Shannon & Justin
Our People
Nikki
Matron of Honor
Sagittarius ♐︎ My entire life, I have wished to have a sister, and Nikki is that wish come true. Nikki is married to Justin's oldest brother, Lee, and from the moment I arrived in Buffalo, she has looked out for me. Nikki is everything I'd envisioned in a sister, too: stylish (and shares her clothes), a great listener, nonjudgmental, and always down for a good time. She works in Catholic education, and is mom to my and Justin's beloved niece and nephew. Some of our favorite things to do together are travel, shop, and YAP!
Victoria
Maid of Honor
Taurus ♉︎ When you're a kid, moving to a new school for the third time in two years can be difficult. That's why angels like Victoria are such a precious blessing. Vic welcomed me with open arms into her world, her friend group, and her family, and was integral to many of the positive experiences I was able to have during an extremely difficult time in my life. Victoria is one of the funniest people ever and sometimes we reach a flow state that legitimately feels like we share a brain. No matter where life takes us, our bond endures. Vic is engaged to the love of her life, Matt, and they are both nurses.
Nick
Best Man
Pags. Nick and I first hung out together watching the 2008 NHL Draft. I would sometimes sleep over at Nick's house for 4-5 days in the summers. The Pagliaccis took me in like my last name ended in a vowel and they taught me what "Sunday Sauce" was. Nick loves The Bachelor and reality TV for some reason and I'm pretty sure he just likes to argue with people for fun. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Will
Best Man
William. Guillaumesnd94. A classy and respectful St. Joe's boy just like myself. We met playing hockey at St. Joe's and still play Men's League together. I think in an alternate universe he would be a professional video game player or streamer. Don't let his PhD in Bioinformatics fool you though...He will most certainly be removing his shirt on the dance floor before the night is over.
Ariele
Bridesmaid
Sagittarius ♐︎ Nowadays, it seems like everyone wants to live on a commune with their best friend, but in reality, it's a huge logistical challenge. Well, we're so lucky that the best friend commune found us! When Justin and I moved to Lake View in 2022, we weren't sure what to expect. When we met our next-door neighbors Justin (yes, you read that right) and Ariele, we quickly formed a friendship that eventually started to feel like family. In a world becoming increasingly isolating, Ariele and Justin truly embody the spirit of community. Ariele is an instructional coach with Buffalo Public Schools and an amazing mom to four girls, who you will see featured in our Flower Squad on the big day!
Abby
Bridesmaid
Gemini ♊︎ When I moved across the country from California to Buffalo in my late twenties, it was initially pretty isolating. Fortunately for me, Justin's cousin Mike had recently gotten engaged to the lovely Abby, who immediately took me under her wing. Abby, herself, had moved all the way to Buffalo from Iraq when she was just 14 years old, and I'm so grateful she's here. She is an amazing cook, throws awesome parties, and her compassion is boundless. She works in healthcare and is mom to the cutest three-year-old boy in the world, and her two beloved rescue doggies. I'm so excited to be cousins for real! <3
BreAnna
Bridesmaid
Taurus ♉︎ Of all the amazing things Pilates has brought into my life, BreAnna is one of my absolute favorites. In addition to teaching Pilates and yoga, Bre is currently completing her PhD in English Literature at UB, where she also serves as a lecturer teaching undergraduate English courses, and as the Graduate Student Association coordinator. Bre is one of those people who I'm certain I've spent many lifetimes with, and people are often surprised when they find out that we haven't actually known each other forever! When she's not busy doing literally everything, you can find BreAnna on an international flight to her next destination.
Brittany
Bridesmaid
Taurus ♉︎ The best way to describe Brittany is if sparkles were a person. She has the purest, most genuine, and empathetic soul, and I am lucky to be her friend. Brittany is an artist, yogi, animal lover, and world traveler. The universe decided to first place us in each other's lives on either side of the manicure table, and each time we'd spend an hour together holding hands, we found more and more to talk about. Brittany and I have that unbreakable Taurus bond (shoutout to fellow Tauruses Victoria and BreAnna), and, to top it all off, she's a true Humboldt County baddie with a 4/20 birthday. Brittany is engaged to her fiancé, Paulo, and I can't wait to be a bridesmaid in their California wedding this October!
