Wedding Party

We are so grateful to have such incredible friends and family in our lives. One of the more difficult aspects of planning the wedding was limiting our wedding party to include five bridesmaids and five groomsmen! We've chosen friends from middle school, high school, college, and work, as well as our brother and sisters, whose love and support we feel with each passing day.

Maid of Honor - Christina Tran

Christina and I had a serendipitous friendship that started at college orientation in summer of 2005. Based on the few words we exchanged, we thought it would be a good idea to take the same classes with a stranger for the next semester to start our college career. We remained cordial acquaintances throughout our first year, each exploring college life with separate circles of friends. By chance, we became research partners our sophomore year. The time we spent together was limited, but we created many heart-shape-spotted cows with heart-shaped poop and had discussions regarding giraffes and their nubs/horns. Our research advisor often wondered how we could giggle so much.

After sophomore year ended, Christina went on to dental school at UCSF. We managed to stay in touch the next few years, mostly due to Christina visiting Stockton every so often. After I started working, she helped me explore the great city of San Francisco. Since then, we've spent much more time together, sharpening our skills in the kitchen, sweating raindrops in fitness classes, sharing boy stories, discussing life's opportunities, and encouraging each other in face of challenges. Needless to say, we still have the best giggle sessions to this day.

It is my honor that she had agreed to become my Maid of Honor to stand beside me when I enter this new stage of my life.

Best Man - Cory Buckingham

It seems as though Cory and I were destined to be friends from early on. Although we didn't become friends until high school, our lives were intertwined long before we knew each other. When I was much younger, I attended a wedding between one of my mother's closest friends and one of Cory's uncles. It wasn't until years later that we became aware this strange coincidence.

Cory was the epitome of a high school star, earning varsity letters for tennis, basketball, and baseball, all while maintaining a high level of academic excellence. With this rare combination of athleticism and brains, I presumed he would carry himself with an air of superiority. In no time at all, I came to realize that Cory was a genuinely nice person with a personality as extraordinary as his talents. As baseball teammates and honors classmates, Cory and I spent a lot of time together our junior and senior years. With similar goals and work ethic, we quickly became close friends. In our nearly non-existent free time we would be out playing golf, frisbee golf, poker, or board games with his family and some of our other friends.

Cory attended Kansas University pursuing a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Upon graduating, Cory was immediately hired by the United Launch Alliance as an applications engineer (this comes with the perk of wooing ladies with cheesy pick-up lines about rocket scientists). Cory is now settled in Denver with a great career and being as active as possible playing in a number of recreational leagues including softball, volleyball, soccer, basketball, flag football, and dodgeball.

Over the years, our friendship has grown despite the number of states between us and the limited time we've gotten to spend together. We try to see each other as much as possible when I visit "home". He even made the trek out to California in October, 2011, with Jimmy Peng (see below). I've grown very close to Cory and consider him to be a second brother, which is fitting because I've also come to be extremely close to his family. According to his sister K.J, I am "Brother Nicholas." I admire and respect his kindness, competitive nature, and desire to succeed, the result of which is apparent in all aspects of his life. I am honored to have Cory as my Best Man and take comfort in knowing that he'll be there for me and do everything in his power to make the most important day of my life an incredible memory that we'll remember for the rest of our lives.

Bridesmaids

Annie Chen - Annie is my baby sister, younger by 5 years. She is the smallest in age and in size, but she is the most strong-willed person I know. She keeps me grounded by pointing out my flaws, and keeps my ego in check when I get ahead of myself. I like to say that she is the concentrated version of me, more flavorful, and packs a stronger punch! Following the footsteps of her 2 older sisters, she currently attends University of the Pacific pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences.

Connie Chen - Connie is our middle sister. Everything she does is exceptional. Instead of having a big head, she is extremely humble and tender-hearted. She is quick to appreciate and compliment. She has the eye for the arts and ear for soothing music. After excelling in undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences and attaining her Bachelor of Science degree in 3 years, she currently attends University of Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, pursuing her D.D.S. degree.

My Nguyen - My, nicknamed Mimi, is an ex-co-worker. She is considerate, well-rounded, athletic, and genuine. She knows what makes her happy in life, and she's willing to give up the status quo to find it. It's because of this that she applied to a position in Genentech, Inc. After she started working with me, we became instant close friends. Unfortunately, she realized that the corporate world is on her list of things that does not make her happy. She now dedicates her time teaching all things science in San Francisco. We try to spend as much time together as our busy schedules allow, going biking, yoga, zumba, snowboarding, watching movies, and enjoying good food.

