Bruno's parents lecture Bruno on the finer points of romance during his and Agnese's first dance.
Bruno and Agnese met in Paris when they were both there completing their graduate degrees. They were both born in Italy, Bruno's family having emigrated to the United States when he was a young child. The two had planned to marry in Italy, where Agnese's family still lives, but before they could make the trip, Bruno was diagnosed with a recurrence of leukemia, which he had battled as a teenager. In light of his diagnosis, the couple decided to stay in Pittsburgh, where Bruno's father works as an anesthesiologist, so Bruno could complete his cancer treatments without the additional burden of traveling during the pandemic.
While Agnese had to get married without her parents and sister by her side, as covid restrictions had blocked travel from the EU, she had the support and love of Bruno's family, who welcomed her as their new daughter without reservations. Bruno and Agnese had decided even before their wedding that they would live in his parents' house for the following year while Bruno underwent treatment for his leukemia.
Even though they certainly missed the beauty of Italy, Bruno and Agnese were blessed with an uncharacteristically sunny and idyllic day in Pittsburgh. They served arancini, a popular street food where Agnese is from, along with catered tacos and cake, at their reception. They even had a friend from Italy there to join them, who is currently in a Ph.D. program at Notre Dame.
