Samantha & Darren
Wedding Party
Cori Antonides
Matron of Honor
Cori and Samantha met in 2006 in 7th grade English class. One of Cori's favorite memories with the bride is watching and singing along to Hannah Montana! When Cori and Samantha were growing up, Samantha's mom would take them to King's Island on the weekends. Another core memory for Cori was having a Sleep over at Samantha's house the night before they would go to King's Island and end up keeping her mom up ALL NIGHT because they couldn't stop laughing. Cori says the best words to describe Samantha would be "Organized and Efficient" She chose two words because she can't pick just one but feels like they go together. The funniest marriage advice Cori can give Samantha and Darren is to never go to bed angry. Stay up and make up in creative ways! One of the things that Cori is most excited about the wedding is how the first look photos will turn out and that open dance floor! Cori's favorite Taylor Swift song is "Blank Space." A fun fact about Cori that most people don't know about is that she "loves choccy milk!" Cori grew up in Piqua and Troy but graduated from Troy in the spring of 2012.
Stefine James
Best Man
Stefine and Darren met when Stefine was 10 and Darren was just 8 years old. They lived in the same neighborhood growing up, so Darren was over at Stefine's house more than he was at his own. Stefine has been Darren's longest friend; that's 31 years and counting! One word that Stefine would use to describe Darren would be "grounded." The funniest piece of marriage advice he can give Samantha and Darren is "Marriage is just texting each other 'Do you need anything from the store?' until one of you dies." Stefine says he is most looking forward to hanging out with Darren and Samantha as HUSBAND & WIFE at the wedding and of course the reception/celebration afterwards! Stefine's favorite Taylor Swift song is "Anti- Hero." Stefine says that the one thing most people probably don't know about the groom is that he use to wear the crushed velvet/velour sweatsuit with Timbs. Stefine grew up in West Carrollton and graduated from there in the spring of 2002.
Honoka To
Bridesmaid
Honoka and Samantha met the summer before they started Kindergarten. Honoka moved into the same neighborhood as Samantha and their backyards connected. Samantha being the extrovert that she is was always going over to Honoka's house to see if she could come out and play with her and the rest is history! Honoka says that her favorite memory with the Bride is when they were growing up, Samantha's dad bowled in a league and they would go and hang out at the bowling alley. While they were there they would go into a room and release a bunch of bouncy balls and just laugh their butts off! The one word Honoka would use to describe Samantha would be "Unique." Honoka says that she is most looking forward to at the wedding is Darren and Samantha saying their "I do's" to each other and officially being husband and wife! Honoka's favorite Taylor Swift song is "The fate of Ophelia" The funniest piece of marriage advice Honoka can give the bride and groom is "Every relationship has it's ups and downs, just don't write songs about it like Taylor Swift" A fun fact about Honoka that most people don't know about is that she is left handed. Honoka grew up in Troy and graduated from there in the spring of 2012.
Larry Black
Groomsman
Larry is Darren's 2nd oldest sibling. Growing up Larry loved following Darren anywhere he went so when Darren went to his best friend, Stefine's house, Larry went too. It's definitely one the perks of having a great older brother. One of their favorite memories together was when they would hang out at Stefine's house and play video games with Jacque, Sheldon and Brian. Then as they got older Darren hit some hard times as life sometimes does so his friend Sheldon, his brother Larry and Larry's wife, Tory let Darren move in with them until he could get back on his feet. Darren still to this day can't thank them enough for that. One word Larry would use to describe Darren would be "introvert." The funniest piece of marriage advice Larry could give Samantha and Darren would be "She's is always right." Larry is most looking forward to the food & the party at the wedding. Larry's favorite Taylor Swift song is "End game." The one thing that most people don't know about Darren is that growing up his name was "Coodie" which was giving to him by his grandma, Ruby. Larry grew up in West Carrollton and graduated from there in the spring of 2007.
