So how did you come up with this idea to do it via, I guess, satellite, is the only way I can describe it. DMITRIEV: Well, our whole relationship has been very different from the get-go. I mean, we've had a long distance relationship over the telephone. We've gotten to know each other through words, not through physical bonding or anything like that, but through I guess the old fashioned way. So to him, while he's up there, for us to do it through the phone just seemed correct. And I got a bonus from NASA, because they allowed us to put it on the screen. He could see me and I could see him. BLITZER: And what was the biggest challenge in trying to orchestrate this space wedding, if you want to call it that? DMITRIEV: Well, the biggest challenge really was just getting everything together, organizing everything. I mean, just like a wedding. I just had a few other items to work with. And you know, just work with everybody on it, and get everything coordinated, get everything thrown together so that it would run smoothly. And sure enough, it ran very, very smooth. BLITZER: But there were bridesmaids and ushers and all that kind of thing? DMITRIEV: Yes. Yes. BLITZER: You did a real formal, kind of traditional wedding. DMITRIEV: Yes. It was traditional with a non-traditional touch. BLITZER: And then you had a reception? DMITRIEV: Yes, I did. BLITZER: What was that for? DMITRIEV: The reception was for basically for the support and to thank everybody for everything they helped me with, everything they did. BLITZER: Afterwards, did you cut the cake and all that kind of thing? DMITRIEV: I cut the cake. I did everything. I had the first dance with my father. So. BLITZER: Did you throw the bouquet? DMITRIEV: I forgot to do that. BLITZER: You forgot to do that? DMITRIEV: Yeah. BLITZER: Now, what about a honeymoon? DMITRIEV: Honeymoon will be in Australia, is what we're thinking of now. BLITZER: You go to Australia. And then where do you live happily ever after? DMITRIEV: In Moscow. BLITZER: In Moscow? DMITRIEV: Yes. BLITZER: That will be a great -- we're looking forward to seeing that reunion, once he comes down. Are you a little nervous up there? DMITRIEV: Yeah. Yes. I'm ready to see him, and I'm ready for us to start our lives together, because that's what I really, really want right now.
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