Melanie and Josh first bonded over a shared yearning to play badminton. They quickly found out that they shared much more in common than the humble shuttlecock; in fact, they found that they had almost everything in common. After a series of enchanting dates in the Albany area, Melanie accidentally unleashed a gauntlet of tests to gauge Josh’s resolve. Over the course of the next few months, Josh was psychoanalyzed repeatedly by Melanie’s best friends on her behalf–tests that Josh has been said to have passed with flying colors. The culmination of these tests came when Melanie invited him to her sister and brother in law’s wedding. After several hours taking the trains to Ronkonkoma, Josh walked miles with his suit to check into the hotel (motel? Inn? drug den?) Melanie booked for them (not knowing)…The Lakeland Inn (all of the locals were aware of this dubious location’s dubious reputation). Melanie’s childhood best friend Danielle picked him up, with great concern–“why did you book a place that has an hourly rate?”--and took him to meet the entire family at once. They did not end up staying at the Lakeland Inn.

The next phase of their relationship was marked by infinite happiness and great memories. Trips to Boston and Northern Vermont, hiking in the Adirondacks, going to concerts, lazy Sundays making eggplant parmesan and playing video games, and summer nights on the back deck under the stars were some highlights amongst many special times together. As their love grew, they also worked together to revamp Josh’s house in preparation for Melanie to move in. They worked hard to replace the wall-to-wall carpet, pick out new furniture, paint and redecorate. Though they have not yet replaced the yellow bathroom fixtures, Melanie and her cat Luna have happily moved in with Josh and his cat Kiwi, and transformed the house into a home. Soon after, Josh proposed while on a snowy walk on their favorite loop around the neighborhood.

This brings us to the next chapter in Josh and Melanie’s story–a wedding on October 13, 2024 at Gedney Farms in New Marlborough, Massachusetts. They are beyond excited to share the charm and beauty of the Berkshires with friends and family to celebrate their love and marriage, and hope that it will prove to be as special a weekend for everyone there as it will be for them. Thanks for reading!