Chelsea & Wesley
Wedding Party
Abel Poenitske
Ring Bearer
Abel is Chelsea's nephew, son of Chelsea's sister Elyssa Ingram. From the moment Chelsea processed that she would be an aunt, she had an immense amount of love for Abel. She loves getting to spend time with him and watch him learn and grow. Abel turned 4 years old in January, and is currently very outgoing, absolutely LOVES dogs, loves watching movies, loves talking/babbling, and is a tad on the dramatic side from time to time. He has a sweet and caring personality, and Aunt Chelsea and Uncle Wes are proud to call him their nephew.
Benji Brown
Ring Bearer
Benji is Wesley's nephew, son of Wesley's brother Bryan Brown and his wife Kelli Brown. Benji has always been of great importance to Wes and Chelsea. From the moment he was born, Wes has stated how much he loves Benji and he is always excited to spend time with him and play. Benji is currently 6, but will be 7 in April. He currently loves beyblades, playing with his little sister Natalie, and used to love taunting his Uncle Wes by pulling his facial hair and calling him 'Uncle Stinky', 'Stinky eyeballs', or by teasing him about his long hair.
Natalie Brown
Flower Girl
Natalie is Wesley's niece, daughter of Wes's brother Bryan Brown and his wife Kelli Brown. When first announced Natalie would be a girl, When Natalie was first born, Wes was unsure if his bond with Natalie would be as good as his and Benji's. However, over the last several years of watching Natalie's personality grow and develop, his mind has been changed and he loves Natalie and everything about her. Natalie is currently 4 years old, and loves anything pink and purple, sparkles and glitter like her Aunt Chelsea, Minnie Mouse, and jewelry. She also enjoys manicures and girl time as well.
Aria Phegley
Flower Girl
Aria is Chelsea's second cousin, daughter of Chelsea's cousin Taylor Phegley and his wife Marissa Phegley. Aria came into this world right before a difficult time for the Phegley family, and gifted the world with her innocence and love. Through her presence, the family was able to come even closer together to survive the difficult time of losing a loved one. Aria is two years old and is always happy, and has a bubbly personality. She always has a smile on her face! Growing up, Taylor (Aria's dad) and Chelsea had a close relationship, as they were only 8 months apart in age. Due to this, Marissa and Taylor decided to name Aria after Chelsea (Rae) by using her middle name, Aria Rae Phegley. This means a lot to Chelsea, as does Aria.
Rachel Moore
Maid of Honor
Chelsea and Rachel met through dance class when they were very young, and quickly became friends. Their friendship has grown through many life changes, events, and many MANY moves. Chelsea and Rachel tend to have bubbly personalities when hanging together despite Chelsea actually being introverted in typical social settings. When they are together, laughter is typically present in the room as well. Rachel has always been a great support system for Chelsea, she encouraged Chelsea to complete her Bachelor's degree and many other life goals Chelsea had set for herself. She gave her a supportive friendship that allowed Chelsea to feel like she is capable of completing anything she sets her mind to. Rachel currently lives in Dallas TX and graduated in 2020 with a PHD in medical family therapy.
Elyssa Ingram
Bridesmaid
Elyssa is Chelsea's little sister. Chelsea and Elyssa always had a good relationship with one another growing up, but when they both were in High School at the same time (Chelsea a Senior, Elyssa a Freshman) their relationship started to change into more of a friendship. They became very close, and are still to this day. They have been there for one another through life's many challenges and obstacles. When together, their personalities tend to feed off one another and they tend to pull out the best parts of one another in each other's presence. Elyssa is a highly empathetic and caring individual, which are some of Chelsea's favorite qualities about her. Elyssa currently is a trainee dancer for Ashleyliane Dance Company in STL.
Cassie Paschang
Bridesmaid
Chelsea and Cassie met through working as RBT's at an ABA preschool. The day Chelsea met Cassie, she instantly knew she wanted to be her friend, but had no idea how to go about making that happen. Chelsea slowly just tried talking to Cassie more and more each day to get to know her better, and found the better she got to know Cassie the more she valued the idea of a friendship. These small conversations quickly led to larger ones, which led to hang-outs and long, VERY very long phone calls. Chelsea and Cassie have very similar personalities of being introverted, so they are able to understand one another in ways that not everyone around them can. Cassie recently gave birth to her first son in June of 2020 and has been loving adjusting to her new mom life.
Kaylee Neubrand
Bridesmaid
Chelsea and Kaylee met through Chelsea's little sister, Elyssa. Elyssa and Kaylee were best friends for a very large portion of their lives, meaning Kaylee was very involved in Chelsea's life growing up. Kaylee is like a second little sister to Chelsea, and they have seen each other grow and develop over the years through hardships and obstacles. Chelsea loves spending time with and around Kaylee. Kaylee has a very calming presence, and she accepts everyone who comes across her path as they are, which is one of Chelsea's favorite things about her.
Kara Arsenault
Bridesmaid
Chelsea and Kara met through Chelsea's little sister Elyssa. Kara and Elyssa met in elementary school, meaning Kara was present in Chelsea's life growing up. After graduating High School, Kara and Chelsea always stayed in touch ensuring to check in on one another from time to time. Kara always ensures to put forth the effort, even when life gets busy! Despite life's busy schedule they still find the time to ensure they put effort into maintaining the friendship they have developed over the years. Kara is an extremely kind and caring person for others, especially those close to her. She is a mom to two little girls, Natalie and Salem, and takes pride in being their mom.
