Michael & Victoria
Wedding Party
Valerie Rojas
Maid of Honor
Sometimes I think Val & I share a brain. It makes for a friend who knows how to sharpen me, console me, cheer me on, & keep me accountable. Val & I met on the soccer team at Master's when I was a junior and she was a freshman. At that time & to this day- she has been the epitome of servant leadership & seeks to know the Lord more deeply. Through each season of life, Val has never settled for just good enough, there is always a push to be better: a better wife, a better mom, a better sister, a better friend, a better worker, a better disciple. I am so thankful for a friend like this, a proverbs 17:7 friend born for adversity, & that gets to be on my side for this day.
Riley Phillips
Maid of Honor
To know Riley is to love Riley. We found ourselves on the same soccer team at 14 but didn't find a close friendship until 17- she helped me find the Lord & read the Bible in a year with me when I first became a believer. She is a friend through and through- constantly thinking of others, keeping a note in her phone of all of her friends favorite things that she can reference, & has a way of making every person feel valued & seen. Riley is a dreamer & has encouraged me to do the same. I've gotten to experience deep joy, celebrated big & small accomplishments, side cramp belly aching laughs, deep sorrow and hardship, & the sweetness of someone who will constantly show up for you in Riley. A friend, turned family, I am so happy Riley gets to stand by my side.
Alyssa Jarvis
Maid of Honor
I met Alyssa through Union church, my home church before switching to Flipside with Michael. After building a friendship through a Bible study her & her husband Corey led, we found ourselves planning girls nights around the fire talking about everything and nothing. Alyssa is a person who has always been so easy to talk to and be vulnerable with, she constantly pushes me to dig deeper and helped me heal a softer side of myself. A big reason why Michael had such a clear timeline on how fast I wanted to move is because 4 months into Michael and I dating she asked us "sooooooo when are you guys going to get married?" She is a friend who has been by my side through many hard and sweet seasons & this next one she gets to stand right by my side celebrating.
Sugie Gama
Maid of Honor
Sugie is the sister I always wanted and fortunately received. She has truly known my through every phase of life thus far- from meeting me at 5 years old when she started dating Marco, through dragging me to the dentist, dairy queen dates, forgiving me when little 6 year old me got her car door stuck against a curb, awkward preteen stages when I didn't know how to style my hair, through high-school & college years- she has truly seen it all & offered support and a listening ear each step of the way. She has continuously shown me an example of what it means to serve a family, trust in the Lord, & know when to listen instead of speak. I am so thankful for this built in sister & couldn't imagine our day without her.
Chelsea Johnson
Maid of Honor
Chels & I have been friends for nearly 16 years! (talk about a friend who has seen so many phases of me... lets never mention my bangs again) She became a friend for life and our parents adopted the other - even to the point where I'd be at dinners with Chelsea's family without Chels even being there. She has such a special quality of being able to connect with anyone she meets & I can always count on her to show up for me: a birthday, a hard day, a nephews football game, a beach day (my family calls her guera for a reason), a celebratory dinner, a midnight drive for cupcakes, a 6am breakfast at Brandon's, & now my wedding day.
Leah Phillipps
Maid of Honor
Leah is a friend who brings out the most fun and childlikeness in me. We met our freshman year of Master's and her room was right next to mine. From games of mini golf in the dorms, prank wars, making her sing lullabies to me to fall asleep, easter with her family, and rooming together- Leah has made our friendship so seamless. I can always count on her for a place to stay, a deep conversation, a new song to blast in the car, & a bit that might last a little too long. Her pursuit of Christ continues to encourage me and is someone who I know will be not only by my side on the wedding day but for life.
