Todd and Val's wedding party is such a special group of family and friends who have become family. They are excited to dedicate this part of the website to those special people who will be by their side as they commit their lives to one another.

Elena Flores-Breese                                                                                                    Matron of Honor

As the second born, Valerie spent much of her childhood trying to emulate her older sister, Elena, wearing identical holiday dresses and winter coats. This drove Elena batty, especially when Val revealed to everyone on the school bus where said article of clothing was purchased. Still, Elena made sure Val was never alone on the playground when other girls decided to be mean. Over the years, Val and Elena were Sunshine Singers, danced in many recitals, and carpooled to Xavier together in plaid skirts. Throughout junior high and high school, Elena was quick to point out when Val was committing a fashion faux pas, undoubtedly for Val’s benefit. In turn, Val dated some of Elena’s friends, much to her dismay. And though much of their childhood was spent in competition and angst, they were fortunate to discover a most priceless friendship on other side of high school.

In college, Elena flew out to Chicago for Val’s 21st birthday and made it such a special occasion, despite her aversion to cold weather. They gallivanted around the new Millennium Park, ate sushi, and Elena pieced together Val’s broken heart when her crush showed up to the President’s Ball with a date. After college, Elena and Val roomed together on two separate occasions, the latter resulting in Elena being Val’s closest confidante when she first met Todd. In fact, without Elena’s investigative Facebook work, Val may not have known that Todd was a good guy- phew! Simply put, there is truly not enough time on earth for these two sisters to share together.

Marisa Flores                                                                                                          Maid of Honor

Val was lucky enough to be nestled in between two lovely sisters, with Marisa being her younger sister. As a little girl, Val admired how Marisa walked to the beat of a different drum- she streaked around the neighborhood, gained the name “Speedy Gonzales” for the way she created domestic disasters in mere seconds, and later became infamous for cutting her own bangs in jagged patterns. Early on, Val felt responsible to protect and defend Marisa’s fiery disposition, and in high school Val made sure to take Missa under her wing and out with her friends.

This close sisterhood may explain, in part, how Marisa also ended up in Chicago for college. Val made sure Marisa could escape the horrors of dorm life with an easy stroll down Sheridan to Val’s apartment. After college, Val and Marisa became roommates in the legendary Cornelia residence, just five-minutes away from Wrigley Field. Together, they navigated through several seasons of young adulthood, sharing professional successes, heartaches, and some Skinny Girl margaritas on the back garden porch. In the end, it was Marisa’s same fiery spirit and unshakeable optimism that encouraged Val to take some risks herself and “go for Todd”!

Keelan "Kee" Ostrand                                                                                  Bridesmaid

Kee and Val have known each other since 2nd grade, but they didn’t become inseparable until 4th grade when they were finally placed in Mr. Maggie’s class at Sirrine Elementary. From the start, Val really admired Keelan’s confidence and outgoing nature. It wasn’t long before their social time at recess turned into weekend slumber parties. Yet as summer rolled around, Keelan would leave Arizona to spend the summer with her mom in Colorado. This only meant that Kee and Val became avid pen pals, telling tall tales of their summer adventures, and anticipating when they would be reunited again in the fall. In fact, they were so attached that Val would stick around on the weekends to help Keelan with household chores, such as mowing the Ostrands’ sprawling backyard lawn. As Val and Kee grew in friendship, they shared in many shenanigans together: putting on live performances to Mariah Carey and Celine Dion in front of Kee’s mirrored closet, raiding the Flores’ pantry for late night snacks, skiing at Sunrise, and exploring Chicago, Italy, and finally Baltimore. Together they have danced in recitals, junior high and high school dances, and salsa clubs near and far. Yes, this 22-year friendship has stood the test of time, and to bridge the distance between Chandler and Baltimore Val and Kee have traded in paper and pencil for some quality Facetime catch up sessions. Val feels tremendously lucky to have her longtime friend present for this momentous occasion.