Jacque James
Bridesmaid
Jacque met Darren back in the late 90's during 6th grade year in middle school. Jacque says that Darren started out as her middle school bully but turned into her high school bestie during freshman year. Jacque says that the memories with Darren are endless but her absolute favorite memory is actually in the best man's speech and doesn't want to steal his thunder! So everyone will just have to wait to hear it at the wedding! One word that Jacque would use to describe the bride is "bubbly" Jacque says that she is looking forward to that open bar at the wedding! Jacque's favorite Taylor Swift song is "I don't know, I'd have to look them up" and then never gave them one. Darren hopes that she enjoys the wedding though! The funniest piece of wedding advice she can give to Samantha and Darren would be, "Happy wife, happy life.... for real doe" A fun fact about Jacque that most people don't know is that she hates cooking but she could build a house from the ground up! Jacque grew up in West Carrollton and graduated from there in the spring of 2005.
Von Black
Groomsman
Von is Darren's 3rd oldest sibling. A core memory Darren and Von have together is in December of 2014 all the brothers got together and went to the Steelers-Bengals game at Paul Brown stadium. They all froze their asses off but had a blast watching the Steelers beat the Bengals 42-21 in week 14. Darren being Darren, of course wore his Green Bay Packer attire to the game. That's what we like to call "The wrong game asshole." The one word Von would use to describe Darren would be "smart." The funniest piece of marriage advice Von can give Samantha and Darren is, "in marriage, one person is right and then there's the husband." Von says that he is most looking forward to eating the food and the wedding! Von says his favorite Taylor Swift song is " we are never getting back together." Von says the one thing people might not know about Darren is that he has a lot of siblings. Von grew up in West Carrollton and graduated from there in the spring of 2013.
Simara Alexander
Bridesmaid
Simara is Darren's first kid and only daughter. They first met in January of 2009 when she was first born. Darren was so excited and nervous about stepping into Fatherhood for the very first time. Simara says that her favorite memory with the bride and the groom was in the summer of 2023 when they went to their very first Taylor Swift concert together! She said it's the one she will remember for a lifetime. The one word Simara would use to describe Samantha would be "funny!" Simara is most looking forward to "cutting a rug" on the dance floor with the bride at the wedding. Growing up, Simara listened to Taylor Swift all the time so choosing a favorite Taylor Swift song is almost impossible, but if she HAD to choose one, it would be "False God."The funniest piece of marriage advice Simara can give to Samantha is "speak loudly in the house because dad always has his headphones in and can never hear anything!" A fun fact about Simara that most people don't know is that she loves a large crispy Baja Blast from Taco Bell. Simara has grown up in West Carrollton and will graduate from there in the spring of 2027.
Marc Black
Groomsman
Marc is Darren's youngest brother. They have ten years between each other but a lifetime of laughter shared. Darren's favorite memory with his brother Marc is after they had grown up and started living together again as young men, they would watch the tv shows Wild 'N Out, Martin and The Jamie Foxx Show. They didn't even know that they were making memories, they just knew they were having fun. One word Marc would use to describe Darren is "laid back or chill" He couldn't decide which one fit better so he said both. The funniest piece of marriage advice Marc can give Darren is to "always leave the toilet seat down." The one thing that Marc is looking forward to at the wedding is being surrounded by all the happiness and love in the celebration of Samantha and Darren tying the knot. Marc says his favorite Taylor Swift song is "Anti-hero." Marc says the one thing that a lot of people don't know about Darren is that the only two people he takes his hat off for is Taylor Swift and Sam, the bride to be. Marc grew up in West Carrollton and graduated from there in the spring of 2015.
Audrey Barga
Bridesmaid
Audrey met Samantha in November 2007 when she was just under a month old. Samantha was so excited to meet her 3rd niece when she was just 14 years old. Audrey says that some of her favorite memories with the bride are going on bookstore dates then dinner after! If Audrey had to describe Samantha in one word it would be "Energetic!" She's looking forward to Darren and Samantha's first dance at the wedding because she knows Samantha is gonna make it more fun than just swaying back and forth. Audrey's favorite Taylor Swift song is "22." The funniest piece of marriage advice that Audrey can give Samantha and Darren is "stop worrying about who wears the pants in the marriage and realize that marriages work better when no one is wearing pants!" A fun fact about Audrey that most people don't know is that she LOVES chick-fil-a and was also a cheerleader in middle school. She is also going to college to be a pediatric cardiologist! Audrey has grown up in Tipp City and will graduate from there in the spring of 2026.
