Candle Sponsor: Lisa Okamoto | Friend of the Groom - Alhambra, Calif.
The first time April met Lisa was when she had to borrow Lisa’s clarinet for the Las Vegas Bowl. April’s clarinet was damaged from the rainy Cal game few weeks earlier, so Jeremy decided to contact Lisa, one of his high school friends. From that point on, April knew that Lisa was a good and trusted friend of Jeremy, especially since she was willing to mix spit in her clarinet with someone she just met. Over the years, April has recognized Jeremy’s friendship to Lisa as a special one and has also formed a friendship of her own to Lisa as well.

Candle Sponsor: Krystian Contado | Cousin of the Bride - Pasadena, Calif.
If you know anything about Krystian (a.k.a. “Ian”), then you know that he is one of April’s silliest cousins. It’s rather odd then, to look at his baby pictures and find him crying in most of them. Like April, he also played the clarinet in his high school marching band. Also like April, he hopes to transfer to USC. These days, he serves at church by drumming either on the djembe or drum set. Jeremy and April have had the pleasure of seeing Ian grow to become a young man with a positive disposition and can always count on him to bring a smile (or laugh) to their faces.

Veil Sponsor: Catherine Paalam | Friend of the Bride - Bellflower, Calif.
As Babie’s younger sister, Cat has become like a pseudo-younger sister to April. She teases Cat in good fun, especially when it comes to doing the math for paying the restaurant tab. At the same time, April cares for Cat’s well-being and looks out for her best interests. As a result of their families attending the same church, April and Cat have become better friends. They have shared many laughs together, and when it comes to shopping, April knows who to turn to when she needs some retail therapy. April is fortunate to call Cat a friend and feels lucky to have her in her life.

Veil Sponsor: Deon Lim | Cousin of the Bride - Cerritos, Calif.
As the first male cousin in the estrogen-dominant Porras clan, Deon (a.k.a. “Jong-jong”) brought a new energy to the family. April remembers trying to keep up with Jong and his antics, quickly learning that babysitting little boys is definitely different than little girls. The first time Jeremy met Deon, April had to explain to him that they were dating. Nowadays, April turns to her little “big” cousin for weight-training advice. Beneath his tough exterior, Deon is really a loving big brother who looks out for his loved ones. You can always count on him to watch your back!

Cord Sponsor: Diane Lim | Cousin of the Bride - Cerritos, Calif.
April has had the pleasure of seeing Diane (Newie) grow up over the years. She remembers when Newie would watch “The Sound of Music” repeatedly as a toddler. It paid off because today, Newie is a gifted musician – playing the piano, guitar, drums, and just like her Ate April, the clarinet. She has turned Newie into another Trojan fan and loves bringing her to USC games. April is so proud of Newie for the talents she has been blessed with and looks forward to what else she can accomplish in the future. Whatever Newie does, you can be sure you will find April in the audience, cheering Newie on.

Cord Sponsor: Daniel Lim | Cousin of the Bride - Cerritos, Calif.
As a baby, everybody compared Dan-Paul to Betty Boop because of his big head. However, he grew out of that phase, with the help of weight-training with his older brother Deon. Another product of April’s band influence, Daniel joined the drum line in school and has participated in various competitions, with April in the audience beaming with pride. In addition, he has taken over Deon’s old alto saxophone, using his talents at church. Daniel is a versatile young man; as a strong musician, a participant in sports and a well-rounded gentleman with a wacky sense of humor.

Ring Bearer: Ryder Jong | Cousin of the Groom - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Ryder is the eldest son of Jeremy’s uncle Thomas, his mom’s youngest brother. He is a cool kid who loves his Super Friends (he was Batman for Halloween last year) and trips in the family van. He will be making his first ever visit to the wonderful world of Disneyland when he comes to LA for the wedding. This however won't be his first trip to LA as he visited the Wu's back when he was but a wee little baby. Jeremy is envious of Ryder because he gets to grow up with one of the coolest dads in the world, but he’ll get over it because he had Thomas as a cool uncle back in the day.

Coin Bearer: Tristen San Luis | Nephew of the Bride - Cerritos, Calif.
Tristen is Jeremy’s godson, born not too long before Jeremy’s cousin Burton. Like many boys his age, he likes to throw things and often forgets articles of clothing as he moves from place to place. April and Jeremy have made sure that he gets a specially prepared plate of food at the reception as he is allergic to everything. Please refrain from feeding the cute adorable boy in the size three tuxedo on the wedding day. As Christine’s son, it comes as no surprise that the kid can also sing pretty well. Ask him to belt out the A-B-C’s for you if you catch up to him at the wedding.

Bible Bearer: Burton Jong | Cousin of the Groom - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Burton is Ryder’s little brother and the youngest son of Jeremy’s uncle Thomas. Named after the best snowboards in the world, Burt is a supermodel baby. Well, he’s not but he’s super cute in all of his photos, especially when he wears his Snoopy USC t-shirt. He will be visiting LA for the first time and even though he loves taking van trips, his dad has already booked his plane ticket. Burton reminds Jeremy of himself; a chubby (for now) kid with a smile that just screams “I’m having a good time!” The first time we met him, he was a drooling machine. Hopefully, he's got it under control now.

Flower Girl: Nevaeh San Luis | Niece of the Bride - Cerritos, Calif.
As Christine’s first-born, April has had the opportunity to watch Nevaeh grow and help in her upbringing. Although anticipated to be born on April’s birthday, Nevaeh decided to come out a month earlier than planned. From that point on, April has experienced the joys of being a part of Nevaeh’s milestones in life to date. One of the most cherished memories she has is of watching Nevaeh experience Disneyland for the first time. As one of Nevaeh’s godmothers, April feels truly blessed to be part of this wonderful little girl’s life and hopes to be a positive influence for her.

Flower Girl: Dawn Lim | Cousin of the Bride - Cerritos, Calif.
April recalls babysitting for Dawn (Jaya) and her siblings countless times but finds them all, not times of duty but rather, fun. From cleaning Jaya’s mess to getting Nintendo DS gaming tips from Jaya, April has enjoyed every moment of it. In addition, April is happy to see Jaya learn musical instruments such as the piano and flute, hoping that she, too, will continue to pursue band throughout her school years. April feels fortunate to be part of Jaya’s life not only as her older cousin, but as her godmother and continues to cherish the time she has with her whenever possible.

Flower Girl: Elisabeth Porras | Cousin of the Bride - Arcadia, Calif.
April is proud of Lisette’s athletic abilities and loves hearing about her activities and events. Lisette finds joy in competitive sports, earning her the nickname “Tiny Terrible” (though small in stature, she has a lot of spunk in competition). April encourages Lisette to hone her skills for potential opportunities to participate in high school and college sports. She enjoys taking Lisette to USC games whenever possible, hoping it’ll inspire her in her own competition. Aside from sports, Lisette plays the clarinet (just like April) and loves to chat online, especially with her Ate April.