Leigh & Jonathan
Wedding Party
Jack Kryznefski
Best Man
Jon's childhood best friend from when they were 10 years old (22 years!) Growing up they spent countless hours playing video games in his parents basement, were workout partners for a time, did school projects together, and more! He's been a huge positive force in influencing who Jon is today.
Mehrina Asif
Matron of Honor
Leigh's childhood friend and sworn sister, getting into trouble since their preteen years and dubbed themselves the Destructive Duo / Troublesome Twins! They started out as pen pals on a writing website eighteen years ago where they bonded over creative writing and Sailor Moon, met for the first time in person twelve years ago, and have been on many adventures and bad idea trees since then. They've baked together, they (well, Leigh) has made inadvisable DIY brown sugar instead of going to CVS below the apartment, and Mehrina has been Leigh's long-time supporter of her writing. Mehrina is a loyal friend, lil sis, and editor—or, editort, as coined in the late nights chatting online back in high school when MGWS (Midnight Gone Wrong Syndrome) kicked in.
Kaydaar Pradhan
Groomsman
Another of Jon's childhood hometown friends, Kaydaar's a cool chill bro who's always looking out for you and making sure everyone's having a great time!
Maria Jessica Simon
Bridesmaid
Jess met Leigh way back in 2012 through a shared love of the Tales of series of video games. More specifically, the shared love of a pairing of two characters named Richard and Asbel. More specifically, also known as RichAss. Jess is an incredible pastry chef and cake decorator trained in France who has given Leigh all the best pastry shop recs in Paris. In addition to lots of cosplay and convention adventures together, Jess has the title of being Leigh's "Canadian Mom" for all her steadfast support and love from over the border over the years!
Tim Rabanal
Groomsman
To complete the childhood hometown friends crew, the strong silent type, if you ever need a guy to go on a food tour with, Tim's your guy!
Melissa David
Bridesmaid
Mel and Leigh met on a poetry retreat in Italy. Since then, they've met up in cities all over the world, including Paris and, of course, NYC. Where's next? Porto? Barcelona? Only time will tell! Mel is an actress, singer, poet, dancer, candlemaker, and so much more. They both have insatiable wanderlust, a love for writing and reading, and Leigh will never stop being obsessed with Mel's incredible singing voice. Did we mention she's amazing on the piano, too?
Edward Hemp
Groomsman
Eddie can be quite the wildcard sometimes at parties. One of the first people Jon ever met in college, under similar circumstances of being transfer students living on a fraternity floor, we joined together and were house mates for the rest of undergrad!
Emily Huber
Bridesmaid
A fellow student of the written word, Emily and Leigh met on an NYU Creative Writing MFA Residency in Paris. Emily is a fantastic historical fiction writer and even before meeting in person, Leigh thought to herself, "This is one to talk to!" Sure enough, they bonded over a love of sci-fi, travel, and gremlin tendencies to never waste food (specifically, fruit, off a fancy boat cruise in Paris). These loves have brought them on many adventures in NYC and London, too. Keep an eye out, you might be invited to one of their book launch parties in the future!
Derrick Agins
Groomsman
An older brother in the fraternity, Derrick has always been a guiding force back then as well as now as he's quite the mastermind when it comes to dreaming up and planning our next trip!
Eden Waithe-Agins
Bridesmaid
Leigh and Eden met, ironically, right before Eden and Derrick's wedding on Jon's birthday back in 2016! Over the years since, they've been on many adventures together, to Toronto, Denver, California, Cancun, and most recently, Japan. In any group, Eden and Leigh have the right priorities: dessert, drinks, and adventure (perhaps in the form of late-night karaoke or a hike through mountains in Japan with wild animal advisories). Originally one of Jon's closest college friends, Leigh's delighted to have met such a wonderful friend through their intertwined stories.
Kyle Zarnoch
Groomsman
Another one of Jon's fraternity pledge brothers and college housemates. Whether it's video games, table top games, someone to party with, creating something, or fun new hobby, Kyle's got your back!
Jessica Phan
Bridesmaid
And now there's another little sister in town! A littler sister! Though Jessica is actually quite a bit taller than Leigh. Jessica was once shorter, but now that she's a young lady getting ready for college, she's become a partner-in-crime in bookish adventures. Jessica is a highly skilled budding artist with fantastic taste in books and all the best beauty and skincare tips. Leigh couldn't be happier to have such a wonderful, creative soul as a little sister-in-law.
Derin Yarsuvat
Groomsman
The final pledge brother/housemate of the group is fellow game developer Derin! Our synergy has made for some eccentric and memorable adventures... He's also a great story teller so you'll have to ask some!
Artlee King-Vasquez
Bridesmaid
Artlee and Leigh met way back in the dark days of tech support at Monmouth University. They interviewed for the same job, made awkward eye contact in HR as a first meeting... then both got the jobs and became fast friends! Forged under the pressure of telling people with PhD "no, you can't connect to the university wifi from the NJ turnpike or your house several miles away," they've had brilliant beach days, theme park antics, and comic crusades. Artlee and her husband Tony also have their very own business, NRG Comics. Artlee valiantly traded night shifts with Leigh when she was finishing her BA, paving the way for all her future career and education endeavors.