Samantha & JamesSamantha & James
Wedding PartyWedding Party
Gina DeAssisGina DeAssis
Mother of the Bride
Sam's mom and best friend, Gina is the one she goes to talk about literally everything. Sam and James love spending time with her and Manny, whether it be at dinners, on vacations, or just hanging out and talking at the kitchen counter. Gina has been there to witness Sam and James' love story from the very beginning - and both the bride and groom are so thankful to have such a loving presence in their lives.
Manny DeAssisManny DeAssis
Father of the Bride
Everyone loves Manny - he's the most kindhearted man you will ever meet, and a wonderful father. Though he won't admit it openly, Sam knows that she is his favorite :). James loves recounting the story of how he asked Manny and Gina for their blessing, to which Manny responded "You got it" with a firm handshake (and Gina cried happy tears)
Lori PotestivoLori Potestivo
Mother of the Groom
James' mother, who both he and Sam love deeply. Lori is thoughtful, a great cook, and a great host of backyard parties in the gazebo. Sam and James love spending time with her, talking for hours and having family game nights - where Lori will forever be Sam's teammate against James and Andrew (girls vs. boys - girls are better, ofc).
Vinny PotestivoVinny Potestivo
Father of the Groom
James' father, Vinny is a charismatic presence in any room - always quick with a joke and great behind the bar at any party. He's great at giving speeches, talking sports, and tracking horse races - both Sam and James love him and could sit and talk to him for hours.
Alexa ArnoldAlexa Arnold
Matron of Honor
Sam's older sister who also recently got married in Nov of 2025, Alexa is the best sister a girl could ask for. She is always there to listen to a rant, to help when you need her, and is the best dog mom of anyone you'll ever meet. Sam and Lex have lived together for 27 years - now that they are both getting married and moving out, this is a big life change!
Andrew PotestivoAndrew Potestivo
Best Man
Andrew is James' little brother and best friend in the entire world. Andrew is like a mini James (though he is a tiny bit taller), and when the two of them are together, you can't get them to stop laughing. After sharing a room together for 18 years, these 2 have basically gotten to the point where they can tell what the other is thinking without saying a word.
Taylor MastrotaTaylor Mastrota
Bridesmaid
Sam's cousin that is just 2 months younger than her, Sam has countless memories growing up with Taylor. They used to always have sleepovers growing up, and became even closer when Sam moved next door to Taylor and they started going to school together in 5th grade. They share many of the same friends and confide in each other at family events.
Joey DeAssisJoey DeAssis
Groomsman
Sam's older brother (just a year older), Sam was inseparable with Joey growing up. Joey has a great heart and everyone who knows him loves him. James and him bond over MMA fighters and can talk stats for hours.
Tiffany GrazianoTiffany Graziano
Bridesmaid
Sam's cousin who she has always been very close with. Tiffany got married in Oct of 2024, where Sam stood by her side as a bridesmaid. They have tons of memories together and inside jokes practically since birth, and Tiffany is still Sam's go to friend to call when she wants to watch a scary movie or bake a new dessert.
Jonathan DeAssisJonathan DeAssis
Groomsman
Jonathan is Sam's oldest sibling and a doctor that the family is very proud of. Though he is often working, Sam and James enjoy going to family dinners with Jonathan there to tell stories from work. James loves to talk sports with Jonathan, who is one of the few people who knows as much as he does about every team and player and their background.
Toni RuggieroToni Ruggiero
Bridesmaid
Sam's older cousin, Toni and her 2 sisters have always been close with Sam growing up. When they got older, Toni would take Sam to bars with her when Sam was home from college - Sam's favorite being Johnny Utah's which unfortunately is no longer there, but the memories remain!
Nick ArnoldNick Arnold
Groomsman
Sam and James' brother in law, Alexa's husband, is one of the people the couple hangs out with most often, talking at the kitchen counter at Sam's (or in the living room watching sports with James). Alexa and Nick are newlyweds themselves - they got married shortly before Sam and James back in November of 2025.
Julia HeasleyJulia Heasley
Bridesmaid
Julia is one of Sam's closest friends - they met in college, but became much closer since. They've seen each other grow from naive college girls to full grown adults (with Julia being a full on LAWYER), and now are both getting married! Funny how life goes - Julia who had never been to Staten Island before is now here all the time as part of Sam's childhood friend group!
Sal SpatolaSal Spatola
Groomsman
James and Sal's friendship started in middle school when someone started a rumor that they were going to fight after school, which ironically led to the opposite - a "bromance" that they maintain to this very day. Sal is one of James' closest friends who he bonds with over sports betting and espresso martinis. Also friends with Sam, Sal is now engaged to one of Sam's best friends (Julia)!
