Wedding Party
Becky Wood
Matron of Honor
When Becky started dating Kayla's brother Garrett, he thought they would get along pretty well. This was an understatement! After starting her freshmen year at Lipscomb, Kayla and Becky quickly began hanging out, doing homework together and grabbing coffee at local coffee shops. Kayla was so grateful for Becky's friendship during the college transition, as the two started hanging out several times a week - often trying new coffee shops together, bouncing back and forth between Lipscomb and Belmont, and hanging out with Garrett and his friends at the Village. When Becky and Garrett got engaged after dating for three years, Kayla couldn't have been happier to gain the world's best sister-in-law (seester). Kayla has loved having a built-in best friend and sister and being able to share holidays and so many fun moments with Becky. Some of Kayla's favorite memories with Becky include our Asheville cabin trip, seeing Noah Kahan in concert and standing by her side on her wedding day!
Garrett Wood
Best Man
Garrett and Ruben go way back. Brother of the bride, Garrett met Ruben during their freshmen year at Lipscomb. After their college years, they started to hang out more regularly and began disc golfing and playing DnD together. Garrett eventually introduced Ruben and Kayla, which led to the formation of a core friend group. Over the years, they would all get together for board game nights, dinners, birthday parties and cabin trips, and eventually Ruben and Kayla started dating. Ruben looks forward to having one of his best friends become his future brother-in-law.
Sara Kuepper
Matron of Honor
Sara and Kayla met in 2013 when they joined the same club soccer team. They became fast friends through soccer practices and tournaments, sleepovers and lake days at Sara's house. This quickly developed into one of Kayla's most meaningful friendships, as her and Sara bonded over a shared sense of humor, "schwimming," outdoor activities and new adventures. While they have never lived less than an hour away from each other, time and distance can't keep these best friends apart! They have been able to make countless memories together, dating all the way back to their high school soccer days to college memories, roadtrips, and everything in between! Some of Kayla's favorite memories with Sara include night swimming and star gazing at the lake, watching the U.S. Women's National Team play, West Palm Beach spring break and their trip to Savannah, Georgia! Most recently, Kayla was able to celebrate with Sara as she got married in Asheville last summer!
David Torres-Fuentes
Groomsman
Brother of the groom, David and Ruben go way back! While Ruben and David have very different personalities, they have made countless fond memories over the years and have a plethora of funny stories to share from growing up together (ask them about the Greek yogurt incident). Additionally, they are so supportive of each other's unique ambitions and are always rooting for each other's success.
Lauren Akin
Bridesmaid
Lauren and Kayla met during their freshmen year at Lipscomb University when Lauren poked her head in Kayla's dorm room on move-in-day. They quickly discovered that they were in most of the same classes together first semester and became fast friends. When Kayla got back from studying abroad, they decided to be roommates! Besides Kayla's 15 morning alarm clocks, it turned out to be a great fit, and they lived together for 2 1/2 years! Some of Kayla's favorite college memories with Lauren include their freshmen year intramural soccer team, "the Flying Bison," binge watching New Girl and all of Avatar the Last Airbender, strangely intense ping-pong matches, game nights, Cookout runs and most importantly, Velocipastor.
Weston Helton
Groomsman
Weston and Ruben have been friends since their time at Lipscomb University, but grew much closer during their post-grad years through board game nights, a four-year D&D campaign and annual cabin trips with their friend group. Ruben and Weston have a shared appreciation for nature, good coffee and the mountains. As very intellectual individuals, they enjoy bouncing ideas off of one another about systems, process-improvements, and potential business ideas.
Sarah Hill
Bridesmaid
Despite both being from Knoxville, Sarah and Kayla didn't meet until their freshmen year at Lipscomb. They quickly bonded over their love for board games, similar music and most importantly - exploring coffee shops. Over their college years, Sarah and Kayla became best friends, but that didn't stop them from being far too competitive when it comes to Exploding Kittens, chess, cards or any board game really. Kayla's favorite memories with Sarah include visiting her while she was living in Guadalajara, Mexico, and then visiting her in Tucson, Arizona the next year with Lauren!
Jacob Hukill
Groomsman
Jacob and Ruben became friends through their D&D campaign. After meeting virtually for D&D almost every week for 4 years, Jacob and Ruben have become close friends. Ruben recently had the opportunity to stand by Jacob's side on his wedding day this past May in Goshen, Indiana!
Elena Walker
Bridesmaid
Although they didn't meet until later on in college, once Kayla met Elena, she felt like they had been friends forever! After hanging out for the first time at Frothy Monkey, Kayla and Elena began spending more and more time together. Since they both were double-majoring with International Affairs, they had several classes together and bonded over their shared interest in humanitarian work and international development. Kayla and Elena roomed together during Kayla's last semester of college, making countless unforgettable memories and one impressive quote list. Kayla's favorite memory with Elena is watching Matt James' season of the Bachelor together.