Wedding Party

Allex Tarr

Maid of Honor

Allex is my best friend of my adult life. We met at the University of Sussex in 2013 - we were the only two American girls in our film program, and we were friends almost instantly. She wanted to be a director, I wanted to be a screenwriter, so the only logical step after graduation was moving to LA, right? I moved out first, in October 2014, and Allex followed a year later. Between 2015-2022, we lived together in four different apartments in LA. We went out every weekend. We ate tacos from the truck on the corner multiple nights a week and we tried and failed to become morning people. We adopted a cat, Binks (now age 8!) We went to Target a billion times. We always had a conversation going, usually multiple. The third time we moved Allex insisted upon getting rid of like half of our stuff because it didn't match the vision and you know what? She was right. During Covid we were together every day, we watched our little shows and drank rose out of cute glass cups and commiserated over losing perfectly good hot years of our lives. When Ross and I got engaged in Croatia, she carried the engagement ring to Ross from LA so that he wouldn't have to travel with it for the months leading up to her visit. I feel the need to share all of these details because in reality, it would not be enough to say that Allex is my best friend. She is a sister to me and she is one of the most important people in my life, and I could not get married without her standing right by my side!

Jessie Lawson

Bridesmaid

Jessie is the friend I've known the longest...we met in 7th grade when we were just 13. That's a 22 year friendship! And even though we've lived in different states for a majority of those years, when we get back together it's always like nothing has changed. We've been there for each other through every major life event ever, the highest highs and lowest lows. We've watched season 1 and 2 of the O.C. together so many times we can quote every episode. We've been to a hundred concerts together and have stood in line for early entry, merch booths and meet and greets more times than I can count. We've laughed so hard we can't speak. I don't even call her unless I know I have an hour to talk. Jessie is one of the kindest, funniest, most thoughtful and generous people I've ever met. If she loves you she will go to bat for you, every time, no questions asked. She'll go out of her way to do something nice for you and never tell you how much trouble it was. She once flew across the country to surprise me in Arizona for my birthday. She once used credit card points to book us into a fancy Parisian hotel just so we could have a weekend together! She's let me borrow anything I want from her closet, ever. Jessie is a defining friend in my life, she is a compass for if something feels right or wrong and she knows me so deeply I barely have to explain myself, even when I've done some insane thing. She just gets it immediately. I would do anything for her and she is a part of my soul!

Meghan Evans

Bridesmaid

The first time I ever moved to Los Angeles for an internship, in 2011, I lived on Meghan's couch for eight weeks. When I moved in, I didn't know her. I knew she had also gone to ASU, and she was actually working in the film and tv industry (HUGE wow back then!) and she was generous enough to offer her home to a stranger. We laugh about it now, but at the time I was sure Meghan was so annoyed by having me on her couch, usually drinking a bottle of bottom shelf wine and watching my little tv shows with headphones on. In reality, Meghan was just busy with her own life, work and friends - and perhaps a little concerned about the amount of wine. When I moved back to LA, at the end of 2014, I once again moved in with...you guessed it - Meghan! Only this time she was living in a townhouse with some other friends, and I was going to get my own bedroom. Huge improvement. This time around, we really started to get to know each other, and it quickly became clear that Meghan was going to be a ride-or-die friend in my life. She has unwavering integrity and unmatched loyalty. She is smart and logical, empathetic and passionate, honest and open. She is also deeply, wildly funny and says some of the most unhinged things I've ever heard. Fast forward to 2025, and Meghan is a bridesmaid in our wedding. Because of course she is! She gave me a sense of place and a sense of belonging before I even knew that's what I needed. She is a foundational part of my life in LA and always will be.

