Wedding Party

Sara Samland

Matron of Honor

Dubby and I have been a packaged deal for almost 20 years, and she is one of my oldest and dearest friends. Now don’t let that nice introductory sentence fool you, our friendship is heavily centered on our extremely competitive nature and we show love through straight up roasting one another. We act more like sisters than friends and she truly is my chosen family. I mean that literally, I think my parents would willingly trade me for Dubby any day! I always told Jon, my family’s approval is not what he should be worried about, getting through Dubby is the ultimate test. I think by October 5th she will give the OK, but Jon should keep the barbeque bribes coming in case. We have been through all of life’s crazy challenges the last two decades together and I couldn’t imagine having anyone else standing next to me on the big day. P.S. I would say I am cashing in my karma chips from being your Maid of Honor, but tough when you have two babies on the way!

Morgan Mann

Maid of Honor

Morgan is Jon’s sister, and I am very fortunate to have her as my sister-in-law and Maid of Honor. Even though Morgan has used our wedding as an opportunity to scout venues for her own future events, she has been there with us every step of the way! In the beginning of Jon and I’s relationship, Morgan was crucial in helping me navigate the new family dynamics and would say encouraging things like “it’s not too late to run”. Well, I am glad I stayed because we have very similar taste and the Christmas gifts are always on point. On any family trip, you can find the two of us roaming the giftshop deciding on what matching hoodies to buy or discussing brunch plans. I am extremely lucky to have gained a best friend in addition to a sister. Plus, Morgan is the best auntie to our dog Dolly!

Tegan Caputi

Bridesmaid

Tegan is a fellow Linde lady and let me just say, having one of your best friends at work everyday sure makes the exciting world of accounting even better! We instantly bonded over excel shortcuts and the importance of formatting before realizing we had quite a bit in common, and even sparked a bromance between Jon and her husband Kevin. Tegan is my go-to for life advice (not recommended by Kevin Caputi) or even if I am just having a bad day, she is always there to listen. However, she prefers to do so with a drink in hand. She is one of the few who know how to wrangle me in and often gets pings at work if assistance is needed getting me to shutdown the laptop for the day. I truly value our friendship and it is good to know we can survive you attempting to teach me how to bake.

Ryan Smith

Bridesmaid

Ryan was one of my first friends at Canisius College and we instantly hit it off. By the time my birthday rolled around in early September, Ryan was already buying me an assortment of cupcakes to celebrate, she had an early understanding of my love for food. By a stroke of luck, we became roommates second semester of freshman year and I knew then I had a lifelong friend in the making. My college experience would have been very different without this little nugget by my side and honestly, I am not sure if we would have been able to live with anyone else given our weirdness level (except for Britt!). I am so grateful for our countless adventures together, from impulse trips to Vegas to chill nights sitting around a fire (safely) at your lake house, no matter what we have a good time. P.S. do not let her height fool you, when the song "X Gon' Give It To Ya" comes on at the wedding, give her some room to break it down on the dance floor!

Brittney McKenna

Bridesmaid

Britt and I went to high school together, but we did not get close until we ended up living together junior and senior year of college. There was no question, Britt was the weird roommate……. however, she came with a fully stocked closet with my same size and was always willing to share her snacks. One of our biggest fights was over if she could bring a cat folder to her first internship interview. I lost the battle, but that cat folder got her the job. She is now a proud mama to 4 cats; she did marry since everyone is wondering. In all seriousness, Brittney has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know and is always reminding me to enjoy life. Her sense of adventure took us to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up, because one way is not optional. Now we take on an even bigger challenge come September, surviving the Bachelorette.

Taylor Cortright

Bridesmaid

Taylor first came around as Dubby’s co-worker, but quickly became a close friend as we hit our mid 20’s stride. It conveniently worked out that I was living downtown at time the same she was dating her now husband and then Bacchus bartender. We spent most of our weekends shutting that place down, trying different drinks with a basket of fries to share. As time progressed, we traded in our late nights on the chip strip for brunch, which usually ends with us both in tears from laughter. You see, Taylor is not like those other Moms, she is a cool Mom. Before the kiddos, one of my favorite memories with Taylor is our girls’ trip to Siesta Keys right before the Covid shut down, I was always so grateful to have those memories to hang onto while stuck inside. Now I am excited for us to create even more memories as we prepare for the big day!

Stephanie Michaels

Bridesmaid

Steph, or as I like to refer to her as Cousin Stephanie (que inside joke), was a welcomed sense of normalcy while I was trying to acclimate to Jon’s friend group. However, it became apparent that we were in fact the weird ones and it was game over from there. I meant that literally for the boys, her husband Chris and Jon would always tell us the other one really wanted them to hop on Call of Duty for “just an hour”. Nice try guys. I will admit, it took a second to get use to the boldness of Steph, as she would just announce when she wanted a snack or when she was no longer having a good time and would like to leave, immediately. That is just one of the reasons I love her, you always know where you stand, and she will always stand up for you. There have been so many adventures together from trips abroad, backyard barbecues, volleyball championships, to allowing the boys to teach us golf (hot tog at the turn required). I am so grateful for our friendship and can’t wait to break it down on the dance floor with you on October 5th. If you do not know Stephanie already, you will be the end of the night, she will be the one doing the worm in the bridesmaid dress.

