Wedding Party
Casandra Archetto
Maid of Honor
Cassie's and my friendship has stood the test of time - and even survived the Polly Pocket incident of '03! From meeting at a Halloween party at the library dressed as a butterfly and cow, to supporting each other from afar as we both pursue our dreams now, our friendship has matured so much. But not so much that we can't joke about Twilight, stargazing, and 925 dollars. I know she will always be there for me, like a sister, and I look forward to sharing these kinds of special moments with her throughout the rest of our lives.
Benjamin Russo
Best Man
Partner in crime since '99, Ben is always ready for a game of Wiffle ball or a volley of puns. He keeps traditions alive and fits right in with my friends, keeping me looking forward to fun trips or baseball games at any time of year. Ben is the best brother, best rhymer, and best of all, Best man.
Lia Tessitore
Bridesmaid
What started off as mutual dislike after sharing a backpack hook, turned into so much mutual love for each other! Lia has stuck by my side for well over a decade and I am so grateful for our lasting friendship. She always lets me know how much I am supported and appreciated and I feel so lucky to have her in my corner. There's no one else I'd rather belt theater tunes with, gorge myself on chips with, and act as two best friends with in a production of Bye Bye Birdie -- and in life.
Kenny Vinacco
Groomsman
This one either copied my style growing up--the more likely option--or I copied his, because we've done everything together. Running, scouting, AP classes--he's been there for me my whole life and will partner with Gianna to make me smile. On Sundays, you'll find us destroying a stack of chocolate-chip pancakes after a 10-mile run across Scituate.
Olivia Pelletier
Bridesmaid
Friends since kindergarten, I am so thankful for our lasting friendship. I can honestly say I don't have another friendship quite like ours-- we spent hours and hours creating stories, tv shows, and even our own entrees together when we were young, and it was so great to cultivate so much creativity in our friendship as we grew up. Now that we're grown, we are truly family and I love spending the holidays with the Pelletier's. We will see you for the 7 fishes on Christmas day!
Jake Gansert
Groomsman
A hike up Mt. Washington would be unthinkable without Jake. He is at once nonchalant in his basketball shorts and calculating in his response to severe weather, and it has brought us to the summit four times. My longtime friend from the neighborhood, Jake is the one I'd choose for a long car ride, advice on the electoral system, or a dance move to "Bop-It" instructions.
Olivia Pellegrino
Bridesmaid
My beautiful, fun, and intelligent cousin who consistently impresses me with her amazing athletic ability-- they must have come from Aunty Sandy's side because Joe and I did not really get any of those skills! I've always loved having a cousin so close in age, and always look forward to catching up when we spend time with the family and at holidays. Catch us on thanksgiving sharing a can of black olives!
Dan Heston
Groomsman
At the nexus of the neighborhood as we grew up, Dan has brought friends together with a unique sense of humor that could only have come from his father. Even so, he's engaged me in thoughtful conversation and debate since kindergarten, when we started memorizing state capitals together.
Alissa Lipsky
Bridesmaid
Despite knowing each other since elementary school, we became very close in college after Sam J had a fire to celebrate me getting all As in my sophomore year of college. We made a plan to hangout again, and the rest is history! She is the only person who can push me to exercise at my best and then consequently push me to eat chocolate chip cookies and drink wine for the rest of the night! I love our balance, and also love being mistaken for her twin sister!
Dylan Grandjean
Groomsman
The only bro who will speak French with me, Dylan is as thoughtful as he is exotic. I'm pretty sure he's Switzerland's gift to Gianna and me--he comes up with fun and exciting ideas like a glassblowing class or a Taco Tuesday. You can find us singing "Snow (Hey Oh)" on our way to get ice cream, which will cancel out whatever workout we just did together.
Gabby Bonofiglio
Bridesmaid
The Puppy Raisers Club at URI gave me two very important things: my time with Sadie, and one of my favorite people in the world, Gabby. It's actually uncommon if you find one of us without the other at this point. Our bond is a lot more than our love of dogs, (although that is a very strong part of it)- it's a mix of too much pasta, the Bachelor/Bachelorette, sun and sand, and lots of laughs.
Sam Jackvony
Groomsman
He and I have a solid friendship forged in baseball teams from ages 6 to 22. Sam will throw me both batting practice and hilarious lines from Scrubs. I've never met someone with less of a sense of shame, which helps me let loose now and then. At the same time, we can have deep discussions about love and life, for "What is life without love?"
Shannon Bissell
Bridesmaid
Hard to believe that we didn't meet each other sooner into our time at URI, but we met during our senior year of college. We chatted excitedly about the prospective vet schools we applied to, and when we both decided on Tufts we made the choice to live together - and I gained so much more than a roommate from that decision. We complement each other perfectly and there's no one I'd rather take on vet school with!
Santino Parisi
Groomsman
I'm not sure anyone can make me laugh harder. Like a brother to Gianna, Santino has been a gift to me from the moment he saw us on a long walk together and asked Gianna what she was doing out of the house. He's the heartbeat of game nights and breathes wise-cracking energy into the room every time he shows up unannounced.
MaryEllen Zavota
Mother of the Bride
Nick: Momma Z and I can talk about anything-- she truly treats me like a son. Some of our best moments are in the kitchen, cooking meals together and boogieing to 70s music. It's a blessing to have such a close relationship with her. And when you see my haircut on wedding day, make sure to give her all the credit.
Anthony Zavota
Father of the Bride
Nick: Anthony lit right up when he learned I was a runner. This has kept us chatting about everything from race times to new shoes. When I asked for Gianna's hand in marriage, he didn't skip a beat-- he thought we would be ready soon. This made me feel like family and I was thrilled to have him as a father-in-law. Afterwards, he showed me his new Brooks running shoes.
Joe Zavota
Brother of the Bride
Nick: Excited to be gaining another brother!
Kristin and Joe Russo
Mother and Father of the Groom
Gianna: From the start, I've always loved how close Nick has been with his parents Kristin and Joe. I feel so blessed to be entering this wonderful family - they've given me encouragement, support, love, laughs, amazing food, Moscato and chocolate for the past 8 years as if I already were their daughter. I cannot wait to officially join the family!
Elizabeth Philbrick
Sister of the Groom
Gianna: I'm so excited to be gaining a sister and also so happy to be an aunt to Liz's baby girl!