Wedding Party
Samuel Mathew
Father of the Bride
My dad, Sam, is the epitome of a girl dad. Whenever he wants to catch up with me and my sister, he'll start the conversation off by saying "So, what's the tea?" He even took us to our first pop concert to see Ariana Grande, and became a Jo Bro after watching the Jonas Brothers documentary twice with us. Jokes aside, my dad is truly a girl dad because he has brought me and Hannah up to be confident, strong, and intelligent women, and encourages us to be authentic, kind, and caring to those around us. Growing up, he surrounded us with different types of opportunities, various hobbies he's picked up, and gave us so much knowledge about the world and theology, allowing us to conversate with adults at a young age. He's always shown up and continues to be our number one supporter in many ways, and his young at heart spirit and kind nature inspires those around him as well.
Blessy Mathew
Mother of the Bride
My mom, Blessy, is not only my mom, but a best friend. Every day, I'm realizing I'm more and more like her. She is one of the kindest and most selfless people I know. She always goes out of her way for the people she loves, even if it comes at her own expense. Whenever any of us pursues a new path in life, she's right behind us supporting us all the way through. She's raised us with the world at our fingertips, giving us every opportunity possible, and always encouraging us to "Go for it!" She's the smartest person I know and excels at everything she does because of her drive to put her all into it. Similar to my dad, she's young at heart and has a love to explore and learn new things, including traveling the world and raising me and my sister to understand more of the world outside of our home. Her heart is so big and our whole family is so lucky to be loved by her.
Hannah Mathew
Maid of Honor
Hannah is my younger sister by two and a half years. My first memory of her was when she was born at home with a big dramatic entry into the world. Since then, she's been the same lively and energetic person, bringing humor and laughter to our home. She's always encouraging our family to enjoy life, whether it means singing and dancing together or trying new things. Since a young age, she's filled our home with her passion for singing and music. Aside from her love of music, she has a big heart for people and for seeing justice in the world. Growing up as sisters, she's always been supportive, whether it was about childhood crushes or fixing up my fashion sense or providing me with words of encouragement. My favorite moments with her is always when she's cracking jokes with us or when we have our long sister talks. She's been the trailblazer of this family, teaching us new things about the world and opening us up to things outside of our worldview. With her fiery spirit, I've become very protective of her, but without a doubt, her passionate energy has been an inspiration to me, my parents, and to everyone around her.
Sarah Korath
Bridesmaid
Sarah is Josh's older sister, and now my soon to be sister. I first met Sarah at Josh's ICF barbecue hosted at his house in the summer of 2021. We hit it off almost immediately, and I remember inviting her to play Mafia with us, and I was worried I was scaring her with my yelling during the game. During my friendship with Josh, I only got to see her a few times after that, but once we started dating, her and I went right back to how it was at the barbecue. Sarah has been a welcoming and sweet presence since day one. She's always treated me like a sister, whether it was setting up a beauty/self care station for me in their home or letting me borrow her clothes or chatting to the point where Josh would get jealous of us. As we get closer, it's been a joy to see our similarities and a pleasure to get to know her more. I'm so excited for all the new memories we get to make together in the days to come.
Alexis John
Bridesmaid
Alexis is my older first cousin on my mom's side and Olivia's older sister. Us cousins grew up together as sisters. Alexis has always been the fun loving cousin, who has a big smile on her face and starts laughing before she can even get a joke out because she can't get over how hilarious it is. When it came to reenacting Bollywood dance scenes, she was the "Abhishek Bachchan" to my "John Abraham" (Desi Girl reference). Olivia and Hannah would play the girl part, and Alexis and I, being the older cousins, would always play the guy part together. As a natural storyteller at a young age, Alexis would make up bed time stories and do hand puppet shadows on the wall to make the story even more lively for us. Since then, her joyous and funny spirit has given us so many laughs growing up, and makes it easy for people to immediately feel comfortable with her and want to be her friend.
Olivia John
Bridesmaid
Olivia (or "Oli" as we all lovingly call her) is my younger first cousin on my mom's side and Alexis's younger sister. Us cousins always bonded over our love for the performing arts. Growing up, we would have dancing/singing competitions at home, and we'd always go down to the basement to have dance parties in any dance style we could do. If we weren't dancing or finding an activity to do, we'd bingewatch shows together or plan our weddings. Oli has always shown up for us growing up, whether it be driving to NJ to be there for special moments or being intentional with each of our family visits, while gracing us with her yummy baked goods. She has always brought so much joy and laughter to our childhood. She is the epitome of a funny person and has always had us cousins dying of laughter. She continues to be a funny, sweet, and intentional person, especially with the people she loves the most.
