Brianna & Derek
Wedding Party
Allie Kiekhofer
Maid of Honor
Brianna and Allie met on their first day of Kindergarten and quickly gravitated toward each other as the two quiet kids who would rather collect bugs (Brianna) or cry in a corner (Allie) than socialize with the other children. They were placed in class together for the next five years, and thus the friendship was a done deal. Allie and Brianna ultimately ended up attending UCSD together, where they lived together in a haunted apartment complex. When Allie first met Derek, her years of experience with Brianna made it clear to her that he and Brianna would be a done deal too. And she was right!!!
Ian Kung
Best Man
Derek and Ian met when Derek moved to California in middle school and quickly learned they had the same sense of humor. They would constantly get kicked out of their math class for making each other laugh too much during class. Throughout middle school and high school they made videos together, played video games, laughed about weird TV shows + Internet videos, and of course, studied. Ian eventually found a passion for stand-up comedy. In addition to stand-up, he also makes comedy videos on YouTube and talks to Derek almost everyday about new sketches (which Derek is sometimes in).
Chelsea Kaufman
Bridesmaid
Chelsea and Brianna first met at their first job out of college, but they quickly transitioned from coworkers to life-long friends. Even though Chelsea now lives in San Francisco, they keep their friendship alive through trips around California, Bachelor watching nights, and most importantly their shared sensitivity to dairy.
Ryan Thompson
Groomsman
Ryan and Derek met when they were seven years old in Deerfield, Illinois. They were next door neighbors and would hang out almost everyday. After Derek moved to California, they stayed close through online video games, late night Skype calls, and frequent Chicago visits. Derek always looked up to Ryan, inspiring him to workout more, be more social, and join a fraternity. Ryan was able to keep Derek somewhat grounded in reality during his Justin Bieber / Disney days. Next year Ryan will be attending UCSD for his radiology residency so feel free to ask him any medical questions if you can't find Derek's sister or dad.
Kaitlin Kelleher
Bridesmaid
Kaitlin and Brianna met through their sorority at UCSD and Kaitlin quickly gained fame for her ability to work hard, play hard. She has continued to showcase this ability and just graduated from UCLA law, passed the bar exam on her first try, and won the prestigious Hochman Award in Tax Law. If you have any questions about your taxes, she can probably help.
Kieran Dunstan
Groomsman
Kieran and Derek met at Super Deluxe, where they became fast friends. Kieran introduced Derek to house music and warehouse parties, which Derek didn't like that much since he really likes having lyrics in songs. Kieran and Derek will often share hybrid songs with each other that have a mix of house and EDM music that they both enjoy. Since Super Deluxe shut down in October, Kieran and Derek have stayed close from lifting together, poker nights, football, and occasional raging.
Morgan Gossett
Bridesmaid
Brianna and Morgan became fast friends when they met at their current job at T3 and Brianna discovered she had found a carpool buddy for her brutal daily commute along the 10. They continue to carpool together all over LA: to pilates classes, hikes, trivia nights and pretty much everything else. When you see one, you see the other.
Andrew Cummings
Groomsman
Andrew is a die hard Alabama football fan. If you see him, you are strongly encouraged to yell ROLL TIDE. Derek and Andrew met through Kieran and the rest is history. Their friendship grew over their shared interests in trivia nights, Disneyland, the entertainment industry, going out, and football. Andrew and his wife, Morgan, live across the street from Derek and Brianna.
Tara Helling
Bridesmaid
Tara is Derek's older sister and Brianna's soon-to-be sister in law! Brianna always wished she had a sister when she was younger, so Tara has literally been a dream come true. Tara is in her last year of residency in radiology and lives in Santa Barbara with her husband Dan and adorable son Jack. Brianna and Derek often spend their weekends with Tara and her family at their house in Santa Barbara, mostly playing One Night Ultimate Werewolf. Brianna is so excited to officially have a sister who is kind, smart, and so much fun.
Dan Helling
Groomsman
Dan is Derek's brother-in-law and friend for almost 15 years. They originally bonded over the McRib sandwich and their love of Halo. Over the years they have made many great memories, from Dan almost dropping Derek, to sky diving together, to grape stomping in full-on togas, to devouring Indian buffets. Dan is extremely competitive with Brianna and they compete daily on their Apple Watches for exercise challenges. Dan is decent at Monopoly Deal, One Night Ultimate Werewolves, and Codenames, but he frequently loses to Brianna.
Fayth Keldgord
Bridesmaid
Fayth might be the tallest bridesmaid, but she's actually Brianna's sorority grand-little. Brianna was actually the shortest bridesmaid for Fayth at her wedding two years ago, so there is a nice symmetry happening with this whole situation. Fayth is known in real life as an incredibly dedicated and hardworking 6th grade teacher and on the Internet for her intellectual commentary on Vanderpump Rules and 90-Day Fiance.
Joe Zanco
Groomsman
Joe is Derek's artistically gifted friend of over 20 years. Like with Ryan, Derek and Joe stayed close friends over the years through online video games and frequent Chicago visits. Joe has a dog named Cortana that absolutely loses her mind when she sees Derek or Brianna. You should check out some of Joe's incredible work here: http://zancoconcept.blogspot.com/
Jack Helling
Ring Bearer
Jack is Brianna and Derek's (aka BRI and Gegeg) nephew. He loves all things Disney, the park, bubbles, and FaceTime-ing his family! His favorite song is Baby Shark and is hoping the DJ will play it so he can show off his dance moves (just like his uncle Derek!).