Wedding Party
Sarah Beth Swanson
Maid of Honor
Bestie's since we talked too much in language art's class in 7th grade circa 2002. Bestie's through so many changes we have both been through in our lives. Besties both when we lived near each other but mostly while we have been growing up in the world hundreds of miles from one another, and while I would love to have been in closer proximity to you for all those years, the distance didn't take away from our friendship. Needless to say, 20+ years later of friendship and we still don't run out of things to talk about, laugh over (or at...) & cry about with one another.
Meghan Bingemann
Matron of Honor
BFF's since that fated moment that I chose her to be my bestie during freshman orientation at Coastal Carolina University circa 2008 hehe! She may have not been so sure at the time (let's not lie...we all know I can come on pretty strong lmao), but I am thankful that she was there for it, and even held onto our friendship through me learning how to drive stick shift with her and Ali in my car (I mean wow..am I right?) ...and she continues to choose to adventure with me to this day! Meghan has also given me the best little nephew one could have, who happens to be our Ring Bearer, so keep a look out for a very adorable Benjamin Watson as he toddles down the aisle on our wedding day!
Lisa Padilla
Matron of Honor
Thankful that our daughters are besties which allowed us to first meet and now we have grown into being each other's #WIFEY'S and village since 2018! Podding up during the height of the pandemic really sped up the closeness of our relationship and needless to say, we dove in headfirst and have been continuing to give it our all since. Having our paths meet when they did feels like a rare phenomenon as though we were fated to find each other, so I couldn't be happier that it happened than when it did! #wifeyforlifey
Kari Ann MtCastle
Bridesmaid
Gracing me with her wonderfully spicy self since 2008 at the start of graduate school (she was starting at Chatham and I was starting at Seton Hill), when we had to go without utilities at our new apartment without knowing one another at all, so we just grabbed our stuff, made the best of it, talked and talked and talked and explored our new neighborhood Squirrel Hill together through it all. From dancing the nights away at times, to binge watching shows on netflix to painting nails and making her cheesecakes, Kari Ann and I have had the best (and some *woof*) adventures together but hey....we survived and she has been stuck with me ever since and I am forever thankful for this wonderful human!
Jana Jacobs
Bridesmaid
One of my favorite humans since 2016 when our littles were besties who were more like sisters. Thank you for always being there and making an effort to stay connected when life is hard and I so love being on this journey with our daughters together and knowing that we will always share these moments for life as will they!
Ali *Elena Oraseanu
Bridesmaid
Once upon a time, there was a quiet, sweet and tame studious blonde named Elena who went to Coastal Carolina University. She had a roommate named Becca who happened to be in math class with MEEEE! pretty early on in the first semester of college, Becca brough me back to her dorm room because she thought I would get along well with her roommate "Elena aka Ali". I was down to meet new friends....anyone who knows me (especially college version of me) knows this fits for me back then haha. So, fast forward to the not-so-far-ahead-future, let's just say where there was one of us you would often find the other! Ali, thanks for being my OG wifey circa 2008 throughout our college years, making questionable choices with me, and surviving those years with me! I wouldn't have had it any other way. The best thing Becca ever did was introduce us, and I am forever grateful for sharing those moments in time with you Ali!!
Daniel Gold
Best Man
Friends since the moment he worked up the courage to approach us outside of Bruce Hall, Dan and I have never been far from each other which I remain thankful for to this day. We've lived together long enough that we could have likely applied for domestic partnership which was my pleasure as Dan is one of the kindest and funniest people I know. Looking back on countless prog metal shows, jamming out at home, doing cartoon voices together, trips all over the place, and these days our respective walls of board games with moronic levels of overlap or just shooting the shit there's no one I would rather call best man.
Evan Leet
Groomsman
From a fated meeting in Forbes Hall to rooming together binge watching entire seasons of Lost or Kenny vs Spenny off a laptop screen to countless hangouts since, Evan is someone who always comes with a smile on his face, even with an underlying cynicism that is endlessly relatateble. Evan always brings up the energy in a room even if he might try to deny it. Someone I can always count on for an easy going great time, whether playing some games, chilling and watching a show or just chatting I look forward to every chace we get to hang out.
Aaron Wang
Groomsman
Aaron and I have been friends since grade school which feels like a time that isn't even real at this point. When he moved nearby in college years we started hanging out again like no time had passed. Never a moment without something to talk about between anime, games and a shared passion for cooking. Also my ultimate fight game buddy where when everyone else would go home or go to bed in the middle of the morning he and I would use that opportunity to smash games of Blazblue or Street Fighter 4 refusing to let the party end. His hair is also the stuff of legends, I can confirm as he would constantly be stopped on the street to receive compliments or having people ask for tips when we would talk around downtown.
Chris Ferry
Groomsman
Another, but not the last, fated meeting in Forbes Hall led to someone that once upon a time I spent perhaps a majority of my waking hours with. From several dorms to apartments shared Chris Ferry is the last person to call up if you're looking for a dull moment. There's no one better on this planet to have a mental sparring match with over even the most mundane of topics such as the definition of pizza or to discussions about the moon so intense that it led to a moratorium on moon centric debates. Chirs is not only someone you can always count on in life but also someone you can count on to understand board game rules right away which is an invaluable skill!
Jason Bowser
Groomsman
The (chronologically) FIRST fated meeting in Forbes hall. Jason is the person I can always count on to give me a hard time for breathing the wrong way, which is something I greatly appreciate since I already have such an issue keeping my ego in check. For years we were always somewhere screaming over a Pittsburgh sports game over beers, Antoon's and O-Fries (with gravy). While Jason decided to abandon his hometown, whenever our paths do cross it's immediately obvious that they should cross more often as there's never enough time to catch up or just laugh about the good old days.
Beecher Watson
Groomsman
The newest friend on this list but no less excellent, I PERSONALLY like to think that Beecher met his wife so that some day he and I would become friends. Over the years since we've met we've shared holidays, we're slowing trying to save the world through the slowest play session of Pandemic Legacy maybe in board game history and just had tons of good times gaming, talking and hanging out. Beecher's enthusiamsm is infectious and it's been my pleasure these last few years getting to know him and watching him grow as a father alongside my "nephew" and favorite little bro and ring bearer Benji!