Best Man: Billy Friebele

Billy Friebele the best brother a guy could ask for.  He’s my role model, confidant, adviser, wrestling partner, and best friend since I was born.  An amazing artist and educator, he and I have a lot in common, but somehow we spend most of our time hanging out joking and laughing instead of discussing our artistic endeavors and pupils whose lives we make better with our outstanding instructional talents (joke – but not really, we’re kind of amazing).   If we ask you who looks older, do me a favor and say that he does.  He likes to gloat that he is aging better than me.  Not everyone can see me on the basketball court, but Billy has some sick defense.  I still let him know who has the better jumper, though as I routinely pop 3-pointers in his face whenever we make it to the court.  All sibling rivalry aside, Billy has seen me at my best and worst and still is the first person I call when I am on cloud nine or down in the dumps.  He knows me better than most and can always make me smile, laugh, talk me off the ledge, and make me see the bright side of a gloomy situation.  I hope that one day I can be as great of a husband, father, and brother that he is today.

Groomsman: Joe McDavid

Joe McDavid has been one of my best friends since age 13.  He truly has seen every side of me.  He and I have rambling imaginations and senses of humor that routinely make us add onto each other’s jokes until we both are splitting at the side with laughter.  Since he and I both enjoy hip hop and music in general we collaborated on several different tracks in our spare time during my college summers, some of which we still listen to and think “We made this?!?!”  As we have aged, our schedules seem to have grown opposite, limiting the time that we can hang out, but whenever we do, it is just like old times: no worries and an all out blast.  Joe is blunt, speaks his mind, advises with his heart, and truly cares.  Whether we are going to concerts, Redskins games, parties, or working on music, Joe and I can rely on one thing; that we will go into it with 1000% intensity.  Like my brother, Joe can’t keep up with me on the court, but he hustles like a boss and also has some pretty nasty defense.  Although many things like distance, feuds, schedules, school, and girlfriends have tested our friendship, nothing has broken it, and nothing ever will.

Groomsman: Thomas Swindell

Thomas has been one of my best friends since my senior year in college.  Although he and I went to Guilford at the same time, we didn’t get to know each other until we studied abroad in Seville, Spain. He met Letizia the same time that I did, and witnessed the progression of our relationship.  In fact, he was instrumental in getting Letizia and I back together after 8 years apart.  For that, I am forever in his debt.  He’s always looked out for me and advised me on what’s best.  My favorite quote from Thomas came soon after he reconnected Letizia and I.  He said: “Dave – DON’T F%$# IT UP!”.  Needless to say, I haven’t.  Thomas, like me, has many sides.  He is professionally focused, driven, level headed, and calm.  He is also hilarious, loud, a straight clown with his friends, and he and I can shut the club down if we want to – or at least we could at age 21.  Oh – and I CANNOT beat Thomas on the basketball court.  Yeah….  we played pickup on the same team in Seville and I would never put myself through the embarrassment of competing against him. We have known each other for over a decade now, and if I know Thomas at all, I know that he and I will be best of friends for many more decades to come.

Groomsman: Maclean Struthers

Maclean Struthers would do anything for anyone who is in need.  He is a great guy like that.  When he came into the life of my coworker and great friend Kathryn, I could not have approved more.  Mac and I quickly became very good friends.  Mac, Kathryn, Letizia, and I have had numerous cabin trips, dinners, BBQ’s, hikes, in depth conversations, and hundreds of hours of laughter.  But enough about the ladies – this is about Mac!  Mac is one of those guys that you could call up to install a dishwasher or watch football, go fly fishing or build a fireplace, hit up a party or just sit in the backyard and knock back some cold ones.  He got me to play golf for the first time and lose about 200 balls in the forest (I have a mean slice I guess).  He’s down for whatever and loves to have fun and that’s why I identify so much with him. Mac is genuine, caring, and if I call him up to hang out, it’s always a guaranteed to be a load of laughs and nonstop meaningful conversation.  Most importantly, he has been wonderful and gracious to people who are important to me including Kathryn and Letizia (back to the ladies I guess… )  I have no idea how Mac would measure up to me on the basketball court, but I am assuming I would win because b-ball has oddly never come up.  However, if we went fly fishing, I’m sure he would take the W.

