Wedding Party
Henry Stein
Father of the Bride
We all know and love him as Dee or Papa Dee - a witty, headband-wearing gentleman who is a total softie on the inside. Although we’ve tried to look past his unfortunate choice of becoming an Ohio State Buckeye, we can’t hold it against him for too long. He’s always ready with a joke, a smile, and a big hug. Dee is never on time - he is at least 30mins to 3 hrs early (for a flight or to reserve chairs at the pool). He loves a good pizza and beer, and knows more about coffee beans than any barista we know. We can’t wait for you all to meet the man behind the laughs and the legendary head of hair! Be sure to ask to see his 3 ring binder with printed details of the wedding weekend.
Robin Stein
Mother of the Bride
The amazing mother of the bride, Robin, is a woman of many talents. She's known for her incredible baking, her impressive height (especially next to Henry), and her knack for asking alllll the questions. Everyone, including Lil Noo (Lauren, for those who don't know the story!), adores our Bubbe. Robin is also a master crafter, always knitting something special for everyone she loves. Amanda first met Robin at a downtown Chicago deli back in 2014, and ever since, she's cherished their rotating phone calls on road trips—a testament to how everyone in the family gets their own dedicated call time every single day of the week. Robin loves her family more than anyone we know and will have all of our friends officially adopted by the end of the weekend. Starting from the moment we touch down in Asheville she will already be devastated that we have to leave at some point …
Kim Schuring
Mother of the Bride
Get ready to meet the one and only Kim! The woman has never met a stranger—everyone is an instant friend. Kim is a creature of habit, with a weekend routine that includes her standing iced tea order at Starbucks with her two best friends, church on Sundays, and a morning walk. She has an analogy for every situation, whether you want one or not, and she's never EVER at a loss for words. She absolutely loves a holiday tradition, from baking hundreds of Christmas cookies to hiding an absurd number of Easter eggs for all the kids to find. Above all, she never loses sight of the true meaning of things and has unwavering faith. Amanda has inherited both Kim’s gift of hospitality and also her stubbornness. Her kindness and patience shine through in her work with special needs kids.
Kurt Schuring
Father of the Bride
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and with Kurt, that's a good thing, because he's a man of very few. You'll most likely find him doing what he loves most: fishing, either on the ranch pond or at his own slice of heaven in Canada. A former college baseball player, he has a competitive streak a mile wide and never let Amanda win a single game of HORSE in the driveway. He’s a true entrepreneur, having built the house Amanda grew up in with his own hands. And while he loves his little Canadian island, he's never managed to convince any of the women to visit. After a few stories about outhouses, squirrels, and outdoor showers, it's not hard to see why. Kurt is the kind of person who makes everyone around him feel calm and loved —especially his grand-pup, Nala, who he’s successfully bribed to like him the most.
Evan Stein
Brother of Bride
Meet Evan, the brother of the bride, and a meticulous, neat-freak whose closet could be featured in a home magazine spread. As a dad to Ayla and Matan, he's experiencing a bit of déjà vu as they act just like he and Lauren did when they were kids—Lauren the bossy older sister, and Evan the younger brother who did whatever she said. He’s the kind of guy you want to be your best friend and has been just that to Lauren her whole life. Evan is also a big music lover with an impressive record collection - big big fan of the Beatles. He's the life of the party once the kids are asleep, has a serious obsession with his watch collection, and, like Amanda, shares a deep love for Taco Bell. Be sure to catch his jump rope segment this weekend—you won't be disappointed, but you will fail if attempting to join his doubles routine.
Alyssa Stein
Sister of Bride
Alyssa is not only Lauren's sister-in-law but also one of her oldest friends, having met when Lauren was just three and a half years old. As the mom to Ayla and Matan, she is the ultimate multitasker, a super-fast texter, and the person you go to if you need to get a task done or for networking help. Alyssa knows everyone, or so she thinks - like that time she thought she saw Snooki. She did spot Leonardo Di Caprio at Flora Farms though, with documented proof. She will find everyone at the ranch a new job by the end of the weekend, mark our words. She and Robin are two peas in a pod—it's almost like Evan married his mom! Alyssa is thrilled to finally have a non-OG Stein join the family, so she and Amanda can team up and make fun of the morning workout routine that no one showers after.
