Natalie & Jalen
Wedding Party
Felicia Castillo
Maid of Honor
Felicia isn’t just Natalie’s Maid of Honor and best friend, she’s her “platonic soulmate”. Fun fact: in their early twenties, they made a pact to join a domestic partnership together if they weren't married by 40 LOL. The two met when Natalie was a sophomore and Felicia was a freshman at Texas A&M University by joining the same student organization (shoutout Aggie Recruitment Committee). It wouldn’t be long after that they realized they were both from San Antonio and well, the rest is history! Once Natalie graduated and left College Station, the person she had the hardest time adjusting to having distance from was Felicia. During Natalie’s senior year, they only lived a block away from each other and hung out so much that they may as well have shared the same bed! Felicia has been a constant in Natalie's life since she was 19, supporting her through all the ups and downs of her twenties. Felicia is as loyal as they come and the two are convinced they were two streets cats together in a past life. She brings balance, never-ending support, and understanding to Natalie’s life.
Cody Gonzales
Best Man
Jalen and Cody met in 7th grade when Jalen still had braces and Cody had a faux-hawk. Over the next five years, the pair solidified their friendship, even attending Palo Alto College for a year together fresh out of high school, where they both dropped Algebra I in their first semester. Till this day, neither is good at math. Little changed once they became adults. The pair spent their early 20s in every bar in San Antonio, or partying at Cody's brother's house, which is haunted. They've traveled across the U.S. together, Mexico twice, climbed a literal mountain (kinda) together in the desert, and somehow made it to the big 30. Cody has been a constant in Jalen's life since he was a kid, and he hopes to keep it that way until they're old and grey. "Best Man" is just a title, but there are few who deserve to be called that as much as Cody.
Celestina Oviedo
Bridesmaid
Celeste and Natalie met through the Brooks-McCollum combined friend group (iykyk). She was always the person Natalie would go to and ask, “dude when is Jalen going to proposeeee????”. Funny enough, the last time Natalie made this inquiry, Celeste had to play it cool because she knew that the proposal was only FIVE DAYS AWAY! For context, Celeste has worked at James Avery for over 10 years and is now a store manager at two locations in Austin and Marble Falls. So needless to say, she’s our jewelry expert and connoisseur. In January of 2024, Jalen texted Celeste to let her know he was going to buy Natalie’s engagement ring, but wanted Celeste to verify that he had all the details right. She is the pro, after all. After Jalen ordered the ring he texted Celeste, “I’ll order and send it to my mom’s house, if someone stole this package I’d probably turn into John Wick”. Thankfully, that didn’t happen and the proposal went flawlessly! Celeste has been a constant beam of light in Natalie’s life. Especially during the not-so-fun moments of Natalie’s late twenties. She brings sunshine, warmth, and excitement to Natalie’s life.
Michael Ytuarte
Groomsman
Jalen and Michael have been friends since middle school, which is a common theme you'll notice with all of the groomsmen. The pair bonded over their love of hardcore and pop punk and have seen dozens, if not hundreds, of terrible bands in cramped rooms across the state. The pair lived together for two years in College Station, and Jalen is convinced Mike destroyed his stomach lining by drinking expired Five-Hour Energy drinks for an entire semester. Now that they're in their 30s (gross), they've calmed down a bit, trading in hearing loss for Pickleball and IPAs. Although you might see two old men jumping from a stage once a year. Mike and his wife Destinee welcomed their beautiful daughter Rosalina into the world this June. Jalen is excited to watch her grow and watch Mike become the great father he knows he'll be.
Monica Rodriguez
Bridesmaid
Like Felicia, Monica and Natalie also met because of their involvement in Aggie Recruitment Committee when Monica was a sophomore and Natalie was a junior. They began to see each other at events and parties and eventually became great friends. So great, that Monica and Natalie became roommates the following school year. It's no coincidence that Natalie's senior year roommate arrangement was the best one she had experienced in her college years, and Monica was one of those roommates. Once they became roommates, their friendship grew even stronger as they shared a living space and got to know and see each other even more. This was the same school year that Monica met her husband, Manuel! Natalie approved from the very beginning and knew they were endgame very early on in their relationship. Once Natalie and Jalen got engaged, Monica became Natalie’s go-to for wedding advice and guidance. Aside from wedding-related things, Monica has always been a sound and fair person for Natalie to go to for advice. She's also Natalie's #1 person to send Hello Kitty reels and TikToks to. Monica is the grounded, level-headed, and reasonable Virgo to Natalie’s emotional and reactive Cancer and brings so much comfort, softness, and gentle love to Natalie’s life.
