Claudia & Zachary
Wedding Party
Richard Neace & Sherry McDavid
Father of the Groom
Recent retiree who is struggling to find hobbies for all of his newly found free time. He enjoys playing guitar, writing music, and keeping his vehicles spotless. He's known on Route 486 for having the cleanest Jeep Rubicon this side of the Mississippi. Richard reconnected with UK mega-fan Sherry Rae at an elementary school reunion. Among many amazing qualities, Sherry Rae keeps us all laughing and well fed! Z's mother Karen passed away too young. Karen and Richard spent 24 wonderful years showing their children and everyone they met how to love. Richard is the ultimate role model, teaching Z the importance of kindness, respect, and love for others. He is and always will be Z's hero.
Allan & Malou Mendoza
Father & Mother of the Bride
Allan & Malou have been waiting almost 30 years to host this occasion. They can't wait to party with all of you! C&Z always look forward to spending time with these two whether it's Friday night dinner, late night chats & karaoke sessions or treasured family vacations. When C&Z aren't around, Allan & Malou love to nap, eat/travel their way around the world, & catch up on Korean dramas. They also take pride in their most favorite child, Pancakes Mendoza.
Stacey Neace
Sister of the Groom
Eldest of the Neace siblings. Mother to the amazing Ainsley & Gavin Wells. Hairdresser extraordinaire. Tortured Z with experimental haircuts and highlights while in Cosmetology School. Stay tuned to see what she comes up with for Z's wedding makeover!
Jerry & Kellie Sparks
Sister & Brother in-law of the Groom
Kellie is the second eldest sibling in the Neace family. Married her elementary school sweetheart. Her five year old, Grahm, will feature heavily in the wedding (more on him to come). Suffered from middle child syndrome growing up, as documented.
Fr. Mateo Zamora, OSB
Officiant
Prior to becoming a monk at St. Meinrad Archabbey, Fr. Mateo ministered as a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington for 10 years. This past year, C&Z had the pleasure of being guided by Fr. Mateo through their marriage preparation process. They will forever cherish the time they spent with him, the stories he told, & the wise words of advice he has given so far. And P.S. will forever be grateful he gave up his vacation to be able to officiate their wedding.
Brian & Miranda Adkins
Godparents (Ninong & Ninang)
Brian and Miranda, are a selfless nurse & doctor tandem who strive to make the world a better place. For Zach and other family members they have been a source of motivation & encouragement when it comes to achieving and reaching goals. They have opened their doors to Z when he was stressed & needed a listening ear or when he wanted to relax & play NBA 2K. Z actually asked C to be his girlfriend at their house & their first date was at Brian & Miranda's wedding. These days Brian and Miranda keep themselves busy by saving the world one mask at a time as founders of The Superhero Mask Project. Both are employed at UK Hospital as well and most significantly are the proud parents of two cuties, Kate and Claire Adkins.
Chi-Chi & Grace Tapia
Godparents (Ninong & Ninang)
While the Tapia and Mendoza kids grew up in Jackson under the same roof, Chi and Grace became Claudia's second set of parents. And when she chose nursing as her career path, Grace was her main inspiration and mentor. To this day, Claudia looks up to Grace not only in regards to nursing but in everyday life. C&Z love spending family time at the Tapia residence during their free time & aspire to forever laugh and love like these two.
Ching Casanova Tapia
Maid of Honor
Born 6 weeks apart, Ching was Claudia's first friend & cousin. Ching made her mark (literally, bit her on her shoulder when they were toddlers) on Claudia growing up together and sharing many childhood memories. They shared a room, enjoyed watching scary movies, swimming, roller blading & riding bikes in the summer time. Today they enjoy going on cousin trips & cooking together before having to nap due to food coma.
Katrina Casanova Tinoco
Maid of Honor
Kat, Claudia's cousin may not have lived in the U.S. but visited almost every summer growing up. Meeting princesses in Disney World & gushing over the NYC Gossip Girl tour are just a few examples of summers spent with each other. Today, Claudia & Kat enjoy brunching & lunching, bonding with the family and sharing kwento about life. P.S. she no longer has to visit every summer because she matched into a residency program in KY. Congratulations Doc!
