Elaine & Thaddeus
Wedding Party
Michelle Bentivegna
Matron of Honor
Elaine's sister and long-time best friend, Michelle is brings a Mom/Engineering style to wedding planning. This includes: well-structured schedules, strong opinions on whether or not a dress is too revealing, and 1-2 flower girls.
Luke Petkac
Best Man
Luke, best known as the author of "NBA Players with the Most Swag" on Bleacher Report, met Thad in gym class during their sophomore year of high school where Luke made a strong impression by accidentally hitting a classmate in the face with a basketball. Later in high school, Luke and Thad worked together at the local movie theater - a sweet gig with the perk of free movies (a privilege they took advantage of liberally). At Penn State, Luke and Thad spent their time playing ping pong, basketball, and hours and hours of NBA 2K and Halo. Today, Luke lives in Pittsburgh where he works as a writer.
Yanran Chen
Bridesmaid
Elaine's "mentor" in her first job who taught her a lot more about office gossip than actual work. Nevertheless, she is a master of efficiency who provided a lot of 'pro bono', McKinsey-style consulting on this wedding via vendor cost comparison sheets and priority matrices.
Michael Contino
Groomsman
Mike and Thad met in law school where they bonded over a shared love of college football and dark & stormys. Mike's movie star impressions always make Elaine laugh (when she understands the references). A fun fact about Mike is that during his 1L year, he was forced out of his apartment by a fire at a bar next door.
Natalie Cybriwsky
Bridesmaid
Elaine's cousin whom she owes her love of coding to (the two spent a lot of time developing their neopets.com stores using HTML). She is also the family comedian (ask her about her Sicilian tour guide impression) and definitely the best source for trendy NYC restaurant recommendations.
Mark Denton
Groomsman
When Missouri's own "Marky D" isn't drafting legal memos, you can find him watching Cardinals baseball, playing Civ 6, or scouting out the best happy hours on the Upper (L)east Side where he currently lives. Mark was a law school classmate of Thad's at Cornell, where he served as the finest social chair the law review had ever seen. More recently Mark and Thad were roommates on the Upper (B)est Side for three years after law school.
Alisse Hannaford
Bridesmaid
Elaine's college friend/travel companion Alisse somehow manages to always go above and beyond for her friends, despite spending the past 2 years fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in Philadelphia and conducting infectious disease research all across the world. Elaine can't wait to have her by her side!
Phil Grudzina
Groomsman
An avid fan of tennis, podcasts, '80s movies, and Lord of the Rings Monopoly, Phil and Thad have been friends since they were summer associates together at the same law firm. If you catch Phil at the wedding, be sure to ask him for a music recommendation. When not working, Phil can be found hanging with his dog, Lisa.
Lauren Jacobs
Bridesmaid
When not helping critically-ill cancer patients or surprising strangers in the street with her fluent Hebrew or studying for a test, Lauren is Elaine's buddy for all things NYC. The two of them could spend days exploring their old stomping grounds in Brooklyn, enjoying Fort Greene park, finding the best coffee shops and eyeing cute dogs.
Eric Orlandi
Groomsman
Thad's soon-to-be brother-in-law (at the time of the wedding he will be official brother-in-law!), Eric will indeed be taller than Thad in the wedding pictures. An incredible cook and fitness aficionado, Eric is a good guy to have around on the wedding day.
Madeleine Joelson
Bridesmaid
Maddy brings the party and also brings an ability to complete the Saturday New York Times crossword puzzle more quickly than Thad. Elaine and Maddy solidified their friendship when visiting Alisse in South Africa and have been NYC buddies ever since.
David Russell
Groomsman
Master of handshake deals, noted oenophile, experienced boat pilot, and trained actor - David is a man of many talents. David and Thad met in law school where they quickly hit it off, literally, on the many famously affordable golf courses in the Finger Lakes. Feel free to hit up David for a wine recommendation or a game of squash.
Claire Lopatka
Bridesmaid
A talented musician and trainer, Thad's sister Claire's vocals will probably bring you to tears at the wedding mass. She also will, for sure, be keeping Elaine accountable for doing push-ups in the months leading up to the big day. Many guests are familiar with Claire's workout classes already.
Erik Taylor
Groomsman
Dr. Taylor can typically be found grilling on his "Son of Hibachi" portable grill, skiing, canoeing, or all of the above. Thad's friend from high school, and roommate both at Penn State and in Ithaca, Erik now resides in the Bay Area where he is currently constructing the Metaverse.
Caroline Price
Flower Girl
A huge public transit enthusiast, Elaine's niece Caroline has told her she "can't wait to be in her wedding" and that she is "most excited to take the 4 train" to the wedding. Caroline is one of Thad's biggest fans.