Marissa & Steve
Wedding Party
Cara Castillo
Maid of Honor
Cara and Marissa became instant friends in 2012 after joining the same sorority and bonding over their love of philanthropy, sending emails, using Google Docs, spooning, and eating hash browns. Many years and many memories later (including a LOT of YouTube karaoke and wine nights), Cara has remained one of Marissa's closest friends. At the wedding, you'll find Cara helping Marissa keep everything organized and likely singing Africa by Toto at the top of her lungs by the end of the night.
Doug Labadie
Best Man
Steve met Doug in college through a friend who thought it would be funny if they met because they completely disagreed on important things like religion and politics. They managed to overcome these initial obstacles through a mutual obsession with The Office. Over time as their differences have lessened and their similarities have grown (Doug is even starting to like coffee), Steve and Doug's friendship can best be summed up by: beers, beats, and Michael B Jordan. At the wedding, you can find Doug either rapping every word of A Milli with Steve or calling an Uber for a ride around the block.
Genna Walling
Matron of Honor
Genna and Marissa met at sorority recruitment in 2011 and became friends immediately. Genna has always been the caretaker of the friend group- from making midnight pasta to making sure everyone has everything they need to be comfortable and also hosting the best events. At the wedding, you're likely to find her making sure everything is running smoothly and everyone is taken care of (or shotgunning a beer faster than everyone around her).
Ben Walling
Best Man
Steve met Ben when they played baseball together in grade school and he thought Ben was funny and enjoyed that there was someone his height on the team. Fast forward 5 years and several feet for Ben (several inches for Steve), and their friendship was rekindled over their love of obscure Louisiana college football teams. Ben is a great friend whose sense of humor is as profound as his ability to recall where every NFL player went to college (seriously, try him). At the wedding, you're likely to find Ben clearing the dance floor with his Git Up dance routine.
Marla Dornbrach
Bridesmaid
Marla and Marissa became friends just before starting physical therapy school in 2019- they met up for lunch after meeting in a class Facebook group because they were nervous about not knowing anyone in the program. They immediately hit it off and have been very close friends ever since. Marla was Marissa's lab partner throughout all of PT school, and they share the same initials (and personality) so were nicknamed "The Letter Twins" by professors at school who would always mix them up. At the wedding, Marla will be eating every piece of bread she can find and probably making horse noises at everyone else's insistence (it really is a funny noise).
Michael Bain
Groomsman
Steve was 5 years old when an intense and intimidating man named Scott showed up at his house and asked if he would like to play on his son Michael's soccer team. They say that the hottest fires forge the hardest diamonds, and that held true when it came to Bain and Steve suffering through a decade of Scott's grueling soccer practices and the friendship that resulted from it. From becoming brothers in arms at the age of 6, to surviving high school together as teenagers, to becoming doctors (well, one of them). At the wedding, make sure to ask Bain for unsolicited medical advice, he really loves when people do that.
Amanda Woodruff
Bridesmaid
Amanda and Marissa met in physical therapy school and became friends after a group of 6 of them started carpooling to campus together. Their friendship really started to blossom when Amanda helped talk Marissa off the ledge when she got stuck clipped on to her Peloton bike and couldn't get off. Ever since then, whenever it's late at night and Marissa is giggling at her phone, there's a 10/10 chance it's Amanda she's talking to (usually about that purple alien monster emoji or something equally ridiculous). At the wedding, you're likely to see Amanda either keeping everyone in line for Marissa or behind the bar probably making better drinks than the bartenders.
Michael Robell
Groomsman
Steve and Mike met during their freshman year of high school. Their friendship has survived awkward school dances, a disproportionately high skill level in every sport imaginable (Mike), the worst high school hair you've ever seen (Steve), and criminal under-usage of limes in Moscow Mules (Mike, again). Hercules of the home project and a master muddler, Mike has been one of Steve's oldest and best friends through the years. At the wedding, you're likely to find Mike playing air guitar with Steve or upgrading the lighting system at the venue.
