Ariana is Erika’s little sister, fellow bear and Swiftie, and both Erika and Stephen’s favorite human. She lives in Austin, TX (for now!) and has a dog named Luka, though it should be noted she is not a Dallas Maverick’s fan (thank goodness.) As Erika’s only Gen-Z friend, she works daily to make sure Erika stays up to date on the coolest lingo (fr fr, no cap). She is excited to take on the lifelong job of keeping Stephen cool too (bet).

Potential conversation topics: Baseball, best types of ice, your horoscope. She is a scorpio 🦂, gemini, gemini, but don’t hold it against her.

One day at age 4, Jen decidedly told Erika that she was now her best friend, and has since remained one of the most loyal, thoughtful, and loudest people that Erika has ever met. Through some tireless and hard work, Jen ensured that Erika had an exciting life full of loving and imprudent memories, and, despite growing up as a horse girl, is credited as being one of the main reasons Erika isn’t weirder. Jen graduated from Texas Tech, works at Google, lives in Austin, TX, and is always happy to talk about her dogs.

Fun fact: She is probably the only person who has not ever tried Chipotle (specifically because she is a queso snob).

Kassi and Erika first met after Erika’s cousin broke Kassi’s arm during a softball game (thank you Victoria!). After realizing they didn’t have to be rivals, their friendship quickly grew. They bonded over Twilight and Harry Potter books, equal love for the Red Sox and Dallas Cowboys 🏈, and chats during softball practices in high school. Kassi is currently pursuing her PhD in American Studies and Culture at Washington State University, has her Masters in Women’s Studies from DePaul University, and has a puppy named Frida.

Potential conversation topics: Pop culture, Princess Di facts, red lipstick and the ranking of every Drake song.

Kayla Suarez (rhymes with Juarez!) and Erika met their freshman biology class after their teacher would not stop making the above joke. Their friendship has strengthened throughout the years via their similar sense of dark humor, political dissertations via text, and healthy pop culture debates. Most of Erika’s bad decisions in life would have been even worse had it not been for Kayla, and she will be forever thankful for her regular advice. Kayla graduated with her masters from Texas Tech, does not drink coffee, and lives in El Paso, TX with her dog Stella.

Potential conversation topics: Hot takes on LOTR, the fact it's not okay to skip the 9th Doctor and What is Bitcoin.

Jules and Erika met during orientation at SCNM. They sat next to each other and bonded after a new classmate mentioned how much they hated *all* Geminis and they both got super nervous 😳. Their easy conversation, similar thought pattern, and tendency towards terrible decisions (like regularly meeting at 5 AM to study for an 8 AM exam for the first time) made them truly feel like Gemini twins 👯‍♀️. Julianna grew up on the east coast, went to college in Philly, and has been (mostly) vegetarian since she was 8yo.

Potential conversation topics: Her pets, Interior design, Golf, Podcast walks, Flowers and The Office.

Mel and Erika met at SCNM and quickly became friends after sharing a similar sense of humor, most of the time with Mel cracking the jokes and Erika laughing (even if no one else was). Mel has the unique combination of being both the smartest and kindest person in every room, and Erika is truly grateful she’s stuck in AZ for 2 more years for her residency. Mel is from Okotoks, Canada, rode horses growing up, speaks fluent French, chose academics over playing soccer for USC (nerd), and has never voted in a US election.

Potential conversation topics: Biking, Bee research, Her orange cat Henry, Coffee, Being related to Ryan Gosling, Popcorn and How to pronounce pasta.

Isaac is Stephen’s younger brother and fellow steak connoisseur. Growing up, they frequently bonded over basketball, skateboarding, Pokemon, Crazy Bones, and Runescape. One of their fondest memories was when they both played on the same high school basketball team, along with their brother Jordan. That year, Stephen was a senior, Jordan was a sophomore, and Isaac was a freshman. They were down by 3 with a few seconds left and Stephen shot a last second buzzer three and missed, however, was fouled and swooshed all three free throws to send the game into OT. Then in OT, Isaac took over and scored the majority to win the game. They’ve always had each other’s back in every situation and Isaac is honored to stand by Stephen while he takes Erika’s hand in marriage.