Rania ElsanhouryRania Elsanhoury
Bridesmaid
The day Sam met Rania in that random theatre class at Fordham, the professor asked if anyone had preferred names/pronouns. Rania's response? That she preferred to be called "Queen' - which was just the first of many examples of why Rania was and still is one of Sam's favorite people. Aside from her amazing sense of humor, Rania is an amazing friend - she is always down to talk on the phone for hours until all hours of the night to listen when you need to rant, and will always show up for her friends.
Nick TheocharidisNick Theocharidis
Groomsman
James' frat brother from Sig Nu that has remained one of his closest friends and favorite people ever since: Nick Theo. Nick is James' favorite person (other than Sam) to talk to on the phone during his long car rides home from work, as any conversation with Nick will keep him laughing and reminiscing on their favorite times in college. Fun fact: Nick and his girlfriend Kate were the photographers at Sam and James' engagement!
Rachel MeyerRachel Meyer
Bridesmaid
Rachel was the first person Sam met at college during accepted students day, and the two hit it off during their freshman year. Though they were not roommates, Rachel basically lived in Sam's room for the duration of the year. They were attached at the hip, becoming roommates for the rest of their time at Fordham sophomore and junior year. Rachel works in a similar role as Sam, but loves to dance - and was acually the choreographer behind Sam and James' first dance.
Frank LupoFrank Lupo
Groomsman
Frankie is one of James' oldest and closest friends dating back to PS1. They bond over sports, the gym, and conversations about life in general. He is a part of the larger friend group Sam and James are both in, with a lot of fun memories together (like Sam's New Year's Eve party in 2019). Frankie works hard as a PT at Jag One, but he plays harder, often frequenting bars and clubs to let off steam.
Hirra ShiraniHirra Shirani
Bridesmaid
One of Sam's oldest and closest friends back from middle school, Hirra is 1/4 of Sam's VD groupchat members that she talks to on a daily basis about anything and everything that goes on in life. Hirra is goofy and fun, and always has the room laughing. Sam, Hirra, Stephen and Vicky could tell stories of memories and silly inside jokes for hours on end.
Johnny WatkinsJohnny Watkins
Groomsman
James' oldest friend, Johnny is a household name all throughout James' family. Deciding to be friends with the new kid back in pre-school paid off, as these two are lifelong buddies. Every conversation with Johnny is a journey - he'll have you laughing, thinking hard, questioning reality... but always leave off happier than you started. Though Johnny is no longer living close by, whenever he comes to visit, it's like no time has passed.
Vicky ChenVicky Chen
Bridesmaid
1/4 of the members of Sam's everyday group chat (VD), Vicky is one of Sam's closest friends since middle school. She and Sam followed a similar life trajectory - both going to Fordham for college and now working in marketing. There's never a dull moment when you're with Vicky - you can always count on her to say something that will have the group still quoting her 5 years later.
Stephen DormeStephen Dorme
Groomsman
A very close friend of both the bride and groom, Stephen grew up with James as a close family friend, often hanging at family parties just across the street from one another. Sam met Stephen in middle school and they were inseparable ever since, bonding over Buffy the Vampire Slayer and often having heated debates over where to go for dinner in the VD groupchat.
Victoria PetrikVictoria Petrik
Bridesmaid
One of Sam's best friends since middle school, Victoria is a master at keeping the party going - one weekend with her at an all-inclusive will have you double fisting shots of liquor you've never heard of. She's always up for a night out or a boozy brunch, with the best recos of where to go after work. If you ever want a spur of the moment tattoo, Victoria is the friend you call who won't judge - and may just get one with you.
Nick SpanoNick Spano
Groomsman
One of Sam's best friends since middle school, Nick is the life of any party. He's a great listener, a great friend, and no matter how far he moves away or how much time passes, seeing him is always like nothing has changed. He's spontaneous and unpredictable, with some of the best stories - you'll never leave a hangout with Nick without a smile on your face :)
Ashley LutterAshley Lutter
Bridesmaid
Ashley met Sam and James in high school, but became close friends with them both after college when she started hanging out as part of their friend group. She bonds with Sam over makeup and gossip, and with James over Big Brother. She is always down for a trip anytime anywhere (especially if it's to Disney), and is one of the couple's favorite people to travel with.
Joe ComunielloJoe Comuniello
Groomsman
One of James' best friends who he met in high school, roomed with in college, and became frat brothers with at Sig Nu. James and Joe were joined at the hip in college - you'd never see one without the other! They remain very close friends to this day, while Joe is close with Sam as well since high school - there have been countless nights where the 3 of them have stayed up talking until well into the next morning, as these 3 can never run out of things to talk about.
Ella ZimmerElla Zimmer
Flower Child
James' beautiful goddaughter, Ella - who's baptism was the cover story for what was really the surprise proposal James set up for Sam.