Kevyn & Keeghan
Wedding Party
Porter Hayes
Officiant
Porter is the girl who taught me what “M-O” stands for. Example: “Kevyn rolled into class with last night’s hair and smells like tequila,” … “yeah that’s her M-O.” She is the kind of girl that you always wonder where she gets her clothes, what her skincare routine is and how she gets such good grades even though you know she spends Tues/Thurs at BU bars. Whether we were doing Office themed projects in Boston, bottomless mimosas in San Francisco or visiting each other in our new cities (PHX/NYC) we are always having fun and growing together. She is constantly reminding me of the good in the world and in myself. She loves Keeghan like he was her friend first, and has always held our relationship with warm, positive and happy arms. Porter was a no-brainer as our officiant, and we are excited to have her help us open this next chapter.
Sierra Tall
First Dance Singer
It is only fitting that my carpool karaoke high school best friend would be our first dance singer. Sierra is an incredible, strong, passionate, wildly talented human being. Always up for an adventure and consistently supporting my crazy ideas. I have learned over the years to see the world in a different view because of Sierra and know that you can still be close, even when you are far. I still remember sitting on the couch when we were eighteen, she was playing Linger by The Cranberries on guitar and singing the song to me– that is the moment I knew I wanted her to sing at my wedding. What an honor to have that wish come true.
Yasmin Tucker
Maid of Honor
If you know Yaz, you know she is the best. She is a great listener, the type that makes you feel seen and very deeply heard. Which is a great match for me since I love to talk. Admittedly (and she knows this), I was super intimidated by her when I first met her. Which, for me is saying a lot because I am typically not intimidated. I had just gotten a job at Tilly’s at Arrowhead mall, which was the cool place to work. She was crushing it, commanding the floor and making putting clothes back on racks look next level cool. I remember thinking, “damn I really want to be her friend.” Between late nights at Tilly’s, In-N-Out runs, parties (shh, we didn’t do that), long distance friendship, spring break trips, graduations, and everything else in between, we stuck it through. Fun fact: We were only friends for a little over a year before I left for college – most of our friendship has been 3,000 miles apart. Lucky is an understatement.
Sam Hardwick
Best Man
After Sam moved to Shrewsbury in middle school, he and I became inseparable. We spent countless hours after school playing sports, video games, and debating literally anything and everything. Being from Philly, he should naturally be used to losing to someone from Massachusetts, but that rarely happened to Sam in those debates. For those of you who know Sam, you know he’s a passionate (stubborn?), kind, incredibly intelligent, and cares deeply about his friends and family. Over the years we’ve celebrated some amazing accomplishments, and we’ve also faced many tough times & situations. His perspective on life, love, and many other things has helped shape my own - I’m blessed to call him my best friend. There’s no one I’d rather have standing next to me on the Big Day.
Alana King
Bridesmaid
Alana, the best outsider hitter that BU ever saw. What can I say, Alana and I clicked from day one (or, maybe it was when she chugged tequila from the bottle at our first volleyball party). When I look back at our friendship, it reminds me very much of the friendship I was able to grow when I was new on the team, with Brooke, and that makes it even more special. Alana was a freshman when I was a junior and we built a bond that spanned on and off the court, even out to Newton, MA where she grew up and her parents would invite me over for dinner after work. She has always had my back, even when the easier way was to not have it. I find great pride in knowing that someone as thoughtful, smart, compassionate, fiery, and overall badass, would want to be my friend – and for this long. Every memory I have with Alana brings warmth to my heart and a few of them make me giggle. Grateful to have her by my side and on the dance floor on this big day.
Adam Navrozally
Groomsman
Adam and I only met a few years ago, and we’ve spent most of that time on opposite coasts, but we’ve formed a bond and it feels like we’ve known each other forever. Creative and witty, I sometimes feel like I’m talking to a guy who was born in a different century if it wasn’t for his obsession with Yeezy(s). He has the ability to make you laugh til you cry one sentence, and then the next he’ll make you question everything you ever knew about a topic, or shine a light on something cool you’ve never even dreamt of. Our friendship, much like our conversations, haven’t followed the typical path, but I know that path goes on for a lifetime. Also, we’ll be taking applications to work for our future company NavLav Labs at the wedding so come with your best pitch.
