Wedding Party
Adam Walser
Best Man
Adam has always been a rock in Zach’s life, and since they’re only 10 months apart they’ve spent most of their lives within a walk or a short drive of each other. Other than being Zach’s oldest cousin, Adam has always had strong emotional intelligence and a sense of community, and Zach has gravitated toward this energy since birth. Adam continues to be a driving influence in Zach’s life and he is forever grateful for every memory over the last 30+ years.
Jacob Hestand
Groomsman
Although Jacob and Zach didn’t spend much time together when they were younger because of their age gap, they forged a close bond as they got older and share many similar qualities as adults. As Zach’s younger cousin, Jacob always brings out the inner child in Zach, and no visit is ever complete without constant laughter. Jacob also has the ability to make those around him feel safe and comfortable, and Zach cherishes his deep conversations with Jacob.
Patrick Martin
Groomsman
Zach and Patrick have known each other for over 20 years, as their Dad and Mom, respectively, have been together since then. Patrick was always a great friend and a person Zach would look up to as he went through different life stages, and he’s honored to have Patrick’s son James as the ring bearer during the ceremony. Zach is extremely thankful for Patrick’s constant presence in his life, and looks forward to eventually seeing their kids become close over the years.
Steven Menchaca
Groomsman
Zach and Steven have been close friends for over 10 years after meeting as co-workers at Disney. Both were in their early 20’s and navigating life post-college, and it became clear very early that their friendship would last forever. Steven is kind, consistent, and carries great persistence through all areas of life, and these qualities are what Zach and Steven have always bonded over. From road trips to burrito runs, to sitting court-side and behind the dugout, Zach and Steven have always enjoyed finding fun adventures to take on.
Max Wu
Groomsman
Max has been a big part of Ali’s life as Qiqi’s husband, but since Zach came into the picture they quickly bonded. Zach & Max became close friends and are always looking ahead to the next great sports game, or when the group commits to a fun night out. Zach is thankful to have a friend like Max and they can’t wait to one day celebrate a championship in San Diego.
Ed Ilano
Groomsman
Zach and Ed became good friends after bonding over local San Diego food and their love of whisky. As a trio, Zach, Ed, and Max make up half of “Lulu’s fam” with Ali, Cynthia, and Qiqi, affectionately named after Qiqi & Max's dog Lulu. Zach has always gravitated toward Ed’s positivity and enthusiasm for life, and is always trying new things thanks to Ed.
Andrea Meagher
Maid of Honor
Andrea is Ali’s twin sister so they’ve been best friends since day 1 - a.k.a. "wombmates"! They did everything together until college, when Andrea went to Cal for undergrad & then Chicago to become a Doctor of Optometry. But they always planned to both end up in San Diego, CA where they currently reside. Andrea has been Ali’s biggest supporter through every stage of life, so it’s only fitting that she’s by Ali’s side on her wedding day. She’s so excited to soon have Zach as a brother.
Cynthia Wong
Bridesmaid
Cynthia was one of Ali’s roommates in college and went on to get her PhD in atmospheric chemistry at UCI. She currently lives in San Diego - only 2 blocks from Ali & Zach - and Ali takes full credit for convincing her to move to their neighborhood. Cynthia met her fiancé Ed in undergrad and Ali & Zach are so excited to celebrate their wedding in Escondido, CA in May of 2026 where they expect there to be tons of good food and laughs (as there always is in Cynthia's presence).
Meghan Casillas
Bridesmaid
Meghan is one of Ali’s closest friends from high school where they bonded over dance classes and student government. Meghan went all the way to Gettysburg, PA for undergrad where she met her husband Mark, and Ali had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in their wedding in San Marcos, CA in Sept 2024. Meghan is an Immigration Law attorney and is known for having the kindest heart and caring so much about everyone.
Mikee Maralit
Bridesmaid
Mikee is one of Ali’s closest friends from college. They both started out as engineering majors before changing their minds, but now Mikee is a real estate agent and lives part time between LA and San Diego. Mikee is known for her caring and selfless spirit as well as her ability to find joy in every moment in life. She has many talents, but one of Ali’s favorites is when she sings and plays guitar every time they go camping.
Qiqi Wu
Bridesmaid
Qiqi is one of Ali’s closest friends from college and they met in the very beginning of freshman year doing student council together. Qiqi and her husband Max moved to San Diego and were neighbors with Ali & Zach but before that they lived in New York where Qiqi started her career at Google. She’s currently a Product Manager for a Cloud engineering team there. Ali was honored to be a bridesmaid in Qiqi & Max’s wedding in Boston, MA in June of 2024 and can't wait to continue being by her side for all of life's milestones ahead.
Rosie Zhao
Bridesmaid
Rosie was one of Ali’s roommates in college and is coming all the way from Bejing, China to celebrate Ali & Zach’s big day. After UCSD, Rosie went to grad school at Columbia where she met her husband Handi and Ali was so honored to be a bridesmaid in their wedding in Qingdao, China in Sept of 2023. Even though they live on opposite sides of the world, when they are together it’s as if no time has passed and they still love singing their hearts out and dancing just like they did in their dorm room.
Sabrina Burri
Bridesmaid
Sabrina was one of Ali’s roommates in their second year of college but they've been bonded at the hip ever since they met their freshman year. She currently lives in Rocklin, CA (Ali’s hometown) so it's easy to still make time for frequent visits with lots of sushi dates and even more laughs. Sabrina is a Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in Neuro which is fitting because she spreads love and sunshine to everyone around her. Fun fact: Sabrina helped Zach pull off the surprise proposal and kept it a secret through their whole trip to Peru & Brazil in Dec. of 2024!
Tanvi Tiwari
Bridesmaid
Tanvi was Ali’s “big sister” in their sorority in college so they’ve known each other almost 12 years now. Tanvi is a team manager in cybersecurity at LinkedIn and she lives with her husband Arpit in the Bay Area. Ali was honored to be a bridesmaid and even choreograph the “Sangeet” (traditional Indian wedding dance) for Tanvi’s wedding in February 2021. Ali has always looked up to Tanvi so much and even though they are opposites in some ways (Ali is an early bird and Tanvi is a night owl), they are always huge supporters for each other.
But wait, there’s more…
Bride Squad
Ali is so grateful to have so many incredible friends in her life so she also invented a “Bride Squad” for more of her friends to have roles in the wedding day. You may see them greeting you, helping direct you to find parking, or just being their awesome selves. Bride Squad: - Allison McKay - Christine Peters - Christy Peterson - Ellery Castillon - Lauren Rhodes - Lauren Wellman - Payal Kela - Sarah Jane Anderson - Tara Vahdani - Tayler Bergstrom