Matt & Amber
Wedding Party
McKayla Kay
Maid of Honor
I am so excited to introduce you to my beautiful maid of honor! McKayla and I have gone to school together our whole lives and over the past 17 years of friendship, have created countless years of memories together. She has also known Matt throughout our entire relationship and has created an awesome friendship with him, and I cherish the times we all spend together. I can always count on her being down for a cheesy Netflix movie marathon, making new dessert recipes, walking around Target for things we don't need, and now, to help me plan my wedding day. She is a bright light in my life, who constantly radiates the love of Jesus, and I could not ask for a more amazing, kind, and trustworthy friend to stand beside me as my maid of honor, on my wedding day, and for all the years to come.
Melanie Rivera
Bridesmaid
My sister, my bridesmaid, built in friend for life. Having my sister in my wedding is the best gift I could ask for. Melanie is the most thoughtful and encouraging person as she truly and deeply cares for every single person in her life. I look up to her as she fully pursues her relationship with the Lord and I have her to thank for getting me involved in youth ministry in high school; the place I not only came to fully love the Lord, but also the place where I met my future husband. Having Melanie as my bridesmaid is such an honor as I get to have the support of my sister on the best and most awaited day of my life. I love you always Mel Mel and while we will no longer be the "Rivera" sisters, we're still the JLO's and that of course can never change.
Marissa Vaccher
Bridesmaid
Marissa is an amazing friend and amazing bridesmaid all wrapped into one. God definitely pushed Marissa in the right direction when she transferred to my elementary school because that brought us together and I have been so extremely grateful for her friendship ever since. Whether our hang outs included attending our elementary school carnival together until we felt too old, or going to the Jonas Brothers concert together just this past year, Marissa has always been my go to. I love her for her joy, her ability to be there for me even in the midst of her crazy work/school hours, and her innermost beauty which shines through her love to help others. I love Marissa and the years of memories we have shared together and I am honored to have her stand by me as my bridesmaid.
Melina DiPalma
Bridesmaid
Melina - my neighbor, my soccer teammate, my bridesmaid and more. I thank God for convincing our parents to live in Diamond Bar all those years ago because our friendship has truly been graced by our ability to drive 1 minute and be at each other's houses. We met when we were about 5 or 6 years old when we both played on a soccer team in Diamond Bar. Ever since then, my life has been changed for the better as I have been graced with the most kind, generous, and thoughtful friend. It is crazy to think about all the memories we have made together and how excited I am to make so many more as we follow our goals and dreams, side by side. Thank you for being my bridesmaid and never failing to love me so well in our friendship.
Kimmi Charest
Bridesmaid
Kimmi is my bridesmaid who also is my forever partner in crime. And by crime, I mean the one person who constantly understands me and my life, as we have been graced with living life in the same stages; we jumped for joy at our undergrad graduation, struggled through grad school together, got engaged during the same year, and constantly pursued our friendship through it all. Kimmi is so full of Jesus and displays her faith through her love for helping others and never failing to bring her creativity into all she does. Kimmi has reminded me to always stay positive and always finds ways to exemplify her joy in every moment we spend together. I am so honored to stand by Kimmi on her beautiful wedding day, and I will again be honored to have her stand by me, on my own wedding day.
Delaney Adams
Bridesmaid
A joy and light, Delaney. Delaney's presence is something I cannot say I have seen before; she walks into a room and can automatically put a smile on every single person’s face. Being Delaney's friend, since we met our sophomore year of college, has brought me so much happiness and laughter. I can always count on Delaney to be a listening ear, a friend who is down for anything, and always, a constant reminder of God's love for me. She also feels comfortable enough to be sarcastic with Matt and I think that is a sign of true friendship. I hope all of you reading this have such a kind and beautiful (inside and out) friend in your lives because I know I have found that friend in Delaney, and I am so blessed to have her support on my wedding day, as my bridesmaid.
Benjamin Alickovic Part I
Best Man
From the moment I met Ben at La Verne I knew there was something special about him, and if you have had the pleasure of meeting him for yourself, I’m sure you can say it’s something about the way he carries himself. He always has such positive energy and is the kind of person that you feel comfortable around instantly. Through the years, we’ve been able to become closer by pledging together, living together, and being RA's together.
Benjamin Alickovic Part II
Best Man
From the hours of Seinfeld episodes, countless slices of Little Caesars pizza, being sad after Raider games, camping/trips together, and endless jokes thrown at each other, times never change for us. I’m also so happy Amber has also been able to become rather close with Ben through the years too. I’m blessed to have met a guy like Ben who I can call my best friend, my brother, and someone I will always look up to. Love you man.
Zack Martinson Part I
Groomsman
Zack Martinson is a man who is hard to put into such a small paragraph. This guy has been my best friend since high school when we met at youth group. I have had the pleasure to bother Zack for way too long and the fact that he still tolerates me is deserving of an award! From the countless sleepovers, confirmation retreats, games of Catan/Madden, pool parties, & cabin trips, we have had so much grub through the years together.
Zack Martinson Part II
Groomsman
The thing I love most about Zack is his drive. When Zack wants something he goes for it and it’s something I admire about him. Zack also has this amazing, genuine love for Christ that is so evident. Being best friends with this guy has made me a better Christian, and man for that. There’s no doubt in my mind that years and years down the line I will still be asking you “would you rathers?” and you will still be the good sport you are and play along. I love you for that man and I commend you.