Andrea (Torzala) Melia                                                                              Bridesmaid

Introduced by their older sisters, Andrea and Val were instant friends. Andrea is someone who has always smiled like she knew something everyone else didn’t, and Val was dying to know what that something was. Early on, they connected by watching Jane Austen movies, writing songs together, and pulling elaborate pranks on unsuspecting friends. In high school, they shared one of their first jobs together as Starbucks baristas, working the 5am shift. This often meant pulling all-nighters until one of them needed to drive to work. Not surprisingly, their manager never scheduled them on the same morning because they could not be trusted to “work” together. Nevertheless, there are no two friends that are more accomplished at thrift store shopping. On the three occasions that they were roommates, Val and Andrea peacefully shared their wardrobes without any scuffles. Neither will ever feel their lives or their closets are the same without the other. Whether meeting up in Chicago, Nashville, Manassas or Phoenix, it is crazy how seamlessly this friendship pick ups where it left off.  Seventeen years ago Val was so excited to share her love of music and faith with this special woman, and today Val is so grateful for how much she continues to learn from Andrea about hippie living and motherhood.

Monica "Moni" (Hortobagyi) Siniff                                                          Bridesmaid

Monica and Val were both placed in the only freshman all-female dorm at Loyola, Coffey Hall, and became BFFs after exploring Chicago on a long Fall Break. During that weekend, Monica was given the nickname “Moni”, ditched her then boyfriend, and the two embarked on a beautiful, lifelong friendship. After surviving their chilly, freshman year in Chicago, Moni and Val were roommates for the next 3 years, and often stayed up late pondering life and dreaming about their futures as they chatted away on the blue rug in the bathroom. Many life lessons were learned in their years rooming together. For example, Moni exposed Val to various cuisines around the world and taught Val how to use chopsticks to eat sushi, and in turn, Val helped Moni through the darkest moments of college procrastination. In the spring of their junior year, Val and Moni studied in Rome together and took Italy and Europe by storm! They walked to all of Rome’s famous monuments in a single day, did a short stint in a co-ed Calcio (soccer) team, double-dated Italian men, witnessed the white smoke signaling a new pope, and set off to backpack around Europe without any set itinerary. Together, they experienced unexpected misinterpretations in London, rode to the top of the Eiffel Tower, biked through Berlin, dodged some sketchy characters in Prague, and tried to catch some rays on a rainy Croatian beach. In the years following college, Moni has been a most invaluable confidante through the peaks and valleys in life. Moni's thoughtful, gentle and wise soul help balance out Val's tendency to fret. Val is so excited to have Moni by her side at this very big peak in her life!

Nicole "Nic" (Leitz) Garcia                                                                       Bridesmaid

Nicole came into Val’s life during a very challenging experience known as Teach For America (TFA). They were recruited to teach low-income second graders in South Phoenix, and their classrooms were just two doors down from one another. At first, Nicole’s Type A personality was doubtful that she could count on Type B Val to do all the math lesson planning, but soon they were dividing up and conquering every task set before them. When they weren’t simply surviving TFA, they were often found sharing a glass of wine and watching the first few seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. There is something unbreakable between two friends that have weathered serious storms together, and that is the kind of friendship shared by Nic and Val. Post TFA, Val and Nic roomed together for a year in the Cornelia residence. There, they witnessed the snow thunderstorm otherwise known as the “Blizzard of 2011”, and they celebrated the next day, playing in several feet of snow on the only snow day of Valerie’s life. Nicole and Val share a similar taste in books, and Nicole is largely to blame for Val’s great love of Harry Potter. Nicole’s generosity of spirit and “just do it” example inspire Val to be a better person. In countless ways, Nicole has been both a mentor and a friend to Valerie, and Val is over the moon to share the next chapter in both of their lives near one another in Arizona.

