Wedding Party
Paige Demirci
Co- Baddie of Honor
Paige is quite literally the only good thing to come out of me joining a sorority. She doubles as my life coach, sounding board, and fashion guru—and somehow still puts up with all my chaos. She’s everything a best friend should be (plus a little extra attitude), and I wouldn’t dare walk down the aisle without her.
Elan Herrera
Best Man
Elan and I met at the University of Texas in the summer of 2007 and became fast friends. He was my “little brother” in the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. While neither of us stayed in the fraternity very long, it helped facilitate a lifelong friendship. After being roommates for a few years in Austin, Elan went to the other UT in Knoxville for grad school where he earned his doctorate in nuclear engineering. We have a similar sense of humor and tastes in movies, music, and TV. Despite us living far apart, we still talk daily and play video games when we have the time.
Jennifer Baker
Co- Baddie of Honor
Jennifer was hands-down the best ACC I ever worked with at Corral Club Ticket Sales—she saved my rookie captain butt more times than I can count and took me under her wing even though I wasn’t even on her team. Outside of rodeo, she taught me pickleball and then she (and her husband) turned into the ultimate friends, hype squad, support system, and game-night partners that Steve and I could ever dream of.
Nick Gutierrez
Groomsman
I met Nick when my family moved to Schulenburg as I entered 5th grade. While we were always friends, we really started to get closer around the beginning of high school. Driving the backroads and listening to standup comedy or music was a favorite pastime, along with attending as many Rockets games as we could as broke college kids. We lived in Bastrop at the same time in our 20s and dominated weekly trivia night at the local watering hole. I consider Nick’s wife Jessica a close friend as well and was honored to be in their wedding.
Sarah Jones
Bridesmaid
Sarah is my OG work bestie turned real-life ride-or-die. She made long office days bearable, went along with my crazy ideas, and became my partner for trivia nights, rodeo adventures, and endless laughs. She’s the kind of friend who shows up, makes everything more fun, and reminds me why I’m so lucky to have her in my corner.
Mark Baker
Groomsman
I met Mark and Jen soon after Rachel and I began dating, and they welcomed me with open arms. Mark is ferocious on the pickleball court (we’ll beat them eventually!), while playing card games or dominos, and is great to watch any sporting event with. He’s an excellent chef, so I can no longer claim to be the best cook amongst my friends. Rachel and I were honored to have the Bakers be with us on the night I proposed to her. There’s never a dull moment or a dull conversation when Mark Baker is around.
Mary Aguirre
Bridesmaid
Mary is the sassy, selective neighbor who keeps her circle tight—so once you’re in, you’re lucky. She’s the first to spot red flags, may be quiet but delivers her own hilarious one-liners, and never misses a beat on the dance floor. Known for throwing epic themed parties (with flawless directions) and being endlessly generous, Mary is the kind of friend everyone wishes they had.
Eric Gutierrez
Groomsman
Nick’s younger brother Eric is also a close friend. We were roommates for part of the Bastrop years before Eric moved to Los Angeles for several years. One of the best vacations of my life was when Nick, Jess, and I flew out to visit him and see Pearl Jam in concert. Eric and I also went to The Comedy Store the first night I was there and got heckled/crowd-worked, another favorite memory. Eric is one of the nicest and funniest people I’ve ever known. He started as the younger brother we’d bring along on our mostly harmless high school shenanigans, but he’s been a great friend for a long time.
Tina Cena
Bridesmaid
Tina started out as my next-door neighbor and trainer, but quickly became so much more—my therapist, “Red Flag Police,” binge-watching buddy, and grocery run partner. She makes workouts fun, calls me out when I need it, makes me laugh until I can’t breathe, and treats me like family. What began with a shared wall turned into one of the best friendships of my life.