Ayla Stein
Flower Girl
Meet Ayla, Lauren's niece and her mini-me! Ayla has a special place in Lauren's heart because they've looked alike since she was little. Ayla has incredible recall and remembers everything, especially names and faces just like her mama. She’s also incredibly intuitive, like the time she first met Amanda and without missing a beat asked “what’s your last name?” When Amanda answered “Schuring”, she quickly replied with “not for long!”. She loves Barbies, a good dance routine, any time she can be on stage (Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast), or a morning FaceTime with Auntie LoLo. We think it’s quite fitting for this weekend that Ayla’s favorite color is rainbow :)
Matan Stein
Ring Bearer
Introducing Matan, Lauren's nephew who may just be the world's smartest child. He knew math at two, was reading full books at three, and somehow managed to fall in love with Amanda after only an hour of meeting her.. funny considering it took Lauren 12 years to share that. Since that first meeting, Matan runs right to Amanda first when we visit, right past his Lolo. Matan loves anything with wheels, basketball, swimming, and, of course, Bubbe cookies.
Courtney Stone
Officiant
Baby (now Mama) Court is newly ordained —she’s the kind of person who booked her flight for this wedding before we even had the date or location set — so we knew she’d say “yes” impulsively before realizing she just got assigned a pretty important job. On the contrary, it only took her a decade to realize she was our third wheel on five different trips. A supermom of four, including one year old twins, she and Amanda played basketball together at McKendree (never heard of it? Neither has anyone else!). She met Lauren at work, of course, just like Lauren met most of the wedding attendees, including her bride. If you see her, be sure to ask her about how she gives her dog, Coco, her meds— maybe ask for a video! Don’t ask about Bruno though. If she makes it through the weekend without a stomach ache, it'll be a miracle.
Brad Stone
Only Attendee with a Player Card
We are so honored to have Brad not only attend our wedding but also stand by his wife, our officiant. Brad is a man who knows a thing or two about surprises—like the time he saw two heartbeats on the ultrasound and nearly fainted when he found out he was having twins! He's a true softie at heart, a trait he likely inherited from his two incredible moms. When he's not busy being a celebrity in Robin's eyes, who insists she is in the presence of royalty given his history as a AAA baseball player, he's collecting expensive bottles of bourbon his wife Courtney insists they don't need. When he visits the glorious cornfields of Gilbert’s he immediately plans a road trip to cross over the Wisconsin border for a good Spotted Cow. Our favorite bald man with the biggest heart and the best hugs.
Kunj Thakkar
Keeper of the Vibe
This guy’s a true lifesaver—he rescued both Lauren and Amanda from an incompetent manager on their very first day at Performance Health. Kunj has many alter egos, but work-Kunj and rage-Kunj are the girls favorites. Work Kunj is known for sending extra spicy emails to aforementioned incompetent managers, or fact checking vendors or coworkers, or a depressive state reached upon return of Rage-Kunj PTO. Work-Kunj can be patient, at times, like when he taught Robin pivot tables over a one-hour Zoom call! Kunj shares Amanda's love for Taco Bell, has been known to propose to strangers at the Ozarks where his second alter ego, rage-Kunj, surfaces. Both Lauren and Amanda have had the honor managing work-Kunj at some point, and are now eagerly awaiting their invite to his future four-day Indian wedding!
Amanda Sweeney
Bonfire Story Teller
Amanda is one of Amanda’s oldest friends, having met in the first grade which is the last time either have been called by their first names (Schuring and Sweeney forever). A busy mom of three (Symphony, Skyler, and Sawyer), she's an entrepreneur at heart who's always cooking up a new business idea. She's currently writing a TV series, so if you're lucky, she might spill some behind-the-scenes tea! She loves a good reason to add new body art and changes hair styles (drastically) with every life crisis - there was even a lady hawk season. Sweeney is the best prayer warrior we know, our biggest cheerleader and has been a rock of unwavering support after it took her 4 business days to listen to Schuring’s voice note informing her of the Lauren plot twist. But don't even think about calling her—she'll never answer. Instead, send her a voice note; she loves sending the brides long "podcast" about her current roster.
Kelsey Wedell
Hand of the Queen(s)
Kels is one of Amanda's closest friends, and you'll often find them on the phone for hours since Kelsey lives in Nashville. A true water baby, Kelsey is happiest by the beach or pool, wake surfing, or out on a boat. She loves having Lauren and Amanda at her lake house in Galena, where Lauren freaks out about the smallest bugs and Kelsey isn’t even phased. Kelsey has a serious passion for wine, the best skincare (thanks to Arbonne), and flawless brows—she's a certified microblading artist, so if you're in need of an update, she's your girl! She's also a master telestrations artist, but don't try to sit her between Lauren and Amanda; she'll get very frustrated with their horrific drawing skills!