Madeline & Jacob
The VIPs
Morgan Foard
Maid of Honor
Morgan is my eldest sibling, and the winner of our Bridesmaids Olympics! We had so much fun competing for the spot of Maid of Honor, and Morgan won because of her knowledge of Jake and I. She is so good at getting to know everyone she meets and knows no strangers. Jake and I's favorite thing about Morgan is her amazing laugh!! You can always count on her to support you in your joke-telling ;)
Alex Bronkar
Best Man
Alex is my only brother, and youngest sibling. Jake and Alex played baseball together at a younger age but actually met on the day the Panthers played the Broncos in the SuperBowl. Alex was in the zone and Jake was convinced he hated him! Now they talk just about everyday and hang out (without me!) regularly. Jake likes to tell my Dad that he is stuck with him either way because if we ever broke up, he would just date Alex. Jake and I both agree that Alex is one of the best people we know!
Lauren McClaskey
Bridesmaid
Lauren is my middle sister, and shared a bedroom with me for most of my childhood! We have a lot of really funny stories and memories together, as we took full advantage of being close enough in age to have mutual friends. Lauren is known most for her commitment to the Carolina Panthers, and always tailgating as early as possible; Sundays have got to be her favorite day! We tend to bond on trying new wines :)
Russell Hunter
Groomsman
Russell and Jake have been friends since they were kids; Jake doesn't remember a time where he didn't have Russell in his life. They grew up playing baseball together, and attended the same Middle School in Mint Hill. Unfortunately, they were separated for High School and college but still managed to stay in touch. Jake made sure to see Russell every time he was back in town. Russell is such a genuine and awesome guy and is always down to do anything with friends!
Marissa Donovan
Bridesmaid
Marissa and I went to high school together, however, we didn't really become friends until I posted on Facebook that I really wanted to live in Uptown Charlotte and was looking for some roommates.. and she took the plunge! We lived in the cutest house, with a great location, and had so many great times being in our early 20's and not getting hangovers (wow, I miss those days!). Marissa is Jake's second love, and one of my most favorite humans. She is open and free-spirited and a lover of football and karaoke! We typically drink wine, talk our heads off until the sun comes up, and freak out over every animal we lay our eyes on :)
Ethan Stillinger
Groomsman
Jake and Ethan met in a Spanish class in High School, where Ethan apparently enjoyed stealing Jake's candy. Ethan spent time in the Navy, and yet they always managed to keep up with each other. Jake has always seen Ethan as a big brother... and boy do they act like brothers! Ethan got married to Kate and they have the cutest little girl named Emma - Jake was in their wedding and got to meet Emma the day she was born :) The two boys bowl together every Wednesday, where they of course still pick on each other constantly.
Heather Buys
Bridesmaid
Ohhh my Heather. Heather has been in my life for what seems like it's entirety! We met my freshman year in high school, in the most boring class that ever existed. It didn't take long for us to get really close, and I began spending large amounts of my summers at the beach with her family and hanging out every day. Heather and I are so different and yet we just mesh perfectly; we never fight, we never go long periods of time without seeing each other, and we never fail to have the most fun possible. In fact, that is my favorite thing about our friendship... she can make ANY situation fun!
Austen Gunnels
Groomsman
Jake and Austen met when they both played baseball for Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, NC. They lived together, drank more than they probably should have, and raised a LOT of hell in that poor sleepy town (haha.. the stories, y'all..). Austen is one of the groomsmen I HAVEN'T MET YET (that changes in February, woohoo!) but feel like I already know! Austen is such a great friend to Jake, is so funny and friendly, and also thinks Catawba is pronounced CAT-AH-WA-BA.... sorry, I had to :D
Kiersten Wilson
Bridesmaid
Kiersten is my co-hippy queeeeen. We met working together at Tin Roof in 2013. Since then, she has been a friend I absolutely adore. She is spunky, hilarious, opinionated, and fearless. Kiersten reminds me to stand up for myself, and ignore other people's judgements. Jake and Kiersten are very similar and did not get along at first, which is so funny to me because now they are great friends. My favorite thing about having Kiersten in my life, is that she is always so supportive of me, she's so honest, and is absolutely always down to do anything and make it 10x more fun.
Read Brown
Groomsman
Jake and Read knew each other when they were very young and playing baseball; Read's dad actually coached Jake quite a bit! They didn't get along very well as boys, but later realized they didn't have a reason and became friends (..boys... am I right?!). They became friends while both attending Lenoir-Rhyne, where Read also played baseball. Read is the other groomsman I haven't met and I am so excited to change that! Jake enjoys chatting about their similar tastes in music, and is still bitter that Read didn't go see Foo Fighters with him ;)
Noelle Edwards
Bridesmaid
Noelle and I met while working at Crave in Uptown CLT. Soon after becoming co-workers, she became my roommate in the same house with Marissa. The three of us had so much fun living together. Noelle is an absolute hair goddess and is the only person I trust to touch my hair - she is never allowed to quit! She is so sweet, so honest, so so driven and truly cares for those that she loves. My favorite thing about our friendship is that when we get together we just hang out in our comfy clothes, eat snacks, gossip and vent - I mean who doesn't need a friend like that?!
Ben Torres
Groomsman
Jake and Ben met through me, when we traveled to Boston, MA for my birthday and crashed at Ben's place! Ben is actually one of Jake's newest friends, and we are both so happy that they've gotten close. The last few years, Ben has lived far from us.. and we are so excited that he has recently moved back South! Jake doesn't exactly like the team choices Ben has made, however, their sports rivalries have certainly contributed to their friendship. We both admire Ben as a human; he is extremely caring and fun, and a great person to be around.