Wedding Party
Catherine Kabbani
Maid of Honor
Sister of Bride Catherine is Ivy's baby sister and day-one bestie. When they were little, their mom used to dress them in matching outfits, and people used to ask if they were twins (they're not twins, but they are only 15 months apart, and Cat's birthday is 1/9 and Ivy's is 9/1!). Cat's childhood nickname was Houdini Tornado Wrecking Machine, and while she has grown out of her naughtiest tricks, she is still one of the most creative and clever people Ivy knows. Although Cat is Ivy's little sister, Ivy has always looked up to Cat with immense admiration, which has only grown as Ivy has watched Cat become the best Cat Mom to her two black cats, Shadow and Salem. Ivy could not imagine getting married without Catherine by her side as her Maid of Honor.
Emily Williamson
Bridesmaid
Sister of the Groom Emily Williamson is Sam's older sister, and Ivy's soon-to-be sister-in-law! Emily is one of the most driven, helpful, and witty people Ivy knows. She is a great gardener, is very talented at needlepoint embroidery and knitting, and is a huge fan of warm headwear! She and her husband, Brendan (also a groomsman) live in Charlotte, NC with their adorable dog, Olive. Ask them to show you photos of Olive - she is a Very Good Girl.
Anna Caldwell
Bridesmaid
Sister-in-Law of Groom Ivy wasn't invited to David and Anna's wedding because she and Sam had only been Officially Dating for about a week, so Ivy to meet them after they returned from their honeymoon. Ivy was immediately impressed with Anna's quick wit, fierce personality, and strong sense of self. Having David and Anna as part of the package deal of marrying Sam has been a giant bonus. When David and Anna still lived in Richmond, Ivy and Anna became very close friends, regularly hanging out just the two of them in addition to Double Dates. Ivy misses Anna very much now that she and David (and Winnie) have moved away, but she is so proud of Anna's success as a Radiation Oncologist Resident, and she is happy to have an extra excuse to visit New England in the Fall!
Arielle Falzone
Bridesmaid
Arielle and Ivy met as freshmen at Indiana University. They both bonded over being out-of-state students (Ivy being from Virginia, and Arielle being from California), a shared love of sushi and Indian food, and a trip to a Blue Man Group concert. Arielle and Ivy have been inseparable ever since - Arielle and her husband Gabe even moved from LA to Richmond after visiting Ivy here! Ivy feels so incredibly honored to have Arielle in her city as they both make Richmond into their hometown, and to have Arielle by her side through all of life's major milestones.
Victoria Shea
Bridesmaid
Victoria and Ivy also met as freshmen at Indiana University. Ivy and Victoria's dorm rooms were directly across the hall from each other, and when Victoria arrived to her dorm room on move-in day, she found Ivy sitting on her floor. At first Victoria was (rightfully) a little skeptical about this intruder in her room, but she quickly got over her skepticism after a few times hanging out with Ivy and discovering how well their senses of humor complement each other. When Ivy and Victoria are together, the laughter is nonstop!
Cassandra Ford
Bridesmaid
Cassandra, Catherine, and Ivy have been best friends since one fateful snow day when they were all little girls. Cassandra grew up two doors down from Ivy and her sister, and has over the years truly become like a second sister to Ivy. Cassandra is one of the most dependable people you will every meet. She may not be the chattiest person you'll ever meet right at first, but once she opens up, Sassy Cassy will come out to play. This girl is one to watch on the dance floor!
Alli Torrance
Bridesmaid
Ivy and Alli didn't meet until their senior year at IU. They met through mutual friends they both knew from IU Dance Marathon, and got closer when they realized that they would both be moving to Arlington after college. Ivy, Alli, and Cassandra spent almost all of their free time together in Ivy and Alli's freshly post-grad days. Alli is one of the funniest people you will ever meet, and an incredibly talented and clever individual. Alli discovered that if you ask nicely, Chick-fil-A will sometimes give you extra honey butter on your chicken minis - proceed with caution, because once you try them this way, it's nearly impossible to go back.
Megan Busch
Bridesmaid
Megan and Ivy met as freshman in Delta Zeta, and lived together both in the sorority house and in their senior year apartment (along with Arielle first semester and Victoria second semester!). Ivy hadn't yet connected with close friends in the house until she met Megan and Lauren - Megan's beaming smile and calm demeanor instantly made Ivy feel like she had truly found her place in DZ. Over the years, the two of them have bonded over heart-to-hearts, Mother Bears pizza, and One Tree Hill binges. Ivy's first time as a bridesmaid was in Megan's wedding, and now Megan is a bridesmaid in Ivy's wedding - a true full circle moment!
Lauren Laudick
Bridesmaid
If there is one thing you should know about Lauren, it's that she is one of the most brilliant people you will ever meet. This blonde bombshell is currently getting her third Master's Degree, and working toward a PhD! Lauren and Ivy met at Indiana University when they both joined the same sorority, Delta Zeta. Lauren, Megan, and Ivy were all roommates in the DZ house, and bonded over wine nights watching The Bachelor, busting a move on the frat house dance floor, and bathroom floor chicken nuggets (don't ask). Lauren introduced Ivy to her first French Martini on a visit to Lauren's childhood home in the Chicago suburbs, and now they catch up over martinis when Ivy visits Chicago.
