Wedding Party
Matthew Goff
Best Man
Life is easier when you have a brother 3 years your senior. You learn the terms, slangs, and topics the older kids are into. Your parents are less stringent. You get hand-me-downs you’re "Sure to grow into some day." You do lots of things because “that's what your brother did": played soccer; got a Nintendo 64; joined marching band and eventually Drum Major; wore American Eagle because that's the brand Matt thought was cool; grew out your hair in high school. You also choose to do lots of things differently because “that's what your brother did.” I’m sure the music I listened to, “fashion,” and some rebelliousness were all influenced by me trying to compare myself to Matt. An older brother gives you someone to compete against - an essential element for any young boy. Now, I’m once again closely following in his footsteps, by getting married only four months after his own wedding! We’ve had to apologize to our mother for having to manage both of her sons being engaged at the same time. I’m honored to be his Best Man and am proud to have him up here with me!
Katie Siems
Maid of Honor
I met Katie in the Fall of 2016, right when I was just getting to know Adam. At the time, she was just the girlfriend of one of Adam's good friends. Little did I know, I'd have the honor to attend her wedding to her college sweetheart, shower her at her baby shower this year, and she would be one of the closest friends I'd ever have. Now seeing each other almost every week for game nights has been a consistent source of joy in my daily life. Katie is the best planner I know, and I owe almost everything to her for making trips all around the U.S. It seemed an obvious choice for my Maid of Honor - stellar planner, problem solver, heart of gold, exquisite helper, thoughtful beyond belief, creative thinker, don't-take-life-too-seriously kind of friend.
Josh Thomas
Groomsman
What I miss the most about living with Josh is being able to “play engineer.” Josh (being a real engineer) and myself (being a pseudo-engineer) managed to MacGyver solutions to all of our problems over the 5 years of living together. When we lived on campus, we fit a 5-foot-wide ping pong table down a 4-foot-wide stairwell. When we moved off campus to the "Kane-Dom" (affectionately named after our eccentric landlord), our first addition was a giant whiteboard, followed by expanding our counter space by attaching plywood to the top of the washer/dryer machines. While living together, Josh and I jointly got into a bunch of activities consisting of Frisbee, Squash, Ping Pong, Bumper Pool, Comedy Clubs, and longboarding down the SMU Parking Garages. After college, Josh and his wife-to-be (Erin) helped prepare and refine me for living with my future partner. I will forever have a fond memory of being invited along to Cafe Madrid with Josh, Erin, and their family and having quail for the first time. Josh has been a constant in my life after moving to Texas, always made me feel like I had a friend and a home, and I can’t wait for him to be standing by me!
Christine Bohlin
Bridesmaid
On orientation day of University High School in Fresno, I started to connect with this blonde girl next to me in line. Although it was immediately over once I found out she had an Abercrombie swimsuit for the pool party later that day - definitely way too cool for me and a friend out of my league. Plot Twist! We became inseparable throughout our high school years, and we now live 20 minutes away from each other in Texas. Christine has been by my side through an incredible amount of ups and downs. Attached at the hip in high school, a teacher assumed my absence when I did not walk into class at the same time as her. Proclaimed "phone buddies" in high school in which we would spend hours on the phone each night doing our homework together resulted in something along the lines of trauma bonding. Her tender and longing spirit for deeper communion with Jesus was the foundation of many of our conversations growing up, and allowed our friendship to continue all these years past high school graduation.
Blake Awamoto
Groomsman
If banking doesn’t work out for Blake, he could have a successful career as a salesman given the amount of things he has convinced me to do. Buying a computer, getting new clothes, daily sunscreen, using dishwasher pre-wash, aiming high in my career prospects, using a slant board. The list goes on and on. I think part of the reason Blake is so convincing is he has this electric energy when he is excited about something which always hooks me. No matter how mundane, he can pull you in. While living at the "Kane-Dom," Blake created a 15-minute presentation on investing: why you should, what the goals are, and how to invest. If I would have listened to him during the 2020 stock market crash or Crypto boom, I would have had more appetizers at the wedding. More than finances, Blake is a guy that deeply cares. He asks me great questions (such as how I am and how my relationship is) that have continued to push and refine me. He’s been a constant and generous force in my life that I am immeasurably better for having. Wouldn't want to be standing up there without him!
