Wedding Party
Dani Muñoz
Maid of Honor
The first of Deana's two younger sisters - she's the most elegant of the 3, as smart as she is beautiful, with a secret streak of comedic genius that's way weirder than you think. The first two D's are just 18 months apart and attended the same undergrad, moved into their 1st apartment together, and share many friends and fantastic memories of their Friends of Friendship days.
Ellen Bley
Best Woman
Ellen and Caleb met in Fort Collins in 2017 and immediately hit it off as friends. After a fifth, sixth, tenth, maybe twelfth back country outing it was realized that they were attached from here on in this vortex of life, doomed to constantly insulting one another as a way to show their respect and camaraderie, in lieu of other traditional options. Ellen is also the reason Deana and Caleb met; her partner Alyssa graduated from the same OT program as Deana at CSU, and invited us all to an outing at a brewery one warm Fall day.
Daela Muñoz
Bridesmaid
The youngest of the 3 D's and the farthest away, Daela is creative, kind, and a free spirit living the good life in Vancouver. Despite being perhaps the softest-spoken of the three, she has a flair for theater, music, and dance. We all remember the CATS makeup! And we are extra excited to have her home so we can all boogie on down with her and her daughter, Ixchel!
Galen Privett
Bridesperson
Friends since 2nd grade Deana and Galen grew up together in the Muñoz pool, the SAGE/GATE rooms, seeing concerts at Mr. Small's, making mix CDs for drives around town ;) and traveling the country with the marching band. Summers were for concerts and festivals at home and afar, and if they looked at a Firefly schedule, they could remember the hundreds of bands they saw while "camping" in the Delaware sun (and occasional hurricane). Both moved West to chase the sun and their fortunes, but love staying in touch with new music, friendcations to see more awesome music, and a cheers every Christmas back in the Burgh.
Lauren Keriotis
Bridesmaid
Deana met Lauren in Colorado shortly before grad school, and she couldn't be more grateful that their random introduction blossomed into such a beautiful friendship. Lauren is quite possibly the kindest soul you'll meet, has an eye for design that can't be beat, and is definitely the best person to go out to dinner with! From desserts and dancing, to Tour de Fat, holidays and birthdays, Lauren is a constant companion through FoCo's finest moments.
Jessica Treas
Bridesmaid
Jessica and Deana met during orientation week at Duquesne, immediately started hanging out, and have been friends ever since. Their shared love of music led to many meticulously curated playlists in their dorms as well as fun times at live music. She lived in some of those same college houses as Dani as they all found their way in their 20s and shared many wild nights in the Burgh. In fact, she located the iconic 323 that is still in the Friendship gang today!
Danny Sells
Groomsman
Often inseparable as youth, Danny and Caleb were best friends from when they were in 3rd grade. Having no siblings to speak of and a limited family in the new 'city' of Manhattan KS, Danny and his family helped Caleb adapt to a new school, the new streets, and were as close as family with their generosity and open doors. They went from two dorky kids to two dorky adults who are lucky to still call each other best bros.
Skylar King
Groomsman
Skylar is the Larry to Caleb and Danny's Mo and Curly. The three of them driving about Central to East Kansas and being hooligans wherever they ended up, be it at music festivals, movie showings, musicals, or just a good old fashion parking lot. Being a year older than us and fascinated with cars, Skylar tended to be the driver for any schemes they were out to pursue. Now even though they are a state away, Skylar and Caleb stay in touch as often as they can to regale acts of dirt bagging in the woods and stories too ridiculous to be fictional.
Bryan Reed
Groomsman / Brandy Handler
Bryan is a mystic force of nature and Deana and Caleb are lucky to know him in this life! Brandy loves him with all her might and has a special even-higher-than-usual bark for when he comes to visit. They are thankful he is Brandy's Handler (the Brandler) for the weekend!
Bob Malys
Officiant
Bob and Deana worked together at the Food Bank in Pittsburgh and quickly recognized in each other kindred spirits. Deana did the flowers for his wedding, and now he's officiating hers! Caleb and Bob hit it off when they met, and we're grateful to have such a dear friend playing such a special role!
Adam Muñoz
Padrino de la Ceremonia de Mancuerna
The ceremonia de mancuerna is a Mexican wedding tradition where two family members place a rope (mancuerna) around the shoulders of the couple to symbolize their infinite new beginnings and everlasting love. It predates the Catholic church, but as the religion spread through Latin America so many couples requested it, large rosaries were often used. Deana and Caleb are using the same mancuerna as Jaime & Diane did in their wedding, which was made with love by Deana's Tía Stephanie!
Sandy Akerstrom
Madrina de la ceremonia de mancuerna
Caleb's grandmother will place the loop around his shoulders, just as Adam will do so for Deana. The Madrina and Padrina are extremely important and influential people to the bride and groom, traditionally "godparents". In this instance, we have both chosen a person in our life without whom we would not be the people we are today, people who to us represent the best parts of unconditional family love.
Elliot & Jonathan Akerstrom
Flower Children
Elliot is the oldest of Caleb's two younger brothers, he has a fabulous eye for photography that he will be lending to our wedding and is armed with diabolical wit. He is almost finished with his degree in Journalism from KU and is looking to explore the world with any program that will help him travel. Jonathan is Caleb's youngest brother, and somehow the cutest of the three. He has a creative musical mind and is currently pursuing a degree in Business from KU. He always sees the positive in life and lends his optimism in jokes and the love exuded by his presence.