Gillian Hickey
Bridesmaid
Gillian and Ivy met as 20-year-old interns at the same tiny DC PR firm the summer before their senior years of college. The two of them bonded over being from Michigan, not being old enough to hit the bars, being Tall Girls, and quirky office dynamics. After their internship ended, Gillian surprised Ivy by visiting IU for Ivy's 21st birthday. That was the moment Ivy knew that their friendship was truly meant to be for the long haul. Ivy and Gillian always prioritized seeing each other to catch up on nights out in Detroit when Ivy would visit her parents in Michigan. When they aren't in the same state, they catch up almost daily through lengthy Snapchat conversations to make sure they stay connected despite their long-distance friendship.
David Caldwell
Best Man
Twin of the Groom The OG. The before-day-one. He's had Sam's back as his technically-older-brother for 32 years and there's no one else Sam would rather have as his Best Man! Ask David to show you photos of his adorable and well-mannered labradoodle: Winston (who sadly will not be attending). You'll find David on the dance floor letting the rhythm move him and potentially soloing a team dance-off!
Brendan Williamson
Groomsman
Brendan is Sam's brother-in-law, and a man of many talents! In addition to being a wonderful husband to Emily,he is a great friend to Sam, a very talented chef (who makes several ridiculously good varieties of mac and cheese), as well as a newly discovered love of caring for bonsai trees! He's a diehard South Carolina Gamecocks fan so be sure to ask him about how their women's basketball team is stacking up for March Madness!
Mike Johnson
Groomsman
Mike is one of several on this list from a cohort of friends Sam made and has kept from his time playing football at Amherst College. As a New Jersey High School Football State Championship assistant coach, you could say Mike knows ball even if he now spends his days helping folks grow and manage their wealth. He's a college football fanatic, music connoisseur, and knows all the best spots on the Jersey Shore! If you spot a handsome fella asking the DJ if he can take over the aux cord, that's probably Mike!
Dan Zolet
Groomsman
Dan was Sam’s Roommate when he first moved to Richmond. The two became fast friends over shared experiences as NESCAC football players and a love of inebriated Mario Kart on Nintendo Switch. He’s a Green Bay Packer, Alabama Crimson Tide football, and Duke Basketball fan so make the math work on that one. Dan is one of several young fathers among the Groom’s cohort
Zach Osborne
Groomsman
Zach is Sam’s closest friend from his time a Syracuse getting his M.S. The two were roommates for Sam’s final year at Syracuse (Zach’s 2nd year for his PhD in Earth Sciences). Zach has been a rock of support for Sam since graduate school, as Zach puts as much care into growing his friendships as he did growing high-pressure varietals of quartz in the basement of Heroy Laboratory during his PhD days!
Reid Singer
Groomsman
Sam met Reid during their Sophomore year at Amherst College after Reid made possibly the best decision of his life in transferring there from Wesleyan University. Reid joined Sam on the Defensive Line unit and became friends enduring the workouts, practices and film sessions required of them. Some of Sam’s fondest memories of college are of him and Reid loading up into Reid’s old Jeep (RIP) bumping Lynyrd Skynyrd or Kendrick Lamar albums on the way to get a car wash before Friday walk-through practice.
Cole Boehmer
Groomsman
Another member of the Amherst football crew, Cole and Sam met freshman year during orientation and football pre-season. Cole played offensive line (specifically right tackle), and as such, he and Sam spent far too much time opposite each other in practice working on their pass protection and pass rush, respectively. Thank goodness that the two of them literally butting heads for four years didn’t put them at odds with each other but helped to forge a stronger friendship. Cole is an easy-going, fun-loving guy, and if “Pink Pony Club” comes on the speakers, give this man some space as he’s about to catch a vibe!
Tom Kleyn
Groomsman
Tom is yet another Amherst football friend! He was one of two captains from Sam’s senior season among the groomsmen! Tom has been a leader in many ways outside his captainship as he holds “several firsts” among Sam’s college friends as he was the first to get married, and the first to not only one, but two children! Tom has not only been a great friend for over a decade but has provided a valuable example in how to properly balance what has to be one of the busiest Family/Work/Friend balances of Sam’s friends!
Jim Daniels
Groomsman
Jim is the other team captain from Sam’s senior football season. Jim is one of the smartest people Sam knows with a wit sharp enough to cut steel (but not your feelings)! Jim is the only one of Sam’s friends to stay working full time in sports after graduating from Amherst, working for the Baltimore Orioles. As such, Jim is the sole source of any current knowledge Sam has about the MLB. Just as Jim is smart and witty, he is equally kind and caring and has been there for Sam (as have all the groomsmen) through all of the ups and downs of his life since they met!
Colby Smith
Groomsman
Colby is this final (but certainly not least) member of the groomsmen from Sam’s days as an Amherst College football player. If Colby wasn’t such a talented resident in internal medicine, he might be a Michelin star chef. Colby is a true gourmand; his shared photos of a casual Tuesday night meal look like something that should be front page in Gourmet magazine! Sam will be asking Colby if the food served at dinner has his stamp of approval immediately after dinner ends at the reception!
