How We Met... Told
from Jason's point of
view, (Monica
may or may not remember
it this way!).
Monica
and I met a Duquesne in
the Fall Semester of our
junior year. After being
formally introduced at
a mutual friend's party,
Monica begged me to
walk her home across the
10th Street Bridge and
back to campus. Being the
gentleman that I am, I
kindly escorted her back
to the dorms, where I chose
to politely decline her
multiple invitations to
spend the evening, (How
dare her try to take advantage
of me on the first date!).
Over the next few months,
Monica was extremely anxious
for another opportunity
to hang out with me,
as she was quite persistent
with her phone calls,
emails, gifts, candy
gram's, and midnight serenades.
Not being able to resist
her passes, I finally
caved in and accepted
Monica's invitation
for a second date. On Valentine's
Day of 2001, Monica
and I spent a wonderful
night on the town and..... the rest is history!
Engagement
Story...
Date:
Friday, October 21st, 2005
It was a cold, dark, dreary... just kidding!
On the weekend of October 21st, Jason was just returning to the Poconos from
baseball. Due to a 5k that was canceled the weekend before, Monica planned
a trip into New York City to pick up the gift bag from the race, (anything
for a free pair of socks!). The original plans were to spend a night
in the city and do some sightseeing; however, Jason made other arrangements.
Purchasing the ring well in advance, (the day before), Jason rushed to
the Poconos to seek permission of Monica's parents to marry their daughter.
After catching their breaths, they proudly gave Jason their blessing,
and he went ahead with his plans.
Staying at a hotel in the heart of NYC, Jason shocked Monica by having two-dozen
roses delivered to the room and also by making surprise dinner reservations
at Sushi
Yasuda, a top-notch sushi restaurant in the city. Being that these actions
are completely out of character for Jason, Monica started to become quite suspicious.
The couple enjoyed a nice intimate dinner, tried a few new foods, (eel, salmon
roe...), and topped off their meal with a very tasty red bean and green tea
ice cream. Because theirs was the last reservations of the evening, by the
time were finished eating, Monica and Jason had the entire restaurant to themselves.
At this time, Jason walked around the table, got down on his knee, pulled the
wooded ring box from his pocket, and asked for Monica's hand in marriage. Taking
notice of what was transpiring, the entire staff of Sushi Yasuda stopped what
they were doing and applauded the newly engaged couple. Following the dinner,
Monica and Jason went salsa dancing in the city, a perfect nightcap to an eventful
day. A Saturday morning brunch at Public's sealed
the deal, and Jason and Monica happily returned to the Poconos to announce
the good news.
Brides Info...
Name:
Monica Alejandra Restrepo
Hometown: Cartago, Colombia
and now East Stroudsburg, PA
Email: mrestrepo4@hotmail.com
Born and raised in Colombia,
South America, Monica and her
family moved to the United
States in 1988, when she was
9 years old. Monica enjoyed
the remainder of her childhood
in Shawnee on Delaware, PA,
while attending school at Smithfield
Elementary and later East Stroudsburg
High School. Following in the
footsteps of her sister Silvana,
Monica continued her education
at Duquesne University, in
Pittsburgh PA, where she would
graduate in 2002 with a Bachelors
Degree in Marketing and a Minor
in International Business.
After college, Monica returned
to her hometown to work for
The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort
and now serves as the Guest
and Public Relations Manager.
When not working, Monica enjoys
going to the gym, (especially
for spinning class), snowboarding,
spending time outdoors, and,
of course, raving about her
new nephew Noah!
Grooms Info...
Name:
Jason Richard Startari
Hometown: Pittsburgh, (Pleasant
Hills)
Email: jstartari@hotmail.com
Jason is a 1998 graduate of Seton-La
Salle High School and a 2002 graduate
of Duquesne University, both in Pittsburgh,
PA. At Duquesne, he sporadically studied
Health Management Systems and graduated
with a Bachelor's Degree in that
field. After college, Jason was fortunate
enough to have the opportunity to
play professional minor league baseball,
for which he spent summers in Albany,
NY; Boston, MA; and Kalamazoo, MI.
After four very enjoyable seasons,
Jason has chosen to retire from professional
baseball, in pursuit of other adventures.
While preparing himself to begin
another chapter in his life, Jason
spends his time canoeing, camping,
fishing, reading, going to the gym,
pickin' some geetar, and oh yeah,
WORKING! Jason wants to take this
opportunity to thank all of his friends
and family for their love and support
- he looks forward to celebrating
with you soon!
The
Wedding...
Date:
Saturday, September 23rd, 2006
The ceremony will be held on
the golf course on Shawnee
Island, located in the
middle of the beautiful
Delaware River, starting
at 5:00pm.
There will be a tented reception
on the golf course, Shawnee Island,
adjacent to the ceremony site;
starting at 7:00pm. All guests
will be directed to the golf Starter
and will drive Golf Carts to the
ceremony / reception site. Because it will take an extra
15 minutes to drive a golf cart to
the ceremony site, all guests are
encouraged to meet at the Bag Drop
area at 4:30pm. After
the reception, all guests will
be shuttled back to the Shawnee
Inn.
Immediately following the ceremony
will be a Cocktail Party at the
site of the ceremony, from 5:30
to 6:30pm
Notes: Attire will be Semi-Formal
Evening, (Cocktail Dresses and Suits).
The ceremony and reception will both
be held outdoors, so please plan
/ dress accordingly. Check the weather
forecast prior to your arrival.
The
Wedding Party...
Bridesmaids:
Silvana Kirby - Matron of
Honor
Karol Parra - Cousin of the
Bride
Paula Carvajal - Cousin of
the Bride
Sherri Startari (Foster)
- Sister of the Groom
Lyndi Startari - Sister of
the Groom
Carina Fabricatore - Long-time
Friend
Finnah Escritor - College
Roommate
Camille Vaglia - College
Roommate
Erika Sengbusch - Friend
/ Co-worker
Groomsmen:
Rick Startari - Best Man
/ Father of the Groom
Jim Foster - Brother-in-Law
Adam Kirby - Soon to be Brother-in-Law
Troy Andrulonis - Cousin of the
Groom
Adam Warhola - College Roommate
Mickey Droney - Long-time Friend
Matt Collavo - Long-time Friend
