Melissa Rice - Melissa is one my good friends whom I have shared many memories with. In fact, it was Melissa who first thought of setting me up with Dean. We became friends the first day I joined a youth group at the West Valley JCC. I remember begging my mom not to make me go, but she insisted that I would have a good time. Well, she was right (aren't mothers always?) Melissa and I instantly bonded that day and have been friends ever since. We have been there for each other through it all - drivers license tests, high school crushes, broken hearts, first kisses, our 21st birthdays...and the list goes on. Melissa is a very talented graphic designer. She works for the John Wayne Cancer Institute as the Creative Services Coordinator where she designs presentations.


Diana Russ - Diana is one of my very good friends and soon to be sister-in-law! I met Diana through Melissa when I was sixteen. The most ironic part was that Diana's mom and my mom had gone to high school together and knew each other through a youth group they were in, but did not realize this until after Diana and I had become close friends. It was Melissa's initial idea to set me up with Dean in high school, but Diana was not happy about this at all. She thought it would be "gross" to have her friend date her brother, but I'm sure any girl would feel that way at fifteen. Now that we're older we look back on it and laugh. I feel very lucky that I get to have one of my closest friends become my sister-in-law. Currently, Diana works at Countrywide Home Loans as an Operations Analyst.


Michelle Foumberg - Michelle has been one of my very good friends since elementary school. Although we never attended the same school after sixth grade, we have still been able to remain very close. We share many memories and inside jokes that I don't think either one of us will ever forget. From braces and perms to careers and engagements we have been there for each other and will continue to do so until we are old and gray. It seems as though our lives seem to follow similar paths. I began dating Dean around the same time she started dating Darren. Michelle is now also engaged to Darren and, they will be getting married this May! She recently started her own casting company, Currently Casting, and is having much success.


Jennifer Berger - Jen is another one of my old time friends. We have known each other since the 4th grade. It's fun to look back on all of the childhood memories Jen and I have from the past. We used to have competitions to see who could write the longest letters to each other, which was our only means of communication when I was grounded from the phone (if only we had the internet back then). Jen was recently married last September. She currently works at Chatsworth Hills Academy as a computer teacher and technology manager.

Josh Russ (Best Man) - Josh is my younger brother by seven years. We have always been very close and I'm very happy to have him as my best man. Josh is currently taking on hobbies that I enjoyed when I was younger. He loves to surf, ride dirt bikes and enjoy life.