Holly Vandevoorde

Bridesmaid

When I moved back to LA the second time in 2014, Holly was one of the other roommates in the townhouse I lived in with Meghan. We'd known each other distantly while we were both going to ASU, but were never really friends until Los Angeles. Once we both realized how much we loved being around each other, it was obvious we'd be friends forever. Holly is one of the most magnetic people I know. It's simply fun to be around her. She never fails to make me laugh at the absurdity of life and I want to know her take on everything, because she's usually on target. More than once Holly has been right about something in my life, beginning with her telling me to "watch out for Ross, because you're his type". Oops! Holly is one of my dearest friends, and one of the reasons LA feels like home for me. I have known her since the beginning and we bonded early on, very quickly, during a very young and very poor stage of our lives. We went through a lot together and she will always be one of my most important people. And though we're still relatively young, and relatively poor, we've come a long way in the past 11 years and I can't picture LA without her. The most unbelievable thing about my connection to Holly is that Ross actually knew her first...from attending high school together in their shared hometown of Antioch, Illinois. This is information I found out only after meeting Ross for the first time, so Ross and I like to say that between Patrick and Holly, we'd have met eventually. ;)

Devin Lytle

Bridesmaid

Devin is a sister brought to me via Patrick, Ross's Best Man. Ross and I started dating shortly after Patrick and Devin, fulfilling the boys' longtime shared goal of having 'cool girlfriends who like each other'. (Ross's words) When I met Devin in 2015, we clicked instantly. We were both theatre kids at heart, trying to make it in the entertainment industry in LA, dating these cute nerdy boys who lived in this fratty house by the Beverly Center. Devin is fiercely funny, wildly adventurous, and deeply committed to having a good time. Anywhere we go together we can start a party, whether it's a cabin in the woods or a cruise ship hot tub. There is a funny origin story between Devin and I that very early on in our friendship, Devin texted me one night, distraught. She didn't say why. She just texted 'I'm livid' and I dropped what I was doing (shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond) and drove to her apartment, no questions asked. That story ends in a funny way, with me creeping away down Devin's street, ducking behind cars to avoid being seen by Patrick, but that's a story for another time with a longer character limit. The point is, the way I reacted that night is the way I know Devin would react to hearing the same thing from me - she would drop everything and be there for me, no questions asked. 10 years later, and now we're married to those cute nerdy boys, and we'll be friends forever. Quite an improvement from 'cool girlfriends who like each other', don't you think?

Adele Chayegan

Bridesmaid

Adele is my best friend from one of the most defining chapters of my life - the 2011 fall semester of my senior year, studying abroad at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. I was a little nervous, and I'd never even lived alone before, let alone lived abroad, and I was so far away from the life that I knew. To bolster my social reach, I lived in the on-campus dorms, and Adele was directly across the hall. The coolest, funniest, most outgoing and adventurous girl on our floor. (And because she's French...just a little bit crazy, too). We made friends immediately, literally the first night. And suddenly, after months of feeling anxious and agonizing over this huge decision to study abroad, in a single night I knew instantly that I would be ok. Adele instilled in me a feeling of freedom and courage that I still treasure deeply and think about often. When we're together, even today, I feel lighter, wilder, younger, and more fun. I so clearly remember £1 shots at The Haunt and dancing to 'We Fell In Love' by Rihanna at Lola Lo's, trying to catch the last bus of the night back to campus. No matter how much time passes, I will always associate Adele with those feelings of pure joy. Over the years we've always made time to see each other, any time we're close. And when we're not, we leave each other 20-minute long voice notes that are so long we have to take physical notes so that we don't forget to address every relevant point when we respond. She's simply the best.

Patrick Carroll

Best Man

Patrick and I met at Arizona State University; I attended that prestigious school for a year and a half before transferring to Chicago. Before you ask, no, Della and I did not meet at ASU; it was pure coincidence...or was it fate? Patrick and I were introduced by my sister and basically became instant best friends. We hung out so often we came up with our own shorthand to text each other when we were going to the dorm cafeteria to eat. We hung out basically every day it was possible to do so, forging the bonds for a friendship that will last forever. When I transferred out of ASU, leaving Pat was by far the hardest part. But we kept in touch, especially when our favorite hockey teams met in the Finals in 2013. I was living in Chicago and Patrick had graduated and moved to Los Angeles. We made a friendly wager that whoever's team lost would go visit the other. The Blackhawks won and Pat came to visit me in Chicago. We had a merry time, and at the end of the trip, Pat said to me, "Okay, now you have to come visit me in LA...it's awesome out there, man." So I did. In March of 2014, I flew to LA and crashed with Pat, and while I was there, I signed a lease on an apartment. Four weeks later, I packed my stuff and drove across the country to move in with Patrick. 4 months after that, Patrick introduced me to Della. So I guess you could say things worked out okay.

