Alexandra & Alex
Wedding Party
Cara Corcoran
Maid of Honor
My best friend, confidant, most trusted advisor and the funnier sister since 1988. Cara is the best person I have ever met and one of the lights of my life. I am grateful beyond measure for the close relationship Cara and I share, and I couldn’t imagine my world or our wedding without her.
Corey Buran
Best Man
Corey and I have known each other since lunch money days, but we really got to know each other at the University of Memphis, where he was in law school to not become a lawyer and I was in graduate school to not become a teacher. We didn't use those degrees, but we moved to Chicago together (him temporarily, I'm still here) and we've stayed close ever since. During the first few weeks in Chicago where we were both figuring it out, I think we fit about ten years of friendship into those weeks as we played Xbox and explored Rogers Park. Corey's an incredible friend and I couldn't imagine doing this without him. Yeah, exactly.
Emily Scheler
Matron of Honor
Emily and I met during a band trip to Indianapolis freshman year, and the rest is pretty much history. From Montana to Denver to Austin (it was brief) back to Chicago again, close together or far apart, our friendship has remained one of the most important parts of my life. Emily is one of the funniest people I have ever met, an expert of opinions, and the epitome of a good egg. Anyone who has met her wonders how all of that personality fits in five feet four inches, one of the great mysteries of the universe. I am thankful for every day for our friendship that’s more like a sisterhood, and I am so honored to have her as part of our wedding.
Alex Marino
Groomsman
Alex and I met in an AP Biology class that neither of us did all that well in, but it was worth it to meet one of the two people named Alex I'll know all my life. Alex was the "Alex Good" to my "Alex Bad" in high school, but in the nearly 20 years since we met, we've shared dozens of concerts, countless events and parties, and, now, two weddings. Alex and I have a ton in common, as we root for all the same sports teams (and watch them lose together when we can) and have shared so many memories and significant life moments over the years. Alex is one of the absolute best dudes in the world and a rock-solid friend, and I'm so glad he's here to be the third Alex at our wedding and that he's in our lives.
Emma Malloy
Bridesmaid
Emma and I met when we were a year old by way of our Finnish moms, which makes her the person on this list I've known the longest. Hanging out with Emma is the easiest thing in the world. We laugh so hard together, and she is the first person I go to for her design and style opinions (including planning this wedding.) I cherish our friendship and never having to explain the backstory, and the fact that we have grown even closer as we have gotten older, and am so honored to have her be part of the wedding.
Brent Hopkins
Groomsman
Brent and I met almost 25 years ago and spent time together in Memphis before connecting again in college in Peoria. We lived together all four years then and have traveled the country (and world, in his case) to see each other on many occasions. Brent and I go back further than almost anyone I know and he's been a constant in my life all that time, even when I lived in Chicago and he lived in Asia for many years. Brent and I have played video games together so long it goes back to the days when we'd call each other on home land lines and "hang out," which dates both of us! Remember having a land line??? I'm thrilled Brent can be here as someone from Memphis, from college, and from all the times beyond.
Ali Lueder
Bridesmaid
Ali and I are really, really old friends from Niles West and definitely did not reconnect on Craigslist in our late 20s. From the halls of Niles West (again, not Craigslist), to the dance halls we frequented in our 20s, to the halls of the DankHaus, Ali always has the calmest approach to looking at the world, and I have spent many hours asking her advice on everything from careers to love to how to figure out how to do the Adele eyeliner. I am so touched an honored to have Ali be a part of our wedding.
Matt Matuszak
Groomsman
Matt and I met in college, where we eventually lived together with Brent, but Matt and I also lived together above a bakery in Chicago for a few years during the time Alexandra and I were becoming close. Even when we didn't live together we spent a ton of time together going to bar trivia, playing games, or generally just joking around. Matt's one of my absolute best friends and a joy to be around, so I'm extremely glad he'll be here to take part in all the festivities.
Jenny Klein
Bridesmaid
Despite being District 69 OGs, Jenny and I didn't connect until middle school, when we instantly became best friends and supported each other through puberty, and learned incredible (but now obsolete) coding skills in the name of Hanson (also obsolete). We have encountered more Curb Your Enthusiasm type characters together than I can even explain, and I never fail to laugh until I cry when we are together. I am so honored that she is seeing it through to my weddng day. Bubs for life.
Paul VanGilder
Groomsman
I met Paul when we were kiddos, but I came to know Paul through a hundred small encounters that kept getting bigger. Paul and I were always doing the same thing, eventually so often that we found we had even more in common than we'd guessed. What I've always loved most about Paul is his worldview and his approach to life, a joie de vivre to be aspired to, but also just a beautiful ability to roll with the way things happen. On a trip to New Orleans that he convinced me would be "fine" we had no beds and no place to stay, trapped in the middle of downtown. I panicked, Paul did not. It was fine, he was right. There are too many of those moments to count, and I love Paul for helping everyone around him see them (so long as he's not playing cards against them). I'm so glad he's here with us.
Enrico ‘Ricky’ Costabile
Bridesman
Ricky and I met Freshman year of high school, and have been close ever since. Ricky is one of the kindest, funniest people I know, and he never fails to entertain me with his quips and hot takes and hot fashions. Ricky has a heart of gold and I am so honored to have him as part of our wedding.
Tucker Vandenberg
Groomsman
Tucker and I met over a series of projects (some good, some not so good) in high school and became fast friends. I feel like I've known him even longer than I have, which is a sensation a lot of people get when they meet him. Tucker's an incredible person and one of my oldest friends and we've been through so many great, weird, and generally memorable things together. I'm so pleased Tucker is here, all these years later, to share in the memories and help us make new ones.