Ashlyn Simmons
Maid of Honor
Ashlyn & I have been friends from the womb! Our moms met in lamaze class and the rest was history. With 29 years of friendship under our belt Ashlyn is a friend who can connect with anyone, is patient, fiercely loyal, has seen me through many seasons of life, and keeps me humble. Many years ago we enjoyed an overcast beach day against the advice of Ashlyn, I thought my tan skin needed no sunscreen…. Or so I thought. The sun won that battle and I was in a sweatshirt trying to hide myself from the sun about half way through the day- Ash always loves to remind me of that one. She is a new mama and seeing her in this next phase of life suits her so well. Even though she went to college in New York, now lives in Oklahoma, we always pick up right where we left off.
Sydney Gilbert
Maid of Honor
If you need a sweet encouragement, empathy, a dancing partner, hype-woman, or someone to scream songs with you in the car- Sydney is your girl. I met Syd my Junior year of Masters when she was a freshman. There's something about running sprints until you almost puke that really bonds people but for us, it was always more than soccer. It was a bond over the I.E., our culture, music taste, family, her and Val scaring me in my dorm room, & making time for one another even after college. Syd is constantly looking to grow and make others feel seen exactly where there at. I can always count on Sydney and know that she'll encourage me not only on my wedding day, but in every season of life to come.
Reagan Carter
Maid of Honor
If you ask me or Reagie how we became friends, we'll both probably say "I dont know, one day it just happened and we just stuck ever since". Reagan loves her tribe deeply, can burst into a comedy routine at any moment, & shares a love for the ocean and taco bell with me. Our phone calls consist of either 3 minutes or 2 hours, absolutely no in-between- i'm still convinced we'd have a killer podcast. Reagan quickly became like family to me & is someone who is resilient, I admire her in so many ways. You can find Reagan tearing up the dance floor and hyping up everyone around her.
Sierra Elm
Maid of Honor
Enemies turned friends! Just kidding... well kinda. Sierra & I used to joke about being enemies through our time at Master's & after working at LinkedIn together she quickly became one of closest friends and confidants. She is one of the most hospitable, spontaneous, & generous people I know. From midnight margaritas, building one another up, providing a place for me to stay each time I'm in Ventura, comparing oura ring scores, talking through how the Lord is working in our lives, & a last minute trip to Hawaii, it was a no brainer to have her standing by my side!
Ashlie Palamara
Maid of Honor
LU! Ashlie & I met at The Master's University & were in the same friend group that to this day gets together at least once a year (shoutout True Crew). We quickly bonded over our love of family, adventures, music, & hot cheetos. Ash & I roomed together for a year in college and between her coffee making skills, our DJ'ing abilities, & my snacks- our room easily became the place to hang out. Ash is one of my most consistent friends- I can always count on her to be at every celebration, make time for me to hangout, & make me feel at home no matter where we are.
Brandi Hunt
Maid of Honor
Brandi is someone you want on your team and standing on your side. She is Michaels cousin and we had the joy of meeting during my first time out to Indiana to meet Michael’s family . She found little moments to pick my brain and invited me to learn more about the family. Brandi is someone who shows up for her people, her family, and especially Michael. I appreciate her honesty, her love, & consistency & the role she's played in Michael's life. It’s so special to have her standing on my side for our day.