Vanessa (Raschke) Rainey                                                                           Bridesmaid

Val and Vanessa, known in small circles as V-squared, first met during their senior year of college after choosing to complete their honors theses in the same lab. Though the principal investigator often pitted the two against each other to collect more data, Val and Vanessa survived this experience as close colleagues. Still, several years would pass before their friendship would really grow into something more than lab mates. In grad school, Vanessa was a couple years ahead of Val, yet somehow the timing was perfect for both of them to embark on a new research project that combined their shared interests in bilingualism and cognitive development. The two have been collaborating on research ever since that one fateful day in Metropolis when their brainchild was born. In grad school, researching together typically translates into traveling with one another to conferences. At these very “productive” conferences V-squared have together discovered secret cocktail bars in Seattle, shopped in the rain in Florence, shared a really fancy dinner in Rome, and unsuccessfully attempted (multiple times) to ride the street cars in San Francisco. Val really looks forward to visiting Vanessa in Pensacola one day very soon, but until then she is happy that she gets to see Vanessa weekly during their research meetings on Google Hangout. It is really rare that one can work productively with a close friend, but somehow these two can get the work done with spare time to goof around in...

Arie Zakaryan                                                                                                        Bride's Best Gentleman

You might recognize Arie as the third musketeer in many of Val and Todd’s Chicago photos. However, Arie first met Valerie in the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (CAN) Lab, as she was slumped over a computer in the middle of the summer looking like a scrub. Val is very lucky that Arie did not write her off as such, because he can’t be friends with no scrub. It wasn’t until the spring semester that a true friendship blossomed between them, when Val invited herself over to watch a little TV show called Glee. See, Val still lived in a 90’s mentality, sans DVR, and she would otherwise miss her favorite show because her apartment was too far away from campus. The good news here is that Val and Arie both liked singing during this show, and so a shared love for Glee kicked off their fabulous friendship! As time went on, Val and Arie also discovered at a sketchy Chicago nightclub that they both like to bust some moves out on the dance floor like few do. In short, five years of grad school were somehow made much more light and joyful with all their singing and dancing.

In Val’s last year of grad school, they became roommates at the same, now infamous Cornelia residence. This was a particularly harmonious arrangement because Val loves to cook and Arie is known worldwide for his outrageous baking creations. The only challenge in this friendship is that Val falls asleep early, like an old lady, whereas Arie apparently doesn’t require any sleep. As such, Val would often fall asleep mid-sentence on the couch. One of the most memorable moments in their friendship thus far happened on a warm summer day when Val taught Arie to ride a bicycle. After much sweating in the Treasure Island parking lot, Arie bravely set out to bike along the Lakeshore path. Val has rarely felt that proud. Val is so honored to have such an extraordinarily kind, faithful friend stand beside her at such a significant moment in time.  

Ryan "Chops" Lamb                                                                                                   Best Man

“My favorite show this year?” Ryan says as he takes a short swig of his Antihero IPA.  “I’d have to go with Local H at the Empty Bottle… deep cuts only.”  This is just one example of something Ryan will say that leaves Todd feeling both confused and unworthy.  This particular conversation took place in late January, reminding Todd that having a two-year old son has not affected Ryan’s ability to go to 20 obscure Chicago concerts a year.  “Oh, by the way,” Ryan says after a hearty gulp, “We gotta see Jeff Tweedy at the Vic when you visit next in May.”  Todd responds: “We’re already seeing Nada Surf and Ben Folds that weekend,” to which Ryan responds, “Yeah, that’s Thursday and Friday… the Tweedy show is on Saturday.”

Yes, Ryan loves music.  If not for the advent of digital music, Ryan’s CD collection of 2,000+ when he was a teenager would have easily tripled by now.  In addition to consuming two or three new albums per week from bands you’ve never heard of on ITunes, Ryan is a sports junkie and knows more about Suns basketball and ASU football than the reporters on the ground in Phoenix.  Somehow, he balances these obsessions effortlessly with his swanky finance career and raising a family in Chicago.  This is because he is quietly the smartest guy in the room, with a computer for a brain and a photographic memory. 

