Wedding Party
Katie Gholson
Matron of Honor
Multi-tasker extraordinaire and a true eldest daughter, Katie is Eleanor's favorite oldest sister and has known her since birth. Outdoorsy (but not TOO outdoorsy - she likes her beds, showers, and non-campsite-toilets), Katie loves to travel the country hiking and enjoying nature with her beautiful family. You know, when she's not juggling school and all of her children's activities. We really don't know how she does it all.
Derek Marchant
Best Man
Honestly, Derek deserves the best man spot just for enduring all the physical and mental torture Christopher put him through when he was still small enough not to deck him in the face. Props to Derek for never snitching to their parents. Anyway, Christopher couldn't ask for a better adopted brother or friend, and he loves him more than life. And he's not just saying that because Derek is now strong enough to enact his revenge upon him.
Liz Green
Bridesmaid
Like a true middle child, Liz's former years as the rebellious (totally-not-acting-out-for-attention) daughter have earned her the moniker of, "The Fun Sister." From the stories Christopher has heard, Liz has mellowed out quite a bit. Maybe the open bar will spill a few more tales of Liz's adventures. Anyway, Liz is Eleanor's favorite second-oldest sister and the mother of the beautiful flower girl, and she is undeniably fun.
Gwen Mendoza
Groomswoman
Gwen and Christopher became friends in the Fall of 2010, 8th grade, when she somehow got ahold of his phone number. They never actually met each other in person though until Jump Start, their 9th grade orientation. It took Christopher a few minutes to realize who this smaller-than-imaginable person talking to him like they were besties actually was. All these years later, their for-life-and-beyond friendship is brighter than ever and makes more sense than white on rice. And yeah, that's an Asian joke.
Eliza Pauk
Bridesmaid
Eliza and Eleanor first met at a girl-scout camp in elementary school, which is fitting because they're both very outdoorsy. They quickly became best friends and played on the same field hockey team in middle school, and then went on to become theater tech nerds together in high school. While they went their separate ways in college, the love is still very much there and their in-person reunions always continue like they never stopped hanging out! All-in-all, Eleanor couldn't be more honored to have Eliza as a bridesmaid and friend.
Amanda Nowacki
Groomswoman
Amanda and Christopher first met at the end of a College of Science and Engineering Ambassadors Succulents and Study Buddies event in 2018 when Eleanor was presiding over CSEA with an iron fist. It took almost another year before they became friends, and they really started to become besties in 2020, when they bonded over The Magnus Archives, anime, and a shared fondness for whimsical shenanigans. Now? Christopher and Amanda are platonic soulmates.
Gillie Green-Blythe
Flower Girl
Question: "Who is Gillie?" Answer: "The cutest possible flower girl in the whole wide world." She's also Eleanor and Christopher's favorite five-year-old niece. She's a big fan of rainbows and pretty dresses, and loves to enchant us all with her renditions of Frozen 2's "Into the Unknown." Don't worry though, we won't make you listen to her perform and pretend that you think it's as cute as we do (though, it is pretty freakin' cute).
Matilda Marchant
Ring Bearer
If Christopher had to summarize who Matilda is in one sentence, it'd have to be: "Well, she's my favorite cousin of course!" Sorry everyone else, but there's just no denying it. When the two of them are together, their already high levels of ADHD amplify each other like a nuclear chain reaction until they annoy the hell out of everyone around them (and that's part of the fun for them)! We always knew Matilda would work her way into Christopher's wedding, and, well, now she's the ring bearer!