Wedding Party
Lenneia Batiste Elmore
Matron of Honor
Lenneia is Shayla's sister-cousin, and they have been as thick as thieves, essentially since birth thanks to their birthday's being less than a month apart. Lenneia is her bestie, advisor, ride or die, and the sugar to Shayla's spice!
John Quashie
Best Man
John is one of Chris's best friends and one of the first people he met at Tufts during his freshman year. Fast forward twenty three years later and the friendship is still going strong. John has been a trusted and loyal friend from the start and been there through all of the ups and downs, and I'm so glad he will be here as my Best Man on my big day.
Nakeva Stroud
Distinguished Guest
Nakeva and Shayla met in the first few days of freshman year at UNC Chapel Hill and have stayed tight for 20 years, which is crazy because we're pretty sure we were college students only a few years ago...lol. Through moves around the country and even overseas, they've seen each other through the highs and lows of adulthood and are blessed to finally be living down the street from each other once again in Maryland!
Joey Frye
Distinguished Guest
Chris met Joey on the basketball courts of Hinton James dorms, and they ended up playing JV basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels together for two years. In celebration of making the team, "Club Freezy" was born (IYKYK). During those years Joey joined Chris in the brotherhood of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. I am proud to call Joey brother and friend for the past twenty years and glad he is able to celebrate this special day.
Alicia Kenworthy
Distinguished Guest
Alicia and Shayla actually attended the same high school and had plenty of mutual friends, but didn't actually become close friends themselves until Shayla moved back to the DC area in 2018. Desperately searching for a space to do her freelance writing, Alicia introduced Shayla to The Wing co-working space (RIP), and they quickly bonded over being free-spirits that hated the idea of working in corporate America lol. While the friendship has been short by some standards, their shared morals and desire to make the world a better place through their work has led to a deep bond, and I'm so glad Alicia will be with me during this next phase in my life!
Eric Butcher
Distinguished Guest
Chris has known Eric for over twenty years and they became trusted friends through the bond of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. Chris considers Eric a brother and appreciates the two decades of friendship through brotherhood. I'm glad I get to reciprocate and have Eric as a groomsman when I got to be a groomsman at his wedding.
Brianna Alexander
Distinguished Guest
Shayla isn't exactly sure when she met Brianna, but it was sometime during the early days of their freshman year at UNC Chapel Hill. They bonded over being out-of-state students, and Brianna's sharp wit wrapped in her soft-spoken voice always kept Shayla laughing. Now, B-nana (Shayla's favorite nickname for Brianna) has kept Shayla sane by being her on the ground helper in NC as she plans this wedding from out of state, even accompanying her as her date to the catering tasting.
Ivan Vargas
Distinguished Guest
Chris met Ivan at Tufts during their freshman year and came to discover they grew up ten minutes from each other in Queens. The New York commonality led to forging an over twenty year friendship. We've shared many laughs over the years and I'm glad that Ivan will finally join me in North Carolina (after I abandoned him at Tufts lol).
Ava and Aria Elmore
Flower Girls
Ava and Aria are Shayla's favorite tiny humans and one of the many lights in her life. Ava is kind, whip-smart, a fantastic gymnast and can pretty much negotiate any argument in her favor. Aria is sassy, giggly, and understands the need for alone time just like her Auntie Shayla. Aria has also declared herself as Mr. Chris's best friend ❤️