Wedding Party

Flavia Lopes

Maid of Honor

Mullica Hill, New Jersey, United States

How We Met

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Lauren and I met at Wilmington Friends School. It was our freshman year during preseason. I was new to WFS and played field hockey, and she played volleyball. I remember another friend of ours at the time introducing us and me thinking, “she doesn’t like me” 🤣 but we actually became such good friends the rest of the year (after my big birthday sleepover where we were up until like 4 AM cracking up after a high school dance) and the rest of high school

Favorite Memory

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One of my favorite memories was visiting Lauren in California Summer 2013! It was so much fun, and I got to see why Lauren never wanted to come back to the East Coast 🤣 Another favorite memory was the beach trips! We would drink Red Bulls all night because we genuinely enjoyed the taste at the time (gross!)

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Tiernach McDermott

Best Man

Monaghan, Monaghan, Republic of Ireland

How we met

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After 10 years and 6 months of waiting I finally met Bryan at 12:55 PM on Thursday the 2nd of June. I was so happy I baked a cake for Mammy every day she was in the hospital to celebrate the arrival. Good work Sarah, Seamus and Padre Pio!!

Favorite Memory

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My favourite memory with Bryan and tradition is our Christmas Eve tour of family and the Christmas morning Santa train 🎅🚂

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Laurel Brown

Maid of Honor

Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, United States

How We Met

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Lauren and I met when I first started at Wilmington Friends School in 7th grade. I was the new girl who had no idea what was going on and Lauren was the volleyball queen who had attended Friends all her life. Although it was a scary transition for me, especially since I was coming from a class of just 20 people at my old school, Lauren made me feel welcome from day one. Our early middle school experiences ranged from solving algebra problems in math class to sprinting to lacrosse practice the second school ended in order to avoid getting yelled at by the coach. Lauren and I quickly established a great lifelong friendship that has only grown over time.

Favorite Memory

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I’ve traveled around the world with Lauren. We’ve been to Ireland, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C., just to name a few. Yet, one of my favorite memories with Lauren dates back to our adventures at volleyball camp in the tiny town of Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

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Now this camp could have been a disaster because I was the quintessential untalented volleyball camp newbie and Lauren was a star athlete who had done this camp every summer. Each day reeked of sweat and Icy Hot, as we pushed through four daily workouts. We ended each day with achy muscles that felt as if they were made of mush. Following one of the more horrible workouts, we made our way back to our dorm room, where we found ourselves immobilized on our beds in pain. I bent one of my knees and yelled across the room to Lauren, “you have to try this stretch it’s a game changer!” Once she maneuvered into the stretch she realized she was stuck. Lauren cried out for help, and then I realized I was also stuck. We were both in so much pain that we couldn’t move.

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First, the tears of pain started, but then the laughter quickly followed. I’ve never laughed and cried so much at the same time in my life. The tears were from our burning muscles, but the laughter came from a place of knowing how ridiculous the whole situation was and enjoying it nonetheless. There we were, turning what could have been a horrible memory into a time that makes me smile to this day.

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I think this characterizes our incredible friendship well in that we have a relationship built on always being there for each other, in the good times, and the bad. We can find the good, and the funny, in any situation…even in the volleyball camp moments of life. I am so grateful for Lauren’s friendship because I have someone to laugh with, lean on, and share in a wide variety of life experiences with. I am incredibly lucky. Lauren, I can’t wait to laugh and cry tears of joy and happiness on your special day.

Eric Kelley

Best Man

Wilmington, Delaware, United States

How We Met

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I met Lauren when I was 20 months old and you could say we have been pretty tight ever since.  While I don’t remember the specific moment I met her, I can promise you it was one of the most important and wonderful moments of my life.  I met Bryan just a little bit later.  I met Bryan while visiting my sister when she was getting her Master’s Degree in Belfast.  As a big brother, I was primed to dislike him from the start, but when he (all 6’ 5” of him) came with my sister to meet me at the airport any chance of being the cold older brother melted away.  He is kind, warm, funny, and welcoming.  Exactly what an older brother dreams his little sister will date.  From the moment I met him, I knew he was right for my sister. 

Favorite Memory

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Despite the geographical distance between me, my Sister, and Bryan, I have a number of fantastic memories to choose from.  I cannot choose one, so I will narrow it down to one for each and one for both.    The first time I visited Lauren in Belfast I was able to spend multiple days with Lauren, Bryan, and their friends from school.  Being able to have a few, very few, drinks with Bryan and my Sister and being able to spend such a wonderful day in a beautiful place with the two of them and many of the people they hold close to their hearts was a wonderful time that will stay with me forever. 

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My favorite memory with Bryan occurred when we were not together.  I was in Auburn, Alabama, between work meetings, and received a call that I was not expecting.  I managed to find a small room that was quiet and I hear Bryan’s accent come through the phone.  He asked me to be one of his Best Men on that call.  I immediately felt like he was part of our family and I was part of his.  I felt honored, humbled, and proud.  It made my day, my week, and it will be a cherished memory I will always hold dearly.