Potential conversation topics: Lucid dreaming, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Food, History and Video games.

Josh was the first person Stephen met at Jess Schwartz high school in 2004 and have been the best of friends since. He’s a year older and was a great mentor to Stephen, teaching him how to drive when he was 15 so he could be chauffeured around 😳. They were always together in high school, whether it was playing basketball, camping out for Black Friday, or eating Benihana with Stephen’s Grandpa every single Friday. When Stephen graduated high school, he applied to only one school, the University of Arizona, because that’s where Josh and their friends went. Josh welcomed Stephen and Trae 🐶 into their apartment so that he wouldn’t have to live in the dorms. He then brought Stephen into their fraternity, Sigma Alpha Mu, where they shared way too many crazy college experiences together. One time, Stephen pointed his airsoft sniper rifle point blank at Josh’s hand, thinking it was unloaded, and pulled the trigger as a very stupid joke. His pinky was bruised for half a year. Anyway, Josh forgave Stephen immediately, somehow strengthening their relationship showing nothing could separate their bond. Josh has always been there to help guide Stephen in life and he’s the perfect man to show his support on Stephen and Erika’s wedding day.

Potential conversation topics: Teeth, Basketball, Airsoft guns, Cars, Parking boats, Benihana, Gluten-free food and Golf.

“For the good and welfare of Sigma Alpha Mu - Beta Gamma”. Jake is the only groomsman not born in Arizona and is probably the best story teller of all time, earning him a spot in the wedding party. He can literally make anything funny so we should have very high expectations during his speech. Jake and Stephen met in their fraternity and both happily repped the SALT center. They shared the craziest and rarest of experiences others could only wish for, which we’ll have to skip over the details. Over the years of their friendship, Jake’s obsession with sports and poker have always kept the conversations going. Stephen is very excited to have Jake by his side during his special day.

Potential conversation topics: Jets, Pacers, Poker, Fantasy sports, Hot tubs, Papa’s and Beer, Dating tips and Shapes.

Jonny and Stephen first met in Gymboree when they were 8 months old. Ever since they locked eyes that 3rd tuesday of that month, they’ve been thinking about each other since. Even though Jonny graduated from ASU, and was also in Sigma Alpha Mu over there, he’s actually really smart and you might mistake him for a UofA alumni any day. Jonny is that rare type of person who makes you feel really good about what you’re doing, even if it’s boring and dumb, so make sure you talk to him! He’s probably Stephen’s nicest friend and odds say everyone else would agree too. Jonny and Stephen have been on too many bachelor party’s to count and their bond just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Stephen is so thrilled to have Jonny by his side as he’s always bringing the life to the party!

Potential conversation topics: Stocks, Scripting, Startups, Entrepreneurship, Hebrew, Puppies, Literally everything!

Blaine reminds Stephen of Goofy. He’s tall, friendly, curious and really smart, but a little clumsy at times. Blaine and Stephen met in Sigma Alpha Mu and became friends after Stephen thought he would be good at basketball. Soon after, Stephen realized Blaine was best at being a fan and cheerleader, which we still needed. Blaine is a man with a plan. He is always thinking about the next big thing, which you can tell when he stops responding mid conversation. Even though he sometimes forgets which pocket his hand is in, he’s the perfect person to talk through your start-up idea and provide some great constructive feedback. Stephen often goes to Blaine to talk business when he needs some advice and an outside opinion. After you get to know Blaine, you’ll see why Stephen is bringing his huge heart up there by his side.

Potential conversation topics: Uber, Real estate, AirBnB, Stocks, Startups, Entrepreneurship and Flowers.