I met Erica seven years ago at church, and we’ve been close ever since. From belting out Hamilton lyrics on road trips to navigating international travel on very little sleep, we’ve shared a lot of unforgettable moments. We’ve powered through night shifts as ICU nurses, survived the pandemic by binge-watching Survivor, and supported each other through some of life’s biggest changes. Being her Maid of Honor is truly an honor… and also slightly terrifying, because now I have to give a speech without crying or breaking into song. Wish me luck!

I met Erica when we moved in as roommates—strangers at first, but quick friends over a shared love of Disney. Little did I know, our 5 1/2 years of shared space would turn into a lifelong friendship, made even stronger as we did life together. Through Erica, I've gained a deeper love for biblical theology, and, of course, books and The Office marathons. Being part of Erica's journey, from roommate to friend to bridesmaid, has been a true gift, and I'm beyond honored to stand by her on this special day.

David and I go way back to our youthful years at UC San Diego. We connected through the Latino Fellowship (LaFe/The Faith). We bonded over our desire to more authentically live out our culture and our faith. While I was the Bible study leader, I was learning more from David than he was from me. Very early on in our friendship, David became a source of spiritual guidance to our friend group, and I like to think I was a source of fun and flavor. I like to remind David that we particularly bonded over our joy from hearing the song "Shackles (Praise You)" by Mary Mary. We stayed in touch over the years and reconnected over a virtual Bible study with our old college friends in 2020. I'm grateful to have David as a brother, I'm overjoyed that he has been blessed to find Erica as his life partner, and I'm honored to stand with him for this momentous day to celebrate their love.

Erica and I became friends when the Lord threw us together in a small hotel room on the lovely, small island of Roatan, Honduras. We bonded over our love for nursing, overseas missions and making fun of this little virus known as COVID. Little did either of us know that the shutdown less than two weeks later would cement our friendship for life.

My name is Caleb Vandermeer. I’ve known David from church since he moved to Portland about 8 years ago. I’ve enjoyed introducing David to the PNW. I took him to his first camping trip on the coast, and we continue to do hikes together (with Erica too) whenever we can.

Cara is an RN from Savannah, Georgia who also met Erica through the Facebook group that shall not be mentioned, bonded over their shared love for critical care, and incidentally dropped a grand on plane tickets to Africa while FaceTiming her for the first time. She has zero regrets about said purchase and here we are, years later - the Lord works friendships in beautifully mysterious ways. She is honored to have watched the Lord carry both David and Erica from the beginning as they’ve sought His will so faithfully, from friendship to now choosing to walk by one another’s side for the rest of their lives!

Hello, my name is Nohan Antonio Cruz Jr, I was born and raised in Southern California with family that loved the Lord. After I graduated high school I moved to Eugene, Oregon to pursue higher education. One thing led to another and I found myself wrapping up my undergraduate program at Portland State University. Once in Portland I attended Trinity Church of Portland where I met David Valencia. We hit it off and we have been friends since 2018. I thank God for my friendship with David, and I am beyond blessed to be a part in this joyous time!

Vineeta and Erica met through shared friend circles within Reformed Harmony (what a name for a Facebook group) and quickly became fast friends over their heart and passion for healthcare, desire to faithfully serve the Lord in each unique season of life, and shared love of Hamilton and The Office! Being in the same online circle as both Erica and David, Vineeta has had the pleasure and privilege of watching their relationship grow from its very beginning. Vineeta is currently working as a palliative care pharmacist in Chapel Hill, NC and spends her time off from work running, hiking, playing the piano, and always planning her next trip to visit friends.

Audrey is Erica’s younger sister! She is a high school senior this fall. She spends her time either as drum major of the marching band or pole vaulting for her school team. She is headed to Iowa State next year for college.

Eliza is Erica’s youngest sister! She is a high school freshman this fall. She is in the color guard with marching band, and she is on her school’s girls’ varsity tennis team.

I'm so excited to be a part of Erica’s special day! We've been friends for seven years, ever since we first met at church. It's been so much fun watching Erica and David’s relationship grow and blossom. I'm honored to stand by her side as she starts this new adventure!

Lauren got to know both Erica and David through the same Facebook group that they met through. The three of them love musicals and enjoy making nonstop musical theater references. Lauren and Erica also love talking about the hospital life as well. Lauren lives in Charlotte, NC with her very beloved dog, Olive.