Amber & Ry
Wedding Party
Thomas Donahoe
Best Man
Ry met Thomas during his freshmen year DOC orientation trip at Dartmouth College. Over the following four years in Hanover, their paths crossed off and on through a number of activities and social events. Their friendship really started to bloom in 2011 when Ry moved to San Francisco and became roommates with Thomas at the renowned Oakplex apartment along with friends Greg Rolfes and Chris Brouwer. Throughout the following years, Ry and Thomas became such good friends that they took to hanging full size portraits of each other in their respective homes--much to the chagrin of their tolerant partners. Ry served as Thomas' best man at his wedding, and the two remain incredibly close. Ry is honored to have Thomas standing beside him as his best man when he marries Amber.
Jacinth Sohi
Maid of Honor
Amber met Jacinth during her first week at Uber. Jacinth was the first person at Uber that made Amber feel welcome (even though Amber is pretty sure that she would not have landed the job if Jacinth had been in office during her interview). They bonded while launching Uber's wfh support team, reviewing hundreds of resumes, working grueling hours, and later over dog stalking, weekend trips, and international travel. When Ry was away at Business School, Jacinth was Amber's platonic replacement boyfriend. In addition to being excited to have her in the wedding, Amber looks forward to bickering with Jacinth as if they were an actual couple for many years to come.
Deserae Stevens
Matron of Honor
Amber met Deserae when they were both 16 and working at Taco Bell. Amber wasn't particularly fond of Deserae when they met because she felt Deserae was the kinder, prettier, and more respectful (to their awful manager) version of herself. Fortunately, Deserae demanded to be liked and Amber gave in. They quickly became best friends, then roommates, and are close friends today. Amber was present for the birth of Deserae's first child (Christian) and is excited to have Deserae be a part of her wedding.
Alex Antonucci
Groomsman
Alex is Ry's brother-in-law through his marriage to Ry's sister Natalie. Ry first met Alex during one of his trips to visit his sister at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. They got to know each other even better during Alex's bachelor party near Great Sand Dunes National Park filled with hiking and sand-surfing. Over the ensuring years, Ry has gotten to know Alex better as a friend and member of the family, and has been excited to be a part of Alex and Natalie's family growth. They've both taken to discussing running, reading, and napping (especially with Alex's recent parental duties). Speaking of which, Alex helped make Ry a first time and proud uncle to Vincent born September 2019. Ry is excited to have Alex as a groomsman after standing similarly for Alex at his wedding.
John Ejike-nwogu
Bridesmaid
Amber met John while he was an intern at Zynga. She's pretty sure that he was terrified of her and might still be. Despite her abrasiveness, they have remained friends for the last 9 years. Over the years Amber has forced John to go on 10 miles hikes, gotten him nearly kicked out of kickboxing class, and celebrated many of his birthdays by baking funfetti cakes. John has been a close friend and offered support (via juice boxes and fruit snacks) during rough times. He’s flown to Mexico with a box of tiaras to celebrate her birthday and in general been a great friend. John was also Shan’s partner in crime in setting Ry and Amber up and went as far as threatening to no longer be her friend if she did not "at least give Ry a chance". Turns out he was right!
Jordan Rose
Groomsman
Ry and Jordan met freshmen year at Dartmouth College through their mutual friend Mike Knapp (another groomsman). Over the following 4 years, they became great friends highlighted by a study abroad term together in London, playing together on the Dartmouth rugby team, and sharing many found memories in Hanover playing basketball and discussing music. Jordan preceded Ry by 2 years at HBS and helped him with his application and finding a Cambridge apartment (Jordan's old one). Despite living on opposite sides of the US, they continue to keep up via their annual marathon (most recently in Minneapolis-St. Paul), trips to each others' respective city, and texts that span everything from Premier League soccer to Eddie Money. Ry is grateful to have Jordan as a groomsman.
Mike Knapp
Groomsman
Ry and Mike met freshmen year at Dartmouth College during Ry's short-lived rowing career. While crew might not have been Ry's passion, he's forever grateful for it because it introduced him to great friends like Mike. It was clear the two were destined to be lifelong friends when Mike introduced himself with a hearty butt slap seconds after meeting. Since that time, Ry and Mike have spent countless hours playing basketball (in a mutually over-competitive style), discussing literature (who can forget the infamous Hemingway vs. Melville debate?), and supporting each other in their respective relationships with their SOs and becoming dog dads. Ry's incredibly fortunate to have a longtime friend like Mike in the Bay Area, and is excited to have him as a groomsman.
Natalie Antonucci
Bridesmaid
Natalie is Ry's sister and only sibling. One of the things Amber has always loved and admired about Ry is his deep affection and dedication to his family, particularly his sister and mother. It's been exciting to become part of the family while also watching Natalie's family grow as she's recently become a mother. Amber is enjoying spoiling baby Vincent with animal costumes and baby toys. Amber has also loved getting to know Natalie and looks forward to establishing a deeper connection in the future.
Patrick Garrison
Groomsman
Ry and Patrick met during Harvard Business School, after both were assigned to the same first-year section. Later on, fate would place their seats side-by-side in the back row of the class where they took on the self-declared roles of being the class's Statler and Waldorf. The two quickly became friends, meeting up at Cambridge watering holes to discuss everything under the sun--from their days in finance in NYC to the nuances of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The two have been fortunate to travel together to Berlin, Copenhagen, Nashville, San Luis Obispo, and the Smoky Mountains for the 2016 complete solar eclipse. The two continue to keep up via texts and visits between LA and SF filled with Star Wars virtual reality games and street tacos. Ry is thrilled to have Patrick as a groomsman.
Ruslan Tovbulatov
Officiant
Ry first met Ruslan freshman year at Dartmouth College. Over the following years, their paths kept crossing--student groups, sports (rowing, basketball, running), parties, a brief very brief co-radio host career, and being roommates (London, NJ, and Stamford). They have been lucky to keep up over the years both being located off and on between NYC and SF. Amber met Ruslan through Ry's Dartmouth friend group and very quickly decided that she liked him too. This was made clear when Amber bought Ruslan vintage Dunkaroos from eBay when he said he hadn't had one in years. She also enjoys his Stinson Beach DJ sets. When the two had to decide on an officiant, they both independently thought of Ruslan (yay--agreement!), who brings a sense of gravity and fun to whatever he does.
Shantanu Talapatra
Bridesmaid
Amber met Shan when he was a new grad starting work at Zynga. She enjoyed spam messaging him on Skype and knocking things over on his desk while demanding that he fix errors in his code (of which there were many). They grew to be friends through the standard startup hazing and Shan's constant demands that she "drink her drink!". Shan later conspired with other friends to get Amber to go on a date with Ry and though she was surly about it at the time, she can't thank him enough now. Amber has now worked at two companies with Shan and considers him to be a lifelong close friend.
Kinsley
Flower Girl
This probably won't go well...
Vincent Antonucci
Ring Bearer
Ry and Amber's nephew via Alex and Natalie. He wasn't old enough to be ring bearer when the wedding was originally scheduled for May 2020. But, thanks to COVID, he got an extra year to grow into the role. We still haven't told Moriarty about the change...
Nugget (Moriarty)
Assistant to the Ring Bearer
Best boy and furchild to Amber and Ry. Lover of scratchies, snacks, and all of the attention. Probably wasn't responsible enough to be a ring bearer, so now he's part of the ring bearing team. Please nobody bring cheese to distract him from his official duties!
Ryan
Demanding Friend
He demanded to be added, so here he is. He felt underrepresented but he's not in the wedding.