Sherina Scouler
Matron of Honor
Sherina is Claudia's big sister from another mister. These girls get together frequently. They know they can always count on each other & enjoy living seconds away (especially in emergency situations when you try on a new dress and get stuck in it haha). They live life to the fullest by traveling together and enjoying "meatball" days. She's the JWOW to her Snooki!
Ainsley Wells
Bridesmaid
Z and C's favorite niece. One of the qualities they admire about Ainsley is that she has the most caring heart. If it were possible she would adopt every animal that had been wounded or needed a home. She's wise beyond her age always putting others above herself. Her other hobbies include art and sleeping until noon.
Bettina Mendoza
Bridesmaid
Bettina, Claudia's cousin is a fresh college grad from Ateneo University. They go years without seeing each other but have fond memories during Mendoza family vacations.
Chesca Mendoza
Bridesmaid
Chesca is the baby of the Mendoza family & exactly 1o years apart from Claudia. They shares fond memories of traveling around Europe, cruising through the Caribbean, the US & the Philippines on Mendoza family vacations. She’s a social butterfly who loves hanging out with friends & her boyfriend Nate while completing her studies in fashion design & merchandising.
Tawny Aguayo-Williams
Bridesmaid
Claudia initially knew her from stories told by Ching. They were summer camp bffs. It was fate when Tawny and Claudia rushed the same sorority (Alpha Phi). Since their A Phi days they’ve remained sisters and have been present in many of each other’s milestones. At Claudia’s 21st birthday for instance, Tawny even removed her contact lenses for her when she was unable to that night. At that moment, Claudia knew she was a keeper. Tawny is an amazing teacher/researcher and M&Ms are the love of her life..Matt and Milo that is!
Mona Mollohan
Bridesmaid
Mona and Claudia instantly bonded when they both started working at UK Children's Hospital. Since then they've grown close and have had many adventures. This includes hiking and relaxing anywhere with sun and a body of water. They've become travel buddies along with Leticia and have had multiple trips around the US and Germany all while battling adversity on 4 West. Their next stop together will be the Philippines!
Joshua Collins
Bridesman/Groomsman
C&Z actually fought over who gets to have Josh in their wedding party. Is he a bridesman or a groomsman? No one will ever know. He plays the role of a big brother to both C&Z is one of their ultimate confidants/advisors. Some of their best moments were spent hanging out deciding on karaoke songs, eating pizza, cruising through Mexico & the Caribbean & contemplating significant life decisions. Believe it or not he was a teacher at Jackson City & had all 3 Mendoza's in his class before becoming a lawyer.
Jeremy Swiney
Best Man
Jeremy & Zach met at an info session for those applying to med school at UK. After both were accepted into UKCOM, they quickly became friends, bonding over their experiences growing up in Eastern KY. At times, they are uncomfortably close, like that weekend they spent sharing a two-seater jet ski on Lake Cumberland. Luckily Jeremy's wife Morgan isn't jealous of the relationship. Morgan may be more fun to hang out with than Jeremy.
Casey Parker-Bell
Groomsman
The sole reason behind Zach's unhealthy obsession with fútbol. Unfortunately his allegiances lie with Liverpool & not Z's beloved Manchester City. A journalism & video editing wizard who plies his trade at KET distributing important educational material to the residents of KY.
Seth Parker-Bell
Groomsman
Seth aka Gingeraffe is credited with connecting C&Z. You might even say he's the reason #thepursuitofhappineace came to be. To this day he's one of C&Z's dearest friends and still remains the tallest of the crew. He is a businessman at heart & recently married the love of his life, Becca this past year.
Emily Whitley
Groomswoman
When Emily 1st moved to KY she instantly bonded with Zach over their matching bowl haircuts. They've been best friends since kindergarten. Although haircuts have changed, Emily remains one of Zach's truest & dearest friends.
Zeeshan Akhtar
Groomsman
Zeeshan...an amazing friend yet terrible video gamer. He brags about his FIFA ability but consistently loses to Elo & Zach. He spent most of his formative years in NY then made his way to the Big Blue Nation for med school. He's the proud owner of a new home that he'll never get a chance to spend any time in. #orthopedicsurgeon
Daniel Carman
Groomsman
Part of the infamous DJZ trio who lived together during medical school. The man runs on soda and video games, just like Z. He now sees Claudia more regularly than Zach as he is a 2nd year resident at UK Children's Hospital.
