Erin & Maura
Wedding Party
Heather Schlegel
Matron of Honor
I met Heather over 10 years ago while I was finishing my student teaching and coaching lacrosse at Newark Central School District. Heather has been with me through the highs and lows of life and has always been my sounding board whenever I needed it. She is the kind of person that I could just sit next to and feel better! Heather taught me not only the game of lacrosse and how to be a good coach, but also how to be a better person and friend. I can't wait to have Heather by my side on this very important day!
Adam Hayes
Man of Honor
As far as Maura is concerned, there were very few before Adam or since that can compare. We were almost instantly "us." We were wild and hilarious together, serious and sad. We built entire worlds in the narrow hallways of that high school that I'm pretty sure only we could see. He is not only hilarious, but incredibly smart and gifted. I have spent many a moment after a phone call, that lasted hours longer than either of us anticipated, or a conversation over wine, being so in awe of his brilliant mind and kind heart. We share so many memories and even some dreams that haven't come true yet that it is difficult at times to tell where one begins or ends. Either way, I am excited to continue untangling the knotted yarn of life and memory that life can be with a friend I love so very much.
Shannon Brooks
Bridesmaid
Shannon is my younger sister. Out of the three of us, I still believe she may be famous some day. She is an amazing dancer, artist and is generally "creative." Shannon cares deeply for those she loves and thinks of the world in a way that I appreciate more and more the older I get because the world really isn't just "black and white." I couldn't walk down the aisle without her walking with me.
Brandon Brooks
Bridesman
Brandon is my younger brother but we are only 18 months apart. I cannot even begin to explain our relationship because we share so many memories. Brandon is someone I could sit in a room with and give him "the look" and he knows exactly what I'm thinking because he is probably thinking it too. This awesome, sibling super power has made many a family event, good or bad, hard to get through without laughing. His quick-witted humor, cunning sense of timing and encyclopedic knowledge of just about everything are just a few reasons I can't do this without him.
William Willock
Bridesman
When we were young, people were "absolutely sure" that we were twins. "But they look so much alike!", they would say. Truthfully, I didn't see it. Still don't. At the time however, we were a package deal. We did everything together and fought like cats and dogs the entire way. Now, my little brother is a dad and he's all grown up and doing dad things. No longer do I have to "include him" in my girl's night because Mom said I had to or bring him along with me; I actually want him there. We have to actively make time to see each other. Who knew?! But, when it comes time to dance, those big eyes of his are my "something blue" so shine your shoes, little brother. Oh, and you are dancing with me...Mom says you have to.
Sarah Gordner
Bridesmaid
Sarah is our next door neighbor who turned into family over night. We always joke about the day she and Jay came over to the first ever Oktoberfest and how we met. Honestly, we could not possibly see our lives without Sarah in it. She is the neighbor that people pray to have move in, one of our best friends, someone we can trust, someone we can count on 100% of the time. Erin never has to reach out too far for a sidekick for a Lowes run, Homegoods spree, bubble tea or just to tow the boat to shore. Sarah is a true ride or die.
Jay Gordner
Bridesman
"Jay and I go way back..... in our recliners!" There is no one who Maura would rather "read the directions" with or sit and philosophize over the difference between this bourbon or that coffee with for hours. She has been persistently in love with his laugh since the moment she heard it and most definitely enamored with his ability to love people so unconditionally and without question. We both knew we were his family with barely a word spoken between us. That is a rare type of heart and one that we cherish every day in our lives. We have been greatly changed having Jay in our family and we couldn't imagine a day like our wedding without that laugh and all the joy it brings.
Stephanie Betts
Bridesmaid
Stephanie was one of the first people Erin met at Dundee when she started working there. It's crazy to say that it has now been ten years. Stephanie is always the person who she turns to when she has a difficult day at work and/or an awesome day at work and she is right there always supporting Erin no matter what crazy idea she comes up with. She is someone that both of us can say anything in front of and never have to worry about judgement. We are so grateful for her presence in our lives and are thankful for it every day.
Megan Daggett
Bridesmaid
Erin also met Megan her first year at Dundee and since then the laughs have not stopped. They laugh so hard sometimes they both wind up with tears running down their cheeks. Megan has always been Erin's dance partner at school dances..."hey big girl back it up...", she is always able to see the good in everything and has a way of making everything fun. Every year Erin prays to have "1st lunch period" because she knows when she walks into that teacher's lounge no matter how hard of a day she has had...she's going to get some good laughs that make everything better. She CAN'T wait to share more laughs with Megan!
