Krista & Derek
Wedding Party
Laura Rivera
Matron of Honor
Laura and Krista first met in 6th grade, when Krista was new to town and invited Laura to her birthday party at a bowling alley. At a time when making new friends can be difficult, Laura was as kind and sweet as everyone who is friends with her today knows her to be. Between weekend mall trips, nightly drives to nowhere, and the classic question - "what should we do tonight?", Krista and Laura grew to love each other like sisters. They bonded over the little stuff and the big stuff, and still take joy when someone says "wait, that's not your sister?!" Because really, just because they don't share the same last name (besides that one week in Cancun when Krista became an honorary Mattie), it doesn't mean they're anything less.
Will Kryjack
Best Man
William "Pepperjack" Kryjak was born on a cold February night, in 1987. For claymation and puppet enthusiasts around the world, that fateful night remains to this day a widely celebrated event. For Derek and those of us not a part of that "in crowd", a run in with the jack wouldn't occur until the early 2000's when Derek and Will became hebrew school chums and eventually friends. Was it the Y2k bug that brought them together? who's to say. But through the years there have been too many laughs and not enough punch lines to bring them together for this momentous occasion.
Ryan Miller
Best Man
What's there to say about Ryan "Millhouse" Warren Miller? Plenty, but that's for a different crowd in a not so public venue. What we can divulge is that the guy looks great in sunglasses and can belt Mariah Carey tunes on-pitch and on-demand. Need dance moves? not a problem, you won't even need to ask....or play music for that matter. From hooligan nights at the hoofdorf inn to revenge of the nerds performances and destroyed basement walls, there's no shortage of laughs when Miller and Dones get together
Katie Driscoll
Bridesmaid
Katie and Krista have tackled many adventures together: kickball leagues, VT weekends, dance parties, and even Katie's very own wedding last year. But what they excel at is food. Together, they can demolish unthinkable amounts of pizza. Avocados are no match. And both have been known to destroy a bag of Doritos in record time. Since the day Katie came into Krista's life, it's been all laughs, love, and overeating. And they wouldn't have it any other way.
Marty Grabeck
Groomsman
Marty is one of Derek's favorite soon to be brother in laws...a very challenging position to claim and an even harder one to maintain. Always a fun time, you can find the two discussing the finer points of beer, bourbon, or cooking times for that perfect home cooked and slow roasted sous vide pork butt.
Jen Fusci
Bridesmaid
Nothing quite bonds two people more than sharing a 10x12 room, pooling your money to get the "good beer," and spending every meal together for 4 years. UConn just wouldn't have been the same without Jen. Even with a long-distance friendship after college, yearly reunions felt like a routine weekend meet-up. Now, living in the same state again feels like a treat! Not much has changed between these two - except the Natty Light has been replaced with bourbon.
Matt LeRoy
Groomsman
Matt "SBD" LeRoy, is the best brother in law and Waste Management employee a guy could ask for.....he deals with Derek's Sister on a 24/7 basis and takes out the trash with a smile. With a head of hair envious of all the Kennedy's hairdressers, the guy was an obvious choice for groomsman. Though he has yet to catch a fish with Derek...Ahemmm......they always have a great time, with many more to come.
Leslie Grabeck
Bridesmaid
Leslie is married to Krista's brother, Marty. Krista's first memory of Leslie was at a party at Marty's apartment many moons ago. She didn't even meet her, but was told by one of the party-goers, "That's the girl Marty really likes." He must've impressed her with his beer pong skills that night, because they're now happily married and gifted Krista with the cutest nephew, Matthew.
Chris Palmer
Groomsman
Chris and Derek have been friends a long time, during which one thing has become abundantly clear: A day with the two of them will guarantee that someone is getting injured, dehydrated, exhausted, offended, wet, scratched and cold. There is also a requisite that neither man can arrive home without a shot or hooked animal in tow. If that doesn't make for a lasting friendship, what does?
Alanna Green
Bridesmaid
Alanna may never let Krista live down that stolen calculator in middle school, but it hasn't stopped the friendship from blooming into adulthood. So much so that they shared an apartment together, where Alanna's homemade brownies made up for the fact that she always made Krista go down to the creepy the basement alone to check the furnace's oil level. No grudges here though - this sarcastic soul mate's rightful place is right by Krista's side on the big day.
Alex Schnepps
Groomsman
Alex and Derek have known each other their whole lives, and despite one being much better looking and personable than the other, they've managed to turn a biological coincidence into a lifelong friendship. They've driven halfway across the country together and spent many wild nights and weekends, exploring, arguing, laughing, and getting into trouble. Through the good times and the less than pleasant, they are always excited to get together, forget their filters, and do impressions until they get on each other's nerves.
Melanie LeRoy
Bridesmaid
Melanie is Derek's sister and Krista's future sister-in-law. Her and Krista share a penchant for sarcasm, which is often directed right at Derek - the good sport that he is. Luckily he grew up with an older sister who groomed him for it. Krista and Mel can often be found brainstorming new decor ideas, perusing the latest Facebook Buy and Sell listings for the next DIY project, or sending silent jokes to each other from across the room at family gatherings.
Dan Schott
Groomsman
Dan and Derek both had the pleasure of working as environmental scientists in Middletown, CT at a time in their lives when drinking mid-week afternoon margaritas was a no brainer. From causing trouble in the office to horse betting and skiing, they always have a great time and plenty of laughs. P.S.....Dan now owns a wakeboard and is currently offering turns to anyone willing to pull him around a lake this summer
Marissa Rossnagle
Bridesmaid
When Marissa asked Krista to sleep over after her middle school birthday party, she never could have known it'd be the start to a life-long friend, supporter, partner-in-crime and fellow mishief maker. These two could spend hours at the pond by Marissa's house, doing nothing but laughing, talking, and binging on junk food. Years have passed and the distance is greater with Marissa living in Sarasota, but when they're reunited, not much feels different for these besties.
Jon Shelly
Groomsman
Jon "J-Bone" Shelly is best known for his forays in the woods, fishing for trout and foraging for frankfurters.....or so his instagram handle tells us. Derek and Jon have spent many adventures together, from backpacking in Peru to many days fly fishing the Farmington. With the exception of an ill prepared winter camping trip with only summer gear at hand, they usually get it together and head out for a lil' exploring in NW CT
Katherine Welcome
Bridesmaid
Katherine and Krista met at Cigna, and somewhere between all the happy hours, kickball and coffee breaks, they barely remembered they were co-workers. This friendship was built on a love of cats, charcuterie boards, Chianti, Target clothes and Sunday Fundays. Katherine now lives in San Diego, where Krista visited and they had two of their proudest adventures: sky diving and Uber Eats FroYo.
Walter
Best Dog
Perhaps no one is more excited for this wedding than Derek and Krista's fur child, Walter. His parents are making it official! Sadly, Walter has prior engagements on October 12th so he won't be able to make it, but he'll be anxiously awaiting his parents' return from the big day with his sister, Tink.
Tink
Kitty of Honor
Frankly, Tink is just happy to have the house to herself while Mother and Father are honeymooning. Maybe now that they're about to get married, they'll consider getting another dog so her brother stops annoying her so much.