Whitney & Ben
Wedding Party
Emily DeRatt
Maid of Honor
I met Whitney nine years ago in Knoxville, Tennessee! The first time we really hung out was when we tailgated for College Gameday and spent the night in Thompson Boling Arena in efforts to get the best seats the next day! During our year and a half overlap at Tennessee, we were good friends but we were always together with The Partners, what our friend group called ourselves. As luck would have it, Whit moved to Raleigh for her first job, which was near my hometown. A year behind Whit in school, once I graduated, I was eager to move back home. The following two years together in Raleigh is where our friendship blossomed and the rest is history. Five years later, new cities (for me), new jobs (for both of us) and a new fiancé (just Whit😂), nothing has actually changed!!
Shannon Hall
Bridesmaid
I met Whitney our freshman year at OSU; we lived in the same dorm (2nd floor 3rd level, we’re Scott, we’re hot!). Our friendship grew over the years and we have had tons of fun times. We celebrated our birthdays together every year since they are two days apart (graffiti on your sweetie themed party when we turned 20 😀). She is a friend I can always count on and am so excited for her wedding to Ben.
Jackie Kempfer
Bridesmaid
When I moved to Raleigh in 2014 I didn't know a single person. I found a built in family at NC State University Recreation. It didn't happen overnight, but Whitney ended up being my welcome wagon into a group of friends that I will cherish for the rest of my life, most especially Whitney herself. We have had many adventures together- my favorite being our spontaneous lady's trip to London with our fellow victim of wanderlust, Nicole. I knew Whitney and Ben when they were friends- before they realized they were each other's "person." I know that they are beginning an absolutely wonderful life together. The altar is not a finish line- it’s the beginning of a whole new marathon of adventures that they will have together!
Amy Webb
Bridesmaid
Hi, I'm Amy. True friends are flowers that grow from seeds of love, and our friendship seed was planted in first grade when I met Whitney in Mrs. Fiebig’s class. Although I was always jealous of her coordinated neon outfits, perfect handwriting, and attention to detail which resulted in her always winning the classroom coloring contests, her strong work ethic always motivated me! However, our friendship really blossomed in 8th grade when we shared the majority of our classes together, and we even created a special handshake that we still perform to this day. Over the past 25+ years, our friendship has witnessed many bright and sunny days, but it has also weathered several storms. Yet, with each fallen petal, a new bud always sprouts again because our friendship roots remain strong.
Jessica Wright
Bridesmaid
Whitney and I met in middle school. As a fellow lefty, I was always envious of her perfect penmanship and craft skills (that egg carton picture holder in your 7th grade locker, Whit?!?!). In high school we loved spending our summers at the pool, watching DeGrassi, making disgusting culinary creations, and working at Marc's! Some of my best memories from college involve visits between OSU and Miami! We have celebrated birthdays (grafitti on your sweetie), holidays (New Years Eve ;)), and participated in our fair share of debauchery (camping circa 2006 and THAT Rascal Flatts Concert). Whitney has remained one of my most treasured friends. Ben is incredibly lucky to spend his life with my sweet Whit, even if it means Whit has to break our 20 year vow to live out spinsterhood as roommates.
Adam Sardinha
Best Man
Adam and Ben became roommates and co-workers when Ben moved to Raleigh to work at NC State University. Along with Sadat, Adam and Ben christened their home "StrunKhanHa" where they hosted the greatest Super Bowl party and went curling down the sidewalk after ice storms. Adam and Ben have continued their friendship for the past five years through band practices, Raleigh explorations, and lots of chilling on beers.
Doug Vinci
Groomsman
Ben and Doug went to Ohio University together and met officiating and working for Ohio University Intramural Sports. They traveled to a number of regional and national flag football tournaments together and officiated high school basketball and football games on campus and in the Athens area. They spent many a a night hanging out on Court Street together at Cat's Eye, Big Mama's and challenging each other to tower races where Ben would sneak in for the win at the very last moment.
Oppong Hemeng
Groomsman
Ben and Oppong met in graduate school at the University of Florida as they both served as Graduate Assistants for intramural and club sports. They lived as roommates for a year and spent many nights line dancing at a Gainesville country bar. In 2018, they were reunited in the same city (and school) when Oppong moved to Raleigh to work in Sustainability at NC State. When he's not traveling the world on #OppongTour, Oppong frequently experiences Raleigh's events and attractions with Ben and Whitney. His mix tape is coming soon.
Sadat Khan
Officiant
Sadat worked at NC State with both Ben and Whitney and played the role of both Whitney's boss and Ben's roommate when their relationship began. He quickly became close friends with Ben and Whitney through exploring the Triangle's breweries and having StrunKhanHa gatherings. Although Sadat moved to Wisconsin about four years ago, he has often reconnected with Ben and Whitney through NIRSA conferences across the country.