Season 9 The Age Of Weddings Blog 18: Alexander’s Wedding

 Alexander’s Wedding

Key: in this installment Paige B=my cousin Paige

On Friday, April 24, 2026, I got off the plane in Orlando, Florida and waited for Mom, Dad, Josh, and Paige to get off. Once they deplaned, we made our way to baggage claim and then to get our rental car. We had arrived at around 1:15, and Alexander and his wife Alexa, had gotten married at the courthouse at noon. The reception was the next day, in their backyard. We were staying with my aunt Eva and uncle Zach, but their 6 year wedding anniversary was the 25th, so they were celebrating when we landed. As a result, we decided to spend time with other family members.

We arrived at my grandma's house around 2:30, and we stayed and talked to her and my grandpa Joe for a few hours. After that we went to Alexander and Alexa’s house to help set up for the reception. By the time we got there everything had mostly been set up, but aunt Alicia lives on the same street as Alexander and Alexa, so we spent the rest of the evening with her, Paul, and Austin, when he arrived.

Cousin Simple has been on a tour for the last few months (The Dayton show was part of it), and they had a show in Detroit on Friday. Ryan and Luke landed in Orlando at 9:20 on Saturday morning. Once they arrived at Eva and Zach’s, we hung out, ate breakfast, and Paige and I went for a swim, before it was time to go. 

There was a cocktail hour at 4:00 and the bride and groom were to enter at 5:00. During the cocktail hour we mingled with family and at around 4:55 Paige B, her husband, Austin, and their kids arrived. At the same time it started raining.  About 30 minutes later, when the rain slowed, Alexander and Alexa entered, they greeted everyone and despite the rain, they were very positive, (and I promised myself I would remember that for my wedding when something goes wrong).

We began to eat, and then it was time for pictures. After we got a family picture Paige and I walked up to a mirror that was by the front gate. On it in vinyl was written, “Alexander and Alexa 4.24.26.” Eva asked if we wanted a picture and we said yes.

Eva grabbed the polaroid camera, and took the shot. I wouldn't notice it until the next day but Alexander and Alexa were in the mirror when Eva took the picture. It kind of looks like Paige and I are getting a picture and our future selves (as a bride and groom) are in the mirror waiting. 

After Eva handed me the picture, Paige and I walked up to Alexander and Alexa and congratulated them. “So,” I asked, “out of professional curiosity, how does it feel?”

“You know,” Alexander said, “it feels amazing!”

“We can’t wait to celebrate you guys in a couple weeks!” Alexa continued.

As the night went on and we danced, I watched how happy Alexander was. While I have written about him before, out of all my cousins, he has appeared the least. This is mostly due to the distance, but I mean, he’s my older cousin; I've known him my whole life. Most notably, he spent a year and a half or so living in Columbus. Alexander has been dating Alexa since 2017, and I have known her since 2020. I have never seen either of them as happy as they were on their wedding day!

Congratulations, Alexander and Alexa! Hope you have a Greattastic life together- your cousin, J. Mitchie Ulibarri, SBT

Season 9 The Age Of Weddings Blog 17: The Bouquet

 The Bouquet 

After the sunset, we all returned to the Bachelor Cabin, played a game of Catchphrase, and then most people went downstairs to play pool or Kerpunk. My brother Ryan, Josh, and cousin Austin opted for the hot tub. With the Bachelor party nearly at its end, we started to talk about the next time we were all going to see Austin.

“I can’t believe they are getting married next month!” I said.

“I know,” Ryan said, “They just got engaged in December!”

“Actually,” I continued, “I have a great video from Paige’s Wedding.”

“Princess Paige’s?” Austin asked, referring to his sister, my cousin, as opposed to my fiancée. 

“Yes," I replied, “Actually, I'll show you.”

I hopped out of the tub, dried off, ran up to my bed where my phone was charging, and scrolled through until I got to the end of October 2021. I remembered the night well. My cousin Paige had just gotten married, and we were at the reception. About 30 minutes into dancing, we were instructed to get off the floor so they could do the bouquet toss. When I got off the floor, I stood next to Eva, Alexander (Paige and Austin's brother), and, to my surprise, his girlfriend, Alexa. Eva and I prompted her to join the other women, and she stood at the very back of the group.

“Alexa's going to catch it,” I whispered to Eva jokingly as I started recording. Paige threw the bouquet, and it went right to Alexa! I'm so glad I was recording because after she caught it I got a close-up of her and Paige, and then one of Alexander, who was trying his hardest to process what had just happened. I watch the video before running back downstairs and showing it to Ryan, Austin, and Josh, and they all burst out into smiles!

In the installment I wrote about Paige’s wedding, I kept that description of Alexa catching the bouquet in, even though I didn't know when they were going to get engaged. However, for Alexa's birthday, Alexander and her went to New York, and they got engaged on that trip. I assumed, just based on how stressful wedding planning has been for us, that Alexander and Alexa would not get married until after I did. 

I was surprised then when I found out that their wedding was set for April 25th. I am a romantic. I always have been, and I always will be. And as a result, I'm very into the superstitions/traditions around weddings. I think the bouquet toss is the one thing I've never really taken too seriously. Like it makes sense that a wedding is going to be insanely magical for the bride and groom, but the idea of passing that magic immediately on to another couple who is not directly involved in the current wedding just seemed a little, I don't know, too unrealistic. Does that make sense?

Anyways, I think Alexander and Alexa have proved me wrong. My cousin Paige's wedding was not the last wedding that either I or my cousin Paige have attended. But because Alexander and Alexa's wedding is happening a month before Paige and mine, on the Ulibarri side, Alexander and Alexa's wedding is, in fact, the next wedding after my cousin Paige’s.

To Be Continued…