Madeline & Robert
Wedding Party
Madeline Alvarez
Bride
Meet the bride! Her nickname is Mady to her friends, but her dad called her Mimi. She'll be 25 years old on her wedding day. She's a Libra with strong opinions. Like her groom, she's a Cuban-American born in Miami, FL, but is second generation. She majored in history and political science at Florida International University, and loves teaching her students, cooking family dinners on Sundays, historical documentaries, Bollywood movies, fantasy romance manga, Mamma Mia, politics, and shopping for cute clothes. The groom is her best friend and favorite person on the whole planet. She thinks the best things about him are his great smile, nice eyes, ridiculous laugh, empathy, ambition, intelligence, and the way he charms every room he walks into. She fell for him because he always cares about what she has to say, and loves to hear her opinions. They've been together since August 4th, 2018.
Robert Iglesias
Groom
Meet the groom! His nickname is Rob to his friends, but his family calls him Kiko. He'll be 31 years old on his wedding day. He's a Capricorn, and a workaholic. Like his bride, he's a Cuban-American born in Miami, FL, but is first generation. He majored in history and philosophy at the University of Miami, and loves video games, collecting Pokémon cards, philosophy, studying Cuban history, being a great student, spicy food, listening to podcasts, fine cinema, and yacht rock. The bride is his best friend and favorite person on the whole planet. He thinks the best things about her are her rants, her cooking, her uncompromising attitude, her pretty face, that she laughs at his jokes, and the fact that she has "an answer for everything". He fell for her because he thinks she's the kindest person he's ever met. They've been together since August 4th, 2018.
Delilah Alvarez †
Mother of the Bride
Delilah was the bride's mother. She passed away in June of 2021. She was married to the bride's father for almost 24 happy years before her untimely death. She loved collecting antiques, estate sales, Weezer, trashy reality TV, her job in construction, planning vacations, Disney World, a nice, cold beer, and her husband. She was the best mom and greatest confidant. The bride is devastated that her parents will not be at her wedding, but she knows that her mother and father will be there in spirit, and that they live on in her, her younger brother, and now their new granddaughter, Lilah-Rose. The wedding being held in St. Augustine is in their memory, and in honor of the bride's many summers spent with them in the city.
Gilbert Alvarez, Sr. †
Father of the Bride
Gilbert was the father of the bride. He passed away in January of 2023. He was married to the bride's mother for almost 24 happy years before her untimely death. He loved a good cigar, decadent meals, badass cars, chilling in a lazy river, graphic design, old school hip hop, his business, an Old Fashioned, and his wife. He was the best dad and the life of the party. The bride is devastated that her parents will not be at her wedding, but she knows that her mother and father will be there in spirit, and that they live on in her, her younger brother, and now their new granddaughter, Lilah-Rose. The wedding being held in St. Augustine is in their memory, and in honor of the bride's many summers spent with them in the city.
Maricela Iglesias
Mother of the Groom
Meet the mother of the groom! Maricela loves fitness and healthy eating, politics, collecting antiques, watching movies, fashion, outdoorsy activities, and being a biker girl. She wraps a mean present, takes on a lot of DIY home projects, and loves to spend time with her husband, Roberto Sr., whom she has been married to for XX years. Her best qualities are her can-do attitude and high energy. Not to mention, she's the best mom ever!
Roberto Iglesias, Sr.
Father of the Groom
Meet the father of the groom! Roberto loves grilling, fixing things, watching movies, shopping on eBay, collecting watches, his tricked-out Jeep, eating cake, and being a biker guy. He could build a mansion out of twigs, cherishes his Harley, and loves to spend time with his wife, Maricela, whom he has been married to for XX years. His best qualities are his resourcefulness and positive attitude. Not to mention, he's the best dad ever!
Annalyse Dibenedetto
Maid of Honor
Meet the Maid of Honor! Her nickname is Annie. Annalyse is the younger first cousin of the bride, but has always been seen as her younger sister. Annalyse's mother, her aunt Diana, and the bride's parents always raised their children together. Annalyse was always seen as the bride's parents' third child, and the bride was always seen as Diana's first. The bride always promised Annalyse that she would be her maid of honor one day, and is so excited to see that promise come to fruition! Annalyse is a bright and funny girl, who loves cooking, the gym, and photography. Her best qualities are her beautiful face and great sense of humor.