Larisa Del Carlo Estrada
Bridesmaid
I met Larisa at the beginning of High School, and was quickly impressed by her intellect and heart of gold. Extremely intuitive to what others are feeling, Larisa has always been someone I can quickly connect with no matter how long it's been since last talking. Driven and smart as a whip, she's one of the people I admire and am impressed by the most. My "twin" as we refer to ourselves since we share the same exact birthday, many a birthday was spent together with all of our friends. In adult years, we've continued to bond over dystopian novels and keep up with each other's life events. Larisa has been a consistent kindred spirit to me, and I know that through her presence next to me on the wedding day, she will bring her innate levity and kindness to the whole room.
Keaten Terry
Groomsman
Keaten and I were roommates before we both moved in with our wives-to-be - and we did it right. We found the largest, cheapest apartment unit and converted the living room to an extended man cave with 2 gaming stations and oversized TVs. Meals were often cooked at the poolside grill; Bed-time started when the clock read AM; Decorations were LED lights; Art was related to alcohol; Keaten never fully unpacked. A defining period of my life. Keaten is great at getting DEEPLY interested in things. A spread of things. Whether it's the GPU for your computer rig, European or College football, or what's going to be the next hot stock (Not Financial Advice). When hanging out with Keaten, there is never a dull moment. One of my fondest memories with Keaten is blasting Early-2000’s mashups music in the car with Catherine and Josh in Galveston, refusing to leave the parked car because the vibe was just too good. Keaten lives for the vibe. When we moved in to our apartment and it came time to select who got what room, all Keaten cared about was the view from the window. When in the zone, Keaten gives any comedian a run for their money. He’s the type of guy who just makes you think the good times will keep rolling. Hyped to have him standing at the altar next to me!
Meagan Goff
Bridesmaid
First time I met Meagan was in 2013 in SMU's Freshman dorm, in the downstairs common area where several residents were all learning two-step. She was visiting her brother Adam at college and I distinctly remember 18-year-old Adam saying "I can't dance with Meagan! She's my sister!" Luckily since then, Adam has danced with his sister many a time. I wouldn't really interact with Meagan again until Thanksgiving 6 years later, where she and the Goff family warmly welcomed me into their family for the first time. Since then, we've had a knack for often showing up in the exact same outfit, proving that great fashion minds think alike. A more recent and fond memory was this past Christmas playing a murder mystery box together, in which I always appreciate her intellect and tenacity. Her thoughtfulness and ability to anticipate what others may be feeling has always shown through, and I know that no one's needs will be overlooked when she is present.
Austin Deters
Groomsman
Austin’s an enigma. He has modeled generosity for me, mastered the protestant work ethic, and is unbelievably intentional; yet, he’s also the guy that threw mini-firecrackers inside of my house. I met Austin at an on-campus interview at SMU before either of us knew we were committed to attending. The future “Doctor” Deters has been part of my life ever since - somehow managing to repeatedly visit my hometown and parents' town for work (he's getting his PhD in Engineering Controls). As stated earlier, I’ve always been impressed by Austin's generosity, which he has provided both gracefully and also forcefully. He’s the first to suggest leaving a host a gift, offering his help and advice, or grabbing the bar tab. Whenever discussing Austin as a Groomsman, Emmeline pointed out he will be great at both parts of the job: will get you partying the night before the wedding, and on time to the altar the next morning. If I’m stumbling up to the altar, you know who to blame!
