Bride
Groom
Maid of Honor
Sydney has always been my best friend. I have always been so grateful to be so close with my sister. Since she was little, she has always had the gift of being able to make me laugh, be silly, and be encourage me to be myself. Some of my favorite memories with her growing up are us making up our own games and characters to act out (I’ll spare her and I the embarrassment on elaborating on this). Hopefully there is no footage playing at the wedding of some of our music video parodies we would film! I have always admired her boldness, her love of others, passion for whatever she puts her heart into, and her creativity. Her support throughout my relationship with Matt and wedding planning has meant so much to me. We signed contracts when we were young that we would be each other’s maid of honors- I’m so grateful that Sydney gets to be mine.
Best Man
Shane and I have known each other since Freshman year of college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where we met in the dorms. Over the years we’ve enjoyed many Badger game days, have traveled to Ireland, and still frequently hang out for game nights like we did back during college. Shane’s always been the kind of person you can expect the truth from, even when you don’t necessarily want to hear it, but still supports you along the way. While he may be a Vikings fan, I couldn’t let that hold him back from being my best man.
Bridesmaid
Hannah and I met during my junior year of nursing school in our OB/GYN clinical. She also moved to Madison after graduation, which was the setting of us really growing our friendship and sisterhood. Hannah and I share a complete obsession with the show FRIENDS- which we quote maybe a little too much sometimes. I really admire Hannah for her love of God, compassion for others; especially as a psychiatric nurse, a loving mother to baby James and a loving wife. It’s been amazing to witness how God has also moved in both of our lives and how many answered prayers have come along the way in our friendship
Groomsman
Alex and I have also known each other since our Freshman year, where he also lived on the same floor (you’ll see this is a common theme…) during college. Alex and I spent quite a bit of time together after learning we had the same Chemistry class, and quickly became good friends. Alex has always been such a welcoming friend, from those early days in college when we were just strangers, being roommates for many years and binging many a Netflix show, to summer weekends at his lake house. Alex is and always will be one of my best friends, and someone I truly view as family.
Bridesmaid
Claire and I briefly met Freshman year at Purdue and would run into each other around campus over the years. It wasn’t until our Junior year in Med/Surg Nursing class that we could feel God place each other together. I walked into a class not knowing a soul and saw her face- I remember feeling so comforted by a familiar face, so I sat next to her. From then on, she has been my sister in Christ. She is the reason I ended up moving to Madison! I’m so grateful for our sisterhood and to be able to reflect on how much God has been moving us. I really admire Claire for her love of God, her compassion and hard work as a nurse in the ER and in nurse practitioner school, for being a loving wife, and for her love of adventure.
Groomsman
Blaise was introduced to me by John and Tyler (who you’ll learn more about in just a bit!) during my Freshman year of college. With a name like Blaise, you just know there aren’t too many friends like him. I’ll never forget the early stories I heard about Blaise, completing tests in his favorite color of Crayon, flipping coins in class to answer multiple choice questions… they certainly painted quite a picture! Little did I know at that time Blaise would become one of my best friends and someone who is always there to lend a helping hand when you need it. In the years since we’ve spent time as roommates, spent a few weekends living out of a tent at country music festivals, attended dozens of Brewers games, and have plans to one day test our skills on the diamond at Brewers Fantasy Camp.
Bridesmaid
Kylie still works in the Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant/Palliative Care unit where we met while I worked there for my first nurse job after graduation. We first met in our unit pharmacy room collecting nighttime medications for our patients. We cannot remember exactly what we said but I remember laughing immediately at a joke she made. From the moment I met her, I felt so comforted by her and free to also be completely myself. Her silliness is such a gift and a bright light. It has been a blessing to watch her live out her gift of being a wonderful nurse, sister, daughter, and friend.
Groomsman
While I met Jake prior to being his roommate after finishing college, we became close friends after we graduated and he became a roommate. Jake may tell a slightly different story, but I really do believe it was my amazing jokes that led to us becoming friends. While we were roommates, we spent many a night hanging out on our balcony jamming to Avril Lavigne deep tracks and watching re-runs of Brooklyn 99 or It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. There’s never a dull moment when Jake is around, and I am willing to bet there won’t be a bigger T-Swift fan in the room come wedding night.
Bridesmaid
Mara is Matt’s wonderful sister. It has been such a blessing getting to know Mara while Matt and I have been dating/engaged and I am so lucky to be having her as another sister! When I first met her, she was working as a nursing assistant. Her hard work ethic, kind heart, and compassion for others were so evident. The way she spoke about her patients touched my heart and I’m so proud of her for getting into nursing school this past year! She, along with all of Matt’s family, has made me feel so welcome and I am so excited for years to come for more sweet memories together.
Groomsman
I met John during my Freshman year in the dorms… and yes, he lived on the same floor as well! Without a doubt, John (as the Comic/Superhero expert of the group) won best costume our when we all went as Superheroes for Halloween with his Thor costume. Early on in our friendship, John made my transition to living in a bigger city much easier by inviting me into the “Janesville Crew”, and he’s always been someone who made me feel welcomed. While at times we’ve joked we may have been too similar to be the best roommates, John’s always been someone I can count on when I needed him most. We’ve enjoyed many Badger tailgates, weekends down at the O’Leary house, and music festivals together too.
Usher
Tyler too, lived on the same floor as me in the dorms and his room was one of my favorite spots to hangout for late night videogame marathons during college. There are so many fun memories of living with Tyler, whether it was pulling an all-nighter playing the newest games we bought, cheering on the Packers, or complaining about how awful our Fantasy Football teams were doing, hanging out with Tyler always makes for a good day and he’s truly a great friend. He’s also the best movie trivia partner you could ask for! I’m very thankful to have Tyler as a friend, and be a part of our Wedding.
Usher
Chase was actually Tyler’s roommate in the dorms, so you can probably guess exactly how I came to know him. Living together with Chase for 4 years involved many late nights staying up to watch Game of Thrones after our volleyball league, and watching him devour an insane amount of Watermelons over the years. He has also been known for many years as the “giraffe” (he’s the tall one you’ll see on Wedding day) of the group, and one year even gave me a piggyback ride around downtown Madison in his full-bodied giraffe costume. While at times Chase can be quite the goofy guy, he’s always been someone you can count on and why he’s a part of our special day.
Officiant
I met Cecil during my time living in Dallas, TX from 2019-2021. While attending a program at Watermark Church to reconnect with my faith, Cecil was actually one of the group leaders, and ultimately became a mentor helping me go through the program. It was during this mentorship that we became great friends, and I still sometimes think about where I would be if Cecil didn’t come into my life. Other than being an amazing example of what it truly means to be a Christian, Cecil is one of the funniest, most adventurous, and YOUNG 60-year-olds I know. I actually didn’t believe him when I asked how old he was for the first time. We’re so excited for Cecil to be our officiant, and bless our marriage with his presence.