Elo Ibekwe
Groomsman
Budding neurologist training at THE Ohio State University. His talent for medicine is undeniable, but he really shines on the soccer field & in the DJ booth. We might just cut him loose at the reception so get your requests in early.
Joseph Casanova Tapia
Groomsman
AKA Des AKA Sizzle is Claudia's cousin & considered Zach's not so little brother. He's currently studying at the University of Kentucky with a focus in chemical engineering. JC is a Renaissance man with a special talent in the kitchen, capable of baking the finest breads or a perfectly aged steak. He was instrumental in the #DownOnOneNeace proposal having delivered the ring to the restaurant & staying to take pictures afterwards.
Jake Casanova Tapia
Groomsman
Cousin to C, half of "The 6" bromance with Z: Jake grew up in the same house as Claudia then later became roommates with Z in their apartment The 6. The 6 was a meeting place for study sessions, countless hours of FIFA and simply hanging out. It was the spot where most of Z's groomsmen met for the first time. If you're lucky enough to run into Jake at the wedding, ask him about the difference between counting and accounting.
Mari Mendoza
Groomsman
B.O.B (Brother of the Bride): Mari is Claudia's favorite brother & best friend. To this day he's Claudia's #1 protector. In college while he & Z would listen & take notes, Mari would make sure Claudia never fell asleep too long in organic chemistry. He never lets them forget there was M&Z before C&Z. These days he's a doctor by day, cage fighter by night.
Alfonso Mendoza
Groomsman
B.O.B (brother of bride): Alfonso is Claudia's favorite brother and best friend. When he was a toddler, Claudia would translate his gibberish when no one else could understand him. He will forever be Claudia's baby. Zach and Fon share many similarities including taste in food, style, & knowing random facts especially about sports. Although C&Z are proud that he's building roots in Florida, they harass him to move back to Lexington on the daily.
Craig Faulkner
Groomsman
Sandy Hook's finest. Zach spent many forgettable nights with Craig's unforgettable company at the Faulkner residence. Was on track to be a high production starter for Alice Lloyd at the guard position until he injured every ligament in his knees. Poor guy walks like a grandpa now, but you don't need knees to drink Natty Light. #606ByGoodness
Gavin Wells
Bible Bearer
Gavin loves playing baseball and wearing crocs, almost in equal amounts. Has a huge heart and is destined to outgrow Z and his papaw Richard. Like his sister Ainsley, he loves animals especially his cat Almond.
Grahm Sparks
Ring & Coin Bearer
Grahm is Zach's & Claudia's youngest nephew. He's a natural at baseball & golf, two of his favorite sports. He loves to eat chicken & rice & of course CANDY! Just like uncle Zach when he was his age, Grahm's favorite colors are pink & blue. Grahm enjoys spending time with his mom, dad, & best bud Captain (his German Shepherd).
Kendall Short
Flower Girl
Kendall is the epitome of a princess. She is a true girly girl who loves to play dress-up every day. Kendall takes on many interests such as drawing, playing outside, playing pretend (some of her favorite roles include being a scientist and a mommy), and best of all she loves to spend time with her mom, dad, & younger brother Grady. Kendall hopes to one day explore the world, visit Disney, & is excited about going to Heaven someday!
Kate Adkins
Flower Girl
Remember the 2 cuties we mentioned of Brian & Miranda's? Kate is their eldest! She loves UK basketball (favorite all time player Tyler Herro). She is a beauty with brains as she loves reading and making masterful art pieces. Kate is also a music lover who listens to Sundy Best & Zac Brown Band. Expect to see her on the dance floor when 'I want it that way' comes on because this girl loves & appreciates our 90's hearthrobs, the Backstreet Boys!
Claire Adkins
Flower Girl
Claire is Brian & Miranda's youngest who loves sporting Frozen princess dresses all day every day. Claire listens to frozen songs over and over and over because who doesn't love 'Let it Go'? Per her family, she loves telling bad knock-knock jokes which makes her even cuter. And she is a big fan of ice cream!