Nikolay & Julia
Wedding Party
David Fedorovich Keyman
Best Man
Hailing from the frigid lands of Ukraine, to the countryside of Oklahoma, to the metropolis of Pennsylvania, comes the Best Man, David Keyman. David is something of a modern man with his abilities to make a spear out of anything, start a fire in the rain, yet navigate traffic (and traffic stops) like a pro and fix your electrical while he's at is. Growing up with the Groom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Nik and David have helped their dads build two homes, a couple of storage sheds, and fix cars. Escaping household Slavic duties, the two would pair off to imaginatively tackle adventures in the woods by David's house, jump bikes on BMX ramps and courageously put LIME scooters to brutal tests in downtown Tulsa during COVID. If you meet him, try to keep up with his energy, we dare you :)
Katie Boatwright
Maid of Honor
Katie is Julia's cousin and longest bestie. As homeschooled children in Arizona, Katie assisted Julia in getting into mischief, such as taste-testing items in Grandma Lois' medicine cabinet, spewing tea everywhere from laughing so hard, and making potions from a mixture of leaves, rotting oranges, and whatever else they could find. Katie and Julia also came up with their own language, as well as a game called "Bad Guy" where they were always on missions to avoid imaginary (self-explanatory) bad guys. After Katie and her family moved to Charlotte, the fun did not stop there and many good memories were made over the years. Even though Katie and Julia still live many states away from one another, they manage to keep each other updated with all the important life details. If you see Katie say hi, but beware as she may ask you to take tons of photos with and of her.
Brendan Williams
Groomsman
As the first American friend that Nikolay's parents liked, Brendan quickly became a vital part of Nik's journey in high school and college. Originating from the bison roaming lands of Oklahoma, Brendan's passion for the Lord and higher education can be seen from a mile away. Whether its from his attentiveness when you speak to him, or from his countless tattoos visualizing God's creation, Brendan's focus on faith and people is highly contagious and no vaccine can stop it (although he could probably design one that could). As Nik and Brendan grew close in high school through school projects, college classes and a zeal to get as far away as possible from that redneck high school, Brendan showed Nik John Brown University, where Nik would later meet Julia and decide she's a keeper. If you are fortunate enough to be in the same room as Brendan, love him like the wise old man that he is, not all PhD students are this good looking :)
Abigail Swift
Bridesmaid
Abby is one of Julia's closest friends and dates back to high school. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Abby can relate to all you Midwesterners out there. Abby and Julia met through Abby's boyfriend, and grew close very quickly. A favorite memory for both girls is when they went to California together for the Fourth of July, got extremely burnt by the sun (and in trouble for not wearing sunscreen), walked barefoot everywhere, and created lifelong inside jokes. Abby is one of the kindest people Julia knows; for example she will do anything to make someone's day, like driving 30 min after a long work day with flowers and a card as a reminder of how valued you are to her. If you see Abby, not only should you say hi to her, but you should also schedule a hair appointment as she is, in Julia's opinion, the best hair stylist in all of Arizona.
Ilya Sergeyevich Shauchuk
Groomsman
Like David and Nik, Ilya hails from Eastern Europe and the oil rich lands of Tulsa, Oklahoma, as he brings about the contemplative substance into any interaction he has. While Nik and David were off chasing their tails, Ilya would stand back and philosophically observe the foolishness. Yet, like the weather in Oklahoma, he brings about a natural dichotomy that challenges any predisposition you might've had. If you didn't see him reading psychology or debating lifestyles, it's because he's zooming past you on a sports bike. Growing up with Nik, the two shared beautiful meaningful experiences in music, road trips and late night talks. As the crucial element to the childhood Slavic friend group, there wouldn't be much of any substance in the trifecta, if it wasn't for Ilya's push for meaning. If you see Ilya, don't jump to many conclusions, he'll probably disprove a couple of them in the first sentence.
Lily Chiriboga
Bridesmaid
Lily is a college bestie of Julia’s and becomes outnumbered when she is with Julia and Nik, and her own fiancé Mitchell, as she’s the only one without type 1 diabetes. Lily is from the great lands of Kansas City, and like Julia, somehow made it to college in Arkansas. Lily and Julia met through a friend, but their friendship really blossomed when they both were talking to the same guy who didn’t want either of them. The good news is both Lily and Julia met their future fiancés right after this, so it all worked out for the best. Lily is such a sweet friend and though the girls live across the country from one another they still pick right up wherever they left off. Lily is the type of person who can make you laugh even on a day where you may not be feeling like laughing. Julia recommends everyone find a Lily Chiriboga (but not this one because this one is taken hehe). If you see Lily, ask her about her own wedding that is coming up and see if she is ready to have snacks on her at all times for when Mitchell’s blood sugar drops.
