Whitney & James
The Fellowship of the Rings
Anna Rose Taranto
Maid of Honor
Anna has been my best friend since high school! She was in the musical our first year of high school and had made friends with several of my friends from middle school - so clearly she needed to be my friend too! From there, we went to the same university (UNCG), met up periodically to play video games or grab food, and now she's my roommate. Thanks to her, we're more likely to go on random Saturday shopping trips, evening picnics, and more D&D than I can count. I couldn't ask for a better friend, co-author, D&D campaign member, and maid of honor. She helps me keep my head on, my anxiety low (as possible), and makes me laugh when I don't think I can!
Sean Thomason
Best Man
My mother would absolutely tell you that the first time I met Sean I was wildly unimpressed that all he could do was eat, poop, and sleep. I even asked, "Is that it?" thinking that straight out of the womb I would have a best friend to play with all the time. Well it took a lot longer than I wanted, but now I've got a brother whom I trust to save my butt in game, to hear my thoughts in life, and always have a great time. Whether it be making s'mores at our Aunt and Uncle's or defeating other players in a Clash tournament I always love time that I can get with him.
Julie Sullivan
Matron of Honor
Julie and I met through her husband, Brennan, who had just become great friends with James. While I knew I would be friendly, I had no idea she would become one of my closest friends. We actively play video games together, discuss recently read books and Taylor Swift theories, and explore malls looking for new looks (mostly for home, sometimes for work). She even trusts me not to kill her D&D character every other week! For all the fictional adventures we regularly embark on, I'm glad she's with me for this real-life adventure!
Brennan Sullivan
Best Man
Brennan and I met at the theater through a fellow manager who said, "you know now that I think about it the two of you have a ton in common!" Sure enough that manager was right! Brennan and I both shared a love for World of Warcraft, video games in general, board games, Lord of the Rings, and so many other connections that it didn't take long for me to start visiting his place and hanging out often. To this day we still play all manner of games and visit in person often. Having a married older brother talking me though some of the challenges of married life has been invaluable, and I can't thank him enough for his guidance.
Allison Mantooth
Bridesmaid
Allison was one of my first best friends, from the day she was born practically, and don't let her convince you otherwise! She's someone I can always count on to be straight with me and have my best interests at heart, as only your sister can. (There have been many a shared Instagram reel when prepping for the wedding!) We learned to bake side-by-side and absolutely love watching Disney and Marvel movies together, even if it's over the Disney+ GroupWatch feature. I might have even convinced her to start reading, all those years ago, and now we regularly share books from our collections across state lines! I love her to pieces, and I can't imagine my wedding without her.
Brent Guy
Groomsman
Brent and I were hired at the movie theater the exact same weekend! We started off being some co-workers that knew we could rely on one another to get work done (even on the days that we just didn't want to) but before long we started to share other hobbies! Though we don't work at the theater anymore, I miss my work husband daily for all the things we got done, the great times we had, and the late nights after pre-screenings where we could just talk and vent. Brent got me into my very first D&D group and since then that love has prospered into 3 active campaigns that I'm in. We play games together and some of those nights have been some of the best gaming nights I've ever had.
Lauren Mantooth
Bridesmaid
To no one's surprise, I have two sisters and Lauren was also one of my best friends from the start. We've both done a lot of growing through the years, but I'm happy to say we're closer than ever now. We connect on writing copious amounts of words, hoarding as many books as possible, and exploring video game worlds. Unless you want a really long lecture, don't ask either one of us about our works-in-progress... the answer is just slightly too long. She also clearly loves me a lot, because when I asked if she wanted to be part of the wedding party, she said yes and that she would even wear a dress! (That's a big deal, I promise.) I love her so much and I'm glad to have her by my side at the wedding.
Neil Anderson
Groomsman
Neil and I met in E3 club, but we started to really interact in our med science class my sophomore year of high school. At the time Neil was unlike most other people I had befriended; putting school at such a high standing and then enjoying goofing off after all school stuff was done. Suffice to say he was an amazing influence on my academics and would help me to not only do well in that class but physics and calculus as time would go on. We both enjoy games together, outdoor adventures, and staying up late working on a mathematical or scientific conundrum. He was a great roommate, an amazing senpai, and my partner in crime to this day... Tulio.
Karisa DeCarmine
Bridesmaid
I met Karisa on a random Thursday afternoon, in the hallway of our music building. She was also auditioning for Seraphim, and we both ended up getting into the group! After getting to know each other during our weekly rehearsals, we got super close our junior year, when we lived in the same on-campus apartment building. Senior year when she was my apartment roommate & Becca was just one building over, the rest became history. Between snow days, drives to Wal-Mart and Homeland Creamery, late night karaoke sessions in Becca's car, and long days at Caribou, she's the Bubbles to my Blossom!
Prem Shah
Groomsman
The first time I met Prem was actually though his brother in my Pre Calculus class! He would often be very sleepy in class, get words and thoughts completely twisted in his brain, and yet consistently score very high on all of our tests. So I enjoyed every ounce of picking his brain to learn what I could. Come to find out later in our physics class that he and I would take WILDLY different routes to solve the same problem! We would usually come to the same answer, but with such different methods that we were convinced the other was wrong in some way. To this day Prem and I still enjoy various games together, but more importantly when I've got a physics or math problem that I'm pondering, I've got to see just how weird of a path he takes to solve it.
Rebecca Teague
Bridesmaid
Becca and I first met through our a cappella group, Seraphim - and then promptly met again, the day after our first rehearsal, in class! She has an infectious personality and we became friends pretty quickly after that. We were often working through our major together, loopy after many long nights of homework, and supporting each other as music director (her) and assistant music director (me). She starred in many a video that I keep on my phone, several including her wearing a shark head at Wal-Mart. I will drive almost anywhere to see her, bringing Caribou coffee with me when she doesn't have one nearby, and she's absolutely the Buttercup to my Blossom!
Ty Stuelke
Groomsman
Let me be the first to say it before Rana can pollute anyone's thoughts. It was completely mutual, affectionate, and honestly fun! Ty and I met our freshman year gym class, and through both of our competitive spirits we decided to race each other frequently and, for whatever reason, wrestle/beat up on each other while we were at it. Suffice to say Ty's mom was not super thrilled when her son came home with a bruise or two from our antics, but as soon as she met me in person it was all good! Since then Ty and I have played oodles of strategy games, fighting games, and more! We started off on a team and doing amazingly! However, it's always a test to see who can beat the other more aggressively in TI or Smash. My Gringo will always be my buff nerd, and the hardest opponent I've ever faced.
Rachel Young
Bridesmaid
I met Rachel sometime in middle school... but we don’t count that because we didn’t like one another! Starting in high school, through a forced proximity trope, she quickly became Smartie and we never really turned back. She encouraged my love for sports (specifically hockey, let's not pretend), I encouraged her love for creative writing. She credits me for introducing her to her profession (thank you, thank you), and I also got to practice event planning early as we ran for Tri-East VP two years in a row. Even after several years of different schools and locations (I seriously can't keep up with her), we'll still meet up for dinner and Oreo Bomb!
Caroline Thomason
Flower Girl
James has known Caroline since she was a baby, and I met her a few years later when she was leading the "Sean Fan Club." From there, we've gotten a front row seat to watching her grow into a beautiful and incredible young lady, and we cannot wait to see where she goes in the coming years. If her determination (read: stubbornness), stunning singing voice, and incredible Harry Potter knowledge are any indicator - she'll take the world by storm. She means the world to James & I, so we knew she had to be a part of our wedding day. Not to mention, it feels full circle to have Caroline as our flower girl, when James was the ring bearer at her parent's wedding!