Lexi Hunt
Flower Girl
Whenever I get to come back home to Indiana I know I can always count on Lexi for the following...a fair amount of strong female sass that puts me in my place, to be climbed on like I'm the local jungle gym or the base in some kind of cheerleading stunt, and lots of laughter and love. I love how she has attached to V in such special way with very little time to get to know her and that for her golden birthday she wants to spend it here in California for the Bridal Shower. She goes about life in a way that shows she knows her value and worth that culminates in a smooth confidence that I think is super special and rare. I admire her tenacity in cheer and BMX and now she's going after golf too. But mostly I just think it's important to know that she shows me a love that makes me want to be a girl dad someday. -Michael Lexi is one of the most thoughtful and caring kid (almost teenager) i've ever had the pleasure of meeting. In the handful of moments we've been able to share together she has always wanted me to feel comfortable and thought of. When meeting her in Indiana, I got to see my first firefly with her (they call them lightning bugs out there) and said she thinks of when they're out. She even mailed a drawing to me of our wedding day (12 groomsmen & 12 bridesmaids and all) for me to look at to get excited for the big day! I can't wait to spend more time with her & am so honored that she said yes to being in our wedding! -Victoria
Eliana Gama
Flower Girl
When I first met Eliana she was really not sure about me but a little over a month later I had won her over and now we have the most fun together. I would say our favorite thing to do together is make the weirdest and craziest faces we can when taking photos. And my favorite thing about her is love for life and how much that being around her family amplifies that. She loves to "cook" for us, sing worship songs as loud as she can, and the park. Her FaceTime calls to V and I are the best. Her relationship with V is really special and gives me a glimpse into how great of a mom she's going to be someday. Eliana will bring all the fun and all the smiles on our special day. -Michael If there anyone more excited for our wedding day and Lord willing one day babies it's Eliana. She is my bestie (ask her about our handshake) & probably someone I talk to the most. She's a great cook, singer, & conversationalist- shes always asking "sooooo what do you want to talk about?" and we could talk for hours. It has been so sweet having a niece like her & watching her also love Michael. I love pushing her on the swing, singing and dancing in the car, playing baby dolls, & our Facetime calls. I am so excited for her to be our flower girl & look forward to her tearing up the dance floor! -Victoria
John Murphy
Best Man
We may have different mommas and different dads but this man is truly a brother to me. We’ve been through a ton together in a fairly short period of time together that started with being enemies during our Master’s program at Cedar Lake Ministries. But what started off on the wrong foot quickly turned into a beautiful partnership that allowed us to accomplish some things the camp had never seen before. That partnership carried over into our personal lives too. I talk to John on a daily basis about everything and nothing. He’s the most complex person I know that has the ability to literally do anything. I’ve seen him give sermons, fix cars, transform ministries from the inside out, lift 900lb water heaters by himself, and love everyone around him equally and with high regard. He will give of himself everyday even when it costs him everything to do it and I’m a beneficiary of that. I’m utterly honored to have John in my court on this special day and I know it will continue until we’re old and grey.
Aaron Cisneros
Best Man
Aaron and I became friends through our small group at church called Young Pros. It was most likely just by association with one another but it has truly blossomed into one of the most intentional friendships I’ve ever had. He goes out of his way on a weekly basis to see what’s new with me and how my emotional state is. And in return I call him and we talk theology, psychology, and womanology for hours on end. He challenges me to think at all of the above in new lenses that I haven’t thought of before and we have a really cool ability to make these kind of conversations go back and forth like a great tennis or ping pong match where the rallies go on and on. I really love the way he leads other people with care, thoughtfulness, and intrigue. Whether it be over our small group, the people he trains at work, or his family I see him lead well in all aspects of his life. One of my favorite things to do with Aaron besides our hours long conversations is leading our podcast style Sunday school experience. We understand how we work together best to create an experience that is engaging, fun, and yet still impactful. I’m honored to have Aaron be apart of this big day and I truly couldn’t imagine it without him.
Garrett Nelson
Best Man
DB (Dude Bro) is my oldest friend in the wedding party. We met while working at Camp Brookwoods and Deer Run in New Hampshire. We bonded over ping pong, free moose tracks ice cream, and the longest staff week ever…it was actually two weeks and we never understood why they called it staff week. We quickly learned that we were both born in California only 6 days apart but then grew up in states that have a weird affinity for corn (Nebraska and Indiana). While there have been moments in our friendship where we have drifted from one another we always seem to find our way back into each other’s lives and begin again right where we left off. Garrett has a strong desire to do well in everything he does from his health/fitness, to his desire to grow as a human being, to sawing off feet as the best podiatrist of the year. I can count on Garrett to come through in the good and the bad moments.
