Saint Timothy Catholic Church

Wedding Rehearsal - Wedding Party

Casa Santo Stefano

Rehearsal Reception

Bad Monkey Ybor

No-Host Welcome Party

St. Timothy Catholic Church

Wedding Day - The Ceremony

The Italian Club of Tampa

Wedding Day - The Reception

The Pybus Home

Brunch

Our Wedding

OUR STORY

As told by Matron of Honor and Groomsman Lauren &amp; Matt Suyderhoud

One beautiful, sunny day in Virginia Beach, Ariana Pybus of the famed “Nautical Pybuses” (Pybii, in scientific terms) ventured to a local eatery with her close friend Kai, to partake in anglicized and co-opted Hawaiian food.&nbsp;As fortune would have it, another friend of Kai, Blake Copple, prodigal son to the Copple Clan of Idaho, about whom the hit series “Yellow Stone” is loosely based, happened to forget how to make cheese and crackers that day and decided to procure sustenance from the same restaurant.&nbsp; While Ariana and Kai imbibed the poly-asian fusion cuisine and prattled about latest Navy Times article featuring a fired submarine Commander, in strode Blake, brimming with confidence and a piercing focus on his mission to satiate his growling tummy.&nbsp;He was, after all, a hungry little Sea, Air, and Land Commando.&nbsp; Upon scanning the room for threats, Blake spotted his good friend Kai and her shapely interlocutor and, with deftness befitting of his tactical prowess, flexed his mission from capture/kill of sugar-coated pseudo-donuts to tactical interrogation of Kai’s lunch date.&nbsp;After cursory hello’s and small talk, Blake attempted his best conversational moves on the comely Ms. Pybus, which consisted mostly of him making humble brags about expertise in esoteric interests such as cats, astro-physics, and home-built, 3-axis flight simulators that take up entire guest rooms in one’s apartment.&nbsp;Though intrigued by the Blake’s clear command-presence, Ariana was not to be out-nerded, and deftly parried Blake’s advances with keen conversational swordplay.&nbsp;Namely by asserting her cat could beat up Blake’s cat, astro-physics was something she did as a hobby and it really wasn’t all that cool, and, channeling her inherited motherly instincts, waxing bucolic on the merits of keeping a guest room open for, wait for it… guests.&nbsp; Well, that settled it.&nbsp;Blake was in love.&nbsp;But, the apple bottom of his eye, Ariana, was playing somewhat coy.&nbsp;Blake knew he needed something.&nbsp;A grand act of romance or heroism to show his worth as a lifetime partner and provider… shockingly, the 3-axis, homebuilt flight simulator had not done the trick.&nbsp; Blake’s dare-to-be-great moment finally appeared and, ever the opportunist, he pounced on it like he pounced on those malasadas at Aloha Snacks when first they met.&nbsp; One day at the beach, while the pair of math-crossed lovers were attempting to impersonate a reasonable facsimile of people learning to surf, they heard a desperate cry for help among the crash of the waves.&nbsp;An adolescent boy was drowning in the impact zone!&nbsp;Ariana was first on scene, but her David Hasselhof impression was even less convincing than her surfer impression and was providing the drowning boy little more than a laughable memory to carry with him to the afterlife.&nbsp; Blake, realizing he wasn’t even paddling the board right side up, made the wise decision to ditch the board and leverage his talents as a collegiate swimmer.&nbsp;Suddenly disencumbered from the ungainly board, Blake cut through the waves like a neoprene coated torpedo and was alongside the flailing teen in an instant.&nbsp; Blake, now helped by Ariana who, after realizing how embarrassed her Navy Seal Admiral father would be of her performance thus far, had remembered how to swim, and the two dragged the young man to shore, valiantly braving the cold, crashing, waves, and stoically leaving their friend Matt to gather up the borrowed boards they had let drift down the beach.&nbsp; As Blake carried his charge up to dry sand, his eyes met Ariana’s and he realized she was still on the fence about him.&nbsp;He needed to seal (get it?) the deal.&nbsp;So, he plopped the erstwhile drowner on the sand and before the kid could say “thank you”, proceeded to administer a textbook example of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the very surprised teen.&nbsp; Some call him a hero.&nbsp;I think that’s accurate. And so does Ariana.&nbsp;From that day forward, Ariana and Blake were fully, madly, and heroically in love.&nbsp;A love born of the gauntlet of applied and theoretical physics; forged in the crucible of shared late night, coffee-powered JPME courses they took voluntarily; buoyed by bravery and selflessness; and sealed in the shared financial burden of a fiscally dubious and perpetually under-construction adventure van.&nbsp; Our world is truly a better place because of their love.&nbsp;&nbsp;

LOVE FORGED BY THE SEA

Our Story

Photos

Lauren has been a friend of Ariana's since she moved into Matt Suyderhoud's condo catty cornered from Ariana's in 2018.  Lauren has supported Ariana & Blake immensely throughout their relationship, including playing matchmaker, providing free lodging during their long distance dating, listening to their separate gripes, and providing plenty of wine and cheese!

