Wedding Party
Gabriela Eldredge
Bride
Our elegant bride was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico with frequent visits to New England and Kentucky. A dedicated Elementary School Teacher who earned her Bachelors and Masters at the University of New Mexico in, you guessed it, Elementary Education. Gabriela loves to read books, visit museums, and is committed to being a life-long learner.
Benjamin Gousse
Groom
Our handsome groom was born and raised in South Windsor, Connecticut. He found his way to New Mexico by interning at Sandia National Labs during his undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut (Go Huskies)! Getting a foot in the door was the key to eventually moving to Albuquerque where he would continue his career at Sandia National Labs as a Mechanical Engineer. He earned his Masters at the University of New Mexico, but remains loyal to UConn. Ben loves to play many sports on competitive teams: basketball, football and volleyball. If he isn't playing sports, he is watching sports, or listening to sports podcasts.
Veronica "Vero" Muñiz
Maid of Honor
Vero and Gabriela have been BEST friends since 2019. Vero was hired to teach third grade in a connecting classroom, and the rest is history. Vero and Gabriela love Frog and Toad, concerts, and sending each other funny Tik Toks, Reels, etc. They are guilty of having four-five conversations going: Text, Instagram, Snap Chat, Tik Tok, Threads and real life. Whether we are teaching the future of our society or sharing a drunk cigarette, you can guarantee it will be a great time!
Dr. Jarrod Ronquillo
Best Man
Jarrod is Ben’s main work wife. He recently earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering at UNM. Ben and Jarrod's favorite thing to do is have pointless philosophical arguments daily. They both think they win those arguments. Ben interviewed Jarrod for Sandia National Labs 3 years ago. Ben was wearing a white sweater with a very fluffy hood and looked so fabulous. Ben must’ve really liked Jarrod because he hired him a few days later. They've been best buddies since!
Mariah Sullivan
Bridesmaid
Mariah and Gabriela met in the trenches of Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in 2017. It was there that they began their commitment to the bit. Mariah is a mom of three who works and goes to school full time all while having the funniest commentary on life. Mariah enjoys seafood boils, ghost hunting in New Orleans, and bullying men.
Nick Lestini
Groomsman
Nick is technically Ben's nephew, but they grew up more as brother/cousins. Nick is a good time Italian man! He is a firefighter, served in the US Army for 8 years, and has been to 5 countries on combat deployments. Nick now lives in Connecticut with his beautiful fiance Alexandra and their dog, Lily and cat, Binx. Nick and Ben love talking sports, and Nick and Gabriela love talking Sopranos (because they have class)!
Whitney Eldredge
Bridesmaid
The newest member of the Eldredge family, Whitney brings the sparkle to every space! Being married to the Bride's brother is no picnic, but she makes it look like Disney on Ice! Whitney and Gabriela hit it off immediately! Some might say, "love at first sight" type stuff. Whitney is a working mom who is glamorous and nonstop fun!
Aaron Kraft
Groomsman
Aaron and Ben met when Ben was an intern at Sandia National Labs while completing his Bachelors at UConn. Aaron loves to barbeque, play Texas hold 'em poker and work on cars. When he is not working on those hobbies, Aaron is traveling the world to places like Austrailia, Costa Rica, South Africa, the UK, Estonia, Germany, Finland, Sweden and Mexico!
Dr. Veronica Hutchison
Bridesmaid
Veronica and Gabriela met in 2018 under the circumstances of long lost sisters. Meeting was like the Parent Trap, but instead of two Lindsey Lohans, it was Gabriela and Veronica face to face. Veronica is a Resident of Medicine in Gynecology and Obstetrics at OHSU in Portland Oregon (badass). She enjoys rock climbing, swing dancing and sampling every flavor at the ice cream shop. Together, Veronica and Gabriela love to harass men, sing and dance, and sip piña coladas in the dunes of the cape.
Mrs. Kelly Urvanejo
Officiant
Dr. Jonathan Eldredge
Father of the Bride
Jon Eldredge, Dr. Eldredge, or even Daddy Eagle has many titles and wears many hats. One of his favorite "hats" is being the father of Gabriela. Jon is an accomplished man who is a professor, published in many journals, and has even written and published his own book. Aside from all those things, Jon loves to have fun! He likes to hike, ski, surf and travel the world.
Miss Judith Paquin
Mother of the Groom