Basak Oztahtaci
Bridesmaid
The random roommate gods really did not know what they were doing when they slotted us both in suite 908! For those of you who do not know Basak (“B”), she is from Istanbul, and we met my junior year, her sophomore year of college at BU. We were put into the same 8-girl suite in one of the upper-class dorms. Her single room was right next to my double and on one of the first days of the year I asked if she wanted to go to the poster sale with me. Next thing you know, we are inseparable. When I think about the good times in college, B is always there. Even when I think about the bad parts, she is there too, with a shoulder to cry on and some way to make me laugh. She is the kind of person that you call at 3am to help you because you know she will. Consistent, kind, and reliable. Always down for $7 burger and beers. Always down to play Shake Senora at any bar that has a jukebox. The kind of friend everyone needs but doesn’t always have the chance to have in their life.
Brett Malboeuf
Groomsman
Cyprian’s finest! Brett and I spent 1000s of hours over many summers on the golf course and in the Cart Barn waiting for the last tee times to come in. Brett’s one of the easiest people to get along with and a joy to have a conversation with. He has a matter-of-fact approach to life and problems that has really helped to remind me to put things in perspective. From Cyprian to TechTarget and Massachusetts to San Francisco, Brett and I have remained close. During that time he’s taught me a ton whether it was over beers and burgers at Garaje or after blocking a ball into the right trees at Presidio. Here’s to many, many more golf rounds and passionate conversations about Boston sports!
Brooke Beland
Bridesmaid
Brooke jokes that when we met, she was in the phase of her life where she was not accepting “new friends.” I was a freshman, and she was a senior, we both were on the BU club volleyball team and we both played middle (aka we competed for playing time) – the recipe for making enemies. We look back at it now, after 10 years and laugh. An unlikely pair, but a friendship that has taught me a lot about the power of Facetime catch ups and the importance of knowing the bartender at Sunset Cantina when you are underage in college. (Kidding!). The friendship she brings to the table is one of consistency and thoughtfulness – always providing a safe place to vent frustrations or share happiness. Not to mention, her fiancé’s name is Kevin, so she obviously was always going to like me! I feel safe knowing that she’s in my life and standing next to me on this important day.
Danny Lavin
Groomsman
A lot of us Lavins aren’t a very talkative bunch, so you might be surprised to hear that Danny Lavin is in the top 5 greatest trash talkers of all time. Now that I think about it, Larry Bird was pretty quiet off the court too…Now Danny might not be an NBA champion, but he is a Cornhole champion, even if that’s mostly thanks to his youthful and very handsome partner. Danny helped grow my love of golf. That really picked up when he was going to school for golf management - he made a club for me, coached me a lot on putting, and pushed me to be mentally strong and smart on the course. As I’ve gotten older, we’ve gotten to bond over more, including a love of a good craft beer which he is always overly-generous with sharing. When you see Danny absolutely tearing up the dance floor, try not to be too jealous.
Chloe Williams
Bridesmaid
I was fifteen, coming in on my sophomore year of high school and long-awaited driver’s license, when Chloe entered the world. I was beyond excited but had no idea the amount of love that would grow within my heart when she came into my life. It has been incredible to have the unique experience to watch another human grow up and become themselves. Chloe is brilliant, beautiful, athletic, funny, and thoughtful. Her kindness permeates every single space that she enters, her willingness to help others and stand up for what’s right at a young age is inspiring. I’m so proud to be able to share this special day with her and have her by my side – forever.
Erik Kallio
Groomsman
My brother in-law Erik is just about the only person besides Kevyn who can give my mom shit and somehow get away with it. I’ve never understood where that fearlessness comes from, but he displays in all aspects of his life. Not only has he been a great husband to my sister Megan, father to my niece Avery, and dog (wolf) dad, he’s been like a brother to me. From stuffing our faces in San Francisco at 2 restaurants in as many hours to feeding me Long Island Ice Teas at his rehearsal dinner (secret’s officially out now…sorry Mom), we’ve had so many great memories. I’m grateful that Erik came into our family and proud to have him by my side!