Emelyne Johns
Bridesmaid
Emelyne and I are third-cousins, but it has always felt like we were sisters. Since we went to the same church, we had the opportunity to form a close relationship since we were little. We got to grow up together, alongside our sisters, having sleepovers, taking family trips, and having our mandatory catch-ups every few months. Emelyne has always been the definition of a beaming light in my life, no matter what chapter of life we are in. She has a heart to lift up the people around her, and she carries this confidence, joy, and love with every person she meets, whether she's meeting my friends or family. She definitely knows how to light up the room with her humor and "life of the party" energy. Spending time with her always leaves my heart feeling full, whether we've been having deep conversations or just hanging out or dancing together.
Keziah Franks
Bridesmaid
Kez is Josh's first cousin on his mom's side, his fellow partner in crime. When Josh and I were just friends, Kez and I only met briefly twice, but I've been lucky to get to know her more ever since Josh and I started dating. During my first time meeting Josh's cousins over dinner, I could see the eagerness in Kez's eyes to meet Josh's new girlfriend and to get to know me more. Two years later, I can still see that kindness and eagerness in her eyes to grow closer as a family. Just like the rest of Josh's family, Kez has played an instrumental role in embracing me as a fellow cousin, whether that be inviting me to every family hang out or siding with me against Josh for any scenario. I know that Kez will always be there for me and Josh in a blink of eye. She has the biggest heart for every person in her life, and I'm so lucky to get to be one of those people.
Suchi Trivedi
Bridesmaid
Suchi and I both went to Piscataway High School, but we only officially met our senior year, and then grew further into our friendship going into Rutgers. We've grown more into sisters than just friends since we’ve experienced a lot together, including high school friend circles, the Women in Business organization, the Indian Christian Fellowship (ICF), and morphing into each other’s families. Since the beginning, Suchi has been such a kind and thoughtful friend, and everyone who meets her is drawn by her sweet and comforting energy. She’s been there for me always, and is in my opinion, one of the funniest people I know - to the point that I'm usually crying laughing when we're together. We don't need to do much to enjoy each other's presence because it's always a fun time, whether we're laughing together, being weird, talking funny, or jamming out to Bollywood music with the car windows down.
Asha Mathew
Bridesmaid
I met Asha my freshman year at Rutgers at the Indian Christian Fellowship (ICF). Josh, Asha, and I were all originally part of the same friend group since our freshman year, and it’s been a blessing for both Josh and I to experience her friendship individually. Asha has played an instrumental role in my faith. Over the last five years, we have experienced many times in which the Lord has used our friendship to help us grow as people, but to ultimately grow our faith in Him. She has been my community, my fellow “Jesus freak”, and I’ve come away from every one of our conversations feeling fulfilled, inspired, and loved. Asha has been the sweetest friend, always showering me with her beautifully eloquent words, and it's been an honor to know her and to be known by her. She’s been a constant prayer warrior for both me and Josh, and we are so incredibly blessed to have her in our lives.
James Korath
Father of the Groom
James Korath. If you know me, you’ll have a pretty good idea of him, as most of who I am comes from him. When I was much more rebellious lol, we’d get into arguments a lot. Though I gave him many reasons to give up on me, he continued to show grace all throughout my dumb decisions. As I’ve matured, I have a newfound respect for my dad. As a chill guy, he doesn’t get too emotional, and I’ve acquired that from him. Yet even in the lack thereof, we still find ourselves sharing the same emotions. Whether it’s laughing about the corny jokes we make about my mom and Sarah, or lamenting over how bad the Giants are, we find ourselves both on the same page. My dad is also loving and disciplined. He’s always been a big supporter of me. He’s come to all my sports events. He’s helped me with math, science, and especially coding, when I had no idea what I was doing lol. Most importantly though, he’s instilled the Bible into my life. He’s also displayed how to live it out. He’s faithfully loved my mom for over 30 years. He’s led this family and raised me and Sarah up in a Godly manner. He’s served in ministry. Every morning when I wake up, without failure I’d always see him reserving those first few moments of his day for God. My dad is someone that’s inspired me and encouraged me. It can be frequent in today’s culture to want to be different from your parents and not become them. I however consider myself greatly blessed to have a father that I can look up to and model my life after.
