Erin & Douglas
Wedding Party
Dana Ivancic
Matron of Honor
I have literally known Dana since birth. Fun fact, our first trip to the St. Louis Zoo was together when I was 6 months old and Dana was almost a year old; Dana married her husband Joe at the same zoo in October, 2015! Our dads knew each other during high school in rural southwest Iowa (they're still besties) and we have been best friends for as long as I can remember! We grew up going to the same church and saw each other every week at Sunday School. Between church, many summer trips to Six Flags, her mom being my high school guidance counselor (and getting me out of class when Dana came to visit her), we have lots of memories together...now including being a part of each other's weddings!
Brooke Howard
Bridesmaid
This whole wedding is 100% Brooke's fault :) She set Doug and I up in the first place! We went to the same church in elementary / middle school, danced together in high school on the Golden Girls dance team, and have been best friends since. I don't know what I would do without her and feel like I have spent just as much time at her home as my own. I will forever be thankful that she told me about Doug a million times before I finally met him. Her husband, Sean, and Doug are also man-besties...they went to Mizzou together!
Cheryl Fritz
Bridesmaid
My first ever roommate!!! Cheryl and I were random roommates placed together in 1469 Eaton Nelson freshman year at Iowa State. It's not often that you get two random people together that click like Cheryl and I did! After the end of first semester, we moved our room around so our beds could be closer together, lol. We spent so many nights eating popcorn, getting ice cream, and watching movies. She dealt with my (non) ability to be a morning person and I heard her sing at the top of her lungs every time she'd walk into the room after late class (Cheryl is actually a great singer, so this was totally fine with me). Despite having very different paths at ISU, we were always in each other's lives and can't imagine my wedding without her by my side!
Kara Kistner
Bridesmaid
Kara was also a kinesiology major with Jess and I. We both graduated one semester late and moved into the best apartment ever for our super semester (turned extra year in Ames), but more importantly frequented Tuesday night Karaoke at Mickey's in order to sing Callin' Baton Rouge. Kara and Jess were both good sports when I'd ask them to do Shaun T's Insanity workouts with me and Kara was always open to (lovingly given) cooking advice. She is one of the sweetest people I know and never fails to take part in whatever ridiculous adventure we decide to concoct...leading to so much fun and a boatload of amazing memories together!
Jess Poucher
Bridesmaid
Jess and I were in the same formal recruitment group freshman year and also lived on the same dorm floor. We were both kinesiology majors as well (once I actually figured out what I wanted to study) and sat together to BS our way through many a class. Along with Kara, we were roomies in the best apartment ever our super senior year. Between going to mug nights, (drunkenly) deep cleaning our kitchen, cuddling in her cloud bed, and drooling over the pros on Dancing with the Stars, we had SO much fun as super seniors. Luckily, we have both figured out our lives post ISU and I am so happy to have Jess by my side on my wedding day!
Erin Good
Bridesmaid
Erin and I met when she was going thru sorority formal recruitment and I was a sophomore doing the recruiting as a Delta Zeta. During our first convo, we realized that we were both named Erin, both of our middle names are Michelle, she lived in the same dorm I did as a freshman, and (at the time) we were both dietetic majors (I eventually switched). Basically, it was love at first sight. We were literal roommates for 2 semesters at DZ, but lived in the house together my junior and senior year. We spent tons of nights laying in bed creeping out our window on all the happenings in Greekland and have spent countless hours talking, laughing, and watching dances on YouTube since. I can't imagine my wedding day without her there!
Rachel Shepherd
Bridesmaid
Rachel and I started work at CMN Hospitals on the same day, left the organization on the same day, started PT school on the same day, and graduated with our DPT degrees the same weekend. We were thrown into the fire when we started our jobs as Dance Marathon Managers and found our way through it all together. We lived in corporate apartments in Salt Lake City for 2 months, carpooled to work when we weren't traveling, and voluntarily shared an office despite each being given our own space for the short time we lived in Utah. She g-chatted me through the nerves before I went to visit Doug for the first time in Chicago and we loved getting to see each other every few months for work meetings once we both left Salt Lake. I'm so honored to have her as part of my wedding!
Brit Vanneman
Bridesmaid
Brit joined our Dance Marathon team about 1.5 years after I started working there. I don't know how I got so lucky to be placed on a team with 3 women who pretty much immediately became my sisters, but that's what happened! Hands down, the best part of my job was the three of them. Brit eventually moved from Utah to LA, then to Florida, which coincided with my clinical rotation in St. Petersburg! I was spoiled to see her every few weeks...it was such a highlight of my time there! We traveled across Austria together last summer...and nerded out as we rode bikes to the film sites of the Sound of Music. She's a great travel buddy and now an amazing bridesmaid!
Elyse Meardon
Bridesmaid
Elyse started working at CMN Hospitals about a year after Rachel and I. Despite being an Iowa Hawkeye, Elyse is one of the most badass people I know. She never fails to make me laugh and is just genuinely fun to be around. It was never a burden to take work trips to Salt Lake, because it was just an excuse for Elyse, Brit, Rachel, and I to reunite! Rachel and I would share a hotel room and Elyse and Brit would just hang out there as we all drank wine, ate ice cream cakes, vented, and talked about everything you can imagine. I am so grateful to have Elyse in my life and even more grateful to have her as a bridesmaid!
Terrence L. Grom, Jr. ("Ter")
Best Man
Brother of the groom
Lawrence A. Grom ("Lars")
Best Man
Brother of the groom
Jeffrey D. Grom
Best Man
Brother of the groom
Sean Howard ("Keysean")
Groomsman
College friend of the groom
Joe Bauer
Groomsman
College friend of the groom
Janet Grom
Groomswoman
Sister of the groom
Stephanie Fleming
Groomswoman
Friend of the groom
Graham Howard
Ring Bearer
Graham is the adorable and rambunctious 2 year old son of Brooke and Sean Howard. He loves all things cars, trucks, trains and planes and is "all boy" according to his mom! He is so much fun to play with and his sweet little laugh will light up a room. We are so excited to have him walk (or run...) down the aisle as our ringbearer!
Tyler Curtis
Usher
Tyler (T.J. to me) and I are only 14 months apart, and I'm sure I NEVER got on his nerves ;) We've come a long ways from playing Candyland behind the couch...he knew he wasn't going to get out of being part of this wedding! Teej claims to be a pro-usher...so you will all have to test his skills come March 24!
Chad Curtis
Usher
I probably owe Chad more than a few meals for the number of rides he gave to his big sis (and her roommates) during his freshman year at Iowa State. He was always compensated with baked goods, though! I was glad to have him as a travel buddy through Prague and Budapest this past summer. Chaddo is the laid back, baby of the family and will be the greatest usher. Don't be surprised if he cracks a joke while escorting you to your seat!