A Schelling For Your Thoughts

By Jordan Schelling, Forward Report

Over the last four months, former UW safety Chris Maragos has spent much of his time preparing for this weekend’s 2010 NFL Draft. During that time, Maragos also planned for another part of his future: his wedding and marriage.

Maragos and his wife, Serah, were married April 9, in Racine, Wis. Before the two headed off on a cruise to the Bahamas, Forward Report talked with Serah Maragos, discussing a range of topics, including how the two met and their future together.

Forward Report: How and when did you and Chris first meet?

Serah Maragos: Chris and I met in college at Western Michigan; I lived on the floor above Chris and he lived on the one below. We originally connected on Facebook before school began, and actually ended up meeting just in our dorm building.

FR: What was the connection between you and Chris that led you to begin dating?

SM: Faith was absolutely the main connection between us. That was what was most important to both of us, and for both of us to understand that we were on the same page was big too.

FR: So you were dating Chris then when he decided to transfer from Western Michigan to Wisconsin, how involved were you with that decision at that time?

SM: I’ll never forget the day when Chris quit at Western Michigan. It was kind of like a black cloud was over us and we were just sitting there in my apartment like, “OK, what’s next, God?” We had no idea what was going to happen.

But Chris really just made that decision with the Lord after he thought out what was the best move for him. Once Chris made the decision, I supported him completely.

FR: Did you move with Chris to Madison right away?

SM: I moved to Wisconsin the semester after Chris, and that was a big decision as well. I think the biggest thing for me was that I wanted to be a part of Chris’ football career. That was really important to me because that was such a big part of Chris’ life.

FR: What is it like for you as his girlfriend, and then his fiancée, and now as his wife, to watch Chris play football?

SM: It’s just so much fun to watch Chris play. I have just absolutely loved every minute of Chris’ football career. It’s just such a blessing to share that with Chris. We’ve shared so many memories together that not a lot of people get to share. It’s just such a joy to watch him play.

FR: Before you got married two weeks ago, you and Chris had been engaged since the end of July. What was Chris’ proposal like and how surprised were you by it?

SM: It was just so sweet. Chris did a great job of planning. My family was in town and it was just a wonderful time. It’s funny because when he started, I knew he was going to propose. Chris really isn’t an ultra-romantic kind of guy, so when he started to get kind of romantic I was like, ‘oh, he’s going to propose!’ So it was just such a great, fun time.

It was a surprise, but I definitely knew it was coming at some point.

FR: After getting engaged, what was the entire process of planning the wedding like?

SM: Well, during the fall, we had the football season, so that took up a lot of time and really kept my mind off it. When football was over, we really started planning everything whenever Chris and I had free time together.

But, it was really more about preparing for our marriage together rather than our wedding. So, after the wedding it was like, ‘OK, it’s over, now we can start our life together.’ Our whole focus wasn’t this big ol’ wedding it was on starting this marriage together.

FR: Now that the big day has finally come and passed, what was it like? Did it live up to your expectations?

SM: Oh my gosh, it was amazing. I don’t know how to describe it any other way. It was just such a wonderful day. The Lord blessed every single aspect of our day. It just could not have gone any better. From the ceremony to the reception — the UW band and Bucky actually ended up showing up at our reception, which was really fun.

It was just a wonderful day that we would never want to do over because it went so well.

FR: If you had to pick, is there one moment from the day that really stands out to you as the best one and the one you’ll remember most?

SM: I know a lot of people say this, but the best moment of the entire day was when I started walking down the aisle. Just to see Chris’ face — he was bawling like a little baby — was just such a special moment to see your husband waiting for you.

Also, as a part of our vows, Chris and I washed each other’s feet out of servanthood to each other, just how Jesus served his disciples and washed their feet. So, that was just another really huge thing that I’ll always remember.

FR: Chris was telling me about your first dance, how did that go?

SM: We started it off slow with the Rascal Flatts’ song ‘God Bless the Broken Road’ and then it cut off like it was screwed up or something and everybody was shocked, but then it went into this series of songs that we made up a dance to.

Our thinking behind it was just to make everybody feel welcome and enjoy the reception.

FR: So, now that you’re married, how do you feel about Chris’ future in football and basing what you do in the future on how that goes?

SM: I think you just have to remember that very few people get this opportunity. So I’m just going to be Chris’ wingman for a while and support him through everything that life throws at him.

I think it’s exciting; I’m really excited for Chris and to see what the Lord has in store for him. I think we’re both just ready to see where it takes us.

As draft approaches, Maragos not worried about football

By Jordan Schelling     The Badger Herald