Amber
Bridesmaid
Gemini ♊︎ The first time I met Amber was in my own home, when she came to do a consultation for new window treatments shortly after Justin and I bought our house. We ended up going with DIY Ikea curtains (sorry, girl!), but something was sparked that day as we leafed through woven blind swatches on my couch. At the time, I was reading a homeschooling book and it was on my coffee table. When Amber told me excitedly, "I love that book!" I thought, "yeah, right. Who else would possibly read a book about homeschooling before they're even married or have children?" Amber. That's who. Since that day several years ago, she has become a mother to her amazing baby boy, putting all of the knowledge she's collected into practice. If you put me and Amber in an empty room for 10 days straight, we would not run out of things to talk about. I'm looking forward to being her bridesmaid when she marries her fiancé, Blake, six days after my wedding!
Emma
Bridesmaid
Aquarius ♒︎ They say your cousins are your very first best friends. When I was growing up, my Aunt Karen's house was a place of refuge for me, and the times I spent there with my six cousins are some of my most cherished childhood memories. Emma was one of the "little ones," born in the latter half of the six. Caring for the "little ones" is what made me realize I wanted to be a teacher, giving me a sense of direction during a period of immense instability. I love that Emma and I have inside jokes that are literally 20 years old. I love that we share the same sense of humor, inherited from our Grandpa Ed. I love that we just get each other because we were there when we were becoming ourselves. Not only do I love Emma, but I love all of The Dumplings too (IYKYK). Shoutout to my cuzzies. <3
John
Groomsman
Johnny Boy. My Irish Twin. 13 months apart. My mom's favorite. We used to ride around in his Chevy ZR2 doing donuts in the winter and scrapping for metal (garbage picking) in the summer for extra cash. Even though we lived on Grand Island, John liked to think we lived out in the country. We would go to the Reservation with chalked IDs to buy cigars and chew. He's always down for a long car ride and he's always been there to help me move.
Lee
Groomsman
Lee Michael. My mom's other favorite (that puts me 3rd for those keeping track). A former NCAA Division 1 rower. Lee may or may not know it but I wanted to be just like him growing up. I used to steal his CDs and his yellow SONY walkman. That would go on to match his yellow Chevy Cobalt he took to college. Somehow now both of his kids are playing hockey though, so he must be doing something right (they want to be like their Uncle Justin).
Dan
Groomsman
Tron. The captain of our hockey team at Mercyhurst. Took an 18-year-old true freshman under his wing and the rest is history. It started with Canada Day & NYE parties at his parents' house and has turned into Bills games and long nights in Neighbor Justin's camper as of recently. A classic Canadian beauty.
Tyler
Groomsman
Whitey. Tyler was my "vet" and I was his "rook" when we played hockey together. He graciously let me live in his home when I got my first big boy internship in Pittsburgh. His favorite thing to do is wake people up on vacation and play Hardstyle EDM at max volume. He will be on the dance floor the second it opens.
Jon
Groomsman
Bayer. Slayer. Nobody calls him Jon. Bayer made me move in with him freshman year and we haven't looked back since. He would sleep with the window open in the middle of the winter though which would piss me off. He's really good at golf but I will never tell him that. A proud Wisconsin boy who will have a cig for you at the wedding if you need one.
Justin
Groomsman
Neighbor Justin. Just so happens to have the same name as me. We both play hockey, we both work in IT, we both like to drink a bottle of wine on his porch sometimes. You can't pick your neighbors but if you could I would pick this guy every time. A true jack of all trades. If something needs to be fixed on Wedding Day he will be the one doing it.