Groomsmen

Russ Hedgpeth has been my Best Man-in-making for over 15 years. He's always been the big bro that I never had. He gave me my first fake ID and bought me my first drink when I was 17. He was by my side during my first fraternity brawl and my first drunken stupor (and subsequent hangover). Russ introduced me to snowboarding, to wakeboarding, and to Kristi Yamaguchi. He was the only friend who came to my first jiu-jitsu tournament; he cheered me on through seven matches and a gold medal.

Through all the changes in my life, Russ has been there for me as a sage, a therapist, a coach, and much more.

Groomsman Mike Villa and I have been great friends since April 2003. We hit it off as soon as we met, and our mutual friends have long called us BFF's. (Although we publicly denounce the moniker, neither of us really mind.) In addition to a work-hard, play-hard mentality, we share a love for Porsches, Foosball, and Remy Martin "Champagne."

I had the privilege of introducing Mike to his fiancee Annie, and a greater upcoming privilege of being in his wedding. He's getting married exactly 3 weeks before me, so it's going to be an exciting year for both of us!

Groomsman Dennis Truong and I have never lived in the same metropolitan area. We met in 1996 when he lived in Santa Cruz. Since Santa Cruz, between his job as an Emergency Room doctor and his duty as an Air Force captain, he has lived in Colorado, Michigan, Las Vegas, Qatar (the Middle East), and DC. However, the distance has never affected our friendship. We've celebrated our birthdays together several years in a row. Not long ago, I visited him in Vegas almost every month. We've also partied at the Sundance Film Festival and snowboarded in Utah together. I don't know where he will live next. But I do know that we will continue to be great friends for decades and beyond.

Groomsman Kevin Okada and I did not get along when we first met in 1999. He thought I was an arrogant snob; I thought he was a goofy engineer. But we soon found a common joy: drinking. During the dotcom boom, we partied almost every night; one of those nights has even been memorialized in a USA Today cover story photo. We've also shared countless Tahoe trips, birthday parties, and barbeques.

Back when I managed models, he was always by my side during public events as bodyguard. Over the years, he outgrew partying and found himself a wonderful wife. I look forward to joining him in becoming a family man. We may soon trade in bar-crawls for play-dates. But we'll always have our stories of the glory days.

Groomsman Ed Liou is my cousin, but we grew up like brothers. Our families lived next door to each other, and I picked on him throughout childhood. But at some point Ed grew a head taller than me, so I picked on him less since he hit puberty.

Although he's younger than me, he usually acts more mature. While I'm doing shots of Goose, he's slowly enjoying a 12-year old single-malt whatever. And while I was aimlessly dating, he was busy cultivating a fulfilling relationship with Kay. Now, my baby cousin will probably have kids before me. I fear that his kids will pick on mine, to avenge their father. But then again, in following their father's footsteps, Ed's kids will probably be more interested in tinkering with robotics than in bullying.