Eddie Vejvoda

Groomsman

Eddie and I met in freshman year of high school, where we had homeroom together. Though I don't think we ever actually had another class together, we bonded over a love of music and eventually played in both jazz and marching band together. Eddie is still one of the best drummers I've ever seen! We went to countless concerts together throughout high school, traveling up to Milwaukee or down to Chicago, and eventually moved in together in Chicago with Garik. There...we went to countless concerts together, usually riding our bicycles all over the city. It's kind of our thing, and even continued whenever Eddie came to visit me in LA. Fun fact: Eddie lives on an ISLAND in Washington State, just off the coast of Canada! We went to visit him and his wonderful fiancé Shari and had so much fun shucking oysters and watching seaplanes. If you're ever in the area, we highly recommend visiting the San Juan Islands!

Garik Niffenegger

Groomsman

I've known Garik the longest of all the groomsmen - I think he was in my sister's second grade class. We knew each other through school band in middle school, and started hanging out more in high school as we bonded over a love of rock and roll music. We moved into an apartment together in Chicago along with Eddie after I transferred colleges. When we weren't playing video games together, we were watching Archer and 30 Rock, pawing through records at dusty shops throughout the city, or going to concerts at some of Chicago's fantastic venues like the Metro and the Lincoln Hall. Garik and Eddie were playing together in a band back then and it was always so much fun to go see them play. Garik acquired a big cargo van at the time that he recently assured me he still has, and it almost brought tears to my eyes. Sorry, girls might not understand the love men have for a good van.

Jake Davis

Groomsman

Jake is one of the first people I met out in Los Angeles. Patrick introduced us, and it was one of those "oh, we're friends instantly" moments. We had a memorable day hanging out together right after I moved to LA and have been classic bros ever since. A native Angelino, Jake invited me to Thanksgiving the first year I lived in Los Angeles and always made me feel right at home here. One of the funniest people I know and always ready with a silly voice, Jake is somehow also extremely humble and empathetic, and always creates a safe space for people to be themselves. No one else I know has ever created a mini-music-festival-esque weekend retreat and run it three straight years, but Jake has the energy to get people together and make everyone feel welcome and encouraged to be themselves. So if you feel self-conscious on the dance floor, don't worry, you're in good hands! Between Jake, Julian, and Patrick, we have three insanely good D&D Dungeon Masters in the bridal party, so don't be surprised if a spontaneous game breaks out...actually, that would be surprising, because these guys plan games months in advance. I've seen the maps, painted miniatures, and dice...so many dice.

Julian Garcia

Groomsman

Julian was another of the very first people I met after moving to Los Angeles, and to say he helped me get used to life out here would be a massive understatement. Quite possibly the nicest guy on Earth, Julian is endlessly supportive and was incredibly welcoming, as is his entire family. If you've ever had the privilege of being invited to the Garcia Family Super Bowl Party, you're well aware of their hospitality. In what I'm quickly recognizing as a pattern, we went to plenty of concerts together, including an absolutely epic Kendrick Lamar show at the Staples Center. Julian, Pat, Jake, and I have all played more games together than we could possibly count. Whether it's Dungeons & Dragons, Settlers of Catan, Baldur's Gate 3, Valheim, or some other wacky game, we love to have silly adventures in imaginary worlds.

Bernie Thrasher

Groomsman

Very quietly the most adult of the groomsmen (the only parent AND the only homeowner), Bernie is the kind of guy where you almost don't realize how good of friends you are until you're suddenly traveling across the country to attend his wedding, and you're one of 6 people (all of whom are also at this wedding) making the trek to the East Coast to a small town a couple hours drive from New York City, and everyone is having the time of their lives. Then a few years later you engineer a meet-up in Copenhagen, Denmark, while we're on our long Europe trip and Bernie's lovely wife Rachel is doing a class reunion, and their young kids are there and you're taking them to Danish Disneyland and hunting for trolls, and Bernie is the exact guy you want to share that experience with.

Ross Houslander

Groom

Della Anderson

Bride

Ben Waldorf

Officiant

To make it official, the one and only Ben Waldorf will meet us at the end of the aisle for the 'I Do's'. Ben is the type of friend who always shows up, always follows through, and makes sure no detail slips through the cracks.