Carl
and
Karen
Wedding Party
Hazel Jane
Maid of Honor
Meet Hazel; my sister. Growing up, I always looked up to her- and not just because she was taller at one point. Whether it was Cher in clueless or Sailor Moon, Hazel always had to play the leading role. I, on the other hand, was always the supporting cast member or sidekick- A role that placed me on a pedestal always by her side. Everything she touched was magically hers, and everything she said, I (usually) had to follow. It was an imaginary world, but there was nothing pretend about her character. Hazel didn’t need to wear a tiara or hold the mighty moon stick to play the part- it was her headstrong attitude, effortless style, and amazing generosity that made these roles fit like a princess’ glove. Her optimism and uplifting personality are infectious, and she continues to inspire me to be the best version of myself today. And while we no longer live in her fantasy world where we travel through time or move mountains, I’m forever grateful to have her in my world- as my go to shopping buddy, my boxing partner at the gym, my spa date of choice, my interview coach and my one and only sister. One may expect that a bride picks her sister to be her MOH by default, but quite honestly, I would choose her even if she wasn’t.
Ann Marie
Bridesmaid
Meet Ann; my cousin and first best friend. Born just 9 days apart, you can easily say we’ve been joined by the hip ever since. From diapers to classmates from K-8 to “almost high school classmates” (we basically went to each other’s dances/events) and college roommates, we have experienced an incredible number of milestones together. Ann’s fearless, bubbly, spontaneous personality continues to bring so much light into my life. She has a huge, caring heart and is so giving of herself and time. Although we are now over 100 miles away from each other, she never feels far away. Distance has nothing on this dynamic duo!
Ria
Bridesmaid
Meet Ria; my cousin and twin. We always seem to match; whether it’s the same exact outfit or the same color pallette. She’s my forever dance partner- at the club, a concert or the living room! I fondly remember playing “wedding” when we were kids…holding fake flowers and wrapping ourselves in white sheets. Ria’s grateful heart, encouragement and fun spirit gives my life a sense of peace. I am forever grateful to have witnessed you walk down the aisle and I am honored to have her by my side as I take on this journey.
Gabby
Bridesmaid
Meet Gabby; one of my first childhood best friends/sister by choice/my forever go-to makeup artist. When I think of my childhood, 99% of the memories involve her. I will never forget the day we met: the summer of 1998 at The Clubhouse. Since then, our summer vacations were spent swimming from dusk until dawn, making trips to Great America/Marine World, scootering on our matching Razor scooters, playing Mario Kart and doing choreo to Moulin Rouge or Deborah Morgan. We gave summer a new meaning, but our friendship wasn’t seasonal. Spilling the latest tea and obsessing over our “crushes” was habitual. Everyone has a friend at each stage in life, but I am so lucky that Gabby has been part of every stage- from daydreaming to dream chasing. It’s so humbling to witness each other’s life journey and see our dreams come to fruition. Gabby knows what she wants and lives her life pursuing her passions.
Leslie
Bridesmaid
Meet Leslie; my high school best friend. We met during our freshman year at SJND during 6th period PE with Mr. Lippi. We pretty much had everything in common- and not just our types in men- and naturally became close. I will never forget coordinating costumes every Halloween, staying up on the phone doing trig homework together (we always ended up talking about much more “important things”), writing letters to update each other when one of us didn’t go to school, ranting about our crushes and eating Big Macs with no shame. She is not only funny, caring and reliable, but also someone I could go days without speaking to, but always pick up right where we left off.
Nancy
Bridesmaid
Meet Nancy; my college best friend. “Carl, I think your girlfriend is in my Chem1A lab section. Can you ask her to be my lab partner? Tell her I’m the one standing in the corner” was the text that started a lifelong friendship. Carl and Nancy met during an English class their Freshman year at SJSU; however, despite Carl meeting and befriending Nancy first, she and I quickly became friends and the rest is history.From lab partners to best friends, it truly feels like she’s known me for eternity. We not only share the same shoe size and eye prescription, but also share a love for food, all things girly, rom-coms and pretending to have our own reality show during trips. It was fate to have met. She is fully accepting of my hypochondriac self and would drive miles to kill bugs for me. We could look at each other without saying anything and know exactly what each of us are thinking. Nancy is such an incredibly fun, understanding, loyal, caring and hardworking person. Life would be extremely dull without her.