Eric Willis
Groomsman
Eric and Darren met at Menards in 2012. One of Darren's favorite memory with Eric is the night one of their friends had a huge "crash out." They were at their friends house party when Darren and Eric found out "the friend" was cheating on his wife! The night ended up with Eric and Darren separating this "friend" and his mistress for the rest of the night and making him confess to his wife about what he did. The night was full of drama but something Darren and Eric will remember for a lifetime. One word Eric would use to describe Darren is honest. The funniest piece of marriage advice Eric can give Samantha and Darren is "communication above all else is the most important thing to a successful marriage. Communicate, then communicate some more." Eric is looking forward to most at the wedding is seeing some old faces and meeting some new ones. Eric says that he hates all of Taylor Swift's songs but if he HAD to choose one it would be Lavender Haze. Eric says that the one thing most people don't know about Darren is that he is a fantasy football FIEND. Eric grew up in Germantown and graduated from Valley View High School in the spring of 2012.
Hailey Newton
Bridesmaid
Hailey met Samantha in March of 2000 when she was just a few weeks old! Samantha was so excited to meet her very first niece! Hailey says her favorite memory with the bride is when Samantha took her out for her 21st birthday! They shared drinks, laughter and some of the best dance moves! If Hailey had to describe the Bride in one word she would say, "Beautiful!" Hailey says she's looking forward to bustin' out some of those moves at the wedding! Hailey's favorite Taylor Swift song is "Lover." The funniest piece of marriage advice Hailey can give Samantha and Darren is "the most important phrase for a successful marriage is, I'll do the dishes!" A fun fact about Hailey is that she has a lot of certifications in childcare and home health care that a lot of people don't know about. Hailey says that she has grown up all around Ohio but she graduated from West Carrollton in the spring of 2019.
Marcus Cash
Groomsman
Marcus and Darren met during Darren's freshman year of high school. Marcus was the first one of Darren's friends to get their own apartment so that ended up being their main hang out spot back in the day. They spent most of their time playing video games and making music. The one word Marcus would use to describe Darren would be "solid." The funniest piece of marriage advice Marcus can give Samantha and Darren would be "Run. Lol." Marcus says that he is mostly looking forward to seeing his friend finally tie the knot at the wedding. Marcus's favorite Taylor Swift song is "Bad Blood." Marcus says that most people don't know about Darren is that he would stick his neck out to help a friend. Marcus grew up in West Carrollton and graduated from there in the spring of 2002.
Will Bush
Flower Man
Will and Darren met at Sears in 2008 when they first became co-workers. One core memory Darren and Will have together is back in the day for Will's birthday the guys would get together and head to the Sport's Bar where Will would "let loose" once a year. Which means that Will would have 3 beers and be drunk for the night. One word that Will would use to describe Darren is "Cool." The funniest piece marriage advise Will can give Samantha and Darren is "Happy wife, Happy life, lol. We don't matter. lol" Will says that he most looking forward to Darren dancing at the wedding. Will says that his favorite Taylor Swift song is "Bad Blood Feat. Kendrick Lamar because the music video has all those sexy girls in there lol." Will says that the one thing most people don't know about Darren is how awesome of a man he is and how great of a father he is to his kids. Will grew up in Dayton and graduated from Dunbar High School in the spring of 2006.
Erec James
Flower Man
Darren and Erec met back in 1995. Darren's favorite memory with Erec is in 2008 when they Drove down to Atlanta for a rap showcase. Darren says this is core memory of his because this was his first time taking a trip outside of Ohio with all his dudes. They had to take 3 different cars just to fit everyone. One word Erec would use to describe Darren would be "selfless." The funniest piece of marriage advice Erec can give Darren and Samantha is "just say, yes!" Erec says he is most looking forward to meeting the beautiful bride at the wedding. Erec says his favorite Taylor Swift song is Wildest Dreams. He says he screams it at the top of his lungs every time he hears it. One thing most people don't know about Darren is that he knows, "Best thang smoking" the album by Young Dro, front to back. Erec grew up in Dayton and graduated from Dunbar High School in the spring of 2007.