The People "Legally" Responsible For Us
Ashley Heil
Maid of Honor
Erica’s older sister will serve as her Maid of Honor. Their relationship is built on love, support, laughter, and a healthy amount of sibling sarcasm, often expressed through their favorite little tradition of flipping each other off. It is the kind of sister bond where no one has to say too much to know exactly what the other is thinking, though they will probably say it anyway. Through every laugh, eye roll, inside joke, and perfectly timed middle finger, Erica’s older sister has been a constant in her life. Erica could not imagine celebrating this day without her standing by her side.
Steven Shenofsky
Best Man
Justin’s best friend, Steven, will be standing by his side as Best Man. Justin first met Steven at a party, where he gave him the now-legendary nickname Stevie Linguine, because apparently that is how lifelong friendships are made. What started as a random party moment turned into years of laughter, loyalty, unforgettable memories, and stories that probably should not be repeated at the reception. Steven has been there through plenty of good times, questionable decisions, and inside jokes, making him the perfect person to stand beside Justin on such an important day.
Kristen Boog
Bridesmaid
Kristen is Erica’s work bestie and one of her bridesmaids. What started as casual workplace conversations quickly turned into laughing throughout the day, swapping stories, sharing inside jokes, and making even the busiest workdays more fun. Somewhere between everyday conversations, random jokes, and probably getting sidetracked more than once, Kristen became so much more than just a coworker. She became a true friend, a safe space, and one of those people who can brighten Erica’s day without even trying. Erica is incredibly grateful for their friendship and so happy to have Kristen standing beside her on the wedding day, officially promoted from “work bestie” to “bridesmaid with highly important emotional support duties.”
Wally Walborn
Groomsman
Wally will be standing beside Justin as a groomsman. Justin first met Wally through working with his wife, but it did not take long for Wally to make his own impression. While his wife deserves some credit for the introduction, Wally quickly proved that he was clearly the cooler half of the relationship. With his humor, easygoing personality, and ability to fit right in, Wally became a friend Justin is excited to have by his side on the big day.
Anna McCune
Bridesmaid
Anna will be standing beside Erica as a bridesmaid, and their friendship has one of the more questionable origin stories. The two met in college physics, where Anna decided that Erica was going to be her friend whether Erica knew it yet or not. Through a little persistence, some light classroom stalking, and probably a shared dislike of physics, a friendship was born. Years later, Erica is very thankful Anna’s strategy worked, because she could not imagine celebrating this day without her.
Dan Miller
Groomsman
Dan will be standing beside Justin as a groomsman. Justin first met Dan in high school algebra, where they somehow managed to survive equations, homework, and the confusing moment when math decided letters needed to be involved. What started as a classroom friendship has lasted long after high school, turning into years of laughs, memories, and good times. Dan has been a loyal friend through it all, even if his loyalty to the official rules of Uno remains highly questionable. Years later, he is still around, still making memories, and still very much under investigation for cheating at Uno.
Ashley Vehrs
Bridesmaid
Ashley, Erica’s little sister, will be standing beside her as a bridesmaid. Their sister bond has been built through years of love, laughter, memories, and plenty of late nights where Erica had to make sure Ashley actually went to bed instead of sleepwalking her way into chaos. Growing up together gave them the kind of stories only sisters could truly understand, from the sweet moments to the completely ridiculous ones. Through every laugh, every late-night adventure, and every classic sibling memory, Ashley has always held a special place in Erica’s heart. Erica is so grateful to have her little sister by her side as she celebrates one of the biggest days of her life.
Chris McPhillips
Groomsman
Chris will be standing beside Justin as a groomsman. As Justin’s bandmate in Blood of the Prophets, Chris has shared plenty of music, laughs, and probably more than a few questionable practice moments with him. Their friendship has grown through the chaos of being in a band together, from making music to creating memories that only bandmates can fully understand. When they are not playing music, they also enjoy gaming together, where the laughs, teamwork, and occasional bad decisions continue. Chris has been part of many good memories in Justin’s life, making him an easy choice to stand beside him on the wedding day.
