Audubon Park church 

Wedding Day

Audubon Park Church 

Our Wedding

Ben and Fernanda met while volunteering for Ronald McDonald House in Orlando. This is supposed to be a story right? We actually met at Sportstown, which is a bar & pool hall in Orlando after a Rush concert! We stayed close for several years and have been together for the last 7 years. The 7 year itch never came and we’re making it official. We can’t wait to celebrate with those we love!

Story 

Good afternoon everyone, If we havent met yet, hello, my name is Chris, Ive known Benny for about as long as I can remember, 34ish years? Ive known Whitney since she was a little girl, and Jade since she was just a baby. Brenda and Tom have known and tolerated me for about 2 1/2 decades longer than theyd probably hoped to! I know that its customary to do a toast at the end of a speech, but I would like to offer up a toast right now to Ben and Fernanda. It takes loyalty and a healthy dose of blind faith to choose your one divorced friend to give a speech on the merits of lifelong commitment. And it takes trust. Trust, or ambivalence from literally everyone else involved to let that happen. So cheers to Ben and Fernanda, heres to loyalty, and heres to trust. Ben has always been a guy who, if he likes you, will ride for you no matter what, and will never turn your back on you. Bennys the kind of guy who, when he gets a call in the middle of the day from someone giving away tickets to see Eric Clapton 3-1/2 hours away that same night, doesnt think twice to call you up immediately and offer you one. Ben is the kind of guy who doesnt think twice about asking you to drive to said concert even though its summertime and he knows your car doesnt have windows that roll down or a working speedometer. More importantly, he’s the kind of guy who will keep you company and have you laughing hysterically while singing Fast Car by Tracy Chapman on repeat on the drive home at 4 am. In a car. Barreling down the thruway. With no speedometer. Blind faith, right? (We made it back!) One of the things Ive always loved and admired about. Ben is his willingness to find humor in difficult situations, and his ability to foster friendship and brotherhood, even in difficult times. Difficult situations often turn into opportunities for adventure and lasting memories when youve got a friend like Benny. Adventures like taking a train to South Street station in Boston on new years day with nowhere to go and no plan, only to find ourselves a few hours later dying laughing on the set of David Letterman in New York City, only to find ourselves another few hours later freezing cold with nowhere to stay, dead cell phones, and no money for a hotel room; just a couple of forlorn, pathetic, souls. Only to find ourselves a few hours later miraculously back at my apartment in Providence, not really knowing how we made it back, but laughing the entire time, oblivious to how close we were to hypothermia. Like I said, Ben will ride with you till the end, full stop. When I first met Fernanda, she and Ben came to visit me in California. We watched the Super Bowl together. Made a gigantic platter of nachos. We went to Muir woods and walked through the ancient forest, And we did a lot of hanging out, talking. Fernanda and I getting to know each other. The thing that stood out to me about Fernanda is something that hasnt changed at all in the nine or so years since we first met. She was going to be Ben s person. She had his back. And vice versa. It was obvious then, and its obvious now. Theyve been there for each other through some hard times, of course. I like to think that they laughed their way through them together even though it wasnt easy. And in the time since, theyve made each other better. Theyve made each other more patient, more thoughtful. Theyre best friends. Theyre eBay selling moguls! They take care of each other. They love each other. They dont try to hide it. So in lieu of trying to give some kind of made up advice about marriage, which Im clearly unqualified to give, and lets raise another toast to Ben and Fernanda, to loyalty, and to their faith each other, which is most definitely not blind.

Chris’s best man speech 

Our Story

Photos

Patricia Mello

Jade Ponce

Whitney Trosper

Chris Wolff 

Joao Mello

Kyle Grimm

Wedding Party

Q + A

Several guests have booked rooms here. There is not block booking but rates are reasonable.  This is convenient to the venue and Ben and Fernanda.

Hyatt House Orlando Airport

Travel

After the reception,  the bridal party and anyone who would like to join will be going to Rock & Brews. It’s located very close to the Hyatt and other hotels near the airport. Please consider continuing the celebration with us!

Rock & Brews 

Things to Do

Registry

Fernanda & Benjamin

Fernanda & Benjamin

F&B

Audubon Park church

Wedding Day

4:00 PM–5:00 PM

Audubon Park Church

5:00 PM–8:00 PM

Audubon Park Church