Kip Roland
Groomsman
Commonly regarded as one of the most driven entrepreneurs that this side of the Rocky Mountains has seen in a decade, Kip Roland hails from the lands of Missouri and eventually Northwest Arkansas, where all the locals recognize him as successful, but all the package delivery men fear him. Having the ability to sell you most things to your doorstep within two days with free shipping, Kip is a popular man with a breadth of business knowledge most business owners wished they had. Knowing the groom through college, Kip's dorm room for Nik was always a solace in times of boredom, opportunity, or curiosity that Kip gladly welcomed and joined in on. When the two weren't challenging each other to grow, as two truly data-driven friends, they were probably assigning values and ranking various foods or action movies. When you run into Kip's luscious flow of hair, get an autograph while you can, Forbes 40 under 40 isn't that far off.
Emily Lytle
Bridesmaid
Emily is the other very important best friend in Julia's sacred trio. An Arizona native, she and Julia met in 6th grade playing on the same volleyball team. Emily and Julia bonded over their similar sense of humor and shared opinions on various life-matters. The girls included each other in many different activities, whether that was going to church together, bringing each other around their separate friends, and Emily letting Julia third-wheel all the time. The two have made many wise decisions, but also a few not so wise decisions that they can now laugh about (for example sneaking out of Levi's dog door and getting caught), leading to valuable life-lessons they learned together. Emily has the gift of being a good listener and consoler, and not only offers good advice, but also encouragement and empathy. If you see Emily say hi and ask her about her masters program in London!
Ben Krein
Groomsman
As a true outdoorsman, Ben Krein is the epitome of a man. With his extensive knowledge of foreign sports cars, collection of creepy crawlers, assortment of zombie apocalypse weapons and a pocket knife for any occasion, Ben and Nik met in Arkansas through the friendship of their women. If that wasn't enough to convince you of his manliness, Ben also shares responsibility in keeping up with two dogs, two cats, a lizard and a pet black widow. And when he's not spending money on repairing the same turbo on his Subaru WRX STI, he's probably at his day job, forging metal to make custom knives with exotic materials. Nik and Ben bonded over their curiosity for anything that mechanically spins, moves or rotates, and sustained their friendship through the things that invited them to the same function (their women). If you happen to spot the modern day Tarzan, ask him for advice. He's probably already done whatever project you're working on, and will suggest how to do it right.
Aide Barrientos
Bridesmaid
Aide (pronounced 80) is part of the other important trio in Julia's life: the college-now-lifelong besties. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, but now residing in the countryside of Arkansas, Aide can be a city girl or a country girl on command. Aide rescued Julia from living on campus junior year of college, and the two grew close and have talked every day since. Aide and Julia now share the burden of motherhood, but where Julia has one naughty dog, Aide has two, as well as two cats and a lizard (that is sometimes forgotten about). Aide and her fiancé Ben's friendship to Julia and Nik is such a gift, and from playing Mario Kart on the couch to driving across the country to go camping, the memories made will always be cherished. Aide is one of the most adventurous people that Julia knows, and her down to earth nature and free-spirit make her such a dear friend to have. If you see Aide, introduce yourself and ask her how many socks her dog Ringo has eaten recently.
Matthias Gruen
Groomsman
Saving the best for last, Matthias's maturity and sophistication will have you questioning why he's at the back of the lineup. But on the other hand, a party is only as strong as the last link, and in this case, the party is stronger than ever. Originating from Oklahoma City, Matthias resides in his Arkansas college town with his wife and two dogs. To disprove you that Matthias only became an old man after school and marriage, Matthias's maturity reaches back into his college days with his griping about 'kids these days', keeping the house at 65F and going to bed at 8:30PM. Matthias and the groom became very closely acquainted through the perils of engineering school, surviving study sessions (but early in the AM because Matthias wasn't awake for the all-nighter), projects and the engineering club Nik ran that Matthias was forced to participate in. When you see Matthias, shake his giant hand and thank him for being a good friend. He would've been asleep by now if not for this wedding.
Gabby Zeigler
Bridesmaid
Gabby is the other very important person in the college-now-lifelong besties trio. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Gabby is proud of this and will stand up for her city if you say anything negative about it. The girls met their junior year of college, and senior year, Gabby and Julia lived together and experienced raising Julia's high energy puppy together. On top of being gracious, Gabby is someone who is very relational. She and Julia bonded over similar life events, and Gabby has the unique ability to hear someone out and be able to relate to them in an understanding and compassionate way. An eventful memory the girls have together was when Julia got attacked by a neighbors dog, and Gabby was right there to assist physically and mentally in getting Julia to the ER, while offering her vast nursing knowledge. If you see Gabby, go up to her and ask her which she prefers to watch: ASMR videos, Dance Moms, or dash camera compilations.