Gianna Fischer
Bridesmaid
The truth of the matter is that Gianna and I met a handful of times before it really struck me that we could be good friends. It is that type of lead up where you are at all the same parties, same friend circles but it just does not click – until it does. And then you are left wondering how you wasted so much time. BU/Boston, San Francisco and now the beyond – she has been a rock. The ups, the downs, the daily reminders that we are powerful, worthy and valuable. The way we communicate is so in sync, and always a constant flow of thoughts – rather than a start and end to each time we talk. A safeness only someone who knows you and really sees you can give.
Jacob Merkle
Groomsman
Jacob and I met at Pomona when he lived in my hall and we immediately created a deep bond. He’s selfless, ridiculously smart, and funny (often unintentionally) so of course he hit the jackpot and had to be gifted good looks, crazy worth-ethic, and self-assurance of purpose on top of that…Jacob is the kind of guy who you won’t see/talk to for 6 months because he’s busy traveling the world or leading his non-profit Rhyzome dedicated to helping students and young leaders change our country for the better. But when you get that call, you stay on it for hours. And hours. Jacob is the kind of friend you can talk to about anything and everything and his positive attitude and bias towards action are infectious. One day I hope we’ll be able travel the world together, but until then I know he’ll continue to help me see it in new ways!
Haley Schmidt
Bridesmaid
Another enemy turned friend story – I am sensing a theme here. Haley & I grew up in the same area, went to rival elementary schools (I know big time stuff) and played volleyball against each other for years. We really hit it off when we started playing for the same club team in high school – seriously, inseparable. We were those friends that literally spent every waking moment together when we were not at school or at work. She became a constant in my life that I have never quite had with anyone else. We were the type of friends that were active on Facebook – and while we probably try to forget some of those years, Facebook memories loves to remind us. She is the most selfless person I know, hardworking and motivated beyond measure. She has continuously grown with me, even though she could have grown away. I am so proud to know her and honored that she asked us to be the godparents of her first child this year.
Jack Garcia
Groomsman
The first time I met Jack was at someone else’s wedding which is not exactly the greatest time to make your best first impression so I was a bit nervous. Tan, tall, ripped, and handsome to top it all off, he might look intimidating but from day 1 he welcomed me into his family with open arms. We had a blast that night tearing up the dance floor and I soon realized that I didn’t just have a future brother-in-law with Jack, but a friend. From golfing in Portugal and almost getting hit by a train after an errant shot, to catching (delicious) fish off the coast of Maui, to the late night conversations in Darin’s casita, we’ve already shared so many amazing times. Jack has a magnetism about him: his gregarious personality makes him easy to get along with and his curiosity shines through in the many deep conversations we’ve had about life. I’m lucky to be gaining another brother and grateful to have him by my side!
Kristin Brown
Bridesmaid
Kristin and I have known each other for twenty-four years this year. I honestly cannot remember the years before I met her. She is not only one of my best friends, but also the mother of my first godchild, Silas. The memories that we share are infinite and the growth that we have both conquered together and separately is vast. There is nothing quite like a friendship that lasts like ours; no true way to sum it up or explain it, because each chapter is unique and written in different ink. What I do know is that she is brave, smart, passionate, stylish, and an incredible mom. She is the kind of person that mixes up the words “spectacle” and “skeptical,” but also can wrangle an entire classroom of kids under five years old. The closest thing I can say to describe the way in which this friendship has unfolded over the last twenty-four years, is that when we were young, the universe decided that I needed a lifetime friend that felt more like a sister.
