What does it mean to be untraditional?

un·tra·di·tion·al : not existing in or as part of a tradition; not adhering to past practices.

Dana and Pete.
cir·ca 1994.

My mom and stepdad met 27 years ago.

My uncle Dan brought Dana to see Peter in 1994 to buy a car. She had me and Brian with her, and Pete must have been enamored with my Mom because he let her drive off without the license plates! The rest is history.

27 years later, on July 28, 2021, they did what most couples traditionally do, they got married.

The way I grew up was far from traditional.

My mom and Pete gave me a home that allowed me to be the crazy teenager I was, which helped shape me to become the person you all know today.
For most of my childhood, I’ve been bugging them to get married, but they never needed to.
Their commitment to each other never needed a title, but it still meant the world to me that they decided to finally make it official this past summer.

This wedding was different, because it wasn’t the celebration of the start of a marriage, instead it was a celebration of the life my Mom and Pete have already built.

Pete, I’m very grateful that you came into my life when I was a kid and you’ve stuck around this untraditional family when it would have been very easy to dive for the exit. Mom, you know you mean the world to me and walking you down the aisle is something I’ll cherish forever.

Congrats and I love you both.