Jane Guglielmo
Bridesmaid
Jane and Erin met half way through her first year teaching at Dundee. She definitely thought Jane was a total nerd... never realizing how handy this would be later! Pushing past her nerdiness, they struck up a friendship and realized they lived only ten minutes apart. This friendship grew into a carpool from Farmington to Dundee for 2 years. In that time they had so many great conversations and got to know each other so well. While getting to know Jane, she also got to know her family and they quickly became family too. Jane has taught Erin so many things...like how to spell, (she promises she is getting better) and how to be a great friend. She always pushed her to be better as a teacher. She is truly thankful to have her in her life. Hey Jane, could you maybe read this for us?
Holly Davis
Bridesmaid
Man, what can Erin say about this chick. They met only a little over a year ago...but to rewind a bit, how they met was really funny. Erin, and our next door neighbor, Sarah, had been seeing this couple walking by our houses for more then a year and always said "hi" but it never got farther then the "hi." We really wanted to hang out with this young couple down the road, so Sarah and Erin staged a meet up at Sarah's house and used baby Rat Foot as the bait. IT WORKED! Erin remembers looking at Sarah one minute before they showed up saying, "If they don't like beer, I am going home". Well, long story short, Holly loves beer and we love Holly and it has been a freakin' riot ever since.
Amanda Davis
Bridesmaid
Amanda is no nonsense and yet she still hangs out with us. We are literally ALL NONSENSE ALL THE TIME! We realized early on, though, it is because of her tremendous heart. At her core, Amanda is all love and squishiness and rainbows. Her one-liners may say otherwise, but trust us, her insides are gooey. She's gonna kill us for saying that, we are pretty sure, but we love her anyway. She is the friend that is going to back you up, right or wrong, and is loyal to the core. Her friendship is an honor to have. Erin and I are so excited to celebrate with her by our side.
Melissa Blom
Bridesmaid
Erin and Melissa met the first time on a glorious "hungover" morning during a fitness class. Erin recalls that they were running the PACER that day, a truly evil test of one's cardio prowess and a sure way to lose your breakfast. Melissa didn't realize until that class that they had actually hung out the night before. Once they were both done throwing up, they realized they both lived in Clark Hall and were only one door down from each other. To this day they still laugh at the fact that they never ran into each other before meeting out at the bar! There hasn't been a time that Erin can remember that hasn't been full of laughter with Melissa, from her saying Erin's name in her Long Island accent to the "Blue Drink," to the great stories we had at Neubig. Melissa is a forever friend.
Katrina Henderson
Bridesmaid
Erin met Katrina while teaching summer school at Penn Yan and Katrina was finishing her administration degree. Working with Katrina was a blast; they hit it off instantly and became "boat buddies." When getting to know Katrina, she realized that their values lined up and it felt like they had known each other their whole lives. Now, after teaching, boating, and redoing her entire farm house together, we can safely say that she is family. Katrina is someone we could call at any point in time and she would be there no matter what. That is why Erin couldn't do this day without her.
Jason Henderson
Bridesman
We met Jason a couple years ago on a boat trip to watch Virgil Cain with Ashley and Katrina. What a night! Jason's sweet dance moves had us laughing all the way home. Jason is such a hard worker so we value the time we spend with him off the tractor (ya know even when like, we need a HUGE-ass Christmas wreath hung at the top of our house). It was such a blast to help redo the farm house with the gang, and Erin loved having very important conversations about the counter height Katrina picked out. Jason loves Katrina, Katrina is our family..... Jason = family.
Ashley Diane
Bridesmaid
Ashley is a "bonus little sister" for Erin and someone we love tremendously. She was a package deal of sorts, an extra friend we were both surprised and excited about. After falling asleep on our couch that first night, we knew she was the newest member of our family. Ashley is a true friend by definition. She shows up for us, and is a constant source of love and laughs without question. As she is slightly younger than us, it has been a privilege to see her go through the beginnings of her career and to be both happy and proud of her at the same time. Like any "bonus" you didn't know you needed until it was there, we couldn't see our lives now without Ashley. Erin and I are "so pumped" to party with her on our wedding day.
Caryn Parsons
Bridesmaid
Caryn and Erin met during their time working for Centerpointe as lifeguards and neither realized that they had met years ago at Pal Mac where Caryn teaches. Caryn has always been the person that no matter how long it has been since they've seen each other, they could pick right back up where they left off without a hitch. She is always able to see the good in everything and her "shenanigans" make both of us laugh so hard (mostly because at some point she got us involved). In fact, we both chose Caryn to keep our "secret" about engagement rings...so we are pretty sure she is an evil genius, an amazing actress... or both. Either way, she's a hell of a friend.
Tara Jae
Honor Attendant
To describe the depth of our relationship would take far more words that the 800 allotted me here. Words fail to be "big enough" at times so what I will say is that I love Tara, truly and deeply for their presence in my life. I am better, stronger and wiser for it. I can't do this day without them.
