Wedding Party
Katie Truhe
Maid of Honor
Katie and Katherine have been friends since their sophomore year of college when they were paired up by their sorority for a "sister" hangout. Katherine kept postponing it since they didn’t know each other well (aka Katherine was too shy), which led Katie to think Katherine didn’t like her. Fast forward ten years, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. From being roommates to long-distance best friends, these two are inseparable. They even have dogs that are sisters. Katie's the one Katherine calls when she doesn't know what to wear, but also the one she calls when everything seems like it's going wrong. Katie is the best friend that gets invited to family events, laughs with Katherine's family and isn't afraid to tell Katherine exactly what she's thinking or when Katherine may be wrong. That is why she is the perfect Maid of Honor. Katie will be taking charge behind the scenes on the wedding day and throughout the entire planning process, and Katherine is beyond grateful to have her best friend by her side on such a special day.
Greg Scavelli
Best Man
Greg and Ryan met freshman year at Seton Hall after matching on the school’s Facebook page, where Greg famously lied about being a Mets fan just to secure Ryan as a roommate. The deception apparently worked, because they ended up living together all four years of college and have been best friends ever since. Greg is a man of many skills, he’s the best softball player any of us have ever witnessed, a fantasy sports legend in his own mind, and elite at video games when conditions are absolutely perfect. However, his number one skill is that he’s one of the most loyal people Ryan knows and would do anything for the people he cares about. Ryan couldn’t imagine standing up there without him by his side.
Emma Etienne
Matron of Honor
Emma and Katherine met one fateful day in law school, and the rest is history. They spent three years sharing laughs, tears and no hugs (they don't like hugs). Emma asked Katherine to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, which she was honored to do. This was the wedding we all heard about, the one where Katherine and Ryan met. Katherine likes to think that without Emma, she never would've met Ryan. That's just one of the many many reasons Emma is so special to Katherine. Emma always makes Katherine laugh and spills all the tea with her over celebrity gossip and they can be painfully honest with each other with no hurt feelings, which makes Emma the perfect Matron of Honor.
Matt Licata
Groomsman
Matt and Ryan met on the very first day of college, throwing a football around on the green before realizing they lived just two doors down from each other. Naturally, this led to a friendship built on their mutual love of terrible sports teams and an impressive, lifelong inability to win anything, truly born losers in the most loyal way possible. This has since evolved into their annual tradition of attending a Jets–Bills game, where they willingly spend a full day torturing themselves. Matt is just as competitive as Ryan, although aside from his silky smooth snappa hands, he’s really not much competition. More importantly, Matt is the kind of friend Ryan knows he can always go to, someone he’ll have for life, and someone he couldn’t imagine this day without.
Kayleigh Petroski
Bridesmaid
Kayleigh and Katherine met in law school, on the day their professor was late to class. On that day Katherine finally got up the nerve to talk to someone in class, it was only the third day. She remembered Kayleigh said she went to West Chester for undergrad herself. So Katherine awkwardly asked Kayleigh through her COVID mask in Torts about this random fact she remembered about Kayleigh from the first day of class. The rest was history. They sat through countless classes together, cried over studying, enjoyed all the wedding fun from Emma's wedding and now Kayleigh will stand by Katherine's side for her big day!
Eric Delmore
Groomsman
Eric and Ryan first met during Ryan’s “Bieber flow” days, an era that, fortunately, lives on mostly in memory. They became close during Playcrafters, where Eric did all the important work running sound while Ryan got the credit on stage. At one point, Eric almost convinced Ryan to follow him to Ithaca for college but Ryan enjoys rooting for the Cortland Red Dragons much more. Eric eventually made the questionable decision to move out to the west coast (worst coast), but despite the distance, they stayed as close as ever. It turns out Eric missed Ryan too much, because he ultimately found his way back home to the East Coast. These days, Eric spends much of his time offering ideas on how to improve Ryan’s house, and, of course, using Ryan as an excuse to spend time with Lucy. Through every phase of life, Eric has been a constant, an incredible friend who Ryan can always count on, no matter what.
Melanie Pang
Bridesmaid
Katherine once fell into a pile of snow, in a very short dress, with Melanie Pang at the back door of Pi Kapp. There's nothing that could bond two girls more. Melanie and Katherine met their freshman year of college, brought together by their sorority. But the friendship that formed was deeper than the chapter dues they paid each year. From living together junior and senior year - where Katherine always took naps in Melanie's bed - to staying close throughout many moves and big life changes, Katherine couldn't imagine her special day without Melanie standing beside her.
Anthony Viscovich
Groomsman
Anthony (Quasi) and Ryan met at Seton Hall when they became fraternity brothers, quickly bonding over their shared loyalty to the Jets and Mets, an experience that has built plenty of character over the years. After college, Ryan moved back home for law school and grew even closer with Anthony, who was living in Queens, although deep down he would tell you Long Island is where it is at. The two made a tradition out of weekly Buffalo Wild Wings nights, and Anthony quickly became a regular at Goldberg family game nights. Along the way, he’s proven himself to be one of the most loyal, thoughtful, and dependable people you’ll ever meet, someone Ryan is lucky to call a lifelong friend.
Melissa Cancelliere
Bridesmaid
Melissa is Katherine's older, but shorter, sister. For the longest time they got matching birthday and Christmas gifts and shared a bedroom for way too long. They bicker like sisters, but would stick up for the other in an instant. From posters of Jesse McCartney on their shared walls, to late nights of watching Gilmore Girls or the Vampire Diaries, to Taylor Swift concerts, they've always been by each others' side. Katherine couldn't imagine dress shopping, bridal showers, or any of these big moments without her big sister.