Victor Iglesias
Best Man
Meet the Best Man! Victor is the groom's younger brother. Victor's an ultra cool guy who wants to work in cyber security. His brother greatly admires him and thinks he can do whatever he puts his mind to. The groom sees him as his "little guy," and is very fond of all of the trips and nights out they've spent together, like their 2018 trip to Japan, which the groom literally never shuts up about. He loves playing and making music, video games and anime like his brother, and traveling. His best qualities are his willingness to try new things and his thoughtfulness.
Gabrielle Shaver
Bridesmaid
Meet one of our bridesmaids! Gabrielle's nickname is Gabby. Gabrielle is the first cousin of the bride through her paternal aunt, Vivian. The bride always admired Gabby as the cool, older cousin growing up, and always wanted to do whatever she did. The bride had the pleasure of being Gabby's maid of honor during her February 2020 wedding, and loves to go have nice lunch dates or catch shows with her! Gabby loves a nice glass of prosecco, spending time with her family, and a good brunch. Her best qualities are her sweet personality and positive attitude.
Maria Alejandra Siep
Bridesmaid
Meet one of our bridesmaids! Her real name is Maria, but don't be caught dead calling her that. Her nickname (and true name, in her opinion), is Ale (pronounced "Ally"). She is one of the bride's best friends. They met on the bride's first day of college, in her first ever college class, when they both sat front and center and the bride noticed her nerdy highlighters (the ones she had been really wanting to buy!). Ale is the friend you can always pick it right back up with, no matter how long you haven't spoken with each other. The bride had the honor of being her maid of honor during her September 2022 wedding. Ale loves spending time with her wife, daughter, and many, many pets, art and stationary supplies, and Halloween. Her best qualities are her fiery attitude and fierce loyalty.
Madison Sauer
Bridesmaid
Meet one of our bridesmaids! Madison's nickname is Maddi. She is one of the bride's best friends, and, yes, people often refer to them together as, simply, "The Maddies." They met in 2021, after they took a college class together and started abusing the Whatsapp group chat to talk about astrology (Maddi is a Scorpio!). They have a super close bond and the bride thinks she is the best storyteller ever (her stories are truly legendary). They often chill on the bride's couch and gossip for hours. Maddi loves her job as a teacher, a nice quesadilla, and being in the know. Her best qualities are her boundless tenacity and ability to literally find any piece of information about anyone on the face of the planet.
Kimberly Menendez
Bridesmaid
Meet one of our bridesmaids! Kimberly's nickname is, duh, Kim. Kim is one of the bride's best friends, and is certainly her oldest friend. They have literally known each other since the womb because their parents had been friends for decades before they were even born, they're the same age, their younger brothers (also the same age) both played on the same baseball team, and, to top it off, they were the only two girls even remotely close in age born of literally all their parents' friends. They know each other extremely well (the bride even "chaperoned" Kim's first date), and can literally laugh together for hours. Kim loves animals, photography, and Call of Duty. Her best qualities are her infectious laughter and bombastic side eye.
Racheal Bordero
Bridesmaid
Meet one of our bridesmaids! Racheal is the bride's sister-in-law through her younger brother, Gilbert. She's also the mother of the bride and groom's beautiful niece, Lilah-Rose. Growing up, the bride had always been sad to not have any sisters, because both of her parents had plenty (her mother had three, and her father had two). She always wanted someone to call and complain to, and to share target trips and stuff with, the way her mom did with her sisters. The bride was so grateful to meet Racheal, who has brought a lot of joy into the lives of her and her brother, especially after the loss of their parents. Racheal loves doing hair, collecting candles, and a good seafood boil. Her best qualities are her hilarious laughs and her no-nonsense attitude.
Gilbert Alvarez, Jr.
Groomsman
Meet one of our groomsmen! Gilbert's nickname is Gil to most of the world, but Gordo to his older sister, the bride. Of course, this means he's the bride's younger brother and the groom's new brother-in-law. He's also the father of the bride and groom's beautiful niece, Lilah-Rose. Gilbert had never liked any of the bride's boyfriends until the groom came around, and they hit it off immediately. They share a profound love for video games and nerd culture. The groom is the older brother Gilbert had always wanted. Gilbert is a clone of his father. He loves being a husband-to-be and father, badass cars, and decadent meals. His best qualities are his ability to charm himself out of any situation and his ridiculous impressions.
Patric Maseri
Groomsman
Meet one of our groomsmen! Patric's nickname is Pat. Pat is one of the groom's best friends, and they've known each other since they were kids in CCD. The bride and groom are very close to Pat and his wonderful family, whom they consider almost part of their own family. The bride and groom also adore Pat's beautiful wife, Cindy. Pat loves basketball, being a father to his lovely children, Cooper and Phoebe, and a good hang. His best qualities are his competitive attitude and good nature.