Elizabeth DeMaria
Bridesmaid
The Sonny to Maura's Cher, the Thelma to her Louise. She has never gone on an adventure that didn't get better having had Liz along for the ride. She is always picking up what Maura is laying down and she didn't bat an eye when Erin started tagging along too. We'll never forget the night that Liz actually got stuck in the trunk of Maura's car while riding home from a show. NOT ONE OF US attempted to help her, because it was so damn funny we just had to watch! Maura said later,"That's just the thing about Liz, you'll never fully enjoy or understand how amazing she is unless you're willing to let her do her thing all the way through." The Grateful Dead said it and I think it was actually about Liz: "Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right."
Tim Brooks
Bridesman
Maura and Tim refer to their time together as "band of brothers;" however, Maura laughs as she leaves his ass behind almost every time! Tim is Erin's cousin but she thinks of him more as a brother. She has learned just about everything she knows about building, wiring and plumbing from Tim and one or two more things about family-related "impressions" and witty commentary all of which may cause this wedding to end right here and now soooooo....THAT SAID, Erin could not imagine having this day without Tim's commentary as the hilarious backdrop to an amazing occasion.
Jen Ballard
Bridesmaid
Jen, who we call "our little leprechaun," is also someone Erin and Maura met at Dundee. Jen is someone that is always down to get a beer or be a part of a pub crawl and will make an epic costume with you to help win the contest. Jen is always the life of the party and someone Erin can always turn to with her wildest ideas. School-related or not, Erin knows Jen is always "in!"
Jenn Clancy
Bridesmaid
How does one describe someone like Jenn? Smart? Witty? Gifted? We choose "hell of a friend and an equally talented, drinking buddy." Maura appreciates Jenn's ability to see both sides of an issue. Maybe it's her sciencey-like brain, maybe it's Maybelline. Who's to know? Maura and Jenn have sat and laughed and talked and laughed again many a time and each time, the day just feels a lot better. Jenn is a "doer" and a talent. She is both interested and interesting. Her friendship is something we are truly thankful for. She is the ultimate trivia partner, and we take our trivia pretty seriously around these parts. Who is to say where our friendship will take us, but I can tell you this unequivocally,.. IT'S NOT DENMARK!
Porter Davis
Ring Bearer
"P to the T" (Porter) is our favorite little dude. From his sick dance moves (man he can keep a beat), to the songs he sings...this little man has it all. Porter is such a smart boy, is so kind, and has a heart of gold. We are so happy we met his moms when we did and we are blessed to have him in our lives. Porter, we love you so much, "Uncle" Erie and Aunt Maura
Charleigh Jane Gordner
Flower Girl
Charleigh Jane, CJ, and baby Rat Foots. You are our favorite girl and when you were in your mom's belly we couldn't wait to meet you. Then, you came into this world with the spirit of a lion! I mean your first way of communicating with us was an actual ROAR! (true fact!) You are growing up into an amazing girl. You are so smart and entertaining! We are so happy we get to call you our godchild and we would like nothing more for you to be our flower girl in our wedding! "Uncle" Erie and Aunt Maura
Kimberly Brooks
Mother of the Bride
Erin's mom, Kim, has always been her biggest cheerleader. She is reminded every day of how amazing her childhood was because of her mother's big heart. To be able to come home and be greeted with a snack and a mom who would sit and do homework with her and then play with her outside is something that Erin has learned is rare these days. She considers herself so lucky. Looking back, Erin honestly doesn't think Kim ever missed a game, a practice or a ride to the mall with friends. She was there for all of it and her love has shaped every decision Erin has ever made, including this one. "I love you mom and I cant wait to share this day with you" -Weezer
Stephen Brooks
Father of the Bride
Erin's dad is her hero, her sounding board and the person she always wanted to be when she grew up (she once got office supplies and a tie for Christmas to prove it). Steve taught Erin the value of never letting anyone outwork you, of taking care of the things you own, and to never let anything get in the way of who you are. Steve often said, "Tell me who your closest friends are and I'll tell you who you are" and these are words she has often heard from her own mouth to her students and something she took to heart as she grew her "tribe." That is because these values Steve taught her are the reason she is where she is today. Steve always knows what to do and he does not waver. I love you Dad, Weezer
Patricia Willock
Mother of the Bride
Maura's mom is quick-witted, insightful and intelligent... we are not sure what happened to Maura. But seriously folks, Maura was lucky to have a similar childhood to Erin with snacks and homework help and a caring mom. She will always remember the holiday crafts with friends from the neighborhood and picnics on the family room floor when it rained outside as the best times. Maura's mom always went the extra mile to get people together, be it the swim team, or a party, or the school PTA. She was involved in her kids' lives but she also let them make their own decisions as they grew up. She said, "I can't be your life coach, but I will be your best cheerleader." I hope to hear you cheering when I tie the knot! -Maura