Kristina & Bryce
Wedding Party
Ashlyn Rae Rubio
Matron of Honor
A few days into my freshman year biology class, I passed a note to a girl who I thought looked just like a Disney princess. Learning how to make friends again at a new school can be daunting—but it turns out a note is sometimes all you need. Ashlyn agreed to be friends with me (debatable if this was a good choice or not) and then we spent all of freshman year debating political and social topics and I wondered at what point we would disagree enough that we would stop talking—but we never did. (Stop talking, that is. We definitely disagreed.) Twelve years on, Ashlyn still always engages in my debate questions, has sat with me at countless coffee shops, and we've held each other's hands through heartbreak and happy moments. I'm not sure what kind of person I would be without her. Ashlyn has always been saved in my phone as "Other Half". It will never be changed.
Chris Riley
Best Man
Chris was Bryce's best friend in college, great roommate, and fellow RMI program survivor. Their first self-sufficient living experience was together, and it was capped by an Eagles Superbowl win and a walk to city hall and back in the middle of the night. Chris works in insurance too as a client service manager — but he really has a passion for documentaries (and survives on fantasy football).
Patrick D'Amico
Groomsman
Patrick is Kristina’s brother and an ace behind the tuba. Trumpet. Whatever - starts with a “t”. He is always quick with a joke and is probably the most supportive person, of any endeavor, no matter what, without pause, I have ever met. Patrick has a Tony award, once competed on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, and has multiple shelves of Legos. Two truths and a lie, you decide.
Taylor Gray Elyea
Bridesmaid
Of all the ways that people become friends, Taylor and my story might be my favorite. Picture this: after an eight hour plane ride across the ocean, I arrived in Rome to find a roommate who poked her red head over the top bunk and said, "Heeeey". I decided right away that we had to be friends. We bonded over art, supported each other through unhinged school-sanctioned shenanigans, dealt with bed-bugs and bad travel arrangements, and sickness that we couldn't find medicine for (because it was in Italian). We graduated college and visited each other in small apartments in Philadelphia and New York City, and continue to drink incrementally better wine and have picnics in Central Park. When we pick up the phone, it's like no time has passed at all. Taylor, you're a kick-ass bitch. And I chose green specifically for you.
Haley Ferrigno
Bridesmaid
Freshman year of college is freshman year of high school all over again: how do you make friends when you're in-between the two very different worlds of theater and political science? Joining an all-female a cappella group turned out to be a saving grace, in more ways than one. I found my voice alongside Haley, even if sometimes we were vastly different. We became taco night buddies and encouraged each other to stand up for ourselves, and then two years later, Haley visited me in Italy and asked me to be her bridesmaid. I knew soon after that she would be one of mine, because someone who has been such a positive influence on my life has to be with me on my most exciting day. Haley, I'll never get tired of dueting with you. That's life, and I'm glad you're in mine.
Paul Pietrinferni
Groomsman
Paul is Bryce's oldest friend from high school, and was his introduction to paleontology. Plenty of middle school trampoline ninja fights were had, and when they got tired of beating each other up, they beat up Paul's brother.* Fellow Star Wars aficionado. Paul now works for the EPA as a physical scientist and is responsible for Tupac Shakur Day being a national holiday. *Not actually.
Kayleigh Johnson
Bridesmaid
Sometimes in life, you get really lucky: you end up with a boyfriend whose sister you sometimes like more than him. I got that lucky with Kayleigh. The moment we met (I really wanted her to like me), we bonded over a love of reading and books and teasing her brother, which has not changed in the past seven years. Kayleigh is one of the most amazing, intelligent, and fun people I know. Marrying someone and being excited to join their family is truly a privilege, and I'm so excited to call her my sister. P.S. Kayleigh, you're literally always going to be way cooler than him.
Sam Peyton
Groomsman
Sam works in the same industry as Bryce and that is how they met. Sometimes in life your professional friends can become your personal friends and that absolutely the case, and an understatement, with Sam. We bonded over a love of crude humor, cars, and potentially degenerative levels of sarcasm. The groom will have plenty of practice later in life as Sam and Bryce have fought like an old married couple from almost the first day they started working together.
Chris Reichart
Groomsman
Chris is Kristina’s cousin and has arguably the cutest baby in the world. Right, this is Chris’s bio, sorry. Chris has become like an older brother to Bryce and is always good for a deep conversation about anything. Most importantly, he introduced Kristina and Bryce to the soon to be Olympic sport of Barbie Jeep racing and for this we will be eternally grateful.
Bridget Ottinger
Bridesmaid
I remember the first moment I saw Bridget as a newborn. I was seven and I'd never really held a baby before, but she was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. Watching her grow up happened in the blink of an eye—one minute she was small, and then the next thing I knew, I was visiting her for her birthday during her first year of college. My sister has grown and is growing into a beautiful, intelligent woman and I hope she knows how special she is. There are very few people in the world with the empathy, the heart, and the amazing brain that she has. Bridget, I'm honored to be your sister.
Sophia Ottinger
Bridesmaid
I've written so many poems about Sophia that I've lost count (and lost them in the shuffle of a high-school notebook), but one thing remains very true: her eyes are still the prettiest blue I've ever seen, and her smile is her best feature. Even though we're ten years apart and at vastly different stages in our lives, the best part about Sophia is that she has always had a sense of humor and always manages to make me smile (even when she's not meaning to, or doesn't see that I'm smiling). She stubbornly has her life planned out, and I can't wait to see it happen for her. Sophia, I see you. I know you. You've always been a bright light in my life.
Liam Ottinger
Groomsman
Liam is Kristina’s brother, and for being a quiet guy, he has always had big plans of his own. From wanting to be homeless in L.A., a professional golfer, to meeting every rapper in Atlanta, Liam always has an idea in the works. Always good for a “bro, what”, my money is on him making the longest speech of the night.
Keegan Chitwood
Beer Angel/Wedding Designer
Keegan is my first adult friend that I've made outside of the confines of work or school. In my first year living in the south, I wasn't sure how to make friends (are you seeing a pattern?) and it turned out we only needed one thing in common: fashion. Keegan and I met through a mutual friend at a boutique I frequented, and very quickly became very close. He makes me laugh like no one else ever has, and I'm so glad to be apart of his life story and to have him in mine. I love his heart, his creative mind, and his ability to be an enrapturing storyteller. It's thanks to him that we found our beautiful venue, and that the wedding is going to look as good as it does. He's amazing at everything he does and I know he's going to continue to do incredible things. P.S. We're starting a podcast.
Butters
Ring Bearer
We love you all, but we love Butters the most.