Savannah Rheinhart
Bridesmaid
Savannah and Marissa were next door neighbors growing up and also ended up joining the same sorority many years later. Their friendship has matured a lot over the years- from dance parties (singing Culo by Pitbull obviously) on the trampoline wearing fake pearls and dragon t-shirts in middle school, to crafting for sorority events where Savannah was held against her will and forced to learn how to use a glue gun in college, to classy dinner dates and discussing books as adults. At the wedding, you'll find Savannah either yelling at someone for Marissa or showing pictures of her dog to everyone like a proud mom.
Alfred Kishek
Groomsman
Steve and Alfred's friendship blossomed when it became apparent that Marissa and Cara would be forcing them to third wheel together indefinitely whenever they hung out. A shared interest for the finer things (cheeses, fermented grapes, coffee) and the nerdier things (that we won't mention on this website) showed them how much they have in common and thus a beautiful bromance was born. At the wedding, you'll definitely find Alfred double fisting with a vodka in one hand and a cold brew in the other.
Abbie Simone
Bridesmaid
Abbie and Marissa met just prior to starting physical therapy school and went to lunch together to make sure they would know someone in the program when it started. They instantly bonded over their shared love of cats and agreement that mushrooms belong on pizza. When Marissa showed Abbie a picture of her cat, Abbie said "I know that cat from Facebook!" and the rest of their friendship is honestly history from there. At the wedding, you will 100% find Abbie searching for stray cats and making extremely Italian hand gestures.
Evan Garber
Groomsman
Steve and Evan met in college when Evan rushed Steve’s fraternity. They became fast friends and countless trips to Windsor, dorkball tournaments, and an egregious amount of Jet’s Pizza ensued. Steve learned the art of the third wheel through years of hanging out with Evan and Sabrina (his girlfriend and eventual wife). A year younger than Steve but decades wiser, Evan has consistently been a source of life advice and counsel for years. At the wedding you’re likely to see Evan drinking the finest beer from our neighbors in the North (Labatt Blue Light) or on the dance floor with his wife Sabrina.
Corey Temple
Bridesmaid
Corey and Marissa met in physical therapy school and became friends after Corey approached her and said "hi I'm Corey I saw you at the carpool lot today we should all be friends." And then they were. From adopting cats together to weekly "mall walk" sessions with tearful meditations afterwards and learning how to dance ($#*! there's bees!), Corey and Marissa quickly became close friends. At the wedding, you'll either see Corey tearing up the dance floor, twerking on a wall, or asking the bartender if they serve Pink Whitney.
Alex Murray
Groomsman
Steve and Alex's paths first crossed in college, where they quickly hit it off through a mutual profound interest in spending lazy Sundays together watching NFL RedZone and dining on exquisite Westborn prepared foods. From being foodies and coffee snobs to both being blocked on Twitter by Eric Ebron, there isn't much Steve and Alex don't have in common. At the wedding, you’re likely to find Alex on the dance floor enjoying a nice whiskey, or on an emergency Zoom call solving a supply chain crisis in Sri Lanka (or both).
Lauren (Lo) Lawler
Bridesmaid
Lo and Marissa met in physical therapy school and became friends after a group of 6 of them started carpooling to campus together. Lo and Marissa bonded over their shared love of cooking and trying new foods- always setting up cooking dates to learn to make new cuisines together. At the wedding, you'll most likely see Lo either HYSTERICALLY laughing at something someone said, or taking shots of Peach Crown and dancing.
Tom Ludwick
Groomsman
Tom and Steve met at birth and they've been brothers ever since. Their relationship has seen its fair share of ups and downs (fist fights over Pokemon duels and slamming hands in car doors). As the older brother, Tom has set a great example for Steve by always giving good life advice and being more than happy to converse about his first love, cars. At the wedding, you'll find Tom sipping a nice craft beer and enjoying a night out with his wife Lindsey.