Brett & Janna
Wedding Party
Valentina Prokhorova
Mother of the Bride
Every child thinks his Mom is the best Mom in the world. I'm 100% sure that mine actually is. There are not enough words neither in English nor even in Russian, not even if you combine the two languages together to express my love and gratitude to this lady. I am who I am because of her and I can only keep trying to reach the same level of morality, kindness, selflessness and love to the family and friends that Mom has.
Suzie Ek
Mother of the Groom
The kindest, most thoughtful, generous human I know. My mom is fiercely loyal to her family. And she is clearly strong as evidenced by her putting up with me over the years. I am so fortunate and thankful for having this amazing women role model the kind of person I want to be. I wouldn't be the man I am today without the love and support my mom has always given me.
Anuta Prokhorova
Maid of Honor
They say the sister is a friend for life, but we are way more than that. Sharing same parents, same home and same childhood experiences messes you up in a very similar specific way. Although we fought to bruises and pulled each others hair out when we were growing up, I've always looked up to my sister, wanted to be like her and mostly unsuccessfully tried sneaking out wearing her best outfits. Most of the time we are separated by thousands of kilometers but it doesn't weaken our special sister bond.
Adam Sherry
Best Man
People of Italy, hear me now. Adam truly epitomizes the term ‘best man’. We met in the unlikeliest of places, 0 period weight training. Over 20 years of friendship later, we have studied together in Spain, traveled around Russia and done a million things in between [curiously enough, not back to the gym together] Adam has always been there for me and still my go-to whenever I need advice. Luckily Adam and I both have older sisters and are not afraid of a long phone call, as fate has had us living in different cities for far too long. It's been my privilege to have a best friend which I can admire and look up to the way I have always with Adam.
Ksusha Antipova
Bridesmaid
It was our jobs of Trade-Marketing slaves for the iconic french brand Lancôme, that initially brought us together. But our friendship went far beyond that - Ksusha and her husband Ilya are secretly brides "Mom and Dad". They are the ones educating me on wine, travel, yoga, painting, interesting places in Moscow and much much more.
Steve Bucher
Groomsman
Steve-o. What can I say? This man is too much. Seriously. Everything he does is to the max. Whether that be a 6 hour gym session or 14 hour 'nap', Steve lives life to the fullest. Having lived together 4 out of 5 years period, I know what makes Steve tick. I even helped transition him from the frat to adult living. He is a fantastic friend who is always there for those he loves. I'm very lucky to count this gentle giant as one of my best friends. Treat yo self.
Marina Dmukhovskaya
Bridesmaid
We had shared a room in the dorm, the pain of exam sessions, friends and foes, went on the most amazing and fun trips together - Greece, Amsterdam, Madrid, Salzburg, NY, Boston and counting. No matter how often and in which part of the world we see each other - when we are together its epic!
Jason Fuller
Groomsman
Jason is a fire fighter living in the bay area and is truly one of a kind. I first met this goofy kid from San Francisco as Junior transfers to UCSB and as pledges in Sigma Nu. We hit it off straight away and I knew he'd be a friend for life. Room M. Some things are better left unsaid. Fullski-ski-ski was the bottom bunk to my top for a very legendary year of college. Fuller is a hella great friend and I'm so thankful to have him as part of my life.
Natasha Greco
Bridesmaid
We might not look like we are related, but we do share the bigger family. Natasha is my closest and most favorite cousin, who had always been able to turn any situation into lots of fun, who speaks her very own type of Russian and spreads this peculiar language into other cultures. I'm so grateful for her and her enormous help with this very important day in our lives! Ti amo ma cousina Italiana!
Jaime Lugo
Groomsman
Lugo Legend. I met Jaime whilst working in Germany. Jaime could potentially be the most interesting man in the world. Jaime has an endless curiosity and intellect unmatched by most. The king of efficiency, Jaime and I share a love of traveling, wine consumption and cooking Mexican food. We've had adventures in UAE, Ukraine, Mexico, Italy and Russia to name a few. He is man who I am absolutely certain that our friendship will only continue to grow no matter where our life journey's take us.
Ksenia Kulgaeva
Bridesmaid
In a lot of ways Ksusha was almost like a mentor to me when I was getting my masters degree, when I was doing an internship in her company, - my love for marketing formed thanks to her and her example. She was also the one who taught me how to snowboard and whats the best way to pack a suitcase. Endlessly inspired by this outstanding woman & so proud to have her as my friend and my bridesmaid on this important day!
