Wedding Party

The Gals

‎______________________________

Alyssa Armor

Matron of Honor

Alyssa is my older sister, but that “title” doesn’t do justice to what she is to me. When we were young, she was my personal trailblazer, showing me how to navigate the unpredictability of life: I would repeat her jokes, take the same classes as her, and steal her old clothes. Now, as I reach a new milestone in life, it only makes sense that I would copy her again by finding and marrying my own nice midwestern boy. Alyssa has known me at my best and at my worst, and our love has only grown stronger over the years. She is always there when I call asking for advice or wanting to tell her about something exciting, and we always laugh our butts off when we are together in person. No matter the geographical distance between us, I know she will always be there for me, no matter what comes next.

Janae Mizel

Bridesmaid

Janae is full of light - she is bubbly, creative, strong, and insightful. We go way back - all the way to 6th grade history class where we bonded over music, books, and the craziness of middle school. We were pretty much inseparable through high school where we played volleyball together and shared many classes (including our final history class senior year). Janae has stuck by my side, grown with me, and continued to laugh with me throughout the years. No matter where life has taken us, we always have that same unshakable bond we’ve had since we were awkward tweens figuring life out together. Now, we’re just reading reeeally long books.

Shannon Ash

Bridesmaid

Shannon is a beautiful blend of intentionality and joy - she’s wonderfully artistic, deeply caring, and has infectious enthusiasm. We met Freshman year of college where we lived in the same dorm and joined the same bible study, and our friendship has been nonstop laughter, deep talks, and spontaneous adventures ever since. We have shared so many seasons of life together (including yes, a global pandemic where we shared a bedroom, so there was truly no escaping each other), and somehow we came out of it closer than ever. Shannon knows me inside and out - she’s seen the chaos, the joy, the quiet moments, and she’s been a constant through it all.

Maddy Kukura

Bridesmaid

Maddy is the definition of a force of nature. She’s always doing something - whether that’s running a marathon, hiking, doing a weekend trip to SLO, or getting into a really good book (and sometimes all in the same weekend). She is the friend you call up to laugh until you cry over a beer on Friday night, and then grab coffee and talk deeply about life on Saturday morning. Maddy has an incredible sense of duality - she is brilliant yet creative, thoughtful yet hilarious, and contemplative yet adventurous. She keeps me grounded, challenges me to push myself, and inspires me to be true to myself.

Kara Wells

Bridesmaid

Kara loves with her whole heart, and really shows up for the people in her life. She doesn’t shy away from asking the hard questions and creates space for people to be fully themselves. Sometimes friendships grow slowly and steadily until one day you realize they’ve become such an important part of your life - and that is Kara to me. She brings the same combination of logic, patience, and encouragement to her friendships as she does to the high school math classroom she teaches (yes, she’s a hero). She shows up fully, loves deeply, and makes you feel truly known and supported.

Paige Enright

Bridesmaid

Paige is always in motion - whether that’s biking, swimming, skiing, running, surfing… if it involves movement and a little adrenaline, she’s in. What makes her truly special is the way she balances that energy with incredible depth. She’s curious and contemplative, creative and perceptive, resilient and reliable. We were work besties for 4 years, during which we would help keep each other sane by going on almost daily walks. She’s the kind of person who reminds you to keep exploring, whether that’s hiking somewhere new, thinking about new ideas, or getting to know the person swimming one lane over.

The Gents

‎______________________________

Bryan Shupe

Best Man

Some facts are indisputable. For example, Bryan Shupe is the best man that I know. Nobody can or wants to argue against it, except maybe Bryan, but his humility would only prove my point further. He was my roommate for just one year back in 2018-19. Those were formative days for us, but I learned quickly that Bryan is a kind soul, loyal friend, excellent smash player, comedic legend, and the type of person who immediately improves the vibe of a room when he enters it. I cannot put into words how much this guy means to me and all of our friends. Oh, we had a killer red couch, too.

Ryan Vick

Groomsman

I would say that Ryan is the veteran of this list since he has known me the longest by being my brother. He will also be a literal veteran someday, and that is because he is active duty in the Air Force. Although we have lived our lives of adventure apart, Ryan and his wife Abbie have made their way to live in my beautiful home state of California. I admire Ryan for many reasons like his generosity and intelligence, but it should be known that he can make explosives out of your household cleaning products. As a science buff, I appreciate that too… with some fear.

Briley Neyenhuis

Groomsman

The first time I met Briley Neyenhuis, he was working as the salad guy at Vanguard University. He has held many roles in my life since then, like my RA, road trip partner, lead guitar teacher, bandmate, roommate, and friend. He is a one of a kind, much like the pope. There is likely less than 1% of the population that knows Beatles music as much or more than me, and Briley is one of those people. We often exchange bouts of laughter and deep philosophical analysis in the same sitting, and I love that. Briley’s singing voice is often compared to butter. I am convinced he eats the stuff… at least in his dreams.

Tim Byers

Groomsman

Out of all my groomsmen, Tim is the only one who hasn’t lived with me at some point. Don’t let that deceive your perception of our friendship; Tim has been a loyal friend since our early days in college. We have a history full of adventures together, sometimes breaking a few rules along the way. You may catch us talking about the nature of space, which inspires us to explore it (either in film or video game format). He’s a great guy to talk to about music theory and the Sonic soundtrack too. Tim is that type of coworker that makes you actually want to read your Teams messages rather than close your laptop and leave the workforce forever.

Nate Jones I

Groomsman

A few conspiracy theorists would argue that Nate Jones has a different name. Those people are wrong, even if they are referring to official government documents. I have lived with Nate longer than anyone on this list since moving to California, and our buddy-cop dynamic has shaped much of my adult life. Our personalities and interests are oddly similar and different at the same time, which makes for quality entertainment. Nate will always have my respect and appreciation as a lover of music, coffee, meats, dark rooms, educational videos, whiskey, and time with Bryan Shupe.

Deacon Denton

Groomsman

Have you ever walked to Jack in the Box? I know Deacon has, and he did many times during the semester when he was my final college roommate. There are many things to appreciate about Deacon, like his creativity and passion for music, gaming, laughter, and good times. I don’t know a better Melee player, and frankly, I don’t want to know any others. You can learn a lot about Deacon and his character through the music he writes, which you can find on most streaming services under Deacon Denton. Check out his new singles too. This is just a free plug now. You’re welcome.