Wedding Party
kaylynn bennett
maid of honor
I met Kay on move-in day of our art school dorm in 2014 … roommates by choice the next year, BFF the rest. COVID split us between San Diego and the Bay, but distance didn't stand a chance thanks to many nights facetiming through True Blood … our unashamedly favorite, campy vampire-drama. These days we're out here surviving the designer world post-school: always ready for somewhere new, good music, indulging our favorite niche interests together, and of course, always having a ridiculously fun time through it all. It means so much to have you up there by my side. Can't wait for us to be old, glamorous ladies … whether it be sharing a fabulous lunch at the Madonna Inn, cheese-tasting in Marin, or sunbathing in the Hollywood sun at a snazzy, retro, boutique hotel!
daniel brown
best man
Daniel and I met freshman year playing football, but we really didn't become friends until college, where friends meant Magic Mondays, FIFA, and too many questionable decisions to count. When he moved to Minneapolis, the distance didn't put much of a dent in it. In 2021, I stood with him as the Best Man at his wedding, and it feels right that 20 years after we met, he gets to stand with me as mine.
chantel ricks
bridesmaid
Chantel and I go back: we knew each other in high school, but really became close after graduating, clicking quickly over our shared love of art and this big, unshakeable passion for life. If there's one thing that's defined our friendship, it's a shared willingness to take a leap of faith … whether it's bungee jumping in Queenstown, New Zealand at 21 (still one of the greatest adventures of my life) or our big leap of faith when it came to moving to San Diego (it lead to so many wonderful things, like meeting Victor). We've built countless memories along the way, and watched each other go from feeling a little lost to becoming confident women who take action with our lives. I'm so proud of us, and so grateful to have you in my life!
luke irza
groomsman
Luke and I shared some mutual friends in our college days. We were casual acquaintances until one Deltopia, when a day of partying turned into an unplanned lockdown when the infamous 2014 riot broke out. Nothing bonds people together like getting trapped together while "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer plays in the background of actual civil unrest. More than a decade later we're still close, bonded by our shared love of Futurama, adventure, and the West Texas Town of El Paso.
gaby goldberg
bridesmaid
Gaby and I have been through some crazy adventures together … mostly at high altitude and questionable pack weights with our guys. Our first trip was backpacking San Jacinto, when my pack was way too heavy and everyone quietly split the load with me without a second thought. True friends! Since then we've suffered (lovingly) up Mt. San Gorgonio, made it through an unforgettable Yellowstone trip, floated in various bodies of waters, won and lost plenty of board games, and somehow got up (basically) Half Dome together. Gaby's always there for the grand adventures, no matter how tough they can get (like climbing a hot mountain with 7 liters of water weight) … and honestly, it's those times in grit where the best memories come from :) Whether it's on the trail or in beautiful San Diego, I'm endlessly grateful for our friendship!
simon seo
groomsman
Simon was my housemate during COVID, which meant we basically spent all our time together; cooking meals together, exploring our neighborhood, and always taking us exactly as we are. He was there from the very beginning of our relationship, and given that he's also been Aylin's friend for years, he's really standing up there for both of us. Simon has a gift for making people feel like part of the family before they even notice it's happened. He did it for us, and for everyone lucky enough to be in his orbit.
Kaylani McCard
bridesmaid
I also met Kaylani on that same move-in day at art school, and the three of us (me, her, and KayLynn) ended up living together the next year. Kaylani and I go way back on all things drawing … even if its unashamedly rooted in anime and video games :). We've always had each other's backs validating the strange experience that was art school, and it will always be precious that we both love celebrating our cute moms together. Our friendship has spanned girls' hangs, skate sessions, craft nights, crazy/scary movie discussions, and now double dates with our (and my soon future) husbands. I'll always cherish our early days as wee little artsy girls in the city, feeling like everyone else in school was a tad more unhinged … except us ;) So grateful we get to keep doing this as cool, wisen, slightly older ladies, and it can only keep getting better :)
justus winn-howard
groomsman
Justus and I met through a long chain of mutual friends. It was the kind of connection where we needed a minute or two to really explain how we knew each other. Over time, what started out as house parties and nights out in Normal Heights turned into entire weekends soundtracked by everything from Kendrick Lamar to Khruangbin, all punctuated with countless episodes of Jeopardy. He's always been the guy everyone wants at their party, and we've stayed close ever since.