Brian Gross
Groomsman
If you asked Brian if he thought he would be my groomsmen one day around the time we met he probably would’ve laughed in your face. Our friendship has developed over the years from him hating my guts from Day 1 to him being a best friend of mine who is always down for a round of golf. Like half of my groomsmen, Brian and I met through youth group. Early on I could tell there was something special about Brian that made me want to be his friend. Brian is such a fun-loving guy and is always a blast to be around. Brian’s amazing relationship with God is something that appears effortless to me (although I know it isn’t). He never fails to keep Christ centered in all he does and having a brother/best friend like this to be around all the time sure does make me a better man.
Tanner Jauregui
Groomsman
Like Brian, Tanner was not the biggest fan of mine at first. From him despising me in Freshman year religion class to him becoming one of my lifelong best friends, our friendship has a funny journey! I got to know Tanner better through both youth group and through dating Amber, as the Rivera’s and the Jauregui’s are close family friends. Tanner is without a doubt definitely one of the best conversationalists I have ever met. Whether we are talking about movies or our shared faith I could talk to Tanner for hours. Having seen one of my best friends/brothers grow and develop into the youth minister he is today has been amazing to witness and I could not thank him more for the amount he has taught me about my faith.
Hunter Jauregui
Groomsman
Although I had known Hunter through my friendship with Tanner back in high school, I really would not have called Hunter a close friend until after I started to date Amber for awhile. Hunter is such a character. I would say he’s a lot like me in many ways which is why I think we hit it off so well! He incorporates his sense of humor in almost every interaction he has; however, there’s way more to Hunter than just his jokester surface. I can talk to Hunter about anything and everything and I know he will offer some of the best advice I could possibly hear. I am forever grateful to have a best friend and brother in Christ like Hunter to always have my back.
Michael Rodriguez
Groomsman
Michael wouldn’t be shy to tell you that (similar to some of my other groomsmen) he wasn’t fond of me at first. Meeting Michael in youth ministry, I knew he had a kind heart. However, I was rather skeptical as he would always play the Devil in our skits that we would present to the confirmation students. Though eventually I got to know Michael more, and I soon realized how full of Christ he is. If you know Michael like I know Michael you would agree when I say that he “tells you how it is”. Michael doesn’t hold anything back and he is straightforward and frank. I love this about Michael, because this is the complete opposite of me! He’s one of my best friends/brothers and he always keeps me in check and I will forever be grateful for that.
Nicholas Reinders
Groomsman
Nick and I go way back to pre-k together. Having been friends for as long as we have it’s odd seeing him a friend and not family. Aside from the countless sleepovers, we have celebrated Christmas, Thanksgiving, Fourth or July’s, and our birthdays together for years and those are some of my fondest memories I have from my early years. Going to school together for fourteen years, you really get to know a person and I can confidently say that although we don’t see each other as often anymore when we do see each other it’s just like the good ol’ days. His family is my family and vice versa and I’m so happy for him to be supporting me through this process.
Brett Akahiji
Groomsman
Having only just met Brett at the beginning of 2019, it should be kind of obvious how special of a guy he is for me to ask him to be a groomsmen of mine. I met Brett in physical therapy school at APU, and we have lived together since my first day of school. We hit things off right away, and have grown closer every day since day one. We study together, eat together, grocery shop together, double date together, travel together, the list goes on and on; however, we still enjoy every minute together! After finding out how easily he gets scared, I decided to scare him weekly in various ways, but he always laughs about it in the end. He is such a good sport! We bicker like an old couple, but that’s only cause we are best friends. I love you brother!
Luke Rivera
Groomsman
I remember growing up praying every night for a little brother one day. I’m lucky to say that my prayers have finally been answered. I have been able to witness Luke’s growth from his days in middle school and now to him graduating high school. With Luke choosing me as his confirmation sponsor, I have been able to witness his faith journey. In regards to his faith, Luke has matured so much through the years I have known him and he has impacted so many lives and will surely continue doing so. Luke is full of so much compassion and empathy and makes everyone around him feel like family. I can’t wait to continue life’s journey as a mentor to Luke and to watch my little brother grow even more so.
Michael Ghanadian
Groomsman
Michael has always been more than just my big brother. He has been a lifelong mentor and role model to me. I remember how much I wanted to follow in his footsteps when I was younger. Michael played soccer so I wanted to play soccer. Michael went to Servite so I wanted to go to Servite. Michael loved the Lakers and Kobe, and so did I. It’s crazy to reflect on how much one person could shape me from such a young age. Though Michael and I have always been at different stages of life, we are finally reaching a point of similarity. We only continue to grow closer and I’m so thankful to have the relationship I do with him.
Brandon deLaroche
Groomsman
I met Brandon at Servite in Spanish class my sophomore year. Right from the start I thought Brandon was such a cool guy, and I knew I wanted to be his friend. We shared similar taste in music, movies, food, and so much more. I spent my first semester of college in Santa Barbara with Brandon, and although it was a semester of Hell (if you don’t know about my SB days then feel free to ask me at the wedding lol) Brandon was a lifesaver for me. From all the concerts we’ve attended to the meals shared at B dubs, I have shared so many good memories with Brandon. Even though we don’t get to see each other as often due to distance, we have stayed connected through the years and I know without a doubt I have a best friend/brother for life with Brandon.