Emily & Kyle

Wedding Party

LET US INTRODUCE OUR WEDDING PARTY!

Erin Phillips

Maid of Honor

Erin is Emily's identical twin sister (pictured on the right)! They have been best friends since birth, and they are so grateful to have such a special bond in each other. Erin and Emily went to college together at Loyola University Chicago and just recently started living in separate cities when Erin moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to live with her boyfriend, Nicholas! They still text every single day and try to call/Facetime as much as possible. Erin loves to workout (yoga, Basecamp), go on walks, try new restaurants and coffee shops in Minneapolis and spend time with family and friends. Erin is Emily's built-in MOH, and it is so exciting that the day has come!

Payton Sassano

Bridesmaid

Emily and Payton met during their sophomore year at Deerfield High School through Emily's twin sister, Erin. They played lacrosse and ran cross country together, and found out that they much preferred running over lacrosse. Payton and Emily were also roommates in Chicago after moving out of the suburbs post-Covid. Emily had a built-in buddy to run around Chicago with (both literally and figuratively), and these two were always finding something fun to do. Payton even took Emily skiing for her first time in Wisconsin (pizza, pizza)! Payton currently works as a speech pathologist at Black Bear Academy in Chicago, where she also lives. She is so much fun to be around and is always making people laugh!

Mason Gilden

Bridesmaid

Mason and Emily have known each other since pre-K at the JCC in Tampa, FL! They also went to middle school and freshman year of high school together at Berkeley Prep, and Emily was so excited when Mason transferred to Loyola University Chicago their junior year of college. They even lived in the same apartment building in Chicago before Emily moved to Columbia, SC. Being long-time friends, Mason and Emily often find themselves sitting and chatting for hours at a time. There is nothing they can't talk about. Mason is dating Kyle's friend, Henry, and the two of them are the reason why Kyle and Emily met! Mason currently lives in Chicago and has the most adorable goldendoodle named Rupert.

Stephanie Punzak

Bridesmaid

Stephanie and Emily have known each other since kindergarten at Westchase Elementary in Tampa, FL. They went through elementary school, middle school and freshman year of high school together so you can only imagine the awkward phases they have seen LOL. They have many fun memories from pool days at Stephanie's house, apple-themed birthday parties, school dances, binge-watching Netflix shows over summer breaks, and getting to visit each other in college (Stephanie went to Notre Dame)! It has been so fun for them to keep up with each other over time, and Emily cannot wait for Stephanie to be there on her wedding day as well. Stephanie currently lives in New York with her sweet dog, Jerry.

Carlie Yent

Bridesmaid

Carlie (on the right) and Emily met in middle school at Berkeley Prep in Tampa, FL. They spent many fun days tubing on the lake behind Carlie's house, and they always made sure to get frozen yogurt during any sleepovers. Emily and Carlie meet up whenever they are both in Florida, and it always feels like no time has passed at all. Carlie is so sweet and incredibly easy to talk to, and Emily's lucky to have a friend like her! Carlie is currently waiting to begin her journey in the Air Force and will soon to be moving to Boise, Idaho.

Annie Sherwood

Bridesmaid

Annie and Emily first met when Emily was Annie's CHAARG (a women's fitness & wellness community) group leader at Loyola University Chicago. Annie then became Emily's big sister in their sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, and the rest was history. Emily can always count on Annie to be her partner on the dance floor. They even participated in a fraternity's charity dance competition together twice in college (their sorority won one year with a Taylor Swift theme!). Annie is a lover of Taylor Swift and will take any opportunity to put her music on. We'll be making sure our live band includes a few songs of her's to jam out to. Annie currently lives in Chicago!

Madison Becnel

Bridesmaid

Madison and Emily first met in Chinese class during their sophomore year at Loyola University Chicago. Emily then joined the same sorority as Madison (and other bridesmaid, Annie), and their friendship took off! Madison has a heart of gold and is one of the kindest people. Madison and Annie have taught Emily a lot about the movie series Twilight, and they all have dreamed of visiting Forks, Washington together. Madison and Emily often hung out in Chicago when they both lived downtown, and their hangouts were never complete without a trip to Taco Bell. Madison currently lives in Chicago with her Dachshund, Pork Bun, who we all wish could also be in attendance at the wedding!

Hannah Maddox

Bridesmaid

Hannah and Emily connected through the College of Charleston's freshman Facebook page and went on to become roommates during the semester that Emily attended the school. Funny thing is that when Hannah and Emily first met at Accepted Students Weekend, they did not say one thing to each other besides "hello". They've come a long way from then! Emily was very lucky to have a great group of roommates at CofC, and her, Hannah and Alex did basically everything together ... sharing daily dining hall meals, staying up way too late on school nights, running around downtown Charleston, attending University of South Carolina football games and having fun at house parties. They have also been able to see each other every year since Emily transferred in 2016, and their memories only continue to grow! Hannah currently lives in Chattanooga, TN with her boyfriend, Carter, and their two dogs, Rody and Ruby.

Alex Lowery

Bridesmaid

We can all thank Hannah for bringing Alex and Emily together! They can also be thanked for introducing Emily to country music :) Alex and Emily were roommates during their freshman year at the College of Charleston. Alex re-introduced Emily to the reality show Big Brother, and they would often watch it together instead of doing homework. If you ever watch it with Alex, prepare yourself for a lot of screaming (we get very invested). Alex and Emily also grew an obsession with cereal during their semester at CofC and would often go out late at night to buy new boxes from the college drugstore. Alex and Emily became quick friends, and they often reminisce on their fun times together when the throwback pictures and videos pop up. Alex currently lives in Summerville, SC, with her family, and she has a dog named Tooka!

John Connor McGue

Best Man

John "Connor" is Kyle's older brother by two years. They have been great friends since Kyle could walk and talk, and have shared many of life's adventures together - snow skiing, boating, hiking, camping, playing sports and many games (video and board), going to the same schools, and crushing their sister in between them in the back seat of many family trips, just to hear her holler. Lives in Charleston