John Bissaillon
Groomsman
Our family has pretty much always been “blended”, but growing up with a brother who’s 13 years younger than you and spoiled in all the ways you weren’t can’t be easy. And while my brother John never let me forget that I was the spoiled baby of the family, he’s loved me unconditionally from the start. From destroying Megan in the annual Turkey Bowl football game (sorry Megan), to playing video games with me until way past my bedtime or watching dumb videos on eBaums World and getting in trouble from Mom, Johnny B and I always had a blast. Growing up, I looked up to John. He was so cool and everyone loved him. He always had a joke or story to make the whole room laugh. Now that we’re both adults I have a whole different set of reasons to look up to my brother, #1 being that he’s a fantastic dad to his two kids Sammy and Jack. He inspires me each and every day.
Lexie Gold
Bridesmaid
When I met Lexie, she was coming off a gap year (or gap 6-months) and had been in Asia – which just made her immensely cooler upon meeting. We played together on the BU Club Volleyball team and were roommates for many years in college and after college. We share a love for good wine, good food, binge watching Netflix shows, being nice to servers and celebrating Christmas (even though she’s Jewish). When I think of Lexie, I just smile. Seriously, I am smiling just writing this. If she could be a color, she would be iridescent – just constantly shimmering and bright. I wish I could share all our memories here, but my favorites are NSFWB (not safe for wedding bios). Grateful to add, “standing next to me on my wedding day,” to the list of memories I have with Lexie.
Kristian Jackson
Groomsman
My childhood is full of memories playing sports in the backyard, and in many of those games I can remember being humbled over and over by Kristian’s talent, especially in football and baseball. One of these days, I’ll get him back, not for the crushing tackles or all the home runs hit over our “green monster” bushes, but for his casting of my character in the greatest film ever made in Shrewsbury, Jacksonville Horror. If you can’t tell, I’m still bitter about missing my chance at Hollywood stardom…In all seriousness, even though he is less than a year older than me, I’ve always looked up to Kristian. Quiet and humble, he helped showed me how to be a winner and to this day he pushes me to be better. I’m lucky to be your “only cousin”. P.S. if you want to be in peak physical shape before the wedding, hit this guy up!
Rob Brown
Bridesman
Rob comes in for second place on longest friendship – right behind his big sister, Kristin. To be fair, we all met at the same party, but Rob was a little too cool to hang out with girls back then. But that changed over time, and we built an incredibly unique friendship that has stood the test of time and the test of crazy girlfriends. (Shout out to Madi, we love you)! Rob is always down for a good time, never thinks any of my ideas are bad and shares in my love for the sentence, “oh we can have just one more.” He was part of my negotiation tactics for Keeghan to move to Phoenix, “oh you can play golf with my friend Rob all the time,” and I am happy to report, Rob has come through on that piece of the deal. He is incredibly talented, top-notch dancer, leader of good ideas that may be bad ideas and my margarita drinkin’ partner. Thanks for sticking around all these years and saying yes to standing next to me on my big day (oh, and thanks for saying you would wear a dress if I needed you to).
Matty Jackson
Groomsman
Matty and I both had fiery attitudes growing up, which led to a lot of passionate backyard sports games and the occasional butting of heads, but man did we have a blast together. I have so many great memories with Matty like bleaching our hair at the cape and forming the “He-Man” club with Kristian, playing basketball at the Y, the countless hours spent fishing at Dean and other spots, and getting Jojo to let loose and do shots at Christmas. Whenever Matty is around there are sure to be plenty of laughs. His goofiness and sense of humor reminds me to never take things too seriously. One thing I’ve always admired about Matty is he never shies away being his authentic self and that characteristic is a huge reason why he’s loved by everyone.
Scott Murdock
Bridesman
Where do I even begin? Maybe the beginning – picture this: 2nd grade, I am at a new school – I have no friends. I am shy (yes, I used to be very shy). This kid, (enters Scott) runs up to me. Imagine toe head blonde and a bowl cut, and he says, “hey do you want to be my friend.” Admittedly, a little nervous, but accepted. It was a great decision. Scott was the kid who defended me when kids would try to bully me because of my name. He was the boy who knew that I could do anything and always reminded me that I could. Always had my back, my biggest supporter and one of my longest friendships. We did the morning announcements together, student council together, even was my date to my Christmas dance one year at Xavier. He is one of the funniest (if not funniest) people I have ever known. Talented beyond measure, kind, smart and one of a kind – truly.