Maid of Honor: Mayra Rodriguez, M.D.

I first met Mayra in my freshman year of high school at Dominican Academy in New York City’s Upper East Side.  What’s funny about our friendship is that we knew each other all through high school and even though we were in the same clique and always hung out together we were never very close, probably because our personalities are very different.  But, somehow when it came to going clubbing, something we both loved to do, (go figure!) we were the best of friends!  I went to college at Fordham University in Manhattan and lived at home with my parents while Mayra went to Columbia University and lived at the dorms – 2 train stops away from each other.  We started hanging out a lot which surprised our friends and family.  But we ended up becoming inseparable.  Almost every single weekend we went out dancing and she is still my go to girl for Salsa, Hip-Hop and of course Reggaeton! Now that I am finishing up medical school and she her Nephrology Fellowship, we often only get the chance to talk for a few minutes or meet up for dinner here and there.  But, when we do, we have tons of laughs (usually about all the things we’ve been through together) and realize that although we’re no longer less than a mile away from each other, our friendship knows no distance.

Bridesmaid: Kathleen Syron – Briceño

On my way to Seville, Spain in 2002 I met Kathleen in the Barcelona airport waiting for our connecting flight.  We were an unlikely pair but somehow our study abroad experience would make us very close friends.  While in Sevilla, Kathleen and I would meet for tapas almost every night and share our thought, fears, observations and experiences usually with a bottle of wine.   We traveled to Barcelona together and even went to Ireland, where her family gave me the good Irish name Bridgette…hahaha   (my name was a bit difficult for the older folks to pronounce or remember).  Now, when it comes to dancing, at Kathleen’s wedding was probably the most I’d ever seen her dance!  Since Sevilla, we have remained close friends and have seen each other grow from wayward 21year old girls wandering Europe to becoming focused, career driven women.  I am most honored to be the godmother to her daughter Mary Francisca, a promise she made to me back in Spain.  Even if we don’t speak for extended periods of time we know that we will always be there for each other.

Bridesmaid: Kathryn Connor

When I first went to DC Dave insisted that one of the first person’s I needed to meet was his friend Kathryn.  Well of course I was curious to meet my now boyfriend’s best female friend…hmmm.  But the instant I met Kathryn I knew why they were such good friends.  Immediately we clicked and just started chatting away even when Dave wasn’t in the room.  We both approved of each other and I was certainly happy that he had such a wonderful friend to keep him grounded while I was still living in New York.  Since moving to DC Kathryn always made me feel right at home.  Dave and I have gone over to Mac and Kathryn’s for numerous dinners, games, BBQ’s even pumpkin carvings.   Going out with Kathryn is always fun especially because she is willing to dance to whatever music is playing!  When we get together we laugh a lot and talk about how fun it would be to live and raise our future families next door to them!   Kathryn’s strong beliefs and open-mindedness is refreshing and inspiring.  When it comes to our new location for residency she is one reason why I really wish we could stay in DC.

Bridesmaid: Magdaliz Alvarez

I first met Magda a few months after Dave and I moved in together while walking Rosie in the backyard of our apartment complex.  I saw her on the stairs balcony enjoying our wooded view and I thought to myself, I think that girl is Puerto Rican.  I walked up the stairs to go home and Magda asked to pet Rosie.  Immediately we squealed at the fact that we were both Puerto Rican and Magda invited me over her place for drink.  From that moment on, we have become very close friends.  We can talk for hours, usually during an impromptu visit by her apartment 2 doors down. She is the life of the party and everytime Magda comes over it undoubtedly turns into a salsa party!!  Magda is very thoughtful and has quickly become one of my best friends.