Wedding Party
Cameron Plunkett
Officiant
Who: Cameron is the magnificent and Washington ordained officiant for the Deare-Lo wedding. He is happily married to his wife, Diane, and has two children, Mallory and Adam. How Cam and Stephen met: Back in 1996, Cam lived right down the hill from Stephen. It was there where they played every sport known to man in their cul de sac. Core friendship memory: As kids, Stephen and Cam would regularly go to Glory Days (a local sports bar) to enjoy the renowned wings, play the claw game, and drink Shark Attacks. Be sure to ask Cam what exactly that is. Fun anecdote: Cam will never shy away from a good poker game. He most likely visited one of the destinations of Emerald Queen or Muckleshoot casino prior to the wedding.
Sonya Bhaskar
Matron of Honor
Who: Sonya is a gastroenterologist in Atlanta, GA and married to her husband, Vardhmaan. How Sonya and Sharon met: Sharon and Sonya have known each other since 3rd grade, but did not become best friends until 10th grade when they were forced to sit together in math class. They have now been best friends for more than half of their lives and have gone through every life milestone together (despite not having been physically in the same place since high school). Core friendship memory: Sonya and Sharon were mathletes in high school (aka the pinnacle of cool) and going to math competitions on Saturdays was their idea of fun despite neither of them really winning anything. There were a lot of early morning bus rides and lunches spent wandering random malls in Florida. Fun fact: Sonya likes to design jewelry and used to run a travel blog.
Michael Marteeny
Best Man
Who: Michael is one of the two Co-Best Men in the Deare-Lo wedding. He is happily married to his wife, Madie (Maddawg) and they have a daughter, Ava. How Stephen and Michael met: The summer of 4th grade going into 5th, Stephen and Michael met at Lacrosse camp… neither of them played the sport before or played it afterwards. Core friendship memory: During high school, Mike would pick up Stephen every morning. They would bond over new and old music. More specifically, Van Halen, Stephen’s carefully curated mixtapes, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Fun anecdote: Mike was the lead guitarist in the friend group’s band. Today, he puts his talent towards John Mayer’s hits or improvising songs for Ava.
Babatunde Carew
Man of Honor
Who: Bobby is an internist in Nashville, TN and married to his wife, Katie. How Bobby and Sharon met: Bobby and Sharon were assigned to the same small group in medical school. They had planned to study with a group of classmates for an exam but everyone else ended up flaking at the last moment. As they studied in silence on opposite sides of a classroom, Bobby offered to get Sharon something on a snack run. Sharon politely declined but Bobby came back with a coffee for her anyways. Despite Sharon not drinking black coffee at the time, she drank it so as to not be rude. From then on, their friendship blossomed and they were essentially inseparable in med school. The JD to Sharon’s Turk, the P (Myers Briggs personality type) to her J, the trimethoprim to her sulfamethoxazole. Core friendship memory: Bobby frequently invited Sharon over to cook his Sunbasket subscription together and then they would watch Bobby’s favorite South Park episodes while eating dinner. It’s a toss-up as to who knows more about South Park, Bobby or Stephen. Fun fact: Bobby is a Pokémon master and a dungeon master.
Alex Bishop
Best Man
Who: Alex is the other co-best man. He is happily married to his wife Jenna and stepdad to their kids, Carter and Avery. How Stephen and Alex met: In Harrisonburg, Virginia, Alex went to JMU while Stephen went to community college. They both worked at Outback Steakhouse where they bonded over their musical tastes and disdain for rude guests. Core friendship memory: Alex and Stephen met working at Outback Steakhouse, but they weren’t friends at first. Alex originally thought Stephen was obnoxious and Stephen had the impression Alex was a dismissive snob. It was only when Stephen asked Alex for a ride to work since his was having car problems. Alex politely agreed and this act of kindness sparked their friendship. Fun anecdote: Alex introduced Stephen to the wonderful world of metal music. Throughout the years, his guidance and expertise in the angsty genre has proven to be an essential element of Stephen’s taste in music today.
Hiral Jivanji
Bridesmaid
Who: Hiral is a pharmacist who lives in Chevy Chase, MD with her husband, Jeet, and their daughter, Leela. How Hiral and Sharon met: Hiral and Sharon were random roommates in college. Despite Hiral having to wake up to Sharon’s Jonas Brothers alarm every morning for a year, she agreed to continue being her roommate when they moved into an apartment for the next 3-years with their two other roommates. Their apartment was nicknamed “the cheddar bush” for completely unclear reasons. Core friendship memory: Hiral and Sharon were on a traditional Indian dance team together their freshman year. Hiral had grown up doing dance and Sharon’s mom literally laughed out loud when she heard Sharon was going to try dancing. Fun fact: Hiral got engaged in a hot air balloon and personally designed her engagement ring.
Andy DeBoard
Groomsman
Who: Andy is an integral part of the wedding party. He is happily married to his wife, Jess. They have one wild son, Luca. How Stephen and Andy met: Technically, it was a soccer practice with Andy and Cam (the officiant). Stephen decided he wanted to participate, but thought it would be too bland to be himself since no one knew who he was. So, he played as William, from Scotland, and proceeded to speak with an unpolished, but passable, accent. It wasn’t until a few years later in high school that Andy realized who William actually was. Core friendship memory: It was the night before Andy’s wedding. Stephen, Cameron, Andy, and Mike were all present for the festivities prior to the big day. Screwball peanut butter whisky, and the band Creed lead the way for an unforgettable impromptu karaoke session with all the boys. To this day, Stephen looks fondly back at that memory with a smile and some laughter at the end result of that fun night. Fun anecdote: Andy is a skilled drummer who loves pop-punk and emo music. Subsequently, Andy has passed on this affinity with the genres of music to his son, Luca. Now, one can hear Luca belting out Blink-182 in the car.
Laurel Mast
Bridesmaid
Who: Laurel is a urologist who lives in Port Angeles, WA with her husband Tim and their dog, Cedar. How Laurel and Sharon met: Laurel and Sharon will be forever trauma bonded through residency #vasdefriends. Despite a lot of complaining and kvetching, there were some rare shinning fun moments like operating together as seniors, ski days (where Laurel would leave Sharon in her dust), and traveling to conferences (going to Kauai for a week was arguably the highlight of both of their residency experiences). Core friendship memory: Laurel and Sharon made a very cute holiday card together when Teddie was a puppy; but despite it being incredibly adorable and wholesome, some people chose to misinterpret their apparent relationship and the long cylindrical object they were holding in their hand (it was Teddie’s dog toy). Fun fact: Laurel grew up on an Asian pear farm and is a talented stained glass artist.
Dylan Beveridge
Groomsman
Who: Dylan is one of Stephen’s oldest (and wisest) friends. He is happily married to his wife, Julie, and they are the proud dog owners of their fur baby, Beanie How Stephen and Dylan met: Stephen and Dylan became friends way back in the early 2000s (2nd grade). They both went to the same babysitter and 26 years later, still game together at least once a week. Core friendship memory: Stephen can’t pinpoint a specific memory since they’ve shared so many, but one thing Stephen will always remember is Dylan’s kindness and willingness to be the friend group’s chauffeur. Granted, it meant that Dylan got to drive a Subaru WRX… but jamming out, grabbing food, and late night drives brought the entire friend group together. That’s all thanks to Dylan. Fun anecdote: Dylan is known for his car knowledge and passion for racing. Legend has it that his first word was “Jeep”.