Wedding Party
Stephen Blazejewski
Man of Honor
Stephen & Gabby met in Kindergarten in 2000 and have been friends ever since. They went through elementary school sitting at the same lunch table and performing in the Drama Club. In high school, Stephen and Gabby made a pact to be each other's Junior Prom dates. Then the two discovered they both were accepted to Montclair State University -- so 4 more years of school together. There they served on a student organization board and also worked together at the Student Recreation Center. Since then they've gone on many adventures together -- including a roadtrip to Maine and an international excursion to Italy! Gabby knows that Stephen is a friend who she can always count on to have her back and have a good time!
Andrew Harris
Best Man
Joseph has always looked up to his older brother, both figuratively and literally: he's 6' 4"! Growing up, Andrew was a larger than life figure. He remembers long weekends following Andrew's travel basketball team as they competed in tournaments across the state. They even played in tournaments in Staten Island and Miami. Joseph actually created a costume and became the team's (un)official mascot: the Surry Star! To Joseph, Andrew was both an exceptional athlete, but also a genuinely cool guy who was naturally charming and charismatic. Andrew has given him many valuable life lessons over the years, things that only an older brother can teach. Joseph feels truly lucky to have Andrew as a brother and can think of no better man to stand beside him on his wedding day.
Cami Garcia-Flahaut
Bridesmaid
Cami & Gabby met Freshman year of high school and shared all their first semester classes together --plus four years of Latin and some painstaking AP classes. They spent countless hours hanging out in the library after school, taking Dance class together, and participating in all the school musicals (in the orchestra pit and backstage). When Cami moved out to Minnesota for college, Gabby and Lindsey took an 18 hour road trip out to the Midwest for her graduation. Since then they've traveled together to Virginia, Tennessee -- and just last year, Belgium to celebrate Cami's own wedding with her extended family. Now, they are both Philly residents, and Gabby feels incredibly lucky to have her wonderful friend so close by.
Eli Stroup
Groomsman
The oldest of the Stroup boys, Eli has long been the backbone of the family and is sure to help keep his wild younger brothers in line... Though, he is known to cause a little chaos himself from time to time. Joseph has known Eli since he was around seven years old, and he affectionately considers the Stroups to be his little brothers. And their families eventually became neighbors about four years into their friendship. Since then there have been countless joint family vacations, hiking and camping trips, and many long nights gathered around the fire telling stories and roasting marshmallows together. One of Joseph's favorite memories to look back is when he and Eli competed in a mud run when they were in middle and elementary school respectively. It was a crazy and exhausting day, but also a lot of fun!
Lindsey Filo
Bridesmaid
Lindsey & Gabby also became friends in high school -- often chatting when taking after school nature walks, or grabbing a snack at the local hoagie shop. Their friendship grew stronger when they continued onto college together at Montclair State. While they gave each other space Freshman year to explore and make new friends, Lindsey & Gabby ended up being roommates Sophomore-Senior year. THEN, after some time apart while completing their respective Master's degrees, the two decided to become roomies again and moved into a cozy apartment in Princeton. Gabby's favorite memories were when she and Lindsey would sit in their hallway and have late night talks ranting, gossiping and catching each other up on their week.
Zeb Stroup
Groomsman
The middle Stroup, Zeb is certainly quite the character. With his quick wit and loud voice, it's easy to tell when Zeb has entered the room. Joseph has known Zeb since he was a toddler. Now he's in his junior year at Presbyterian College where he plays as a defensive back for the football team. Zeb has always been competitive. Joseph remembers the two battling wits during board games and cards. Even when he was young, Zeb always put up a good challenge and was a clever opponent. Joseph looks forward to many more contests in the future.
Isabella Yantas
Bridesmaid
Bella & Gabby have always shared a special cousin bond. With exactly 10 years between them, Gabby has watched Bella grow from an adorable little baby who she loved to dote on to a sweet, demure young girl to the strong, poised and beautiful person she is today. They have many shared memories of time spent at the Raccosta house after school let out, vacations down the Jersey shore in Wildwood Crest, and their incredible trip to Peru to visit Bella's aunts and grandfather in Lima. There they climbed Machu Picchu, sandboarded in the Paracas desert, and shared a cabin in the Amazon rainforest. Gabby has so much love for her baby cousin and looks forward to seeing how their friendship grows in the years to come.
Walker Stroup
Groomsman
The youngest Stroup boy, Walker is full of life and fun. When he isn't traveling across the galaxy, Walker is a student at Wake Tech with plans to transfer to NC State after getting his Associate's. Joseph has known Walker since he was just a baby. One of his favorite memories is when the boys wanted to watch Star Wars in the backseat car DVD player during a long car ride. Walker was only three years old and didn't know how to read yet, so Joseph had to read aloud the opening crawl: "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." That love of Star Wars has clearly still remained with Walker.
Samuel Raccosta
Groomsman
Sam is Gabby's baby brother and Joseph's final groomsmen. Sam & Gabby, along with their brother James, have always had a strong sibling bond. Their shared childhood included great memories from summer vacations to Wildwood Crest Beach and the mountains of Shenandoah Valley, VA to visit family in the fall. As big Philadelphia sports fans, Sam & Gabby often enjoyed countless Philly baseball games with the whole Raccosta crew. Both also love to travel -- they've already explored the Great White North when they visited Niagara Falls & Toronto back in 2022, and have plans to explore across the Atlantic soon! Gabby feels so grateful to have a brother as thoughtful, lovable and resilient as Sam.