Aubrey Bryant
Bridesmaid
Another similar story, Aubrey was just the girlfriend of one of Adam's friends in college. And again, I had the honor (and a ton of fun) to attend her wedding to her college sweetheart! The sweetness I find in our friendship is the steady growth of appreciation for each other. With each passing year, I find our friendship and conversations deepening. One of my most dear memories is of spending a week in Colorado together with both couples. What was so meaningful about that week is that it marked the friendship with the comfortableness of being able to spend a working week together with few activities planned and just being able to enjoy each other's company. My appreciation for Aubrey and what she's brought into my life are the intensely thoughtful conversations about life, religion, careers, friendships, and relationships. Our one-on-one time is saturated with meaningful exchanges and the hours are rarely wasted on small talk. With all that we share, I know that her supportive, intimate, and real friendship will continue to extend beyond the big day.
John Ruggio
Groomsman
John was my last roommate. I bought a house close to my work at Citi with plenty of space that I could rent out - hopefully to a close friend of mine who happened to work in the area and whose lease was expiring….. I basically had to beg him to move in with me: pulled him the comps from Apartments.com; showed how the rent compared to my monthly payments; offered both bedrooms; yadda yadda yadda. At the same time, I weaseled Emmeline into moving in with me - something about “Safer during Covid…” Our throuple was fun. Emmeline witnessed how many hours two men can sink into the same video/board game. I learned there are people that enjoy arguing as much as me. John learned how much he liked the area, as when he bought his own place 2 years later, he moved into the unit 230 feet away. John is the best at suggesting a movie on Netflix followed by spending the next 15 minutes scrolling to make sure there are no better alternatives, bringing the energy to the start of the party, and getting us all up to speed on what’s REALLY going on in the world. Can’t thank him enough for standing by the altar with me!
Laura Walsh
Bridesmaid
In college, I joined a sorority brand new to campus, Phi Lamb. There were lots of faces blending together in a sea of like-minded girls. By fate or divine intervention my Senior year, I was placed in a prayer group with only two other girls, one of them being Laura. Once placed in a more intimate environment, we quickly realized that our own unique blend of girly with appreciation for dark and harsh realistic humor was a gem to find in another person (I would venture to say we both strongly relate to Barbenheimer). Laura's friendship extends beyond just us, as her family welcomed me to spend Christmas with them in Dallas one year when I had no plans of my own. In addition, Adam and I have had the honor of being invited to spend a few extended family vacations with Laura's parents, making the friendship bonds go deeper when seeing all the different connections that have formed. Through college and into the real world, Laura has been my confidant and dear friend, even being several states apart. Long phone calls, shared Instagram reels, and the occasional long weekend trips have kept us feeling close.
Travis Siems
Groomsman
Travis is the All-American Man ... Eagle Scout. Killer saxophonist. FANG-level coder. God-Fearing. Honest. Generous. Kind. Carries the beer at disc golf. All of which is negated by my anger towards him due to his supernatural ability to win every board game we play. Travis and I are opposites. I have to be doing a dozen things at once to be content - Travis has a one-track-mind. I am guaranteed to miss the disc golf putt when I’m 6 feet away - nothing but net for Travis. I waited a few years before proposing to my college girlfriend - Travis didn’t last ‘til graduation. Travis is an incredible dude and will soon be an incredible father (come November 2023!) for me to start to learn from. I am too grateful to have him standing at the altar next to me - can't hurt that his wife will be holding my bride's bouquet!
Josh Gonzales
Groomsman
Josh has an Opinion. It's what I like the most about Josh. I also have an Opinion. In a lot of ways, Josh and I think quite alike. And that's great. But it's in the areas where our Opinion differs that we have the most fun. Josh is well-read and interested in a score of topics, and I have fun debating whatever he is interested in at the time, so our conversations never run out. After graduating college, Josh and I lived a couple blocks away from each other. Every "Happy Hour" we would go to our local swanky bar, Parliament, discussing everything over cocktails. I met his future wife, Aubrey, when they started dating, took several trips to Austin with them and - many whiskeys and one heart attack for Josh later - officiated their wedding. Josh is a generous, stylish thinker who can make one hell of a cocktail, and I can’t wait to have him standing beside me.