Todd and Ryan grew up bickering constantly, but eventually found common ground as adults.  Over the last 15 years, Ryan has been a solid rock in Todd’s life.  Ryan seemed to have it all figured out early, brilliant as he is, but it took Todd until his 30’s to learn what he needed in life.  That coincided with meeting Valerie late one Saturday night in Phoenix (see the “how we met” story – it’s cute).  On that fateful night, playing shuffleboard very badly, Todd and Val were surprised to learn that Ryan lived less than a mile from Val’s place in Chicago.  Knowing that big bro would be there for support, Todd made the bold decision to move to icy northern Illinois at the start of winter 2013 (remember the “polar vortex” year?).  Todd was there for the birth of Ryan’s and wife Rosa’s son William, and the two brothers grew closer than ever.  It is an honor to have big bro Ryan as a best man!

JP "Jotape" Mullan                                                                                              Best Man

To marry Todd means to marry JP as well, because these two are a package deal.  JP’s wife Brittany has learned to accept this reality and may have some advice for Valerie on the subject.  During football season, the ladies are forced to wait patiently as Todd and JP have their weekly Sunday morning phone call to make football bets (on every game), speaking in their own code that only other compulsive gamblers would understand.  After about ten years of betting, very few dollars have actually changed hands as the two always seem to break even.

Todd met JP in little league, when the extremely short Todd played third base as lanky JP played first base.  JP was a natural athlete—a good hitter, fast runner and ideal first baseman.  Todd was not.  Any ground ball to third was thrown high over JP’s head and Todd may have never recorded an out in his short-lived career.  However, his saving grace was his complete lack of a strike zone that led to several walks per game and a league high OBP (although no one kept the stats).  This was a good reflection of their relationship growing up, as JP was a charismatic and popular kid that drove cool cars and got the girls’ attention while Todd was the socially awkward underdog who got good grades but stumbled through adolescence.  An unlikely pair, their friendship was born out of JP’s love for making fun of Todd and Todd’s hilariously feeble attempts at a comeback (which still goes on constantly). 

By the time they enrolled at ASU, Todd and JP were inseparable buddies.  Over the years, the two have shared countless ups and downs, seen girls come and go, and had thousands of great conversations on all topics.  There have been dozens of road trips and enough adventures to fill a book, and nothing is more relaxing for Todd than when the two find a good blackjack table in Vegas and chat for hours. 

Todd was thrilled to be JP’s best man and roasted the hell out of him in his speech, which JP has been lamenting for years!  Todd is honored to be called Uncle by JP’s two adorable daughters, Ellie and Emmy, and now JP can be called Best Man! 

Ken "Kenny the Jet" Kisner                                                                     Groomsman

It’s impossible not to love Ken, who is a reserved guy with some very wacky tendencies and a childlike enthusiasm for the little things in life (like a Mexican Coca-Cola made with real sugar!). 

Todd and Ken met through groomsman Byron MacLeod (see the next profile) at ASU, when Ken and Byron picked Todd up to go to a party off campus.  Ken was quiet at first, but Todd knew this guy was interesting when he started gargling Scope in the apartment complex parking lot.  “Is that Scope?  Where did you get that?”  Ken responded by saying that he always carries travel bottles of Scope so that he has fresh breath for the ladies, and that he prefers it to gum (because you have to spit gum out at some point) and mints (which make the beer taste weird).  Todd was intrigued and wanted to know more about the Tao of Ken.  

As the layers unraveled, Ken became more and more interesting.  It is hard to pinpoint what sets him apart, so it may be best to say he is just delightfully unconventional.  He spends his free time more like a teenager (sports, toys, video games, etc.) than a computer programmer in is 30’s (which he is).  He might be known best for his variety of wacky rings and other accessories that he wears on a night out (because why not?).  He has two big screen TV’s in his living room, because why wouldn’t it be a good idea to watch your favorite show and your favorite team at the same time?  Once you hear Ken’s explanation for that or anything else, you will find yourself rethinking everything in your life.