Susan Korath
Mother of the Groom
Susan Korath is the life of our family. If anyone has been fortunate enough to know us, they know that full well. She has a contagious smile, laugh, and love for others. If you’ve come into our home, you know you were met with a heartwarming welcome and blooming hospitality from my mom. She has always loved serving guests and giving them a wonderful experience. But that love didn’t start with a heart for guests, it started with a heart for her family. She’s always doted over us. Growing up I was always given so much care from her. Some might even have considered me to be a “momma’s boy”, as the youngest in the family. I didn’t mind being called that as I always loved the love my mom shed on me. My mom isn’t just a supermom however, she’s also what one might call a “girlboss”. If there was one word to describe my mom when it comes to her career, it would be tenacious. She has shown me and Sarah what it means to be a go-getter and persistent. She’s a very hard-worker. That’s something I’ve always admired about her. I look up to my mom in all these things, but my admiration for my mom is first and foremost for her unwavering faith. She’s very passionate about her love for Christ. She always insists to me and my sister that we place our trust in God no matter what the circumstance is. This insistence has molded my faith to what it is today. I’m grateful to God for giving me a mom who is relentlessly loving in all she is.
Jonathan Franks
Best Man
Jon is my first cousin on my mom's side. Being only 1.5 years apart and living only five minutes away our whole lives brought us very close with one another. We constantly would wrestle, play video games, and play basketball with each other. Needless to say, we were very competitive, and although he denies it, I beat him in just about everything. Aside from our competitive nature, we became very close friends as we'd have similar interests and humor, often dying of laughter from the stupidest thing. Whatever it was that we did, it often started with Jon doing something and me following, as any younger cousin would. I'm fortunate enough that Jon had a good head on his shoulder and didn't become a criminal because there's a good chance I might have followed him in that too lol. He instead did what was right and followed the Lord, and in turn, God used him to also mold me. As I've met his friends from college, I was not surprised to see how everyone loved Jon. He always brings joy to others. He's always a great time to be around, especially since he boosts my ego every time I beat him in 2k, which is all the time of course lol. All in all though, Jon has been the closest guy to a brother and for that I knew that I'd definitely want him to be my best man. P.S. - I used to receive hand-me-downs from Jon, since when he outgrew his clothes, they'd fit perfectly for me. That means that everyone who ever made fun of my awkward style growing up can attribute it to Jon :)
Jubin Thomas
Groomsman
Jubin and I met in college in our freshman year. He and I were a part of the same freshman guy's life group and were also both highly involved in a faith-based organization at Rutgers called Indian Christian Fellowship (ICF). Early on I quickly learned that this is a guy who will have your back. Being the uncultured "coconut" (brown on the outside, white on the inside) of the group meant that I didn't know a lot of the Indian cultural aspects our friends would often talk about. He'd always be there to explain everything to me, sometimes not even waiting for me to ask because he already knew that I was lost. I did however learn at the same time that even when I did know what something was, this guy would love to "mansplain" it nonetheless lol. Joking aside though, Jubin is one of the most selfless guys I know who's always willing to lend a hand. I've seen it in the way he pours his heart into his friends and his ministries, constantly sacrificing his time and energy out of his love for God and for others. It's been a blessing getting to go through college and post-grad life with him, as he's always a joy to be around. P.S. - Jubin is actually my twin as we share the same birthday, and up until this point we thought he was older but I recently looked at the time on my birth certificate and I believe I'm older so ha.
Samuel George
Groomsman
Sam and I met in college, also at ICF. We met in my junior year and his freshman year. If you only know Sam now, it might be a surprise for you to hear that he was once a very quiet and shy dude. I still don't know where that kid went. Sam and I got to know each other more through worship as he joined the worship team. From the beginning, I noticed quickly that he was very musically gifted, being able to sing, play guitar, piano, bass, etc. This was great for all of us on the worship team as we would be able to do more with the extra talent. And at first that's what I saw him as: a great addition to the worship team. Eventually I would learn that he'd become a cherishing addition to my life. As he got close with all of us, Sam soon emerged out of his shell and became the fun, goofy, and sometimes crazy dude you see today. He loves to crack jokes, sing Olivia Rodrigo songs, and make fun of everyone he loves, Joanne and I being no exception. Along with all his tomfoolery, Sam is one of the most caring friends you could ever hope for. He always works tirelessly to be there for his friends and I'm grateful that I have been on the receiving end of that. P.S. - Sam once made a bet with me and some friends to attend all his classes one semester and he failed by like the second day lol.
