Wedding Party
Mitch Keranen
Best Man
Chance’s best friend since that fateful day at 6th grade summer football camp. They initially bonded over the fact that neither of them wanted to be there, and that bond only grew stronger over the years. Lord knows there have been ups and downs, what with all the physical and psychological “bullying” from Mitch and Chance, respectively, but if anything their friendship has only strengthened from the mutual suffering. Please pester Mitch for any and all stories spanning their 20 years of friendship, ranging from slightly embarrassing to mortifying.
Amara Becker
Maid of Honor
Angela's best friend since high school who has been by Angela and Chance's side from the very beginning (literally). Amara and Angela became besties through their shared sense of humor and their love (and hate) for high school basketball. Since then they have been a package deal! After over a decade of crazy adventures, laughter, hugs, tears, and everything in between, they have forged their bond as sisters - always there to give each other a hard time while still being their biggest supporter. Amara is Angela's biggest cheerleader and fiercest friend and will most definitely be crying on the big day.
Josh Johnson
Officiant/Groomsman
Not unlike everybody else’s experience, Chance’s first interaction with Josh was full of lies and deceit, but primarily intrigue. For too long Chance thought Josh was a genius prodigy starting college at UW at 16 years old, and it wasn’t until much later that everyone learned he’s no prodigy - just a genius - and certainly older than 16 (the persistent facial hair should’ve been a dead giveaway). Chance and Josh were fast friends, and once introduced to Angela, Josh quickly became their third wheel and has been unofficially adopted into Angela’s family.
Kyler Hayes
Bridesman
Lucky for them, Angela and Kyler's parents became friends before they were born and so they have been best friends since birth. With a shared love of musicals, they would regularly force their younger siblings to perform original works for their parents - complete with costumes. With similar ambitions in STEM, Angela and Kyler have been able to lean on each other as they navigate their careers while having plenty of deep chats and laughs along the way. Kyler has been in Angela's life from the very beginning and their unique bond has resulted in a beautiful life-long friendship.
Axl Canyon O'Neal
Brother/Groomsman
When you meet Axl, you may think to yourself, “Haven’t I already met this guy? But he was so much more charming before... and significantly shorter.” A classic conundrum; everybody says Chance and Axl are basically twins separated by a couple years and at least one layer of atmosphere. Growing up together, Chance and Axl shared many of the same hobbies - video games, catching frogs, working as unpaid farmhands - and enjoyed long days and late nights of unfriendly competition. Ultimately, Axl would say he gets the gold medal for both height and intelligence, officially ending their contentious sibling rivalry.
Abby Bergman
Bridesmaid
Abby was one of Angela's first friends in graduate school. Her welcoming charm and chatty nature allowed them to quickly become close, providing steady guidance as she and Chance navigated moving to California. From Costco trips to weekly dinners, Abby has become a part of their California family, taking in Comet as her favorite furry nephew. She's put up with their constant badgering about movies she hasn't seen and new board game rules with minimal complaint while ensuring they stay in shape with their weekly workouts. Angela is lucky to have such a caring and loyal friend by her side.
Matt Gill
Groomsman
At first glance, Matt and Chance may seem like an odd pair of friends: Matt loves musicals, is the first guy on the karaoke mic, and he’s extremely driven and motivated (as indicated by his upcoming securing of a Stanford PhD). Whereas Chance does not share those qualities. But they ultimately share a sense of humor, the ability to not take themselves too seriously (most of the time), and being intellectually challenged… or rather, challenged intellectually. The regular dinners and game nights with Matt and his partner Tess have been highlights of Chance and Angela’s time in the Bay, and that’s in no small part due to Matt’s entertaining and energizing personality.
Danica Schmidtke
Bridesmaid
Danica and Angela have become an infamous duo in their graduate school lab, constantly causing chaos with their shenanigans and trying to do too many experiments at once. They have been inseparable since taking a work trip to Spain and subsequent European vacation where Angela and Chance got engaged! Through many late night belly laughs, inside jokes, and long car chats, Danica and Angela became best friends, bonded by the trials and tribulations of grad school and existing in your 20s. Despite missing each other at UW for four years, their paths were meant to cross and Angela is so grateful to have found another soulmate.
Alex Bianchi
Groomsman
Alex and Chance initially found common ground with their love of the gym and being arm-candy for their Stanford-PhD-pursuing partners. While he originally perceived Alex as an intimidating and stoic hockey-bro, Chance quickly learned that Alex is actually a goofy, chatty, wine-loving hockey-bro, adding yet two more things that they had in common (we’ll let you determine what those are). Alex and his partner Mai have demonstrated what true friendship looks like: patiently sitting through countless hours of Chance explaining the rules of and playing his favorite board games that they often have very little interest in. Let it be known to all who read this: Chance greatly appreciates it.
Mai Dvorak
Bridesmaid
Angela and Mai are often mistaken for the same person. From their boisterous laugh, brunette hair, shared location in the Plant corner of the lab, to their shared anniversary with their high school sweethearts, they discovered that there was some foundation to those claims. Over the past three years, the two found even more in common through their love of fitness classes, cooking, and trivia. Mai is a devoted friend, colleague, and partner who makes everyday a party (literally). She and her partner Alex have become an important part of Angela and Chance's California family.
Jason Ku
Groomsman
Jason was just a shy and nerdy Electrical Engineering major when he was assigned as Chance’s roommate at UW. Despite his demeanor, Jason was ready for all sorts of debauchery, including - but not limited to - introducing Chance to Rocket League and sharing his illicit Cabernet Sauvignon collection he stored under their shared bunkbed, resulting in Chance getting far too interested in online car soccer and red wines. Their journeys have separated them, but they still manage to get in an online game or two every so often and visit each other to see a new horror movie in theaters whenever Jordan Peele comes up with a new crazy idea.
Naiomi Hunter
Bridesmaid
Naiomi and Angela's love story started the first day of graduate school. They clicked instantly, giggling through all their first-year classes side-by-side. Naiomi's adventurous energy helped Angela to get out of her comfort zone and explore all that California has to offer. Together they have navigated the twists and turns of grad school and building a new life in the Bay, strengthened by their shared sense of humor and sisterhood. Naiomi is someone who dances through life and her fearless optimism has been invaluable to Angela over the past five years.