Wedding Party
Emily Gouveia
Maid of Honor
Elsie & I met in the spring of 2012 when we were both hired as counselors for UT's Longhorn Music Camp. We started the camp as strangers, but after rooming together for three (very long) weeks herding band kids around campus, we became inseparable! Since then, our friendship has withstood nearly a decade of living in different states - & continents! - and we have experienced so many highs (from Austin to Lisbon to NYC, and many more to come!) as well as lows (the breakup of One Direction). Elsie is my go-to partner in crime, is always there for support, and ready for the next adventure. And I can't wait to be there for her as she & Dan start their next big adventure, #ForBetterOrForLosoworse!!!
Sarah Agarwal
Matron of Honor
I met Elsie in 6th grade (Grisham Grizzlies!) We were both in the same classes and were in band together, so naturally we became best friends. Our favorite thing to do was pass notes in class and create a secret language to talk about cute boys (we were really extra and color-coded and included stick drawings too). I would like to say that we grew out of this, but I still have notes from Elsie from senior year of high school...We have laughed, cried, and grown together over the last 20 years, and I couldn't be more proud of the person she has become. Get ready to see our crazy signature dance moves from our clubbing days on the dance floor at the wedding!
Arshia Ali
Bridesmaid
Elsie and I met in 5th grade when she moved from Vermont to Austin. Between being in class together and carpooling to various after-school activities, we formed a quick friendship. How could we not, when one of those activities was the dreaded Kumon? My favorite childhood memory with Elsie is studying for AP US History at her house! I wouldn't have made it through that class without her. We broke up the monotony of long study sessions by taking very frequent dance breaks, accompanied by turning our pens and highlighters into "microphones" and "guitars." Our relationship has evolved from friends who grew up together and saw each other constantly to friends who only see each other occasionally but still keep in touch and have a bunch of silly fun together. I'm so grateful that part has not changed!
Ileana Barrientez
Bridesmaid
Our friendship began with music and the University of Texas, of course. Elsie and I met when we both attended Longhorn Music Camp as kids, and yes, there's photo evidence to prove it. While we didn't keep in touch after that, I remember the first day at Longhorn Band in college, she came up to me very boldly stating, "Don't I know you?," and the rest is history! From our Pappadeaux dates to matching costumes at Halloween, I always knew if Elsie was in attendance, then pictures would be taken and memories not forgotten. In college we loved going out to the Domain and I'll never forget one outing we had lunch at Maggiano's and she introduced me to One Direction. We came full circle years later when we went to see Niall in concert, battling 110+ degree weather in Dallas. I've loved how our friendship transitioned from college to the real world! We may live far apart but I know our shared passion for travel will continue to bring us together for years to come.
Aubrey Moore
Bridesmaid
Elsie is the gal that keeps me aligned. Having met as a twerpy high schooler lost in the crowd, she swooped to the rescue and adopted me into what has become a group of my best and life long friends. With Sonic meet ups, prom, movie nights, and walks in the mall, Elsie has gifted me countless good memories. Now we are grown, and time seems more precious. Cheers to change...can't wait to age on together with Dan by our side!
Ling Iem
Bridesmaid
Elsie and I met in 2014 in Madrid - the best year of our lives (obvi - sorry Dan). We initially met at orientation dinner for our year abroad teaching English. Flash forward to bumping into each other on the streets of Moncloa only to realize we lived two blocks away from each other. So began the true start of our friendship & ensuing adventures. MONCLOA FOREVER. Some of my favorite memories include gallivanting across Europe with our travel backpacks stuffed to the brim, and in typical extra Elsie fashion, she somehow always made room for her giant Texas flag - for the 'Gram. There was also the time she urgently called me over to her apartment to drink - mournfully - because One Direction broke up. There were many other spontaneous adventures across Madrid out of boredom ending with making friends with people from all around the world. I am so thankful that life brought Elsie and I together. I don't think I truly knew how to live before I met Elsie. She has this warm, infectious energy - like an intense blast of sunshine. And you can't ignore it. Believe me, as a hardcore introvert I found myself in some deep, uncomfortable waters just by association and honestly I couldn't even get mad. Elsie just has a way of making everything fun and easy. And while we may not get to travel together as often or walk two blocks away for a night of boxed sangria and NOT so chill, we at least know there is someone in ATX and Atlanta that we can depend on for free housing and a good time.
Aaron Foote
Best Man
Dan and I met in graduate school, working in the same lab group for nearly five years. We were a year apart in the program and became fast friends, even though he usually made better grades than I did. After getting lunch together virtually every day, spending frustrating days and nights in the lab, and hanging out over beers for years, I'm honored to be a part of his wedding day!
Logan Hillberry
Best Man
I met Dan the day I moved to Texas. He and Erik helped me move into my new apartment and we became fast friends. Over the next several years, daily lunch outings with Dan and Aaron brought us together through commiserating over our supervisors while indulging in burritos, sandwiches, Thai food, etc. It has been a joy to watch Dan and Elsie's relationship grow, and now I am delighted to celebrate their union.
Steve Ercolino
Groomsman
I've known Dan since elementary school, and while we initially bonded over our eclectic musical tastes and penchants for puns our bond was solidified in high school when I struck a Faustian bargain with him: as long as you can keep explaining basic math problems to me, I will teach you how to make eye contact with girls. You're welcome, Elsie! I occasionally find myself saying "cool beans" and blame this entirely on him.
Connor TenCate
Groomsman
My first memories of Dan were from the first grade. He would spend all of recess punting a ball as high as he could in the air. He also had a rat tail haircut, which, combined with his kicking abilities, gave him an intimidating presence. He was on a shortlist of characters with a certain elementary school-era mystique (like the kid with a real dead scorpion inside his yo-yo, and the guy who already had a lvl-100 Charizard in Pokémon Red--I remember these legends). Later I discovered that Dan was also the fastest kid in the 50-yard dash at field day, and could read from "the blue book" in class (the hardcover book that only the most advanced kids used). I determined that such a person would make a powerful ally. Throughout the years we did so many things together-- all the same classes, Boys & Girls Club, traveling soccer, etc. He has always been a great friend and one of the realest people I know. I look forward to his enduring happiness with Elsie and I hope he brings back the rat tail for the wedding.
David Anthony
Groomsman
Meeting Dan in our freshman year of college, my immediate impression was that he was a chill guy who was fun to hang out and joke around with. After living with him for two years in college, though, I was sure that I'd made a lifelong friend. Whether it be going to the movie theater to see Pacific Rim or goading him into chasing me around as we returned home late at night, Dan's patience and sincerity reinforced the brotherly connection that assures me we will always be good friends even as our lives continue to evolve.
Erik Anciaux
Groomsman
I met Dan at the University of Texas at Austin where we were both working towards our Ph.D.s in physics. We first met in Professor Downer's Electricity and Magnetism class where we learned more about friendship than we did about physics.