Avery Kallio
Flower Girl
here to start with this spunky little one! Avery is a beautiful bundle of energy. Moving quickly between her play-kitchen where she makes delicious meals and running around the house playing “hockey” (start ‘em young!), she’s also constantly dodging the attempts of her wolf-brother Koda to lick her face. Her smile and laugh are contagious and are enough to make you melt! Once you get this little lady to start gabbing, be prepared for a long and fun conversation after which you will certainly be asked to play!
Tatum Swallow
Bridesmaid
Not a lot of people know this part of our friendship, but Tatum saved me. My junior year of high school my entire friend group dropped me, for no reason other than whatever you can make of petty drama amongst seventeen-year-old girls. It was devastating and traumatizing – but Tatum pulled me out of that darkness. We knew each other all throughout high school, but that year she just stepped in and made sure I found myself again. There is not a lot of senior year that I don’t remember Tatum being a part of for me. It was incredibly hard to say goodbye after senior year when her mom got a teaching job at her college in Ohio. I think I cried for three weeks after they left. We stayed close and visited each other in Ohio/Boston endlessly. She even moved to Boston after college, and then moved to San Francisco too. Even the three of us shacked up together for a year in North Beach. Tatum is hilarious, smart, a go-getter, brave, and always the life of the party. I constantly wished we lived closer, but it is probably best that we don’t given how rowdy we’ve been known to get together. Beyond proud to call her my best friend.
Samantha Bissaillon
Flower Girl
Silly and sassy, Sammy is the queen bee wherever she goes. I can’t believe she’s going into 1st grade already! Sammy is part fashionista, part adventurer and if you ask John and her brother Jack, she’s undeniable proof that girls really do run the world!! Sammy lights up rooms when she smiles and laughs. While I wish she would stop growing up so fast, I can’t wait to watch her grow up and accomplish big things!
Silas Brown
Ring Bearer
Mr. Silas Blackwell Brown is a superstar. Smart, funny, spunky, full of energy and most importantly, so loving. He was the first person to make me a godmother, a responsibility I do not take lightly. He has taught me a lot about patience, asking "why" more and ice cream for dinner is always a good idea. It's been such an honor to get to watch him grow, change, ask questions and evolve into a wonderful boy. A boy who loves his family, always remembers the things you think he wouldn't remember, and is always moving - always. When he was born my life changed for the better. Grateful that he gets to be a part of this special day.
Jack Bissaillon
Wedding Passage Reader
I remember meeting “Baby Jack” like it was yesterday, so it’s hard to imagine that he’ll be 10 this year and going into the 4th grade in the fall! Watching Jack grow up into the kind, funny, curious and extremely intelligent kid he is has made me very excited to hopefully have a son one day. Jack is a wonderful reader and an even better older brother to his sister Sammy. Jack is wise beyond his years and destined to be successful in whatever he sets his mind to!
Myla Garcia
Wedding Passage Reader
Myla is one of my (very few) girl cousins on the Garcia side of the family and someone that I had the unique pleasure of being able to watch grow up. She is wildly talented, competitive, intelligent, beautiful, tough and kind. She pursues her passion of Irish Step dancing and has competed at the national level. She's the kind of girl that loves 'girly' things but is typically tougher than any of the boys on the playground (a girl after my own heart)!! I'm so grateful that she's a part of our special day and a part of my life.
Megan Kallio
Wedding Passage Reader
My sister Megan and I have always been close despite the gap in age. She’s one of the best people I know and is always looking out for me despite me clearly being influenced by John to mess with her like only brothers can. Megan has taught me a lot about determination and the importance of being a good person just by being herself. She faces situations and challenges with grace, humor, and empathy for those around her, but she’s also a fierce advocate for herself and her family. Megan has welcomed Kevyn into our family like a sister and given us a great example, along with Erik, for what a healthy partnership and awesome parenting looks like. I’m lucky to have such a wonderful influence on my life and hope I can live up to her example!