On Saturday, September 6, Slayer frontman Tom Araya and his wife Sandra renewed their wedding vows in a special ceremony in their home state of Texas. Adding a unique, behind-the-scenes touch to the occasion, Tom‘s longtime bandmate Gary Holt served as the officiant.
Holt, the guitarist for both Slayer and Exodus, is an officially ordained minister. He officiated the ceremony, which was attended by close friends and family, including Holt‘s wife, Lisa. Following the event, Holt shared a photo of himself in a black, long-sleeve clerical shirt on his Instagram, along with a heartfelt message about the day.
Holt’s statement in full reads: “So yesterday I had the great honor of having been asked to renew the vows for my dear friends Tom and Sandra Araya! ( yes I am ordained!) What a great day in the great state of Texas! @lisaholt777 and our BFF @jrohova and I made the trip for this most special of occasions! Much love to all!”
This personal milestone for the Arayas follows a busy summer for Slayer, who have been playing a limited number of live shows. On July 5, the band performed a tribute set at Ozzy Osbourne‘s “Back To The Beginning” farewell concert in Birmingham, England. The following day, the band played their second UK show in six years at London’s Finsbury Park, a 45,000-capacity venue.
Looking ahead, Slayer‘s only scheduled U.S. East Coast performance for 2025 is set for September 20 at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a 30,000-seat venue.