Ken is a born fan… a fan of good movies, good shows and all Arizona sports teams.  Had the high five not already existed, Ken would have invented it because he loves to celebrate with enthusiasm.  He was once pulled on court during a Suns game for a shooting contest, which he won at the buzzer and had the crowd going nuts!     

Ken is an awesome friend.  He is always there to lift you up, make you laugh and remind you of the important things in life.  Todd is thrilled to have Ken stand with him on his wedding day.

Byron "Byroncito" MacLeod                                                                     Groomsman  

Byron is quietly the life of the party, despite having a booming voice.  When you hear a distinct cackling at the reception that can be heard from Tucson, that’s Byron. 

Todd met Byron during his senior year of college at ASU. Byron had already graduated and emerged from his all-business approach to school with three degrees and many honors.  One of Todd’s roommates at the time, known as “Ken 2” in comparison to the more highly regarded Ken (also in this wedding party), introduced Todd to Byron and the two bonded over their love of tennis and investing. It took Todd time to join the inner circle of Byron and his three musketeers (honored guest Wyatt Wilson, groomsman Ken Kisner and groomsman Christian Tabora), but before too long he earned the right to receive the Roman handshake (look for this forearm-to-forearm greeting at the reception) from all members. Over the years, Todd found an awesome conversationalist in Byron and the two can riff for hours without a need to fill the space.  Byron is always willing to say what everyone is thinking and put a comical spin on any situation, even when it’s maybe not the most appropriate time (too many examples to count!). 

Todd and Byron always talked about travel, but for years never went anywhere together other than the occasional road trip to Vegas or Rocky Point.  Finally, they planned their first trip together and it was a good one... four weeks in Europe.  They backpacked all over Western Europe and came back with countless stories, the best of which was running with the bulls in Pamplona.  They later went scuba diving off of the coast of Honduras, dined on filet mignon in Argentina and Uruguay, and risked death driving from Phoenix to Mexico City.  Byron still hasn’t forgiven Todd for giving away his car in Mexico rather than blowing it up or driving it off of a cliff, but it hasn’t hurt their friendship.  Byron has always been up for anything and is always a good time, as his signature phrase “good times!” indicates, but what is more impactful is his profound intelligence and joy for life.  Todd is proud to call Byroncito a friend for life! 

Paul "Pablo" Stephenson                                                                        Groomsman

Todd’s longest friend (25 years and counting!) adopted the nickname Pablo at some point when a second Paul (honored guest Paul Kearney or “PK”) entered the mix circa 2001.  Todd and Pablo met in 2nd grade when they attended the same elementary school and quickly became good friends.  They would typically be seen playing marathon games of ping pong and chess at Todd’s house, drinking their weight in cherry coke and mastering Super Nintendo’s Mario Kart. 

As the years went on, the two adopted different interests but stayed close friends as they navigated through adolescence and survived four years at Brophy Prep.  They finally became roommates at 19 years old when they shared a two-bedroom apartment with honored guest Bryce Skaggs and best man JP Mullan.  Let’s just say their deposit was not returned nor were they asked to renew their 12-month lease as these four previously polite Brophy boys finally came of age.  Along with honored guests PK and Hank Watt, the newly formed “crew” would spend the next several years partying on Mill Avenue and taking annual trips to Rocky Point, assembling countless, unspeakable stories.

Pablo was the centerpiece of all of this fun as his innate silliness would make the transition from work or school to fun an instant one.  His sense of humor isn’t sophisticated, but his delivery is so funny that you will find yourself chuckling all day at one of his terrible jokes and kicking yourself for it.  Over the years, hanging out with Pablo became a reminder to be happy and joyful as he is, and to be thankful for old friends.  Pablo is all about fun and everyone needs a friend like that.

Jing "Don Carnicero" Lu                                                                           Groomsman     

Todd is just one of Jing’s thousands of friends (literally), as Jing is the most social person you could ever meet, but the two have been close buddies for over 13 years.  Of the groomsmen in this group, Jing is the most likely to have a biopic made about his life because of all the crazy adventures he’s experienced, and he shows no signs of slowing down.  He’s also the most likely to become a dot.com billionaire, become best friends with LeBron James, or die in a hail of bullets yelling “Don Carnicero will return!”  In short, this guy is completely unpredictable.  It won’t surprise you to know that Jing’s enthusiasm for the infamous road trip to Mexico City played a huge part in making this dream a reality. 