Zhanna Goldkamp
Bridesmaid
Chelsea and Zhanna met through Wesley and his friend group. Zhanna is married to one of Wesley's best men, John Goldkamp. Chelsea knew from the moment she met Zhanna that she had great vibes and a trusting energy, and would hope they would become friends one day. Over the years of hanging out with our group of friends, Chelsea and Zhanna have also developed a friendship outside of hanging out as couples or with a group of friends. Zhanna is always great at giving advice and has been a solid support system for Chelsea over the years. Chelsea loves how honest Zhanna is with her, she always tells you how she feels and is able to offer great advice and support because of that quality.
Marissa Phegley
Bridesmaid
Chelsea and Marissa met through Chelsea's cousin, Taylor. Marissa is now Taylor's wife, but they met several years ago when they were all still in High School and she was Taylor's girlfriend. They were similar ages, and seemed to have a good amount in common together. Taylor was always hugely important to Chelsea as they were only 8 months apart growing up, so when Chelsea realized how much Marissa meant to Taylor she wanted to embrace her into her life as well. Chelsea and Marissa have relied on one another through the last several years as friends to support one another through many major life changes. Chelsea loves how Marissa is determined in life, she is great about setting goals and doing what it takes to make them happen.
Michael Brotske
Best Man
Mike and Wes met in Middle school at Parkway West school district. Wes and Mike have been great friends from the moment they met, and their friendship is incredibly solid. Wes and Mike's friendship has withstood many life changes and obstacles, and Mike has stood by Wes's side through both the good and bad times. When spending time together, there is typically jokes flying off the wall and a lot of sarcasm involved. Chelsea and Mike have also developed a great friendship over the years, making Mike an important person in both Wes and Chelsea's life. Wes appreciates Mike's sense of humor, and Chelsea appreciates his empathetic characteristics. Mike is a father to his son, Myles Brotske.
John Goldkamp
Best Man
Wes met John in High School at Parkway West school district. Wes and John have a close friendship, and Wes knows he is able to trust John with absolutely anything. One thing the two really bond over is their love of music, they spend a lot of time exchanging music recommendations and attending music shows together. Wes knows that John will be there to support him through whatever life throws his way! Wes knows that John has and will always be there for him when needed, no matter the circumstance. He appreciates that John can be a listening ear when needed, and a good time when also needed!
Bryan Brown
Groomsman
Bryan is Wes's older brother. They are three years apart, making them close in age. Bryan was very competitive growing up and taught Wes how to not be a sore loser when it came to losing-as losing to Bryan was a common theme for Wes and their relationship. They have a close relationship and Bryan has always been there for Wes no matter what, and is always prepared with advice when it is needed. For Chelsea, Bryan was extremely welcoming the moment he met her and made her feel like a part of their family immediately. Bryan has a very kind and caring personality, which is shown through his interactions with his loved ones.
Kris Tzanov
Groomsman
Wes and Kris met in High School through some mutual friends. Wes and Kris were roommates for several years, and bonded a lot over video games and other hobbies such as golf and Frisbee golf. Kris has a very giving personality, and that shows immensely through his friendship with Wes and others. Kris would drop anything at any given time to be there for Wes or one of their friends, making him a loyal and caring friend. Kris has an empathetic personality, and cares deeply for his friends and loves ones.
Will Moffatt
Groomsman
Wes and Will met in High School at Parkway West. For several years after graduating High School and College, Will moved to and lived in Mexico to focus his career on teaching English there. While residing in Mexico, Will met his wonderful wife Faby. Will and Faby have now since moved back to the US where Wes and Chelsea are able to spend more time with them and continue growing the friendships they have developed. Since moving back, Wes and Will (and Mike Brotske, I am not forgetting you Mike!) have been spending some of their spare time jamming, playing the drums, bass, synth, and guitar in their spare time as a hobby. Will likes to be adventurous and have new experiences to look forward to, and has a fun personality.
Jordan Heagy
Groomsman
Wes and Jordan met through their mutual friend Drew Bale, and quickly took to one another as they had similar hobbies such as skateboarding and listening to music. Despite the fact that Wes and Jordan do not see eachother often due to Jordan living in Texas, they still stay in touch and have maintained their friendship over the years. Wes and Chelsea recently attended Jordan and his wife Ricky's wedding in October 2019, and had a blast! Jordan and Ricky have outgoing and fun personalities, and Wes and Chelsea look forward to spending time with them again.
Drew Bale
Groomsman
Wes and Drew met through Wes's brother Bryan, as Drew had older brothers who were friends with Wes's brother. Wes and Drew have stayed great friends over the years, despite Drew living in Texas for many years with his wife Vicki, and now Washington together. Wes and Drew have bonded over music, beer, and dogs through their friendship. Wes and Drew typically only see eachother about one time a year during the holidays, and Wes always states how much he looks forward to spending that time with him. Drew has a very inviting and friendly personality, and seems to get along with everyone he interacts with.
Kent Higginbotham
Groomsman and Officiant
Kent and Wes met in Middle School at Parkway West school district. They had their first interaction with one another in middle school while trading Pokemon on their gameboys, and later became friends through their mutual friend Drew Bale. Wes and Kent's relationship is of a fun nature, they both like to joke around and being serious is not much of an option in their presence. Kent's personality is very outgoing and social, making him a fun person to spend time with. Due to Kent's importance to Wes and his social outgoing personality, Wes and Chelsea have also requested Kent to be their officiant for their ceremony, as it would mean a lot to them to have someone who knows and cares for them help renew their vows for them for their special day.