Alexis
Bridesmaid
Meet Alexis; one of my college roommates and best friends. We met through Nancy at the start of our third year at SJSU right before we turned 21. We shared so many memories during college: Drake’s Take Care concert, clubbing downtown (Temple, Studio 8, Playhouse, Motif, Tres Grinos and Liquid to name a few), Vegas, hikes, working out and becoming roommates. Lex is one of the most determined, motivated and dedicated friends. She’s the one who shows up early to do your hair and makeup, the one who eagerly offers to paint your nails and toes (then give you a massage), makes you lunch with a note and takes care of you when you black out after a long night. She’s always down to spontaneously try new things and always speaks her mind. She is comfortable being herself and doesn’t worry about other people’s opinion. Her confidence is inspiring and her friendship is a gift in itself.
Errol
Best Man
Meet Errol; my college roommate and one of my best friends. It all began at Salesian High School in the fall of 2005. Between Tennis, Ping Pong, and trips to Haight Street, I knew Errol wasn't just a best friend, but a life-long brother. It's crazy to see how much we've grown throughout the years.Despite all the change we've undergone (cities, careers, and shoe sizes to name a few), it's nice to know that our solid friendship has been constant. Errol has been there with me for every milestone, and I am nothing but thankful to have my college roommate, best friend, and now- best man, celebrate with me as I take on this next one.
Angelo
Groomsman
Meet Angelo; my other best friend. Angelo and I went to high school together and spent the most of our summer breaks hanging out, playing tennis, and going on food runs. Angelo would always bring me to his family parties, and I enjoyed spending many holidays with his family. Even though Angelo and I aren’t related I always felt like I was part of the family.
Ryann
Groomsman
Meet Ryann; Karen's little brother. When Karen mentioned that she had a younger brother, I was so excited to meet him. Being the only boy in his family, Ryann always wanted to have a brother, just like me! Throughout the years, we spent many weekends together travelling around the bay area. These small trips turned into week long vacations across the country. Somewhere between long car rides to Santa Barbara and drives to Philz Coffee, I realized that Ryann was not only Karen’s brother, but my own. I can not wait for him to be my brother-in-law.
Hugo
Groomsman
Meet Hugo; my mentor. Hugo and I met during a Fluid Dynamics class at SJSU, where we both sat in the front row. After class, Hugo and I would meet up to do homework. The rest is history. There’s never a dull moment with Hugo. We can spend an entire day talking about engineering, cars, and music. More importantly, Hugo motivates me to pursue my passions. We love discussing our latest projects, and ideas we have for the future. We motivate each other to achieve personal goals and celebrate each other's successes.
David
Groomsman
Meet David; my voice of reason. David’s reliable and practical, and I can count on him to keep me grounded when I become impulsive or indecisive. His down to earth personality and headstrong attitude balances out my spontaneous tendencies. David and I became close friends during upper division mechanical engineering courses at SJSU. After working on many projects together, David became one of my biggest supporters throughout my undergraduate career. Whenever I felt unmotivated or lost in academics, David always found a way to keep my head in the game. David’s been around for every move, from my first apartment to my new home in Hayward. Although we are no longer studying in school, I can always count on David to lend me a helping hand. He was there when I moved from twoapartments and finally to Karen and I’s new house.
Andrew C.
Groomsman
Meet Andrew; my “always down” friend. Andrew and I met during a computer programming class at sjsu. Although our friendship started in school, all of our best memories have happened outside of the classroom. From ATVing in Pismo to snowboarding in Tahoe, it’s always an adventure whenever we’re together. His adventurous spirit and interest in trying new things has opened me up to so many different opportunities and experiences. I’m excited to cross out more things on our bucket list!
Andrew S.
Groomsman
Meet Andrew; Karen’s old high school classmate and her cousin Ann’s boyfriend.Although we only met 2 years ago, it honestly feels like we’ve known each other for over a decade! It’s so easy to get along with Andrew- he only gives off positive vibes. After spending time with him on trips with Karen and Ann, I realized how much we have in common like food, sports, games, and music. Our trip to San Diego is one of my favorite memories with him because of all the food and good laughs.
