Wedding Party

Sister of the bride aka “ate”. She is the oldest sibling of the Endayas. She is a superhero who inspires us every day by molding our next generation of leaders. I can count on ate for anything big or small and cherish the relationship we’ve built over the years.

I met Reina when I was a pre-teen because she went to my house and had the coolest Nike Dunks that matched her outfit. I thought she was so cool and felt honored that she spoke to me. Growing up, we would spend summers together because our brothers were best friends so I would ride with my brother to her house. To this day, she is the first person I call no matter what and is the true definition of friends turned family.

Ray may be Sarah’s older brother, but he’s a “kuya” to many. He always shows up and has your back when you need him. Over the years, he’s picked up many nicknames: Mayor Ray, Landlord Ray, Dancing Ray, etc. He’s the life of the party and a living embodiment of the phrase “work hard, play hard.” He’s a true, genuine person that I’m proud to call my future brother-in-law.

Logan is Sarah’s brother-in-law and one of the most dependable guys I know. He’s always down to try new things, which means he’s probably tried dinuguan. Logan’s also a man of many talents. He can build, grow, and fix just about anything and he’s a real estate agent! Theoretically, he could build a new house for you and then fix and sell your old one. He has tons of hobbies that he’s passionate about, including brewing beer. He’s even made ube and pandan beers!

Lili and I met because she was Lucy’s little sister and Lucy would bring her around often. Little did I know that Lili would become one of my truest friends. She is one of the most genuine people I know. We connect on cooking, hosting, making our homes cozy, and going to HomeGoods. She is someone I can talk to for hours at a time, even when we take long breaks apart from each other! We always pick up where we left off!

Lucy and I were randomly assigned roommates in college. I lived in the international dorm where each American student is supposed to room with a NC State exchange student. When I added Lucy on Facebook, I looked at her profile and thought she was from Mexico. It turns out, she was born in Florida and grew up in North Carolina! Let’s just say Lucy and I blossomed very late in life so when we met, we connected on her high waters and my braces.

Ashley was one of Sarah’s roommates in college and I’m so honored to have her as a groomsperson. She recently got her PhD in Botany, which we are all proud of her for. However, don’t ask her about anything plant-related unless you have some time to kill. All jokes aside, Sarah and I would not be together if it weren’t for Ashley. She was the one that encouraged Sarah to keep texting me after I took forever to respond. She also helped Sarah with an “emergency” situation right before our first date.

We met Chan “The Man” through his wife Naomi, one of The Galván Sisters™️. Known for his epic beard, Chan is probably the manliest man you’ll ever meet. In fact, he was voted Sexiest Man Alive by his wife and myself. Chan has always been a great friend and he cares deeply for the people around him, especially his new baby girl, Olivia. He’s also very proud of his Native American heritage and I was honored to be able to experience some it during his wedding!

Maple is one of my newest close friends but we survived graduate school together so we’ve been through it all! She was my rock when I lived in California, showing me the secrets of Disneyland and the good eats in LA. I was honored to see her marry her best friend in Thailand last year (Crazy Rich Asian style) and am so glad she gets to see me marry mine now.

We met Greg, or “Dr. Greg” as our Barkada group calls him, through his fiancé Carmina. When he’s not saving the lives of animals as a veterinarian, he’s breakdancing and winning dance battles. In fact, he’s featured in every wedding video and probably will be in ours too! He’s also a skilled soccer player, skier, and snowboarder. Greg is just an all-around great guy and has (somehow) been a fan of Meeko even after Meeko stole an entire garlic bread from his plate. Sorry, Greg!

I met Paul through his sister, Carmina, and he is truly one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet! He’s a great conversationalist and always interested in what you’re up to. Paul puts passion into everything he does, especially when he was a QA for Epic Game’s Fortnite. Paul is also incredibly humble and would never admit that he’s a snowboard master. He actually taught me how to snowboard in just a few hours! He also gets mistaken for a Korean movie star.