Chelsea & John
Wedding Party
Brittany Hankard
Matron of Honor
Chelsea and Brittany met at their Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority bid night at UConn in 2009 and lived together until graduation. They spent many college days hitting the books and many nights hitting the "town" on Hunting Lodge Road, in less than sensible footwear. Chelsea loves her friendship with Brittany because of the way they continue to grow together through every stage of life, bonding over yoga, pho, Taylor Swift, and deep conversations. We are so excited to have Britt back here from Virginia for our big day as Chelsea's matron of honor!
Kari Rood
Bridesmaid
Chelsea met Kari in grad school at Baylor. One month in, they had coffee at Common Grounds, decided they were a great match, and planned to pull an all-nighter the next day to write midterms (bad idea) before driving to Austin for a weekend on 2 hours of sleep (also not advisable). Some of their best memories include wearing prom gowns to an Adele concert in LA, Chelsea attending her first (only) Cotillion in Scottsdale, and somehow ending up on a VIP list together at a political campaign party in Dallas. Kari is Chelsea's voice of reason. We are honored to have Kari as a bridesmaid!
Suzie Berthiaume
Bridesmaid
Suzie is Chelsea’s oldest friend. In their 18-year friendship, they have seen each other through every awkward phase: from braces and poor fashion choices, to attending emo and ska shows, to attending UConn together and mastering the sorority squat. Chelsea sees Suzie every chance she gets on her weekend visits to North Haven, when they cross their fingers and hope they don’t run into old classmates at the local Starbucks. Chelsea can always count on Suzie; in every crisis (there have been many), Suzie has dropped everything to be there. We are so lucky to have this true friend in our lives and in our wedding!
Marie Murray
Bridesmaid
Marie came into Chelsea’s life in 2009 through their sorority at UConn. Genuine and full of life, Chelsea loved her from the start. During senior year, they learned that they both applied and were accepted to different programs at Baylor University. They spent their Waco weekends together cheering for Baylor football, eating BBQ, listening to country, and hanging out at Scruffy Murphy’s. Marie stuck around Texas after graduation, so Chelsea is overjoyed to have her make a homecoming for this special occasion!
Caitlin Cichocki
Bridesmaid
Caitlin is Chelsea’s sister-in-law and the mother of Chelsea’s two greatest joys — her two nieces (one human & one canine). Caitlin seamlessly joined the Cichocki family, winning Chelsea’s heart when she found out their mutual love for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, seafood, and Chelsea’s older brother, Joe. Caitlin and John are forming a support group to keep each other company when Chelsea and Joe get on a roll and recount their 31 years of inside jokes and recite every word of Billy Madison. We are so happy she will be standing by us as we enter into marriage!
Tim Jones
Best Man
John and Tim have been friends since 7th grade where Tim’s personable demeanor had classmates likening him to a presidential candidate, leading to his “TJ2024” AOL screen name. While Tim has yet to announce his 2024 run, he and John have remained close friends, regularly discussing their love of the Yankees, Knicks, movies, and quality TV shows. We are so excited to have Tim joining our wedding party as John’s best man!
Kirk Healy
Groomsman
John and Kirk have been friends since middle school and were roommates their freshman year at UConn. John has served as Kirk’s “offensive coordinator” in group settings over the years, making comments directly to Kirk that he would then repeat to the group for laughs. Fun fact: John and Chelsea’s last night out pre-pandemic was a Valentine’s Day outing at World of Beer with Kirk and his wife, Kim. Doesn’t get much better than that! We are honored to have Kirk in our wedding party.
Garrett Johnson
Groomsman
John and Garrett actually first met online when Tim put them in touch to discuss Conard High School football. John was able to look past Garrett losing to rival Hall High School, and a friendship was born. While football was their introduction, they’ve been known to discuss everything from music to politics. Chelsea especially loves talking about emo music with Garrett and the rare occasions when John clues her into the guys’ group chat happenings when Garrett shares something outlandishly funny. We can't wait to celebrate this milestone with Garrett as a groomsman!
Jerry Sokola
Groomsman
John and Jerry met in middle school and would partner together to manage an unsuccessful fantasy football team. While they went their separate ways as fantasy managers, they spent plenty of time together throughout their time at UConn, living one floor apart their Sophomore year. We are so excited to have Jerry with us as we say "I do!"
Jason Kriksciun
Groomsman
John and Jay have been good friends over the years despite hating each other’s favorite teams. This led to many civil debates that were (almost) always in good fun. One thing they can agree on is the greatness of UConn basketball, and their mutual excitement over spotting Kemba Walker one night out in West Hartford Center. We are so happy to have Jay as a groomsman!