Des Powell
Groomsman
Desmondo. My best mate from my Germany days. Des is super creative, kind and fun spirited guy who constantly thinking of others. This crazy Irish farmer worked down the hall from my office at the adidas Headquarters. 80000 red beers countless European road trips later, we have forgotten more incredible experiences than most friendships have. Despite several attempts on my life during our misadventures, Des and I always stayed close. I even convinced Des to join me in Russia where we built the adidas strategy and had countless laughs. Lucky to have this guy as a part of our lives.
Katya Sakhno
Bridesmaid
I could almost say I "inherited" my friendship with Katya from our mutual friend - Natasha, that had moved to Canada. Boy did I get lucky! Katya is truly one of the kindest, nicest and most devoted friends I've ever had. We once shared a tiny room in Barcelona, had a day trip to Minsk (da!) together and an epic trip to Florence and Milano! So grateful for all the fun memories we created together and the laughs we shared over the years!
Elliott Rayner
Groomsman
Rayner, King of the North. This Geordie and I were an instant hit. One of my first friends in Germany, Elliott and I are veterans of numerous snowboarding trips to the Alps, road trips to Czech republic, conquering islands in Sardinia, and countless beers consumed at festivals. Elliott introduced me to music festivals, Rugby, and masterful usage of PTO. He is a one of a kind - as genuine a friend as one can get. Looking forward to many more shared adventures.
Anya Vorobyeva
Bridesmaid
The gift from L’Oréal I'm endlessly grateful for. I loved my latest job in Moscow as much as I did in a lot of ways because of her. We made things fun and awesome both at work and in life. My stylist, my copywriter and simply the cuttiest most cheerful person on the street. Depending on the street. But definitely in the TOP-3.
Matt Rookus
Groomsman
Matt has been one of my closest friends since we were 14 years old. We lived together for 2 years in college. I frequently his family events so often that I always felt like an honorary member of the Rookus family as was the case with Matt and my family as well. Matt is parts brother and friend. Conveniently enough, my sister and his brother were kind enough to marry so it could officially become family. Matt is incredibly kind, humble and thoughtful friend that I have always been able to count on. We have shared to many laughs and adventures over the years to enumerate, from our days cruising around Singing Hills, to road trip to Mammoth for boarding, Cabo, Lake Powell, and on and on. Yeeeaht.
Carrie Filla
Sister of the Groom
What do you say about your siblings? They are your first best friends. And I am so immensely proud to call these two strong, independent, successful women my sisters. Carrie is the first born, which often times bears the burden of being the torch bearer and I'm so thankful I had such a strong person as my example. Carrie showed me what it's like to pick-up and move across the country. Carrie has worn many hats over the years, as my buddy, roommate, parent and sister. She is endlessly generous and thoughtful, not only going the extra mile but willing to carry you along the way. Sometimes it feels like Carrie and I were split from the same egg, as we have very similar personality traits. We are night owls, story tellers, hilarious [don't mind if we say so], wine lovers, and adventurers.
Kelly Rookus
Sister of the Groom
What do you say about your siblings? They are your first best friends. And I am so immensely proud to call these two strong, independent, successful women my sisters. Kelly is my partner in crime every time we get together. We shared a year in high school, where I felt I got an additional 8 sisters looking after me. She would take me to sports practices and to school each morning with the same Celine Dion song on repeat. We had legendary times between Team Black in Carmel Valley and tearing up Little Italy with drinks at the waterfront, and Charger games during the glory years. Kelly is such a great role model in every possible way. I truly admire her for her energy and dedication she brings to her loved ones each day.
Olivia Filla
Flower Girl
Carrie's oldest child. This kiddo makes me laugh. Olivia is so smart and insightful well beyond her years. She'll sure to be deep in thought about the meaning of it all as she walks down the aisle.
Grace Rookus
Flower Girl
Gracie pie. Kelly's oldest child. Grace is one of the sweetest and most caring individuals. She will probably finish her flower duties and look to help the others deliver theirs.
Jack Filla
Ring Bearer
Jack Attack! Carrie's youngest - 50 pounds of truck loving steel and brawn. This wild child will be delivering the rings to the bride and groom.
Ella Rookus
Flower Girl
My mini-me. Kelly's youngest. This goof ball lights up a room anytime she enters it. Full of energy, Ella may very well run full speed down the aisle.
Jeremy Dentt
Officiant
Skull crusher. Our friendship spans over 20 years. We bonded as kids playing football and causing trouble in high school. Our friendship grew and evolved as we went from kids into adulthood. From crashing in his SDSU dorm and his houses in PB while we were in college, turkey day eve parties, to dinner nights and coed softball as young professionals, to now 'slightly' more refined hangouts when I'm back home in San Diego. Jeremy is the funniest guy I know and there is nothing Jeremy wouldn't do for his friends and family. Janna and I feel very fortunate to have Jeremy to share in our special day.