Richard Stewart
Groomsman
RJ is Ryan’s oldest cousin and one of his best friends. RJ’s endless talk about the greatness of the Yankees only strengthened Ryan’s loyalty to the Mets. Even with totally opposite sports opinions, the two have always loved arguing about what their teams should have done differently, normally with RJ confidently declaring himself correct. They also bonded over their shared love of country music, with RJ letting Ryan tag along to countless Jones Beach concerts. Growing up, the two were always competitive when it came to sports, but these days, since Ryan claims to win at just about everything else, RJ prefers to take him out on the golf course to keep track of how many balls Ryan loses in a round. RJ has always been someone Ryan admired and leaned on, and he wouldn’t be the same without him.
Rachel Goldberg
Bridesmaid
Rachel is one of Ryan’s two younger sisters, and also one of the silliest, goofiest people Katherine knows—she can always make her laugh. She’s also the best dog aunt to Lucy (and some might even argue Lucy’s favorite). Katherine and Rachel share the special bond of being the fabulous youngest child in a family of three, and it’s just one of the many things they have in common. Katherine can’t wait to watch Rachel tear up the dance floor at the wedding—hopefully blessing everyone with a jump split. Katherine couldn’t be happier to be gaining not just one, but two amazing sisters, and Katherine can’t wait to have Rachel by her side on her wedding day.
Nicholas Cancelliere
Groomsman
Nick is Ryan’s future brother-in-law and has made it very clear from day one that he’s grateful Ryan is the one taking his sister off his hands. From the start, Nick has gone out of his way to make Ryan feel like part of the family, which has meant a lot. Nick is always the one keeping things fun, quick with a joke and someone you can count on to make any situation a good time. He also never misses an opportunity to remind Ryan that he supports the wrong New York baseball team, as a lifelong Phillies fan who takes great pride in giving Ryan a hard time about being a Mets fan. Whether it’s family gatherings, holidays, or just a random text message, Ryan can always count on Nick to sneak in a sports jab whenever possible. Beyond the jokes, Nick has been an incredible friend and supporter, always making Ryan feel welcomed and included. Ryan is lucky to not just be gaining a brother-in-law, but a great friend as well.
Rebecca Valentini
Bridesmaid
Rebecca is the middle Goldberg sibling, and while Lucy certainly adores Auntie Rachel, Rebecca has clearly claimed the spot as Lucy’s favorite aunt. Katherine had the honor of standing by Rebecca’s side at her wedding in July 2025, an experience that made it impossible to imagine her own wedding day without Rebecca right there beside her. Over time, Katherine and Rebecca have discovered how much they enjoy together—whether it’s sharing books, sipping wine, or laughing over their mutual understanding of BLUE jobs versus pink jobs (no further explanation needed). Having not just one but two incredible new sisters is one of the greatest gifts of marrying Ryan, and Katherine couldn’t be more grateful that Rebecca will be there with her—as her future sister-in-law and as family.
Nick Valentini
Groomsman
Nick is Ryan’s brother-in-law, officially joining the family when he married Ryan’s little sister, Rebecca. Somewhere along the way, he also became the brother Ryan never had, and easily one of the most patient people he knows for being able to deal with Rebecca on a daily basis. Nick and Ryan quickly bonded over their shared love of the New York Knicks and basketball in general. One summer, Nick even put together the most ragtag group of guys for a basketball league. They may not have won a single game (Nick might want to work on those free throws), but that didn’t matter, it was all about having fun and reliving their glory days. Nick has become an incredibly important part of the family, and someone Ryan knows he can always count on no matter what. Ryan is already looking forward to the next generation growing up together and becoming part of the “Merrick Squad.”
Jamee Brandli
Something Blue
Jamee and Katherine met shortly after Katherine and Ryan began dating. Katherine was nervous at first—she had heard how important Jamee was to Ryan and to his whole group of friends, so she felt she had to make a good impression. But from the very beginning, Katherine and Jamee clicked effortlessly. In truth, Katherine never had to worry, because Jamee welcomed her with open arms—and a bottle of wine. Since then, the two have been inseparable, often leading the charge on nights out while making Ryan and Matt tag along. Katherine couldn’t imagine her wedding party without Jamee, and since she and Ryan are getting married at the same venue where Jamee and Matt will also be tying the knot, it only felt right to make Jamee her “something blue.”
Matthew Mazza
Groomsman
Mazza and Ryan met at Seton Hall as part of the same pledge class and quickly became close friends. From the start, their friendship was built on a strong foundation of dominating intramural sports, and, just as importantly, excelling in drinking games. After college ended they built a true trauma bond by taking the bar exam at the same time. Now both lawyers, they fully plan on opening Mazza & Goldberg LLP one day soon enough. Over the years, Mazza has been someone Ryan knows he can always count on, whether it’s for a laugh, support, or anything in between, and he’s lucky to have him standing by his side on this big day.
Christopher Stewart
Groomsman
Chris is Ryan’s cousin and has been one of his closest friends from day one. Over the years, they’ve done just about everything together, from going to country concerts to battling it out on the tennis court (where Ryan is 300-0) to sharing the field as teammates both on the baseball and softball diamonds. Chris is known to make totally “appropriate” jokes that keep everyone laughing and he is the type of person that would do anything for anyone at a moment’s notice. Whether it’s sports, concerts, or just spending time together, Chris has always been a constant in Ryan’s life, and someone he’s lucky to stand beside on this big day.