Kathy Tran - Kathy is also an ex-co-worker. Actually, she's much more than that; she was on the interview panel that ultimately hired me straight out of college, and she was the thorough and patient trainer throughout my on-boarding process. Needless to say, she made sharing a cube, learning about pagers (and about the 90's in general), and taking coffee breaks at various coffee stations a lot of fun. Good times seemed to pass so quickly because within 6 months of my start-date, she left the company "to pursue other opportunities." She now works on plant genetics research in Hayward. As a season pass holder, she was present during the only time I visited Disneyland in my adult life; we had a blast in the mad hatter tea cups!

Groomsmen

Randall Gee - I'm sure that nearly all of you know Randall. With nearly 3,500 Facebook friends, it seems as though we can't go anywhere without running into somebody that knows him. After just a few short seconds of knowing him, it becomes obvious why. Randall has a magnetic personality that naturally draws people to him and a great sense of humor that brings smiles to the faces of everyone around him. I met Randall my freshman year at University of the Pacific in the engineering program. We were fortunate enough to get a co-op together my junior year, resulting in us being roommates for six months. During this time, we played in open court volleyball games at a local gym, hiked Mt. Diablo, golfed, bowled, cooked, and partook in archery at Golden Gate Park, growing to be very close friends along the way. Randall is also an excellent photographer, working as the official photographer at University of the Pacific. He also photographs at weddings and engagements on the side (our incredible engagement photos were compliments of Randall Gee Photography).

Matthew Rummel - Matt is two years older than me and has been a great role model, leading by example of how somebody should live his life. He is the most sincere, honest, and dedicated person I know, always wearing his heart on his sleeve, all traits that we wish more people exhibited. Growing up, Matt always set the bar for me as far as academics and sports, and it was really high. Despite this, he was always willing to help me, whether it was homework, baseball practice, or consoling me during my "time-outs." Upon graduation from Grand Canyon University with a Bachelor's degree in mathematics, and a Master's degree in teaching. After teaching at a private school in Arizona, he decided to (quoting LeBron James) "take his talents" back home to Colorado. Due to the fact that he went to college in Arizona and I went to college in California, I haven't lived with him for any extended period of time since 2003. Although there has always been a lot of distance between us, I've always felt as though he would be there for me if I ever needed him.

James Peng - Where to start with James Peng? Jimmy and I have been friends since middle school and I've always admired his obtuse knowledge about everything anything. It seems like whenever I'm with Jimmy I learn something new, albeit, something that will never be practically useful in my life. Joking aside, he is actually the smartest person I know, and I love talking with him about everything from sports to inventions. Jimmy and I have grown to be very close friends due to his kind-natured and friendly personality, along with his desire to be active. Whenever either of us is bored, we'd call the other person and decide to do one of a thousand different things, such as poker, sledding, softball, volleyball, frisbee golf, golf, indoor trampoline, or just hang out. Jimmy is one of the most caring people I know, always eager to get together or catch up over the phone and talk about how our lives are going. Since I moved out to California, he's always been hoping that I'd return to Colorado. I remember I recently told Jimmy about an interview I was going to be having for a company in California, and he replied with something along the lines of, "Good luck... but I hope you don't get it, so you can come back home!" Jimmy attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, earning a Bachelor's in finance and a Master's in accounting. Since graduating, Jimmy has participated twice in Teach for America in China.

Dustin Katka - Dustin is one of my oldest friends and somebody I've always looked up to... literally (he's like 6'4"). We met each other early on while playing on the same little league baseball team. While we were merely teammates at that point, we became much closer friends our freshman year of high school when we ended up on the same freshman baseball team. Dustin has such a great and rare personality; he's a natural leader who brings out the best in people through both motivation and comfort. He's very fun and charismatic, and created a fun environment while at the same time demanding a level of discipline and responsibility from his teammates. The next year Dustin and I were the only sophomores to make the varsity team, so we became extremely close, relying on each other for support. Since high school, we haven't seen much of each other, but when we finally get a chance to hang out and catch up, our friendship picks up right where it left off without skipping a beat. Dustin is such a great guy with an amazing attitude that I can't help but want to be around him. He is now happily married to his high school sweetheart and living in Denver.

Flower Girl - Jenna Plasschaert

The only girl out of 5 kids, Jenna is the born princess of the family, though she does not act it. She is adorable, warm, kind, and gentle. It's a testament to great character and amazing parenting.

Ring Bearer - Ethan Ravnan

I remember when Ethan was born to my college club soccer coach only a few years ago; his parents were so elated and amused with their little guy. I have only seen him a couple times since then, but I have heard that he has a very mature personality and taste for a toddler.

Please note that all text written in purple is Irene's narrative, while text written in green is Nick's narrative.