mr. & mrs. starita

In honor of Melanie and Andrew's six-month anniversary, I figured it was about time to blog about our trip to Utah for their wedding in April.

It was a fun trip and we were able to spend time with many of our favorite people.

First up we got to see Candace.

Candace and I were roommates for over 3 years while undergraduates at BYU. It was a busy Saturday and we didn't get to spend a lot of time together, but we were able to check out her new place and visit long enough to make me wish we loved closer. Candace was getting ready to cruise the Caribbean and I am still feeling a little jealous. A lot of my favorite memories from BYU include Candace, as well as some embarrassing ones. I guess that is the measure of a true friend, someone that knows embarrassing things about you and loves you anyway. 

Next we got to see Darren.

We didn't get to spend a lot of one-on-one time with Darren as he was getting married and all, but it was great to share his special day with him and Liz. Darren and Tony have been friends since they both got back from their Scandinavian missions (Tony=Finland and Darren=Sweden) and lived in the Liberty Square area. I like to make fun of Tony because he frequently talks to Darren, but when I ask how he's doing, he usually replies that he "thinks he's fine," but he knows the intricacies of his fantasy sports teams. 

 

  

  I stole this group picture from Cindy's facebook page. Cindy, if you read this, thanks!

After Darren's wedding we had a few days to get ready for Melanie's.

In the days leading up to the wedding Laura and I baked many of the reception treats, with a little help from TJ.

 

We were able to be at the temple with Melanie when she went through for the first time.

The night before the wedding the Starita's hosted a family dinner at Cuccina Toccana in Salt Lake City. We were served more delicious food than I could possibly eat, especially considering we were going to be dressed in formal attire the next day. In addition to the good food, I enjoyed meeting Andrew's family and hearing stories about the bride and groom. Melanie and Andrew are a perfect match. :)

 

   

Melanie and Andrew were married in the afternoon on Thursday, April 26th.

 photo by Ravenberg Photography

 Melanie looked radiant on her wedding day.

That evening their reception was held in the ballroom of the Provo Library. That room is so gorgeous, with great views. 

 Photo by Ravenberg Photography

We were so lucky that Will's uncle and several brothers of the groom were willing to spend time with him at the reception, so Anthony and I could visit with friends and family.

Sisters and sisters-in-law of the bride.

Dad and his girls.

There are now three brothers-in-law in the family. Tony's not feeling quite so outnumbered.

 

Girls still outnumber the boys though.

 

I got to see another one of my awesome BYU roommates, Melissa, when she came to the reception with her cute kids. We didn't have nearly as much time to talk as I would have liked, but it was still great to see her and so nice of her to come.

The day after the wedding we hijacked the John Girl's Weekend, stopping by their cabin in the mountains for a few hours.

It snowed (in the mountains) the night before. 

We got to meet cousin Weston for the first time.

Will and TJ threw snowballs at each other.

After a few hours we headed back to Aunt Ginger's house (our home away from home during our visit) and packed our bags. We flew home the next day. We were all so tired and happy to get home. It was a crazy-busy nine days. I'm sure I am missing a lot, but this post is already a marathon, so I'll leave it at this.

Happy 6th Month Anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Starita! We were honored to take part in your wedding day! Sorry it took me so long to post about your wedding, and thanks for giving us an excuse to visit some friends. :) Love you!

 

Andrew & Melanie :: 4.26.12 :: Salt Lake Temple