Wedding Party
Emily Seagondollar
Matron of Honor
Emily is Amanda's younger sister and has always been there for her. Though they had their ups and downs growing up... Emily ALWAYS cheated at mancala, at least she admitted it after many years, they have only grown closer over the years. Emily is the awesome force behind a fair bit of the wedding DIY (the save the dates... yeah she did that @Harlandco). Emily has always been there for Amanda especially through the wedding planning process. Most of everything was done with gentle nudges to "I went ahead and scheduled"...from Emily. Amanda is so grateful for all the time and creativity Emily lent to this process over the past year and seriously could not have done it without her.
Kate Fountaine
Maid of Honor
Kate and Amanda met in 2012 on a trip to Las Vegas while in Graduate School, Kate at Cal Poly and Amanda at UCLA. Amanda and Kate hit it off and over the next year their friendship grew. When Kate convinced Amanda to attend her first EDM festival (which believe it or not took a lot of effort on Kate's part) Amanda fell in love with the music, community and costumes. Thier friendship was cemented in a way only sewing matching outfits for a group of 10 and dancing from dusk until dawn can do. Amanda and Kate have traveled all over the world together. They have attended music festivals in Amsterdam, London and Thailand, discovered the best method of travel: Wiking (wine biking) and enjoyed eating and sipping their way through several other countries. Kate pushes Amanda to try new things and challenge herself. She has been there for Amanda through laughs, tears, frustrations, joys and countless silly moments. Amanda is happy to have Kate by her side on this special day!
Nicole Curtin
Bridesmaid
Nicole is the eldest sister and aside from some sibling squabbles, Amanda has always been grateful for their relationship and looked up to Nicole. Nicole guided and helped Amanda throughout the awkward adolescent years. She taught her how to shave her legs, helped her get onto the middle school cheer team and even allowed Amanda, her geeky younger sister who didn't know anyone at a new high school, to sit with her and her friends at lunch. She took Amanda to her first real party, made her try her first alcoholic drink (pineapple schnapps), helped her learn to break rules and follow her passions. Amanda is so proud of the woman Nicole is and continues to look up to her in awe. Seriously how do you have the energy to raise three adult-ish boys, volunteer, work multiple jobs, run mini-marathons and do it all with a positive attitude?! Amanda is so grateful to have such an incredible person support her through another first!.org
Amanda (Mandi) Rangel
Bridesmaid
Amanda and Mandi met in the second grade and were soon inseparable. They did everything together often having sleep overs for weeks at a time. Mandi and Amanda shared a love of history and reading that led to some interesting imaginary adventures; turning the bunkbed into a wagon and setting out on the Oregon Trail was a favorite game. Unfortunately, inevitably someone would die from Cholera, mistaking hemlock for a wild carrot or failed attempt to ford a river. They watched Gone With the Wind on repeat and read every American Girl and Dear America book they could get their hands on. Amanda and Mandi have the kind of timeless friendship that though they do not see each other often, as soon as they are together it feels as though no time has passed. Mandi has been there for Amanda through it all and Amanda is so happy her sister by choice is by her side.
Allison Stephens
Bridesmaid
Allison is the youngest Stephens sibling. Amanda was 10 when Allison was born and was delighted to have a baby sister! Amanda has very special memories playing with Allie as a toddler and watching her grow up. Some of Amanda's favorite memories with Allison are family vacations at Pismo Beach and the annual tradition of hiding eggs for Allison and friends to find on Easter, which always turned into a massive hunt with two or three rounds of eggs being re-hidden just for the fun of it. Amanda takes pride in being a big sister to Allie and hopes to continue to support Allison as she grows and flourishes. Allison has a gentle soul and has a ton of creativity. She enjoys photography and has even offered to help with some of the wedding event photos. Amanda is thankful to have Allison to support her.
Michael Sboro
Best Man
Mike and Matt first met as neighbors in Mooresville, NC where they both went to Lake Norman High School. They maintained a close friendship through all of the typical high school shenanigans including Mike's racing career, going on the lake, and definitely getting all of their homework turned in on time. Plenty of friendships come and went as they often do from this time in our lives but Mike and Matt remained friends. Plenty of extra visits back to North Carolina when Matt was stationed in Georgia and visits back to Watertown over the years to keep them close and for Matt to get his fill of the Sboro family restaurant's (Art's Jug) pizza. Matt still claims it's the best pizza he has ever had. Mike moved back to New York after almost a decade in North Carolina and became an expert angler and duck hunter. Through these adventures he has helped Matt broaden his horizons so he can experience more than just a computer screen. Mike and his beautiful family (Whitney, Vincenzo, and Nico) still live in gorgeous upstate New York which will be a stop on Matt and Amanda's trip to the North East to see the fall colors later this year. Mike is still waiting to see if Amanda measure's up to be "the one" for his best friend because these two love birds decided to live too far away and haven't visited upstate NY yet!