Wedding Party
Camellia Edalat
Maid of Honor
Camellia and I met on the first day of medical school orientation and instantly clicked. The moment we realized we were both Persian, we started slipping Farsi into conversations and never really stopped. What began as a shared background, quickly turned into one of the most important friendships in my life. Since then, she has been there for every update, every “okay, but listen to this”, and every challenge life has thrown our way. Through it all, she has become my travel buddy, my favorite person to visit, and one of the people I can count on the most. No matter how busy life gets, we always make time for each other. We've been through some of the most stressful and memorable years of our lives together, and our friendship only gets stronger with time. Camellia is now an ophthalmology resident at Tulane, and she’s been one of my greatest constants — my Persian sister, my forever friend, and the person I trust most for life’s biggest moments.
Jackson Chiao
Best Man
Jackson and I met as kids playing soccer together in Phoenix and have been close ever since. By high school we were neighbors, shooting hoops, hanging out at each other's houses, and spending nearly every weekend together. We went to different colleges but stayed close. There were visits to Seattle, a trip to Japan, and more hours of video games than either of us would probably like to admit. Jackson is the person I call when I need a straight answer, a financial advisor, or someone to just show up, and he always does. Dependable, kind, and a genuinely great listener, he is the kind of friend everyone hopes to find and few are lucky enough to keep. He recently married his wonderful wife Sharon, and there is no one I would rather have standing beside me today.
Allison Sih
Bridesmaid
Allison is technically my sister-in-law, but she has felt like my sister long before any official paperwork . She’s been there through every confusing chapter of growing up, every school spiral, and every unfiltered thought I’ve had. We first met in Philadelphia while I was visiting Aeen in 2017. Alli took me on a food tour of the city and politely called me “mature.” Over time—and after a few too many of my texts—she quickly realized that “mature” might have been a generous first impression (lol). Allison is a urologist in the Bay Area, mom to our Sona, and one of the best cooks I know. She has managed to expand my diet and teach me vegetables are delicious when you cook them correctly. Being in the Bay Area for the past two years, and being close to her has been one of the best parts of this chapter.
Aeen Asghar
Groomsman
Aeen is Arveen's brother, and over the years has become a great friend and a big part of my life in his own right. We first met when I was in college and he came to visit Arveen in Tucson, and the friendship has only grown from there. Watching Sona, his and Ali's daughter, grow into the three year old who will be stealing the show as flower girl today has been one of the great joys of becoming part of this family. Aeen is a urologist, a wonderfully organized human being, and someone I have genuinely come to look up to. He always has a plan, always comes through, and has been an extraordinary older brother to Arveen. Getting to officially call him family now is something I do not take for granted.
Brooke Leber
Bridesmaid
Brooke and I really became close during COVID, when “Fun Fridays” and making TikToks were our version of entertainment. One of my favorite memories is those early days of laughing nonstop and figuring out life together in the middle of everything feeling uncertain. For Brooke, she says it really clicked for her in California, when we were wrestling on the beach in San Diego. We could treat each other like actual siblings, and that’s stayed true ever since. She will still call me just to catch up or ask for advice, and I do the same with her. It’s been really special getting to watch her grow into her life in Chicago as a consultant. I feel proud of her, but more than that, just lucky to get to be along for the ride.
Conner Leber
Groomsman
Conner is my younger brother, and like most siblings we had our moments growing up, but as adults we have become the best of friends. He played soccer at Cal Poly and the University of Washington, where he won a national championship, and has somehow ended up taller, more athletic, and better looking than me, which is just something I have had to come to terms with. We had the chance to live together at our parents' house for a stretch, and somewhere in there we went from brothers to genuinely great friends. These days we play golf, play cards, and have more fun than we probably should. He is quiet until he is not, and anybody who knows him knows him would agree. I could not ask for a better brother or a better friend.
Neha Parvathala
Bridesmaid
Neha and I met sophomore year of high school when a mutual friend told her I wanted to go to Holi. We threw colors, played with water guns, and by the end of that year we were best friends. She’s been one of my constants ever since: sleepovers, summers doing nothing, me driving her everywhere, long college phone calls, trips to LA, New York, and meet ups in Phoenix, and eventually introducing her to Christian over pizza in a park. Neha is now a resident at NYU pursuing cardiology. Being around her feels exactly the same as it did at sixteen: easy, joyful, and so familiar.
Patrick Wintergalen
Groomsman
Patrick and I go back to grade school in Phoenix, where we played soccer, lived on the same street, and eventually carpooled to high school together. Most of my weekends growing up were spent with Patrick and Jackson, playing basketball, hanging out at each other's houses, and playing every game we could get our hands on. Years later we ended up living together the first two years of medical school, which made us even closer. College sent us in different directions, but the friendship never wavered. Patrick has a gift for picking up right where things left off, no matter how much time has passed. He is one of the most loyal people I know, the kind of person who shows up for his people without making a big deal of it. He is now engaged to the lovely Erin, and I could not be happier for them both.
Gabby Feher
Bridesmaid
Gabby and I bonded in the first weeks of medical school over both being in the Master’s program. Things really took off when we started carpooling to school every day since we both lived in the city. We quickly became integrated in each others lives, studying together, driving together, and always partying together. In between studying we’ve been to Vegas, Europe, NYC, Chicago, ski trips, concerts, and everywhere in between. She was there when Christian visited Philadelphia for the first time and she’s been there for so much of what matters. Gabby is now a neurology resident at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, and still somehow makes everything more fun just by being in the room.
Will Sevy
Groomsman
Will and I met in medical school in Phoenix, and it did not take long to realize we were cut from the same cloth. We shared a love of golf, sports, and a laid back approach to life, though that never stopped us from being absurdly competitive. We spent countless hours on the golf course teaming up against Patrick and Jackson, playing pickleball with friends, and finding our way to the same brewery downtown more often than was probably smart. By second year we were next door neighbors in the same apartment building, our bedroom walls literally shared, which tells you everything you need to know about how close we became. Will recently married his wonderful wife Andrea, and I have since been welcomed into their LA home with open arms. He is cool without trying, annoyingly smart without showing off, and one of the best people I have met in this chapter of life.
Tala Bouzeid
Bridesmaid
Tala and I were roommates in Philadelphia and bonded the way the best friendships do: slowly and without trying. Morning routines before campus, quiet time on the couch, the easy rhythm of just living life next to someone. Somewhere between the movie nights, charcuterie boards, and parties we hosted together, we became sisters. We came from similar worlds and understood each other in a way that never really needed explaining. She is now pursuing Heme/Onc as an internal medicine resident in West Virginia. Tala is one of the kindest, most generous people I have ever met and I feel so lucky to her by my side.
Grayson Jones
Groomsman
Grayson has been in my life for almost as long as I can remember. Our families have been close for decades, and growing up that meant summers together in Mission Beach, endless card games, and me quietly trying to emulate everything he was into. Fishing, surfing, boxing, he always seemed to be doing the cooler thing. We went to different colleges, but the friendship never needed much maintenance to stay strong. Grayson is one of those people you can talk to for hours about anything and walk away feeling sharper for it. He is one of my oldest and most treasured friends, and I am happy to have him here today.
