Eric & Katie
Wedding Party
Andrew Fleck
Best Man
Hello, I am a part of the Fleck clan, And I am proud to be the best man You start residency soon and that's pretty cool, While I am just starting Optometry school. Although we no longer share a bathroom, I can always find Eric on xbox by noon. I played ultimate frisbee, ran track, you could call me a jock, All the while, you were only climbing rocks. I am now in Chicago away from Eric and Katie, But Ill always be there, annoying them til Im eighty.
Claire Allen
Maid of Honor
Claire and KT have known each other for about 14 years. They first met in middle school band and later started carpooling for high school summer gym and began hanging out together almost every weekend. Now they are fortunate enough to live in the same apartment complex, where they hang out, do group dinners, lose to the boys at monopoly and watch excellent reality TV! Claire is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy treating children with autism. She is happily engaged to Kevin Avelino, who is one of Eric's best friends and groomsmen. She is also dog mom to Katie's wonderful puppy-niece, Sandy, the world's most perfect goldendoodle.
Sam Jacobi
Groomsman
Sam has known Eric since he moved to Carmel, IN in the middle of the 4th grade. Who knew two kids could become friends by trying to push each other off slides during recess on the playground? Sam and Eric have shared many interests over their years of friendship, and their personalities are very similar when they are both together; being silly, nerdy, and having a good time with the slightest itch of competition. Their most common passion being for video games such as Pokémon, Call of Duty, Destiny, and many others which have kept them as best friends for roughly 16 years now. While Sam no longer lives just a few minutes away from Eric, they continue to talk all the time online and get together anytime Sam is back in town to visit friends and family. Sam currently lives just north of Dayton, OH and works as a Software Engineer for Crown Equipment Corporation. He is also using his acting experience from school to perform in a variety of community theatre shows in the town he lives in as well as gaming with the boys when he has free time.
Ama Warnock-Merrell
Matron of Honor
Ama Merrell (they/them) is Katie's younger sibling. Ama has loved Katie every minute of their whole life! Ama became friends with Eric in high school and does take pride in knowing him longer than Katie. Ama is so happy that Katie and Eric love each other so much and are so well-suited for each other. Some of Ama's favorite memories with Katie include their Sister Trips, Cousin Camp, bonding of art, and the dozen + times that Katie helped Ama move. Ama lives with their wife Julie in Chicago and works as a doula and somatic trauma therapist. They have just recently bought their first home in Kenwood and look forward to putting down roots in their south-side community.
Drake Baugh
Groomsman
Eric and Drake met the summer before freshman year in the Carmel high school marching band. They started on the marimbas next to each other and moved to the drumline the following year. They remained friends throughout high school and both went to Indiana University. They lived together as roommates during their junior and senior years and regularly hosted the clowns that will be attending the wedding. After graduating from IU in 2019, Drake moved to Dayton to live with Sam Jacobi for a few years before moving back to Indy in the Spring of 2022. Eric and Drake were able to remain friends during the pandemic thanks to online gaming and the closeness of our friend group. Drake is currently living in Indianapolis and working for a car leasing business.
Molly Anzalone
Bridesmaid of Honor
Molly and Katie have known each other since childhood. They had the luck of growing up just down the street from each other where they would spend their time playing games, riding bikes, doing fun crafts, annoying their dads, acting like total goofballs, and above all - fueling each others' sharp sense of sarcasm. Nowadays Molly is working as a project manager for Thrive Market and living in Los Angeles, CA - the perfect place for Katie to visit and come hang out on vacation where they enjoy hiking, sipping G&Ts on the beach, going for long pretty drives, and as per usual - being sarcastic goofballs.
Kevin Avelino
Groomsman
Eric and Kevin originally met during their undergraduate years at Indiana University through Katie and Claire's friendship. However, their friendship did not truly blossom until the first summer that Eric was able to go to Claire's lake cabin. There, they bonded over cleaning up the lake weeds, playing pong against Claire and Katie, and even winning the local bar's cornhole tournament (despite the unwillingness of the girls). Ever since then, Kevin and Eric have remained best friends. Kevin is currently working as a nurse in the Behavioral Health Unit at Community North and is engaged to Claire with the wedding occurring this September.
Nick Polster
Groomsman
Nick had the fortune of meeting Eric at some point late sophomore year of their undergraduate at IU, and the two quickly bonded over a mutual love of Super Smash Brothers, the third generation of Pokemon, tomfoolery, buffoonery, and general mischief. These days the two mainly stay in contact through rock climbing, which Eric is better at, and disc golfing, which Eric is also better at. Nick is currently a pathology resident at the IU School of Medicine and is deeply saddened by Eric not being interested in Nick’s far superior specialty. This is a joke, as Nick knows Eric is a compassionate man who will make an amazing pediatrician, and Nick believes, an even better husband to his incredible partner Katie.
Orlando Maldonado
Groomsman
Eric and Orlando met at Indiana University as members of the pre-medical Phi Delta Epsilon fraternity and spent plenty of time together at Eric’s apartment, bars, or big events like Little 500. Orlando went to medical school in Indianapolis and was able to commiserate with Eric as they both struggled through 4 years of classes, clinicals, and board exams. Now Orlando is in his first year of psychiatry residency at the University of Louisville which is only 2 hours from Eric and Katie (and is hoping Eric happens to match at UofL for his pediatrics residency).