Rosemary Heil
Jr. Bridesmaid
Rosemary, Erica’s niece, will be joining the wedding party as a junior bridesmaid. Erica has loved her from the very beginning, even if a storm decided to be dramatic and keep Erica from being there for her birth. Since then, Rosemary has more than made up for that chaotic entrance by becoming such a special and loved part of Erica’s life. From watching her grow to sharing memories, laughs, and all the little moments that make being an aunt so meaningful, Erica is so grateful for the bond they share. Having Rosemary included in the wedding day means so much, and Erica could not imagine celebrating without her there.
Annabeth Vehrs
Flower Girl
Annabeth, Erica’s niece, will be joining the wedding party as a flower girl. While she will technically be there to help walk down the aisle, there is a strong chance she will be far more interested in the bubbles than anything else happening around her. Honestly, who could blame her? Bubbles are exciting, weddings are long, and she clearly knows how to prioritize fun. Whether she walks perfectly down the aisle or gets completely distracted along the way, Annabeth’s sweet little presence is guaranteed to bring smiles, laughter, and plenty of joy to the day.
Avery Heil
Brother of the Bride
Avery, Erica’s baby brother, will have the honor of walking her down the aisle in place of their late father. While this moment will be incredibly meaningful, Erica would also like everyone to know that Avery has been preparing for this role since childhood by constantly telling on her whenever she babysat him. Through all the sibling chaos, tattling, laughter, and memories, Avery has always held a special place in Erica’s heart. Having him by her side is a beautiful way to honor their dad while celebrating the bond they share.
Rebecca Heil
Mother of the Bride
Rebecca, Erica’s mom, will be celebrating as mother of the bride. Erica truly would not be here without her, both literally and in every other meaningful way. Rebecca has been there through all of life’s big moments, small moments, chaotic moments, and apparently every single time Erica decides to make quesadillas. Somehow, without fail, Rebecca always seems to call right as the tortillas hit the pan, making it one of those oddly specific mother-daughter traditions that just feels perfectly on brand. Her love, support, and perfectly timed phone calls have helped shape Erica into the person she is today, and having her there on the wedding day means more than words can fully explain.
Bill Lowery
Father of the Groom
Bill, Justin’s dad, will be celebrating him as father of the groom. Bill is an important part of Justin’s life and will absolutely be there to celebrate the big day, as long as someone reminds him about it at least a million times beforehand. In true Bill fashion, there is always a chance he would forget the wedding date, the time, or possibly even why everyone is dressed so nicely, but there is no doubt he will show up with love, humor, and probably a story or two. Having him there to support Justin and celebrate this next chapter means so much to both the bride and groom.
Todd Heil
Late Father of the Bride
Todd, Erica’s late father, will be honored on the wedding day as father of the bride. While he decided to expire rather than retire, his presence will still be felt throughout the day in spirit, memory, and probably in at least one song that has the completely wrong words. Todd had a special knack for changing the lyrics to just about every song he sang, whether he meant to or not. It was one of those little things that made him unforgettable and gave everyone around him something to laugh about. Even though he cannot physically be there, his love, humor, and memory will be part of the celebration in a big way. Erica and Justin know he would have been there singing along, confidently wrong lyrics and all, and he will be deeply missed while still being very much included.
Tammy Lowery
Late Mother of the Groom
Tammy, Justin’s late mother, will be honored on the wedding day as mother of the groom. While she also unfortunately chose to expire rather than retire, her presence will still be felt throughout the day in spirit… or at least, that is what everyone is hoping for. Knowing Tammy, there is a pretty good chance she will find a way to make herself known, possibly by judging the food, checking everyone’s outfits, and making sure there is enough vodka involved. Tammy had a personality that was hard to forget and a talent for mixing just about anything with vodka. Even though she cannot physically be there, her love, humor, and memory will absolutely be part of the celebration. Justin and Erica know she would have had plenty to say about the day, probably with a drink in hand, and they are grateful to honor her as they begin this next chapter together.
Justin Lowery & Erica Heil
The Bride and Groom
Erica and Justin, the bride and groom, will also be attending the wedding, which is convenient since the whole thing is kind of about them. After writing everyone else’s descriptions, they are honestly too tired to come up with something meaningful, heartfelt, or even mildly impressive about themselves. What they can say is that they are very excited to celebrate with everyone they love, eat good food, dance awkwardly, take too many pictures, and finally make this whole marriage thing official. They are grateful for every person who has supported them, loved them, laughed with them, and helped them get to this day. Now they are just ready to show up, say “I do,” and hope they remembered all the important wedding stuff.