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My favorite memory with my sister happened during my second European vacation to visit Lauren, which happened to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day festivities held in Ireland.  My Sister and I continued on to Prague where I had one of the best days of my life.  We were able to hunt for Bloody Marys, walk the St. Charles Bridge, and watch the sunset over one the most beautiful rivers I had ever seen.  We were venturing out on our own, making memories together, and deepening a sibling bond beyond where I thought one could go.  That trip, and specifically that day, will remain one of my favorite days as long as I live.

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I love you both and I am so happy for you! I cannot wait to celebrate your shared love and devotion. Congratulations!

Shannon Miller

Bridesmaid

Berkeley, California, United States

How We Met

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Lauren and I were next-door neighbors in the dorm our first year of college after surviving a camping trip in Yosemite together for freshman orientation. Bonded from day 1 <3

Favorite Memory

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My favorite memories with Lauren are all of the little ones—sitting in cafes writing, catching up, talking about the future, gossiping or joking around; going on a drive just to tag along; even meeting up somewhere just to sit together in silence while doing our own things—all of the little joys of being with a friend who you’re completely comfortable with, whether you’re having a heart to heart one minute or talking about something silly the next! Lauren has a special quality of making you feel at ease and cared for that’s absolutely irreplaceable.

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Ryan McCarney

Groomsman

Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland

How We Met

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I am Bryan’s nephew

Favorite Memory

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It’s quite hard to pick out my favourite memory from an entire lifetime of memories. From playing crash bandicoot as a kid together or any number of different video games to recently beating Bryan every single time we play basketball. However, the standout memory has to be when we decided to make a movie about a killer teddy bear that was out to kill us.

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During the filming, one of the scenes was the aftermath of Bryan being murdered—in which he spat out tomato ketchup resembling blood, and, to add to the dramatic effect, we pushed a bike into the distance. However, the bike ended up taking a different course and smashing Bryan in the face at the exact moment he spat out the ketchup, resulting in what can only be called a cinematic masterpiece. I can still sit down and guarantee myself a laugh whenever I watch it back.

Sorcha Murphy

Bridesmaid

Pallaskenry, Limerick, Republic of Ireland

How We Met

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I met Lauren at a dinner with the whole family

Favorite Memory

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My favourite memories are ballet dancing with Lauren and watching movies with Bryan

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Fionn Murphy

Groomsman

Pallaskenry, Limerick, Republic of Ireland

How We Met

Favorite Memory

Bryan is my Uncle

Favorite Memory

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My favourite memory is playing soccer at Christmas with Bryan

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Caroline Connolly

Bridesmaid

Wilmington, Delaware, United States

How We Met

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I first met Lauren back when we were little kindergarteners at Wilmington Friends School, but we really bonded as the only two WFS kids in our Sunday School class.

Favorite Memory

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Over the years our friendship became stronger through many trips, Puerto Rico (and that lovely fish infested kayak!) to South Africa (never forget the six!), Disney World (no more hot air ballon rides for us!) to Belfast (where I finally got to meet Bryan!) But by far the best times have been at the countless trips to Brew Haha for coffee for the best catchups and endless laughs! Now I can’t wait for Lauren and Bryan to make another trip, this time to join me in NYC for more adventures!

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Darragh Murphy

Groomsman

Pallaskenry, Limerick, Republic of Ireland

How We Met

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I am Bryan’s nephew

Favorite Memory

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My favourite memory with Bryan and Lauren was when the restaurant spelled Bryan’s name wrong on the dessert plate to congratulate Bryan and Lauren on their engagement, and Bryan turned to Lauren and said, “who are you marrying?”

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Caoimhe McCarney

Bridesmaid

Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland

How We Met

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I am Bryan’s niece and I first met Lauren when she came over to our house in Belfast

Favorite Memory

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It’s hard to pick one favourite memory with Bryan but a definite stand out is probably whenever Bryan, my brother Ryan and I used to make songs on GarageBand. We would spend (or waste you could say 😂) hours upon hours on them with Bryan primarily as lead vocal singer. I did listen to them recently enough and all I can say is I don’t think they’ll be on the charts anytime soon! But I do look back on that time and it makes me smile.