Aaron Garcia
Groomsman
Meet one of our groomsmen! Aaron is one of the groom's best friends, and they've known each other since they were around eight years old, from elementary school. The bride and groom are very close to Aaron and his lovely wife, Aileen. Aaron loves tabletop games, video games/anime, and cooking. His best qualities are his great sense of humor and his intense passion for everything he does.
Kris Maseri
Groomsman
Meet one of our groomsmen! Kris is an extremely close friend of the groom and is Pat's older brother, making him as old of a friend as Pat is. The bride and groom are just as close to Kris and his family, including his lovely wife, Brandee, and their adorable son, Parker. Kris loves music, Final Fantasy, and Mountain Dew Code Red. Kris is very competitive, always butting heads in games with the groom, and he's also a very kind person who has always been a voice of support during difficult times for both the bride and groom.
Christian Del Castillo
Groomsman
Meet one of our groomsmen! Christian has been an extremely close friend of the groom's since high school, where they were both nationally ranked marketing specialists on their school's DECA team. Christian and Robert get along because they both enjoy the finer things in life, like stuffed quail and a nice bottle of sherry. Christian is a cineast with a discerning eye for both foreign and domestic films (many of which he discusses into the idle hours of the night during coffee dates with the groom), and has a keen sense of style. His best qualities are his charismatic nature and jovial temperament.
Jillian Dibenedetto
Junior Bridesmaid
Meet our junior bridesmaid! Jillian's nickname is Jilly or Gigi. She's the younger first cousin of the bride, through her aunt Diana. She'll be 15 years old by the big day, which makes the bride feel very old. The bride was her aunt's junior bridesmaid in her wedding back in 2008, when Diana was pregnant with baby Jillian. Jillian has always been a funny little girl, and has a great sarcastic sense of humor and a love for pranks. She loves dancing, music, and crystals. Her best qualities are her killer sense of humor and outgoing personality.
Ruby Cabrera
Flower Girl
Meet our precious little flower girl! Ruby is the bride's littlest and cutest cousin through her aunt, Deisy. She'll be four years old by the big day, and she is growing up so, so fast. Ruby has the purest heart and loves her family so tenderly. She has a great sense of empathy, and has extreme emotional intelligence- far beyond her years. But don't let her sweetness fool you- she can be pretty mischievous! Four year olds are fickle, but it's safe to say she loves her parents, her older cousin Gigi, and dogs. Her best qualities are her funny little catchphrases and compassion for everyone around her.
Cooper Maseri
Ring Bearer
Meet our handsome little ring bearer! Cooper is our little angel and the son of one of the groom's best friends and groomsmen, Pat. He is the sweetest little man ever, and will be four years old by the big day. He has a big personality and a lot of energy and love in his little body. He's definitely also a little jock. Again, four year olds are fickle, but it's safe to say that he loves his family (especially his dad, who is his absolute idol, but also his wonderful mom, Cindy, and sweet little sister, Pheobe), dinosaurs, and sports. His best qualities are his angelic little smile and heart full of love.
Penelope Dibenedetto
Veil Attendant
Meet our veil attendant! You may be wondering what a veil attendant is. Basically, she's gonna hold the bride's veil, and she's very excited about it. Penelope's nickname is Penny, and she's the 10-year-old younger cousin of the bride through her aunt, Diana (no, we are still not out of the bride's younger cousins). Penny is the bride's baby, and the cousin the bride doted on the most. She even once got pushed around in a stroller at Disney World with baby Penny on her chest so that she would take her nap, because she wouldn't otherwise. Penny has a bold personality and isn't afraid to stand up for herself and what she wants. She (currently) loves Roblox, art, and dancing. Her best qualities are her creativity and imagination.
Mikey, Luke, and Lorenzo Luis
Ushers
Meet our handsome little ushers! Finally, we come to the end of the bride's younger cousins- all seven of them are involved in the wedding! Mikey, Luke, and Lorenzo are the three sons of the bride's aunt, Denise. Mikey is the older brother, at 10 years old, and Luke and Lorenzo are the twins, who will be 8 by the big day. Mikey is the smart one. At around four years old, he was telling the bride about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in ancient Pompeii. He's probably the most like the bride of all of her cousins, even down to his ultra competitive nature. Luke is the prankster. All of the brothers are funny, but the bride thinks Luke always has a trick up his sleeve, just like his older cousin, Gigi. Lorenzo is the sweet and sensitive one. He's ultra thoughtful and gives the best hugs. The boys all love the groom (whom they call Squirtle, due to his love of Pokémon) almost more than their cousin, the bride, to the point where they get mad at her when she doesn't bring him to hang out with them! They all love sports, fishing, and Pokémon.