Marco Gama
Best Man
Marco made sure I felt like I was part of the family early on in my relationship with V. I remember walking around Victoria Gardens talking with a friend about great things were going with this new girl when I received an out of the blue call from her letting me know that Marco had invited me to stay at his home after celebrating his daughters birthday just so we could all get to know each other more. It was really special and it showed me that I was someone that he wanted to show love to simply because he saw how his sister talked about me. This then led into him giving me the nickname BIG MIKE! Now it’s the first thing I hear when I come to any family event. Marco has endured a decent amount of really hard things in his life that have built this really unique kind of resilience and zeal for life that he seeks to also instill in his family. I’ve really loved seeing how he’s used his experiences to become the best husband, father, son, and brother he can be. I’m honored to get to call him brother.
Victor Gama
Best Man
When I first met Victor I was terrified because V had been telling me the week leading up to meeting him that she had no idea how it would go and that she was a little worried about it. Then I met him and I was met with smiles and a hug. We hung out for maybe 45 minutes at this Christmas party where I not only met him but all of the immediate family. We connected on working with kids at camp and how those interactions are ones that are remembered forever. When I left the party with V I asked her why she was so worried. She laughed and said well I kind of asked him to go hard on you. Since then I’ve learned that respect and responsibility are Victor’s number one ideals. He teaches that to his students a way to be about the change he wishes to see in this world. He also has a work ethic like I’ve never seen whether it’s in the gym, running a marathon, or following through on the goals he sets for himself. I really admire his character and I hope to emulate it in some manner. I’m honored to get to call him brother.
Luciano Gianola
Best Man
Luciano was one of the first people I met when I first started to attend The Flipside. I quickly realized that this man cares about people. It made me desire to get to know him more and in doing so, I realize how different him and I actually are. In that process I also realized that the differences don’t matter because of his ability to be so self aware and willing to engage in the hard conversations in effort to understand so that he could care deeper. Our friendship really blossomed when we spent about 2 months worth of Sunday’s trying as many diner’s that we could in the local Rancho Cucamonga area. We would talk about faith, politics, personalities, soccer, and how to care for the people around us well. He’s always down to hang and will go out of his way to take you grocery shopping when you need it. But get out of his way on the soccer pitch because he will just run you over.
Josh Sellers
Best Man
Josh is easily one of the most intriguing people in my life. He knows no strangers, just like his dad, and has the ability to engage in conversation over just about every topic. More so he has this really cool ability to not just sympathize with people in all stages of life, but, he actually understands how to empathize in a really neat way too. He’s done this with me through all the crazy stages in my life where I didn’t know where to go or what to do. He just showed up when I needed him most. Our favorite thing to do is shoot some pool and shoot the breeze. He was one of the first to know about V and how special she is to me.
Tim Santos
Best Man
Tim and I met when he came on staff at our church, The Flipside, in early 2024. We bonded over a shared experience of cheese curds and Grant Marshall. Grant ordered the app and conveniently placed it in the center of the table for what seemed like a shared plate. Tim and I were both scolded by Grant to which we simply laughed off. From the point on Tim is someone that never ceases to laugh or bring joy to an environment. More so Tim is someone that I've let into my circle simply because of the wisdom and passion he displays when it comes to his relationship with Jesus but others relationship with Jesus as well.
Tyler Ames
Best Man
Tyler and I met while working at Alpine Camp and Conference Center in the Spring of 2018. I was excited because he was coming from the midwest and with a wealth of camping experience and knowledge. Our relationship was formed over our love for ministry and creating powerful and meaningful experiences for students but it was solidified over our love of sports. Most weekends you could find us doing something active outside. Our go to was hitting up ultimate frisbee in the morning, going rock climbing in the afternoon, and then running the show at soccer. At the end of the day we were completely exhausted but our hearts were full. When the season ended and Tyler moved all the way across the country to the Carolinas we stayed in touch and things were always left in manner where we could pick up right where we left them. We speak on a semi weekly basis almost exclusively about ministry or about our significant others. I'm pumped he said yes to standing up with me!