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Darren McMenamin

Groomsman

Letterkenny, Donegal, Republic of Ireland

How We Met

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I met Bryan doing a Masters in Business in the University of Ulster in 2009. We were both in the same course and also sharing the same house in University accommodation

Favorite Memory

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My favourite memory of Bryan is his unique “cooking” style. Back in Uni, Bryan’s style of cooking usually involved drinking some beer, heating a frying pan way too much and throwing food on it. This led to some interesting results, including the insta-noodles: a can of spaghetti noodles that hit the hot pan and were cooked instantly. This also resulted in the half cooked sausages: somehow burnt to a crisp on the outside and still raw inside. 10 years later and his cooking has evolved. He has removed beer from the equation but managed to add LOTS of smoke 🤣

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Kathryn Chakmak

Bridesmaid

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

How We Met

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I wish this was a more exciting story (and honestly not sure if Lauren even remembers this), but we went to college at Claremont McKenna together. On one of the first days of orientation, Kate Ruston (fellow bridesmaid) asked if I wanted to go to dinner with her and some of the girls on her hall. Of course, I said yes! When I was walking to meet them, I saw them all walking up from their dorm in a line, shoulder to shoulder. It looked like a scene out of Mean Girls, but I got lucky, and they were actually great girls. Especially Lauren, we became fast friends.

Favorite Memory

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Oh there are so many memories, and I feel like Lauren wouldn’t want me to tell most of them. If I had to pick one, I would have to say it was the time we snuck into the pre-party with the Chainsmokers. During our sophomore year, one of the events on campus was a Chainsmokers concert. Today they are much more well known, but in 2014 none of us had heard of them. In fact, I think they only had one real song—#SELFIE. Anyway, we were not selected to go to the “pre-party” (it was a very political process) so we decided to take matters into our own hands. We very cleverly snuck into the pre-party which really didn’t consist of much sneaking at all. In fact, I’m pretty sure we just walked in. Ultimately though, we accomplished our mission and got a SELFIE with the Chainsmokers.

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Andy Koh

Groomsman

Melaka, Malaysia

How We Met

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I met both the bride and groom in G3.1. Willow Walk, Elms Village, Belfast

Favorite Memory

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My favourite memory is watching movies together over drinks on our Willow Walk couch with Bryan and his bride-to-be 🙂

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Kate Ruston

Bridesmaid

Athens, Georgia, United States

How We Met

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I met Lauren right before getting on the bus for our college orientation trip in Yosemite National Park. We bonded over our shared love of volleyball (deduced from many hours of Facebook stalking) and a shared lack of preparedness for a week of wilderness activities. Our friendship grew over the week as we commiserated sleeping in the forest and dreamed about returning to society and showering again.

Favorite Memory

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Some favorite memories include our countless tandem Halloween and TNC outfits, pregaming in Phillips Hall showers, and nights spent drinking wine and looking at engagement rings, talking about future husbands. I couldn’t be more excited that you’ve now got your own ring and the perfect guy, and that all of the best memories are those to come! Cheers to our freshman year dreams and to all of the new adventures and memories to come. ❤️

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Eoin O’Kane

Groomsman

Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland

How We Met

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Bryan and I went to college together for our masters year although never spoke a word to each other until we started on the same day at Allstate! (I was clearly intimidated by his height)

Favorite Memory

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My favourite “memory” is of our weekly routine back in the office when things were normal. A glorious Med Mex to start and end the week Mondays and Fridays, thinking of excuses not to go running at lunch time on Tuesdays and Thursdays and finishing the week with one too many whiskeys at the pub.

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Katie Hyer

Bridesmaid

Plainsboro, New Jersey, United States

How We Met

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I first met Lauren at the Kelley’s home in Wilmington, DE, under some unusual circumstances. We met during the thick of covid, so unfortunately we only exchanged cursory hugs and had to stay socially distanced throughout our stay. However, many months and vaccinations later, I was able to truly meet Lauren and Bryan under much better circumstances. Eric and I traveled to the Jersey shore to spend a fun weekend with friends, including Lauren and Bryan. Lauren surprised me with an invitation to be a bridesmaid complete with a full basket of gifts, and if my heart wasn’t already swelling enough I got to meet Bryan for the first time. His Irish accent immediately made me think of all of my Irish family. I felt at home.

Favorite Memory

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Despite the challenges presented by covid, I have actually created a number of memories I could choose from as my favorite for Lauren and Bryan. Some of the memories that jump to mind are Lauren providing fashion advice for Kelley family gatherings (I’m sure everyone knows how stressful this can be when meeting new family) and learning about Bryan’s family’s Christmas traditions (that Eric and I may steal).

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While I have been able to spend time with Lauren and Bryan on numerous occasions and in numerous states, my favorite memory is a simple one. The first time I was able to spend time with Lauren and Bryan together, we were able to talk and get to know each other for hours on a front porch at the Jersey Shore. I could instantly sense their deep and unconditional love for one another. I was able to witness them make each other laugh, care for each other, and talk about their future together. Those moments made me excited for the future, and hopeful for more moments on front porches with the two of them.

Adam Robinson

Groomsman

Dungannon, Tyrone, Northern Ireland

How We Met

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I first saw Bryan in a lecture theatre at University nearly getting hit in the head by a drone. I don't think the lecturer expected anyone to be so tall. I later met him properly on my first day at Allstate.

Favorite Memory

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It has to be finishing work on a Friday with a few drinks at the pub. Although, the drone incident was glorious.

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