Ernest Elizondo
Groomsman
Jalen first saw Ernest when his Myspace profile came across his feed in 2009. His screenname, "It's ur boy Ern," is still one of the best things Jalen has ever seen. The pair quickly became friends sophomore year of high school, spending their summers crashing quinceañeras alongside Cody. There was rarely a weekend when Jalen and Ernest didn't hang out through their 20s, and the pair even worked together at James Avery for a couple of years. There was no better-looking staff at a James Avery Craftsman at the time, and both doubt any current staff can compare. The two continue to bond over shared interests, ranging from Dungeons and Dragons to Boys II Men. You'll find Ernest at the wedding dancing alongside Cody, or trying to kiss another one of the groomsmen after a few drinks.
Brielle Morgan
Bridesmaid
Brielle and Natalie met while working at the Edgewood Fine Arts Academy in 2021. They eventually became friends as Brielle was a co-senior class sponsor with Natalie and their other friend and colleague, Laura during the 2022-2023 school year. Natalie and Brielle quickly bonded over their love for their students, astrology, Sanrio, and all things spooky (including the school they worked at). Brielle came into Natalie’s life during a very transitional time, and taught her not to be afraid to open yourself up to new friendships in your late twenties. Though their busy schedules don’t allow for a constant stream of communication between the two, when they do spend time together hours and hours of constant yapping and storytelling are a guarantee. To the point where Brielle’s boyfriend Tyler usually calls or texts to check in and make sure the girls are alive and that they haven’t been abducted. Brielle brings insightfulness, wisdom, and understanding to Natalie’s life.
Eric Salinas
Groomsman
God bless the unlucky teacher at Brooks Academy of Science and Engineering who had to deal with Jalen, Eric, Natalie and a dozen or so other knuckleheads in 2006. Jalen and Eric were not exactly the best-behaved, but both survived and maintained a close friendship ever since. Eric, also known as "Twig", is a menace behind the grill, a crack shot at 100 yards (probably), and an excellent fisherman (according to him). He is also an excellent dog dad to Teenie, his beautiful chocolate lab. Many of the exciting moments in the last 20 years of Jalen's life include Eric, the most recent being when their cars were towed seven minutes after their parking expired. He imagines the next 20 will be the same.
Trinity Lopez
Bridesmaid
For those who may not know, Natalie and Jalen met in the first grade when they were 6 years old. They ended up in the same class again in second grade, and that was how Natalie met Trinity for the first time. She was a tiny one month old newborn who was brought into their classroom during meet the teacher. As the years went on, Natalie got to witness Trinity grow up. From her Holy Name days where she'd come home from school with her white uniform wrinkled and stained from recess, to Trinity's mustache obsession era (real ones remember this), to her high school days when Natalie did her makeup for prom. The once itty bitty newborn is now 23 years old and is a bridesmaid in the wedding. Natalie is looking forward to Trinity standing by her side on the wedding day! Trinity and Jalen are seven years apart. She’s the second-oldest and probably the most outgoing of the bunch. She is the stark opposite of her older brother who considers talking to people one of life’s greatest challenges. Her outgoing nature and ability to mesh with anyone is one of her brother’s favorite things about her. It has been a pleasure to see her grow into an adult, and Jalen and Natalie cannot wait to celebrate their big day with one of the most important people in their lives.
Tristen Cervera
Groomsman
Tristen is Jalen's younger brother, who is somehow on the verge of being an adult. He was the cutest baby/toddler, besides the time he found a cut toenail on the ground and proceeded to shove it into Jalen's mouth. There are few people funnier than Tristen. His delivery is unmatched, and he's been one of the funniest people in the family since he was five. When he was asked to be a groomsman, he responded, verbatim: "I don't know what that means, but ima be it." He's currently a varsity football player at Southside High School, and his final season will likely be wrapping up around the wedding. He is excited to wear a custom suit, so make sure to compliment him when you see him walking around looking fresh.