Garrett Godsey
Best Man
I met Garret in the summer of 2019 when we were both Program Leads at Thousand Pines. What started as a work relationship, turned into the best of friends that loved to roast one another. When I met Garrett he was just a kid who had thirst for Jesus and a story that would make most men cry. We bonded over similar life circumstances and we quickly became inseparable. Garrett has a heart of gold and when he lets you in you now have a friend for life. To emphasize this Garrett accompanied me on two major trips across the country. He went with me when I interviewed in Northern California just because I asked him and then he left behind his fiance (now wife) for over a week just to meet my family back home in Indiana when I came back during COVID for my master's degree. Now he has a full fledged family that he loves in a manner so deep that I hope to be that kind of husband and father someday. Cheers to a few more roasts!
Grant Marshall
Best Man
Grant loves easy but he loves deep. We became best friends in 5 minutes in early 2023 just like I've watched him do 1,000 other times. He connects with dudes and students with ease and it's a joy watching him do it. We get to do youth ministry together at the Flipside but we really love talking about Jesus, hitting some golf balls, smoking cigars and spurring one another on in life. He loves football and building zoos in a manner like I've never seen anyone else do it before and his love of these things at times speak to his qualities of endurance, passion, confidence, and excellence. I strive for those qualities too and thats one of the ways we spur one another on and that's why I'm pumped he'll be up there with me on this big day.
Logan Hunt
Best Man
I remember the day I met Logan right after he was born. I was so scared to have such a little human in my arms. It was one of the first moments I remember thinking, ”wow, I can’t wait to be a dad.” He’s also the reason I know how to change a diaper and not be phased to the smell. Now as a teenage, Logan is full of adventure and certainly not shy of trying new things. Quick witted, and as smart as they come Logan brings his A-game wherever he goes. From the BMX track, to the basketball court, to the golf course he excels and seems to come out on top. He still calls me Uncle Mikey though and that's why I got him on my team for this special day! I'm proud to know him and I'm glad he said yes to standing up for me.
Eli Gama
Ring Bearer
Eli is Victoria's nephew. When I first met him his first question for me was, "Have you seen Nacho Libre?" To which I had to answer no and it made him skeptical of me until he asked his second question which was, "Have you ever been to Disneyland?" I got to share with him all the best rides to check out that he hadn't gotten to ride yet. Our relationship blossomed from there by playing all the sports, primarily soccer and football. I used to be able to outrun him but the kid is just so dang fast now I don't think I could even keep up. And just like the rest of his family he has accepted me as part of it...even though I haven't watched Nacho Libre enough to quote it yet. - Michael Eli was very skeptical of me as well when we first met- it took him about 3 years to come around. We then shared car rides with the windows rolled down screaming music, soccer in the backyard, many games of monopoly, beating Mario party, many nacho libre quotes, and lots of FaceTime calls. Eli quickly became one of my best friends and someone I loved to spend my time with. Eli is loyal, thoughtful, not afraid of a challenge, and someone who I couldn’t imagine our day without. - Victoria
Pastor Jon Pierce
Officiant
Pastor Jon and I met at Thousand Pines Christian Camp in the summer of 2022 when he brought up his middle school students from the Flipside. We were in the middle of a 10 day sprint for summer camp and my boss needed a day off since he hadn't had one in over a week. Jon noticed that I was running that mornings counselor meeting and he came to encourage me as a leader. He invited to me to come check out his church and two weeks later I was attending The Flipside where I've been attending for over 3 years. He's been a rock for me in the moments where I thought that God was done with me and a cheerleader for me in the moments where God was refining and redeeming me. In the those dark moments he helped me to take a long and deep look at myself so that I could truly see what the Lord thought and said about me. God used him to build me back up and now I can only thank God for the way in which He used Jon to be a brother. If Jon were not the officiant of our wedding he would be standing up with me regardless. Excited to have him apart of our day!