Cat Ngo and Brady Goodwin's Wedding Website

We are incredibly lucky to have not only found lifetime partners in each other, but these ride-or-dies in our each of our lives. We are abundantly grateful to have these people beside us in our wedding, and throughout our lives.

Ivy

Bridesmaid

"I have known Cat my entire life! Our dads are close friends and we grew up together. Our slogan was "From the womb!" as we embarked on various hijinks. And the hijinks! My favorite memories with Cat encompass my entire youth and early adulthood. In high school we tried (repeatedly and unsuccessfully) to convince the yearbook committee we were siblings so we could be included on the sibling page. In college, we would meet up during breaks and holidays for thrift shopping, karaoke bars, and nights out in downtown San Jose - "man jose" - with our friends, where one might think the unbalanced male to female ratio would work in our favor (it did not.) In our 20s, we traveled and I got to witness and benefit from Cat's impeccable organization skills, compass-like sense of direction, and love of delicious food (in Montreal, with our friends, we made a sandwich where the buns were slices of foie gras). I am so grateful to be in Cat's life and so happy she has found someone to keep up with her, or at least try. Congratulations Cat and Brady!"

Lenine

Bridesmaid

"Although there's no shortage of favorite, formative memories between us, I really think our high school graduation day will go down as one of the craziest, most unnecessary, and most precious memories I have with you. I cannot believe we risked life and limb to travel to Oakland the morning of graduation day just to dance on *someone's* driveway. That day, I realized, you (and Nella) were truly ride-or-die. Because we definitely rode, almost died doing 100+ on the freeway, and almost missed our own graduation by mere minutes. But we made it, just like we made it--what now? Over 25 years of friendship? Almost everyone I know is shocked by the longevity of our friendship, but I'm not. When life gives you someone like Cat Ngo, you better hold on to that insanely magical, loyal, and beautiful creature forever. I love you because with you, shame doesn't exist. Together, we fly like fools, even if it's to a 12-year-old's fencing tournament. Maybe not as much anymore, but the threat of us doing something ridiculous and borderline reportable is always there... and if that's not real friendship, I don't know what is! Love you forever, sincerely, your Wheens."

Janella

Bridesmaid

It's hard to narrow down a favorite memory (we got into our fair share of good trouble together), but this one is classic Cat. There was one time she lovingly persuaded me to go to a Stephen Merchant show in San Francisco (it was a phase, I think :D). I was coming back from a trip and wasn't sure if I could make it in time, but Cat had a plan. She picked me up from the airport and drove us straight to the show. About 15 minutes after getting inside, were we maybe on the verge of being kicked out? Of course! Mostly because Cat was so excited to see him and was already plotting ways to get closer to the stage and/or "accidentally" end up backstage. After the show, we waited outside the venue for who knows how long until Stephen Merchant came out (*cue That's What Friends Are For*). Were we the only ones waiting for him? Yes, we were. Cat got to chat with him for a few minutes and even got a picture. I don't remember much of the show, but I clearly remember Cat's infectious giddiness and pure joy in that moment. That's Cat in a nutshell--full of heart, completely committed, and the kind of person you would happily stand outside in the cold with to help her meet her favorite comedian.

Vikki

Bridesmaid

I have many favorite memories with Cat and many others I can't remember because of our love for the spirits. One of my favorite memories was going on a birthday road trip during grad school in France. We went to a Phoenix concert in Lyon. Cat was adamant we line up early, and once the gates open we run to the front. She wanted to grab a good spot front stage right of her frail-looking crush, the guitarist Branco. We enter and are the ONLY people running to get to the front of the stage. Cat rolled her ankle and yelled for us to continue the mission. Little did we know how docile the French were and how little they cared to be front and center for concerts. We did not need to run but we did succeed in our quest. I loved seeing my good friend Cat so entrenched and consumed by the music. She knew and sang all the older songs no one else did, and jumped the highest while dancing. At one point, the lead singer Thomas Mars looked for a special one in the crowd. We shouted it was was Cat's birthday and drew him in. He sat directly in front of Cat. His legs dangled over the railing, with Cat between them. Everyone wanted to be her at that moment. The look of happiness and admiration she had, I'll never forget. Epic birthday celebration.

Amelia

Bridesmaid

When searching for a favorite memory of my friendship with Cat, I realized that she’s the reason I have so many wonderful memories in the first place. Cat truly has a gift for making – and keeping – friends. We first met as part of a group of new employees at the San Francisco Asylum Office. Shortly after we started, the entire group was sent to semi-rural Georgia (in the peak of summer) for 6 weeks of training. It should have been miserable. But thanks to Cat, we spent our evenings bonding over visits to the 3 local sights: a gun shop, a grocery store, and a bowling alley. On the weekends, she led us on adventures that included touring the cemeteries of Savannah, sampling the seafood in Charleston, and staying hydrated in St. Augustine. By the time our training had concluded, 7 individuals of different backgrounds, life experiences, and ages had gelled into a cohesive crew, known ever since as the “Herd,” with Cat as our “Herd Leader.” That was 9 years ago. Since then, we’ve celebrated holidays, birthdays, and milestones, even after some of us have moved away, changed jobs, and/or become parents. Cat is responsible for this too, because she dedicates herself – her time, her energy, her love – to keeping her friends together. Because of Cat, I don’t have one favorite memory; I have many. And Cat is responsible for them all.

Julie

Matron of Honor

Cat and I met in the fifth grade so narrowing it down to one favorite memory is nearly impossible, but these are definitely front-runners. In high school, we were partners for a physics project where we had to build a tower out of popsicle sticks and see how much weight it could bear. Now, if you’re familiar with the two of us, you’ll know science is definitely not our strong suit. In a panic, we enlisted our friend and resident physics nerd, Willis, to help us out. But somehow, against all logic, gravity, and engineering principles, our tower actually beat his and most others in the class! Fast forward to years later when Cat and I took a trip to Portland. We were desperate to get into the Adidas employee store for the hefty 50% off discount, but we had one small problem—we didn’t know any Adidas employees. So, what do two girls up to no good do? We casually lounged around the store entrance, scouted for the perfect target, and convinced a solo shopper to let us "tag along" as his guests. And it worked! That is just so quintessentially “us.” We’re usually way too busy messing around and laughing to be the smartest people in the room, but when we’re together, we always find a way to pull through, surprising even ourselves. Cat, I’m so glad that nearly thirty years later, we’re still “pulling it off” and having the time of our lives side by side.