Lauren Suyderhoud

Alyssa is Ariana's little sister who has 5 years of marriage experience including 2 years of geo-baching and 3 deployments to share with the Bride & Groom! Alyssa lives with her husband, Kevin, in Atlanta, GA, with the three pets they have accumulated since their engagement. If pet accumulation is relative to time together then it's only a matter of time before Ariana & Blake are running a full blown kitty farm.

Alyssa Pybus

Rachel is Ariana’s best friend and fellow rocket scientist from college. As commission for matchmaking Rachel with her husband Griffin, Ariana enjoys a lifetime of relationship & marriage advice from Rachel. Unfortunately for Blake and Griffin, Ariana and Rachel are similarly stubborn, particular, and inexpressive. So Ariana leverages her lifetime of advice benefit from Rachel pretty often. 

Rachel Maurer

Emily has borne the regrettable duty of tolerating the Blake + Andrew Horvath duo over the past several years. Her endless patience and easygoing nature has been a boon to Blake, his friends, and now Ariana over the past two years of their friendship. Emily & Andrew are a rock for Blake, Ariana, and all of our crazy friends and there is no doubt that there will be many more years of crazy times in store.

Emily Horvath

Kai is one of Blake’s best friends and has been a cheerleader for Blake & Ariana since the very beginning. Kai deserves all the credit for introducing Blake & Ariana. Had Kai not convinced Blake to come out of solitude for the day, Ariana would have never met Blake before she left Virginia Beach to start her new career in California.

Kai Watters

Jeremy has been one of Blake’s closest friends since their days rooming together as freshmen in college.  Jeremy is also responsible for introducing Blake to Adam & Kai Watters and Andrew & Emily Horvath!  He has been Blake’s biggest supporter and confidant, always making himself available regardless of whether he was half a world away for a conversation and some much needed laughs. 

Jeremy Harris

Anthony is Blake's younger and more distinguished brother – he is a lawyer after all.  Anthony followed the family business and became an attorney, which further validated that Blake has fallen very far from the family tree.  Despite being the younger brother, he is leading the way in building a family as Matea and Anthony just welcomed their baby Evie into the world.

Anthony Copple

Alexander is Ariana's brother and has heartily accepted Blake into the family despite his boastful and uncouth Settlers of Catan gameplay. It could be that Blake barely passed bar by virtue of his cat ownership, which is apparently a requirement for every man and son-in-law of the Pybii family. Alexander, Ariana, and Blake enjoy escaping family gatherings by exploring breweries or catching a sci-fi movie together, which they all look forward to doing more often.

Alexander Pybus

Adam & his wife Kai Watters met Blake on his first day in Virginia Beach.  Introduced by their mutual friend Jeremy Harris, they hit it off immediately and have never looked back.  Adam and Blake can usually be found talking about Mars, rockets, Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, or Tesla (of which Adam is a proud owner).  So be warned, if you see those two hanging out you can be sure they are nerding out over something.

Adam Watters

Andrew Horvath, like the Watters, met Blake early upon his arrival in Virginia Beach.  Over the years, Andrew and Blake became great friends as one could usually find them sharing a beer, watching silly YouTube videos, or listening to house music into the early morning hours – all while sharing in a laugh.  Of note, Andrew completes the Kai - Jeremy – Blake “quaternity” and when they're together look out because some seriously stupid stuff (coupled with some really big laughs) is going on.

Andrew Horvath

Andrew, better known as “Sparky,” has known Blake since 2011 when they had the privilege of first working together.  Over the years, their friendship blossomed over a variety of topics and their mutual affinity for cats.  Andy has always been Blake’s trusted confidant, phenomenal mentor, and true friend.  In their spare time, Andy and Blake can be found enjoying a White Russian and having thoughtful conversations on family and the SEAL teams.

Andy Sparks

Matt Suyderhoud, esteemed husband to Ariana’s Matron of Honor Lauren, graced Blake with his presence and eloquent vernacular when Ariana decided it was time to meet her best friend Blake in 2019.  Since then, Matt and Blake could be found together on Scavenger hunts, chasing the puppy Mika (aka “Moozers”) around the yard, or sharing a cocktail over philosophical and introspective dialogue. 

Matt Suyderhoud

Wedding Party

Q + A

3.5 blocks from the venue. Last day to reserve using this block is August 19, 2022. POC: Caitlin Qualls - 813-247-6700

Hampton Inn and Suites Tampa - Ybor City Downtown

2 blocks away from the venue. The last day to reserve a room in this block is August 16th, 2022 POC: Leslie Kimmerer - 813-769-9267

Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Ybor Historic District

2.1 miles from venue. Trolley to Ybor City stops right in front of this hotel. Trolley runs every 20 minutes. Last day to reserve for the block is August 18, 2022.

Tampa Marriott Water Street

Free TROLLEY between downtown Tampa and Historic Ybor City.

TECO Line Streetcar System

Travel

Tampa Museum of Art

Tampa Bay History Center

Options: Sightseeing or dinner cruises

Yacht StarShip Cruises & Events

Free transportation between Ybor and Downtown Tampa. Runs every 20 minutes

Several restaurants under the same roof. Casual places as well as sit down.

Armature Works

Riverwalk Tampa Florida

Dinner and a show? Call ahead to make reservations.

Columbia Restaurant

Ulele was the original Pocahontas! Florida menu, includes fried ochra and Gator bites.

Registry