Maria Menounos is feeling a lot of agape (love) toward her parents following her traditional wedding in the village of her father’s birth.
The popular television personality and author, who married Keven Undergaro on Saturday after initially saying “I do” in an impromptu New Year’s Eve ceremony last year, paid tribute to her parents Constantine and Litsa on Instagram, after her wedding in the tiny village of Akovo, in the Peloponnese.
On Tuesday, Menounos, 40, posted a black-and-white photo dancing with her dad at the wedding.
“Love my dad so much,” she captioned the post. “This was a dream for him. He was born and raised in Akovos. Though he’s the proudest American you will find, he is also equally proud of his roots.”
“Growing up we saved all the spare change we found on the nightclub floors we cleaned in Boston to save up and visit Greece,” Menounos continued. “It meant so much to him for us to be connected to our heritage, to know the language and the traditions. Both my parents wanted that. It took years but finally we visited in 1988 when I was 10. I loved it. We spent almost a month in Akovos and it always held a special place in my heart. Returning to get married there was my wildest dream come true. All of our friends and family helped make it truly the most special moment of all our lives.”
Menounos also revealed that her father had health problems right before the wedding: “My poor dad got so sick a week before the wedding and we almost lost him. Luckily my friends and family helped him get better all while keeping me in the dark. This is why I feel so blessed.”
She concluded, “To have my parents at my wedding I know wasn’t easy between dad’s diabetes and mom’s cancer. I know many who weren’t as lucky and I will never take that for granted.”
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