Dr. Melanie Ann Crites and Richard Lee Bachert were united in marriage Oct. 8, 2011, at the Nemacolin Woodland Resort in Farmington, Pa. The Rev. David Walters officiated the double-ring ceremony on the plaza deck.
The bride is the daughter of Garnet Crites and the late Rodney L. Crites of Parkersburg. The groom is the son of Donald and Christel Bachert of Temple, Pa.
Given in marriage by her mother, the bride was escorted to the altar by Avery Wells, best friend of the bride's father.
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The bride wore a fit and flare gown in alabaster of soft shimmer satin and diamond white lace with silver accents. Embellished lace and crystals swept across the one-shoulder neckline and trailed down the hips to frame the back-dropped waist. Inverted pleats throughout the train finished the sleek mermaid silhouette. The bride carried a bouquet of fall flowers wrapped in dark plum ribbon.
The plaza deck was decorated with fall flowers and leaves of oranges, reds, yellows and plums and the aisle was candle-lit. The bride and groom exchanged marriage vows in front of a beautiful arch of fall flowers, accented with horseshoes, in memory of the bride's father. Ula and Jessica Starcher, aunt and cousin of the bride, made the flower arrangements and decorated the arch. During the ceremony, the groom's sister presented a reading. In memory of the bride's father, a candle was lit and his picture was placed beside the arch during the ceremony.
The bride is a 1995 graduate of Parkersburg South High School, a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College and received her medical degree from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency in urology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey and a fellowship in pelvic reconstructive surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Florida. She is in private practice at the Center for Men's and Women's Urology in Gresham, Ore.
The groom is a graduate of Muhlenberg High School in Reading, Pa., and received a bachelor's degree in agricultural science and an associate's degree in chemical engineering from Penn State University. He pursued additional training in computer science while working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is employed by the USDA as an information technology specialist in Tualatin, Ore.
After a honeymoon to Maui, Hawaii, the couple will reside in Porland, Ore.
