Wedding Party
Annie Krakower
Maid of Honor
It’s impossible for Ellie to list every adventure she’s had with her sister. Annie’s been there for the shared room with bunkbeds, Ellie’s fervent attempts to convince her to play in the sprinkler, countless shopping trips with Mom where they frequently got the same article of clothing in different colors, and hours watching The Office during Christmas break. Annie was also there when Ellie said yes to the dress, and she’s been a huge help with wedding planning while raising a toddler.
Andy Badii
Best Man
Zack moved to Andy’s neighborhood in late 1994 during their second-grade year. On the bus ride home they discussed the Creepy Crawler’s oven and how Zack got one for his birthday. Since that day they have been lifelong friends. It has been over 30 years of adventures and just hanging out watching tv. The amount of stories and inside jokes the two have are bottomless. Zack met his other lifelong friend BJ through Andy and the 3 were always hanging out together, especially later in high school and college.
Rachel Gilbert
Bridesmaid
Ellie and Rachel met at a Halloween party where Zack forgot to tell Ellie that Rachel was invited. They quickly bonded over their love of true crime podcasts and spending way too much money at the arcade trying to win stuffed animals. And now they're on a never ending DnD quest to fight the patriarchy while getting distracted by unnecessary battles with NPCs.
Grant Gilbert
Groomsman
Grant has always been a kindred spirit to his brother Zack. They are both very similar and different at the same time. Whether it is talking about the same shows they watch or about games they are both playing the two always seem to have a lot to talk about. Being the older brother Zack would do anything for his younger sibling. To this day Zack is proud of everything Grant has accomplished and knows the best is yet to come for him.
Matt Riley
Bridesman
Matt and Ellie have been friends for as long as Ellie can remember. Together they made it through grade school and high school, had many impromptu parties in the Starbucks parking lot, survived years of St. Patrick's parties at UD. They have entire conversations of inside jokes and continue their mission to prove that Ariel from The Little Mermaid is real.
Michael Dankelson
Groomsman
Michael reminds Zack a lot of his brother. They have a very similar disposition, and this is probably the reason it was easy for Zack to talk with him. The two met during the 4th of July 2023. Michael’s humor and laid-back attitude is very welcome for Zack. Additionally, there is no one better to help Zack and Ellie count the billboards to a certain cave.
Will Waisel
Bridesman
Will, or as Ellie calls him Mini Me, is Ellie's partner in crime. They've had many adventures including braving freezing ocean water in Newport, multiple failed attempts at a confetti drop for New Year's Eve, Ellie's family gerbils having babies, and accidentally teaching Will the word “idiot” (sorry Laurie!).
Garth Mustard
Groomsman
Zack met Garth briefly at a trivia night but would get to know him better around 2018 as they played Magic the Gathering with their friend group. Garth was by far the sanest of Zack’s friends and was a welcome sight during the 2020 lockdown where they would both play video games and watch Hockey together with BJ. While Garth’s sniper skills are dubious at best there is no one else that Zack would want to make fun of while being killed in Call of Duty.
Kendall Krakower
Flower Girl
Kendall is currently Ellie and Zack’s favorite niece, which has nothing to do with the fact that she is their only niece. Not long after proposing, Zack joked that Kendall, then 4 months old, needed to learn how to walk so she could be the flower girl. Kendall mastered walking and beat out LeBron James for the flower girl spot.
Zack Simmons
Officiant
Zack, commonly referred to as Simmons, has known Ellie and Zack as a couple the longest. Together they’ve endured the eternal lines at the Renaissance Festival and survived watching Terrifier 3 in the front row of the movie theater. Simmons was with Ellie and Zack when they first heard the song they’re using for their first dance. He agreed to be Ellie and Zack’s officiant while exploring the vendor booths at HorrorHound.
Tommy Dankelson
Honorary Groomsman
Tommy was always Ellie's little buddy. She has amazing memories of saying silly things to make Tommy laugh, playing computer games together, going to football games, and building K’nex roller coasters. They spent summer together making brownies where Tommy always had to crack the eggs, exploring Target after a power outage, and having many failed attempts to get Tommy to finish watching Shrek once the popcorn was gone. Ellie misses Tommy, but knows he’ll be part of the celebration in some way.
Brad "BJ" Lanich Jr.
Honorary Groomsman
BJ was a brother to Zack. The two of them met back in second grade but it wouldn’t be until high school that they would bond over their mutual love of horror movies. Every Friday instead of going to a party the two would rent a movie from Blockbuster and watch either a horror or a classic movie. Some of Zack’s fondest memories are staying up all night and playing World of Warcraft with him and Ray, senior year of high school. Eventually the two would become addicted to Magic the Gathering and play almost every night while Zack was going back to college. Right as the lockdown began Zack moved in with BJ and the two along with visiting friends would play games all night. These gaming sessions kept everyone sane. There were few people that Zack could be himself with and felt totally at ease just hanging out. BJ is sorely missed, and a piece of Zack will always be missing without his brother.