Todd met Jing in a salsa dancing class at ASU, well before Jing put in years of practice to become the undisputed salsa king of Arizona.  Since then, Jing has danced in cities all over the world (he has a full-time job but you’d never know it with all his traveling) and he and Todd have hit salsa clubs together in Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Beijing and Buenos Aires.  Amazingly, Valerie knew Jing years before she met Todd, as the two were regular dancing partners in Phoenix clubs circa 2007, but she never met Todd until that fateful night in 2012.

Jing has a mischievous nature and often toes the line of acceptable behavior.  Fortunately, he (usually) knows when to pull back on his shenanigans and let the rest of us pick up the pieces.  Valerie can blame Jing for influencing Todd’s rebellious side, since Jing’s first love in life was rule-breaking.  However, Jing is always there to remind us to loosen up and try new things.  Everyone should have a friend like Jing, if only for the entertainment value it brings, but his better qualities are his thoughtfulness, loyalty to his friends and extremely generous nature.  Jinger is a lifelong friend.

Christian "Chris Chen" Tabora                                                             Groomsman

A riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in stylish clothes, Christian is a private man but is a deeply thoughtful, caring and generous person with an absolutely contagious laugh.

Todd met Christian through the aforementioned Byron clan, and their friendship was not exactly instantaneous.  Christian was quiet and kind, funny in his own way but generally shy.  It took Todd years to understand and appreciate Christian’s depth.  Initially, the two spoke rarely and were more like polite acquaintances than friends, but Christian’s sense of humor and silly side eventually won Todd over.  We all have that goofy friend – the one that is always trying to get a laugh and relishes the attention – but imagine having a friend that breaks out that silliness less often but with impeccable timing, leaving you in tears from laughing so hard.  That’s Christian.  His greatest talent is that you never see him coming, and that complete lack of bravado is rare these days.  By now, it won’t surprise you to know that Christian rarely posts to Facebook and is incapable of bragging, despite being a very successful computer guy (who knows what he actually does for a living? anyone?).  He has no need for an army of friends or to impress anyone, and he probably won’t even read this blurb.  He values close relationships with friends and family, and he is as genuine as they get. 

I would love it if Christian jumped on stage at the wedding, played lead guitar (he’s a ridiculously good musician) and did some stand-up comedy, but I’m sure he’ll just bide his time, crack a brilliant joke here and there, and leave us wanting more.  We always want more Christian!!! 

Samuel "Sam" Flores                                                                                           Junior Usher

Last but certainly not least, Sam is an integral part of the wedding party! Valerie’s little and only brother is soon to be Todd’s only little bro as well. He is 17 going on 30, with so much class, confidence and character that it is easy to forget that he is only in high school. He is the kind of kid you hope your child to be like and the type of person you aspire to emulate when you grow up- all rolled into the same classy gentleman. When Sam isn’t busy getting straight A’s at Seton Catholic Preparatory, he can be found shooting hoops with the varsity basketball team or helping run the school as the student body VP. Did I also mention that he is the bass guitarist in a garage band that actually books gigs? Yeah, this kid is too cool for school/most of us.

Sam entered the Flores fam when Valerie and her sisters were teenagers. They even had a girl’s name picked out for him (i.e., Natalia), because they just assumed he’d be a girl as well. When he turned out to be a boy, everyone was so shocked that the poor kid ended up with about 4 names, ultimately going by Sam. He has been an enormous blessing ever since, and Todd and Val feel so honored to have him stand by their side on this very special day. The wedding day is a little bittersweet, though, for Sam and Val as it means that they will no longer sleep just one door down from the other. Let’s just say Todd and Val will be happy to have Sam hang with them on Edgemont Avenue any time!