Ariana & Raymond
Wedding Party
Ariana Hooper
Bride
The woman, the myth, the legend...
Raymond O'Malley
Groom
Speaker of the (Dog)House
Caroline Dunczyk
Matron of Honor
Ari met Caroline when they were teammates in at Goucher College. They became friends quickly, but they were cemented for life after the Scorpio 21st Birthday Crawl (the Greene Turtle never financially recovered). Caroline is undoubtedly Ari's closest friend, the person she turns to for the biggest and littlest events of her life. There's no other greater duo when it comes to Twilight rewatching parties. Ari loves Caroline's honesty and self-confidence, her sense of humor, and how she knows exactly what to say.
Marco Salinas
Groomsman
RJ and Marco met on a purple playground bridge as they turned to each other, as all seven year olds do, and asked, "do you want to be friends?". Marco helped RJ survive the terror that was his first Chargers game against the Raiders, they endured a few years together at Petco, and have been fortunate enough to vacation together in Maui, Italy, and Spain. RJ appreciates how Marco pushes him to try new things, will always have talks about their desires for their futures, and understands every Spongebob reference.
Megan Elias
Bridesmaid
Ari doesn't remember when she met Megan...that's how deep their lore goes. They bonded in high school over ice hockey and are half responsible for the Penguins back to back championships. They later bonded over Bad Bunny and attending multiple Eras tour shows together (they were business trips), which eventually led to them exploring Italy together! Ari loves Megan's sense of humor, her athleticism and adventurous spirit, and her meme game.
Ryan Powell
Groomsman
Powell really supported RJ through his awkward teenage years and for that, he will always be thankful. Ryan was the first one RJ told about his new girlfriend, Ari, and how she goes to a different school - he was really jazzed up for RJ. He continues to be like a brother to RJ, and even though they haven't lived in the same city for some time now, they always manage to find a way to continue their tradition of traveling to Mammoth for trout fishing most summers. RJ is thankful to have Powell in his life to venture Kauai with, to play thousands of hands of poker, and to have as a best friend for nearly 14 years.
Melanie O'Malley
Bridesmaid
The sister Ari always wanted and never got arrived in her life when she met Melanie. Mel and Ari bonded over Taylor Swift conspiracy theories, cute dogs, and Pretty Little Liar reboots and get a cute little drink time and time again. Ari loves Mel's determination and her humor which always shines through in the dark!
Ryan Carlson
Groomsman
Carlson's friendship to RJ means a whole lot - even though Ari doesn't like it ... RJ is secretly a San Jose Sharks fan because of him, just don't bring it up to her on the day of the wedding! Ryan and RJ started their relationship in high school, but they strengthened their relationship in 2020/2021 during Covid. Ryan reintroduced RJ into the welcoming family of Emmanuel Faith and exposed RJ to the grace that God shows us all. They both shared wonderful mornings with Ari at Pipes Cafe and he opened the dangerous door to them that is third wave coffee. RJ is very lucky to have Carlson to make Seinfeld references to, to discuss how to be a better man in our lives and our future families, and to explore the streets of Italy with.
Makenna Saward
Bridesmaid
Ari and Makenna met in high school at the club field hockey program. They rekindled after Makenna graduated college and after one fateful day at Better Buzz, they became the North County's most formidable coaching duo. Ari cherishes their memories of long days at the PHS field, sometimes going a bit delirious and seeing a flying bat or two (Go Pios!). Makenna always sends encouraging and hilarious videos, words of wisdom, and the occasional (okay, more like frequent) Pedro Pescal edits and is a genuine light in Ari's life.
Ryan Howell
Groomsman
Howell and RJ met each other through mutual friends in seventh grade and since then, they have been tied to the hip ever since - so much so, they spent two weeks in Hawaii together along with 10 days driving 2,370 miles to Alaska in a very (very) memorable experience together. RJ and Ryan are separated by a 56 hour drive for the next two and a half years, but they always make time to FaceTime weekly and reminisce on old memories. RJ loves how easy it is to spark up a conversation with Howell about a memory from 10 years ago and feel like it was just yesterday. RJ is blessed to have the Lieutenant in his life to call whenever he needs to relax and get away from the world - he always has RJ's back (because RJ's tax dollars are paying for his paycheck).
Sydney Burr
Bridesmaid
Ari and Sydney met in high school playing field hockey. They rekindled after a Instagram DM where Sydney asked "hey can I come coach?" and Ari said "can you do goalie stuff??" knowing full well Sydney did not play goalie. However, Sydney was determined and learned anything and everything goalie without a second thought. The formidable North County coaching duo became a trio and obviously it worked...check the trophy case! Ari loves Syd's humor which was a savior on hard days and how realistic Syd is. Ari can't wait to see Syd's reaction to anything Chappell Roan does next.
Steven Dunczyk
Groomsman
RJ knew him and Steven were going to be best friends when they stood in front of each other, waiting for their girlfriends, wearing nearly the same outfit (khaki's and a gray long sleeve). Steven and RJ have been through a power outage at the Towson Mall (they were so brave running out onto the streets!), they played ping pong for hours in the humid night of Orlando, and they have devoured countless Wawa sandwiches together. RJ is thankful to have such a relatable person in Steven, along with with a great friend who was so kind to share Greta Van Fleet with him at their peak.