Raynell Palacios
Honor Attendant
Meet the bride's first honor attendant! We weren't sure how else to describe it, but Ray is one of the two special people in the bride's life who will be giving her away on her wedding day. As previously mentioned, the bride has tragically lost both of her parents. However, it had always been her dream to walk down the aisle with both of her parents (not just her father), and have her groom walk with both of his. Since the bride's parents cannot be present on her wedding day, Ray will be one of two stepping in as the representative of the bride's father. Ray was one of her father's best friends, and she grew up with him as an uncle figure throughout her life. He coached her brother's baseball team along with her father, hosted pool parties, and the bride spent the fondest memories of her childhood with Ray and his family, including his wonderful wife Yaimet and their two sons, Austin and Jordan. Ray is a wonderful man who has stepped up a lot in the aftermath of the loss of the bride's parents and has been there for her and her younger brother in so many ways, to remind her that she isn't alone, for which she is extremely grateful. Ray loves spending time with his wife in the Keys, traveling, and a good party. His best qualities are his kindness and laidback personality.
Diana Dibenedetto
Honor Attendant
Meet the bride's second honor attendant! We weren't sure how else to describe it, but Diana is one of the two special people in the bride's life who will be giving her away on her wedding day. Since the bride's parents cannot be present on her wedding day, Diana will be one of two stepping in as the representative of the bride's mother. Diana is the bride's aunt, and the closest thing she has to a mother in her life. As mentioned earlier, the bride's parents and Diana raised their children together, and often took family vacations and held events together. When the bride was little, her parents both spent a lot of time away from her to work, so the young Diana (who was 15 when the bride was born) spent a lot of time helping to raise her. Diana has taken over the role of confidant and advice giver that her mother used to play in her life, and, while no one will EVER replace the bride's mother, the bride feels like Diana has always been like a second mother to her. Diana loves inappropriate jokes, art projects, and being a mother to her children and aunt to her nieces and nephews. Her best qualities are the way she is just as argumentative as the bride and her nurturing personality.
Lilah-Rose Alvarez
Best Niece
Our sweet little niece Lilah is still new to the world, but she's already growing into the most wonderful little person. She's super cute, super calm, and adores her parents and family. Her hobbies include drinking milk, ripping her pacifier out of her mouth (and immediately demanding it back), and listening in on grown-up conversations. We adore her and are so happy she's here and will be sharing our special day with us.
Loki
Best Dog
Meet our (tied for) best dog! Whilst our dogs will not be present at our actual wedding, they will be present during the wedding weekend and will be honored during the day. Loki was originally the bride's dog. She got him just before her 15th birthday, when he was only three months old. From the first day they met, they've had an inseparable bond, and he follows her around EVERYWHERE. Sometimes, she forgets he can't speak, because he always seems to understand her. Loki loves squeaky toys, being picky about food, and when both of his parents are home and cuddled up in bed with him. His best qualities are his loyalty and intelligence.
Katsu
Best Dog
Meet our (tied for) best dog! Whilst our dogs will not be present at our actual wedding, they will be present during the wedding weekend and will be honored during the day. Katsu was originally the groom's dog, whom he adopted just a year before meeting his bride, in 2017. The groom and Katsu both share a similar sort of one-track mind kind of attitude, and both have that contented, happy-go-lucky personality. He's not the brightest dog in the world, and is sometimes naughty, but he makes up for it with his good looks and winning personality. Katsu loves to scream, toys that look like animals, and holding shoes in his mouth. His best qualities are his happy face and soft fur.
A Special Thanks
To Those Who Have Stood By Us Through The Good And Bad
We cannot have all of the extra special people in our lives as members of our wedding party, and we cherish every single person at our wedding, but the bride and groom would especially love to thank those who have given us more than we could ever truly express our true appreciation for. Thank you to our aunts and uncles, Denise, Deisy, Fito, Vivian, Miriam, Gisela, Lucy, Rudy, J.C., Pedro-Luis, our grandparents, Mercedes, Maria, Fidel, Raul, Ramona, Roberto, and Mario, and also to Bernie, Lupe, Tommy G., Fanny, Tommy R., Robert, Andy, Yaimet, Ernie P., Ricky, Gladys, Linda, Ernie Y., Kris & Brandee, Christian, all the members of VIP Chat, and the BIGGEST thank you to the entire team at ANF Group.