Erika Foster

Bridesmaid

Erika and I grew up on opposite sides of “the Island” and our paths did not cross until JV softball brought us together. My softball career did not last long, but our friendship did. We applied the same competitive spirt to our schoolwork and would make simple assignments into full productions. Even a quick game of foursquare at her parents could easily turn into a weekend long tournament. This shared drive helped us as we climbed the corporate ladder, which conveniently brought me to NYC while Erika was living there. She was a welcomed piece of home as I was trying to navigate a new city. Despite living in different places for most of adulthood, we have always been able to maintain a close friendship and I am so happy to have her be part of the wedding squad.

Ryan Zimmer

Best Man

Ryan is our third wheel and will be Jon’s Bestest Mensch. Ryan and I met in middle school, and got close on the volleyball court and running the show in Lancaster’s Academy of Finance. We lived together freshman year at Canisius, and Ryan still decided to stick around for some reason. Anytime life’s thrown something at me, Ryans always who I’ve turned to, and continues to be that to this day. He’s the kind of friend that if you call at 2 am with a problem, he’s always there to help. He’s also a great scramble partner unless you need someone who’s solid with the driver.

Michael Palazza

Groomsman

Michael is already like a brother to me, and a great uncle to Dolly. Michael has been there since Sarah and I started dating, accompanying her to watch me play volleyball and helping me thrive at weddings where I didn’t know anyone. He’s also helped me navigate the Tasmanian Devil that is Sarah Palazza. Michael is the golden child of the Palazza family, and definitely, the more softly-spoken of the two. Having a social worker in the family who can relate to Sarah’s quirks is nice.

Matthew Vallone

Groomsman

Mat is my cousin but has always been more like the older brother that I never had. I always wanted to hang around Mat and his friends growing up, and he was always happy to include me. We pretty much lived at their house during the summers growing up, and we fought constantly to reflect that. It's always a good time, from giving me my first beer at a Bills tailgate to frequent visits to NYC and Bowery Electric. He tried to give me a fashion sense and toughened me up, at least until he stopped growing and I didn’t.

Glenn Miller

Groomsman

Glenn and I met in Project Lead the Way because our names were next to each other Alphabetically and grew close obsessing about the Bills and college basketball. I guess some things never change. We grew up together, got in trouble together, took down Vegas when we turned 21 and I’m still his designated golf cart driver. Glenn’s always down for a good time and anything related to sports. The bookies in Vegas will never forget the run that we had during March Madness 2012.

Kevin Caputi

Groomsman

Kevin is my Northtowns bro and the reason that I was allowed to get my smoker. We met in 2021 as a forced double date because Sarah and Tegan were friends from work, but we instantly hit it off. We immediately started meeting up for Wild Wings BOGO Boneless Thursdays, much to the girls' dismay, and swapping recipes for the smoker. Kevin showed he was a good sport when he let us peer pressure him into a Keg Stand at 28 despite being hungover at Waldfest. Even though we’ve only known each other for a few years, it feels like I’ve known him my whole life and he’s one of my closest friends.

Chris Michaels

Groomsman

Chris and I met by pure luck through a project partner I had in college and have been great friends ever since. Chris, Evan, and I survived the Colvin apartment and the parties that came with it, and the nights tearing it up at Geikos and Sidebar together. Chris was the house mother who always made sure that we kept the apartment clean, and never learned that UFC was not stupid after he had a few too many. He never lacks in confidence even as he fails to serve the volleyball over the net. We’ve grown into vacations, golf outings, and camping trips together as we each formed our relationships, and look forward to many more adventures with Sarah and Steph in the future.

Brandon Oddo

Groomsman

Brandon is my oldest friend, going on 28 years of friendship now. The first time we met we argued playing baseball and beat each other with a wiffle ball bat, and nothing changed since. From fighting over who gets player one to nearly drowning each other in the pool, we’ve fought like siblings our entire lives. Even as we took different paths in life, we’ve always remained close, and are always there for each other. Brandon is a city boy and an architect, which was always going to be the case with his love for building anything with Legos and K’nex, usually rollercoasters.

Evan Crage

Groomsman

Evan and I also met through my marketing partner in college and instantly became friends when I moved into the apartment. Evan has taught me how to be more laid back, and to not get so bent out of shape as he’s one of the most easy-going guys you’ll ever meet. Evan is the life of the party and the first friend I trusted to bring on a double date when Sarah and I started dating. He’s always there for you, whether you need someone to vent to, or someone to match your energy on a night out. You’ll know Evan because he’ll be the one with no shirt on tearing up the dance floor, just don’t challenge him to a dance-off.

Louis Palazza Jr.

Father of the Bride

Jeannine Palazza

Mother of the Bride

Kevin Mann

Father of the Groom

Andrea Mann

Mother of the Groom