Kevin Thomson
Groomsman
Kevin and I also met in college, also in ICF. We met in my sophomore year and his freshman year. When I first met Kev, I thought he was the most annoying kid ever lol. When the boys would go out to get food and I'd drive, this guy would call out on purpose the wrong direction just to mess with me. He'd also call me "lil bro" despite me being older and bigger than him lol. But while my first impression of Kevin was unorthodox, I eventually became great friends with him. Kev became someone who I loved to talk to about faith and life. He's someone who challenged the way I think as he'd always pose thought-provoking questions. Kevin also is a very loving friend. He checks up on me to see how I'm doing and I always feel at home anytime I catch up with him. But his heart isn't reserved just for his friends, Kev has a heart for people all around him, even if they're strangers. He has served in Inspire Sports Camp (ISC), where he spends his summertime sharing the Gospel and playing with underprivileged kids from nearby urban areas. Kevin doesn't see this as a burden or work, but has found this to be a joy of his, and I just know that all those kids were profoundly impacted by Kevin and his loving heart. I'm lucky to have a guy like him as my friend. P.S. - I once chased Kevin with a baseball bat. I don't remember why, all I know is that it was warranted.
Williams Pitta
Groomsman
Will and I also met in college, and how did you guess it, also in ICF too lol. We met in both our freshman years. It wasn't until our sophomore and junior though that I started to get closer with him. In this time I realized that this guy might just be the biggest clown ever. Will never fails to make any room laugh with his timely humor. He's always cracking jokes and bringing smiles to people's faces. His viewpoints on everything have always intrigued me. Since however long I've had him on SnapChat, this man not once has ever failed to send a nightly Snap to all his friends where he shares his thoughts on quite literally anything. While I don't reply to all of them, every night I've enjoyed and have been concerned at the same time taking a step into the mind of Williams Pitta. Outside of his jokes, Will is a great friend who always goes above and beyond for others no matter what. I'll never forget that on more than one occasion did this guy become severely ill at ICF's annual charity event called Lighthouse and power through as he was a skit director and a dancer, making MJ's flu game look like child's play. The dude has heart, and that heart has also translated into his friendships. P.S. - Will is painfully late to everything, so much so that I'm convinced he is operating on Pacific Standard Time lol.
Nico Vasquez
Groomsman
Nico and I met at my church's young adult group, College & Career (C&C). Here we spent a lot of time getting to know each other through large and small group Bible studies. Getting to know Nico more and more was a joy, as I learned he was a bit of nerd like me, finding interests in the likes of Star Wars, video games, and what not. Even though I get called out for talking "too much" about Star Wars, which isn't even possible, Nico always lends an ear to hear my newest thoughts on it. More than that though, one thing I've always admired about Nico is his heart for the Lord. I've seen God work tremendously in his life. On multiple occasions have we been out to lunch or dinner with friends, and before we leave, Nico has made sure to share the Gospel with our waiter or the restaurant owner. He has the heart of an evangelist as he strives to be like Christ. He strives after Him so much that he even looks a little like Him too lol. All in all though, Nico has become a great friend in the relatively small time I've known him. He's always there to talk and pray with me, but also there to joke about the small things in life. P.S. - Nico puts slices of cheddar cheese on his chocolate chip pancakes. Do with that information what you will lol
Danny Murphy
Groomsman
Danny and I also met at C&C. While we couldn't look any more different, we always talk about how we're twins as we share the same mindset in a lot of things. From our love of old COD games, to our grievances over how bad the NY Giants are, to even our confidence in the fact that peanut butter can go with ANY food, Danny and I are convinced we share the same DNA. Danny is the guy in your friend group that can make everyone feel at ease, as he brings a calm and cool attitude everywhere he goes. He's always caring for the people around him and he's the biggest hype man I know. He's also the guy who, no matter how stupid a decision might be, I can lock eyes with and know immediately that we're gonna go through with these shenanigans. For instance, he and I attempted to eat as many pancakes as we possibly could at IHOP's unlimited pancake deal one day. And although I ended that meal never wanting to eat another pancake again, I'm glad I had someone to do that with me. I've been fortunate enough to get to know Danny in the short time I've known him, and I've seen how much God has grown him in his walk with the Lord. This has been such an encouragement to me and to those around him. Though he only recently became Christian, Danny never fails to speak profoundly whenever we're at Bible study, something I find quite awesome about him. P.S. - Danny and I once played Madden and by the middle of the 3rd Quarter, I was beating him 57-0.
Zoe
Dog of the Bride
Zoe joined our family at 8 weeks old when Hannah was 10 and I was 13. She became the angel and baby of our family, always showering us with love. Everyone she meets immediately falls in love with her sweetness, and she has touched so many hearts with her adorable puppy eyes. Now that Josh has joined the family, Zoe absolutely adores him and greets him with so many kisses the second she sees him, even if it's been a few minutes since she last saw him.