Brooke & Alex
Wedding Party
Brian+Debra Bussone
Parents of the Bride
Starting when Brooke was in grad school, she and Debra met monthly for what they called “Mother-Daughter dinners.” It was just the two of them, catching up and enjoying a nice meal. When in the Spring of 2015 Brooke informed Debra that a guy she was dating would be joining them toward the end of their meal, Debra was intrigued. This must be a pretty special guy if Brooke was allowing him to crash the Mother-Daughter dinner. Turns out, he is a pretty special guy. Two weeks later, Brooke brought Alex home to meet Brian and it was obvious she and Alex were in love, even if they didn’t know it yet. In the past 6 years, Alex has become part of our family. He fits in perfectly. We are so happy for Brooke and Alex and look forward to their beautiful wedding and their future together.
Susie+the late Ariel Edelsburg
Parents of the Groom
After a long flight from Seattle to South Florida, Brooke walked into my home for the first time, and my heart filled with happiness knowing Alex had found his “bashert,” his soulmate. It warms my heart to see the love, respect, and happiness they both share. Alex’s late father would be the happiest guest at this wedding. We both love Alex so much and I know that his father Ariel would proudly join me in loving Brooke and welcoming her into our family. Which reminds me, Brooke now has three sisters!
Gena Brigham
Maid of Honor
Brooke and Gena met in high school and immediately bonded over their shared love of the Harry Potter books. This bond only grew with the release of the first (and only good) Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which they watched for the adventure and hilarious jokes , and not at all because of their interest in Orlando Bloom at the time. After high school they went to college in different states, but visited each other as often as possible. To this day they remain the closest of friends and message each other almost daily to stay in touch. Brooke has always loved Gena's sense of humor and her unwavering love and support for her friends.
Michael Hacker
Best Man
Michael and Alex have been friends since elementary school when Michael started as a new student and Alex offered to share his ice cream sandwich. They still share food, as well as travel tips, technology tricks, business ideas, and whatever else they find interesting. From Colombia, to Morocco, to meeting up in South Florida for Thanksgiving, the two have managed to stay close despite living on opposite coasts. Alex is grateful for Michael's knowledge of the best of everything, as well as his low legal fees for friends & family.
Alexis Farris
Bridesmaid
Brooke and Alexis met their sophomore year of high school on the volleyball court and spent the next three years laughing over but genuinely appreciating their differences. On one memorable occasion they swapped aesthetics and went to the mall as a sort of social experiment, complete with dramatic eye makeup. The two would burn CDs for one another and were ski bus buddies to Snoqualmie Summit where Brooke conquered her first black diamond slope. Brooke has always loved Alexis' seemingly endless creativity, so much so that she owns a number of pieces designed by Alexis.
Ariel Himmelstern
Groomsman
Ariel and Alex met in middle school and quickly became close friends. From concerts to beer festivals to meeting up in the South where they both went to college, Ariel and Alex are always looking for new adventures together. They both now call the Pacific Northwest home, with Ariel providing Alex with a home base in Portland, and Alex doing the same in Seattle. Alex is grateful for Ariel's eagerness for crazy adventures and willingness to nerd out.
Nicole Mahoney
Bridesmaid
Brooke and Nicole met their freshman year of high school and quickly became friends. This is fortunate, as they had nearly every class together for all four years, including electives. They particularly enjoyed analyzing blast patterns created by shooting potatoes out of a cannon at different angles for their Forensics class, even though it made the tennis team annoyed to find potato all over the court later that day. Brooke has always admired Nicole's willingness to take risks and how she puts her whole heart into everything she does.
Brian Goldfarb
Groomsman
Brian and Alex are both die-hard Blue Devil fans, having met at Duke when Brian went back for recruiting. Brian and Alex became friends and colleagues when Brian brought Alex out to Seattle to work at Microsoft. From hot yoga to Lake Chelan to having Alex crash one of his first dates with his now wife, Brian always involves Alex in his Seattle adventures. Alex is grateful for Brian's steadfast friendship, helpful career advice, and high excitement levels when watching Duke basketball.
Lila Zucker
Bridesmaid
Brooke and Lila met their freshman year of college and became friends instantly. Brooke effectively lived in Lila’s dorm room until their sophomore year when they became roommates officially. They spent many nights baking nachos in the dorm kitchenette and watching ridiculous shows together. Nowadays they swap stories about cooking, houseplants, and cocktail recipes. Brooke has always admired Lila’s relentless pursuit for reproductive, worker, and voter rights, as well as her genuine silliness and infectious laugh.
Mike Arndt
Groomsman
Mike and Alex were paired up by fate...and the Duke housing office, living in the same freshman hall. They joined the same fraternity and lived together senior year before both making their way to Seattle. Mike and Alex are always looking for the best the northwest has to offer, enjoying concerts and wine in Eastern Washington, boating in Puget Sound in the summer, and hiking in the fall. Alex is grateful for Mike's close friendship, eagerness to bring a group together, and shared culinary and cocktail-craft ambitions.
Spencer Carter
Officiant
Spencer is the one who introduced Brooke & Alex at his birthday party in 2015. Spencer and Brooke met at the University of Washington in the freshman dorms, while Spencer and Alex met in 2011 when Alex moved to Seattle. Both Brooke & Alex appreciate Spencer’s warm personality and ability to befriend anyone!