Wedding PartyWedding Party
Sara CarlsonSara Carlson
Mother of the Bride
Sara has been Leigh's biggest supporter from day one, and will be be the one to walk her down the aisle into this wonderful next chapter. This weekend of celebration would also not be possible without Sara. She has been involved from the start, and as our resident Martha Stewart, has contributed so many thoughtful and beautiful touches to make this weekend truly special. Sara is the OG horse girl, so y'all can thank her influence as the reason you have Rhett's sweet muzzle to snuggle on this weekend! Sara lives in Leigh's childhood hometown of Ocean View, DE with her brand new poodle puppy, Rosie.
John RemyJohn Remy
Father of the Bride
John, Leigh's Dad, is a retired chef and lifelong musician (perhaps it's no mystery where Leigh inherited two of her greatest passions!). We are so honored that he will be playing during our ceremony (and perhaps if you give him a nudge, he'll take the stage with our band as well). He and his wife, Toni, and their pup Dixie are road tripping to Cali in their decked out van, all the way from their home in Frankfurt, DE.
Jamie CarlsonJamie Carlson
Stepfather of the Bride
Jamie, Leigh's stepfather, met her mom, Sara, when Leigh was 7. Despite Leigh's best efforts to scare off the "new kid," Jamie stuck around and loved Leigh as if she were his own daughter. Jamie is an avid history buff, and has taught American History for nearly 40 years. We are very excited for him to not only be with us during this celebration, but also to share with you all a brief history of the historic ranch where we will be married. He currently resides in Rehoboth Beach, DE.
Erika MarinoErika Marino
Matron of Honor
Leigh and Erika met sophomore year of high school and immediately became the best of friends. Erika has stood by Leigh through every up and down, every win and disappointment, and has more blackmail material than Leigh would care to admit. They have shared countless wonderful memories, from trips abroad, to annual summer beach weekends, to California horseback rides, to Leigh proudly being Erika's maid of honor at her wedding 5 years ago. Leigh is so grateful for this to come full circle, and to have Erika by her side at hers. Erika currently resides outside of Washington, DC with her husband Joe, and their two boys, Matthew and Michael.
Kaveh SartipiKaveh Sartipi
Best Man
Dylan and Kaveh had an immediate bro-tastic connection inside of their high school football locker room. Dylan was wearing a San Francisco Forty-Niner hat. So was Kaveh. They both decided that made them instant friends. They both attended USC, and many nights were spent gallivanting through Manhattan Beach and drinking Shark bites at Sharkies. Thirty-two years later they’re still hanging out. Kaveh currently lives in Danville, CA with his wife, Carrie, and their two children, Sahar and Keenan.
Gray BurlesonGray Burleson
Head Flower Maiden
Leigh met Gray's mom, Laura, purely by chance in NYC at The Metropolitan Opera's annual opening gala nearly 15 years ago. It was the very end of the evening and they quickly exchanged numbers, hoping to maybe stay in touch. A roughly 4 hour phone conversation the next day sealed the deal. Two months later they took 5 year old Gray to her first Nutcracker. Leigh & Gray became immediate besties. They made a pact that when Leigh got married, Gray would be a flower girl. Of course, no one expected Gray would be fully grown by the time Leigh finally found the right gent. But a promise is a promise! It has been one of Leigh's greatest joys and honors to watch Gray grow into the incredible young woman she has become, and we are so lucky to have her as head maiden of our flower girls. Gray is currently a freshman and proud Tri-Delt at Wake Forest University.
Kennedy GeyerKennedy Geyer
Flower Girl
Leigh met Kennedy just weeks after first moving to Ojai, when she was passing by the restaurant that her mom, Chelsea, was getting ready to open. She and Chelsea struck up a conversation, became immediately almost inseparable, and Leigh had the amazing good fortune of becoming "Auntie" to this enchanting 5 year old fairy child. Countless Ojai Pizza dinner dates and living room pillow forts later, Leigh is so excited to have Ken as her flower girl!
Stella WeatherfordStella Weatherford
Flower Girl
Leigh met Stella's dads, Austin and Riley the year after graduating college. She and Austin were living in the same apartment building in Washington DC, and coincidentally ended up at the same dinner party, where they completely hit it off. Austin met his husband Riley 6 months later, and they have all been dear friends ever since. Seven years ago, Leigh was given the honor of becoming their daughter Stella's Godmother, one of her greatest joys. Leigh and Stella love to go horseback riding, play "puppy pound," and share goldfish over morning cartoons. She and her dads live in The Plains, a charming town in beautiful Virginia horse country.
Matthew & Michael MarinoMatthew & Michael Marino
Ring Bearers
Matthew and Michael are Erika and Joe's two wonderful, rambunctious, and utterly adorable little boys. It has been so fun for Leigh to watch Erika become the most amazing mom, and it means the world to have her children be a part of this day.
Holly LaRueHolly LaRue
Rhett Whisperer
Leigh met Holly a few times casually, shortly after moving to Ojai, just through small town life and the horse gal community. But it wasn't until Leigh got Rhett and their dear mutual friend, Elise, suggested that Leigh contact Holly, known for her incredible ability to communicate with horses, that they truly connected. Holly quickly became a mentor, unwavering source of support and knowledge, and trusted confidante, for both Leigh and Rhett! Having Rhett be a part of our wedding means so much, and we are so thankful to have his fairy godmother here to help us bring him into the celebrations.
Kevin MulvaneyKevin Mulvaney
Officiant
Leigh and Kevin met nearly 20 years ago at a Christmas party in Washington, DC (actually one hosted by Austin and Riley, Stella's dads!). They struck up a wonderful friendship, and Kevin became Leigh's best travel buddy and trusted plus one to over a half dozen weddings, all over the world. And during a wedding weekend in Tuscany, they received the amazing honor of being asked to be Stella's Godparents. (Special thanks to Kevin's wonderful husband John for lending Kevin to Leigh, even after they tied the knot in 2021!). Since Kevin can't be Leigh's date to this one, it seems only fitting that he would be the one to oversee this joyous occasion. We are so grateful to have Kevin here with us all the way from Napoli, Italy where he and John live with their sweet golden, Lia.
