Catharine & Christopher
The Squad
Molly Clinton
Best Babe
Molly and Katie bonded in high school over their love of Sex and the City, nomadic pasts and an affinity for cheering on their Varsity Soccer team (if you ask nicely they might even serenade you with their personal favorite, ‘There was a Little Froggy’. After leaving high school, both their college and post-grad lives brought them to the same or nearby cities, LA, New York, and even the Midwest! Molly keeps Katie young (even though she's a year older) and is Katie’s go-to on the latest trends in the adult beverage category, having left Mike's Hard Lemonade and White Claw to rebrand a Vancouver favorite, Granville Island Brewing.
Colt Canepa
Best Man
Colt "Tree Tops" Canepa was one of the first friends that the Groom made at their alma mater, Chaminade College Prep. One of the nicest individuals that has ever walked the planet, Colt and his lovely girlfriend, Sally, accompanied the Bride and Groom to the Kentucky Derby when they got engaged. Colt recently completed Dental School at the University of Florida-Gainesville and just began his residency at the VA hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida. Go Gators!
Abby Eaves
Married Best Babe
Abby and Katie met through friends and quickly became roomates in their first 'big girl' apartment. When they weren’t hanging by the pool you could find them at a Cards or Blues game. Together they took on St. Louis and thrived in their fun-employed life. While that may not have lasted long, their friendship has.
Clayton Janson
Best Man
The Groom’s oldest and best friend, Clayton, has been there for him through thick and thin. One part of the duo known as Hekyll and Jekyll, Clayton is best known for his charm, his sharp wit, and his mastery of knowledge on 19th century European conflicts. Clayton enjoys long walks on the beach, Call of Duty, and the St. Louis Blues.
Sally Strand
Bridesbabe
Sally might be the only person who values a great brunch with bottomless $1 mimosas more than Katie. And as Christopher and Colt learned at the Kentucky Derby this year, nothing, even an impending engagement can deter the girls from their quest for the perfect breakfast/lunch combo. Together the girls have taken on the task of enlightening the guys to other, more liberal political views. But one thing the couples can always agree on? Brunch.
Ted Zimmerman
Groomsman
While Ted might be the Bride's not so little little brother, he and the Groom have become quick friends. Together they enjoy swapping the latest sports news, sing alongs to Jimmy Buffett and mercilessly teasing the Bride. We're glad Ted could take the weekend off from his west coast living and the Seattle Seahawks to be here with us today.
Anna Krane
Bridesbabe
While Katie and Anna both went to the University of Vermont and ran with the same crowd, they didn’t meet until Anna “crashed” Katie’s Halloween Party after graduation. Katie and Anna have a shared love of country music and road trips to Nashville (what happens in Nashvegas stays in Nashvegas). Anna enjoys giving Katie the inside scope on all of St. Louis’ hidden gems (i.e. Failoni’s) and just being generally awesome!
Kevin Gordon
Groomsman
Kevin Gordon was the Groom's little brother in their fraternity. Mr. Gordon was a good time and a half, during their tenure at SLU, yet was lucky enough to meet and eventually settle down with the love of his life, Sarah, marrying her in the summer of '15. Kevin is currently working as a delicious candy taster with the Department of Defense in Huntsville, AL.
Maddy Eddy
Bridesbabe
Back when the Burch family split the Cousin Reunions up by age, Maddy and Katie fell into the younger category with their brothers. During this time the girls developed a shared appreciation for Cabbage Patch Dolls, jet ski rides into the sunset and Chattahoochee Country Club’s brunch buffet. The girls would stay up into the late evenings discussing pressing matters such as the latest LimitedToo line or the recent plot twists in Lizzie Maguire, and that bond has withstood the test of time and the distance between them.
Jordan Blanchard
Groomsman
Jordan Blanchard was a rather spirited member of the Groom's fraternity; the man is a good time machine. Mr. Blanchard has bounced around the financial services industry, and currently works for Wells Fargo in Wealth Management. Jordan enjoys maintaining his five o'clock shadow, Columbian Coffee Farmers, and hating on the Internal Revenue Service.
Emma Newman
Bridesbabe
Emma was fortunate enough to be assigned Katie as a roommate when she transferred to UVM. Though skeptical at first, Emma eventually succumbed to Katie's charm and their friendship blossomed from there started a sorority together (can you say bossbabes). She also hosted Katie and Christopher on their first trip to...LEXINGTON! So thank her for this lovely destination!
Edward Stypka
Groomsman
Ed Stypka served alongside the Groom as the assistant Pledge Educator of their fraternity, as well as his roommate. Mr. Stypka enjoys long walks on the beach, Old Style lager, the Chicago White Sox, and woodworking. When Ed is not working as a Union Carpenter in Chicago, he can be found fielding phone calls from Christopher complaining about the various projects that are going on at their house.
Allison Eddy
Bridesbabe
Allison, the second oldest of the Burch cousins, has always been like an older sister to Katie, always offering a sympathetic ear and sage advice (thanks for sharing her Maddy!). Ally’s outgoing personality and adventurous soul makes her a prime traveling partner, as she and Katie recently took on Augusta and the Masters together! There they ingeniously mastered the Masters and were able to watch Sergio García finally bring home the Green Jacket from their seats at 18th Hole.
Steven Sumpter
Groomsman
Steve became friends with the groom by happy accident. He needed a place to stay during a visit to St. Louis from the TKE house at Missouri S&T in 2011, and ended up staying with the groom at SLU. They became fast friends, and have been proud to be Parade Marshals in the St. Louis Mardi Gras Parade since 2013. Steven is perhaps the biggest Blues fan in the group and still dreams of the day that his man crush, Ryan Reeves, might return to the Lou.
Mary Hayes
Bridesbabe
The first time Katie met Mary, she was rocking a DVF Patchwork Wrap dress and they immediately became friends. Since their first meeting, the two have enjoyed being in their YPO Next Generation Forum together. As one of Katie's only friends with a kid, she looks up to Mary in awe because in spite of that, Mary remains a 1000x cooler than her. #goals
Flynn Friel
Groomsman
If you're looking for the epitome of Southern Gentlemen, look no further than Flynn Friel. As the host to Katie and Christopher the Derby Weekend when the engagement happened, he singlehandledly made sure there was a ring to propose with. So he's kinda a big deal. Also as a Kentucky native, you should consider him your on-site Bourbon expert.
Natalie Hillman
Bridesbabe
It’s fair to say that one way or another Natalie and Katie would’ve met with so many different connections between their families and but we’ll give credit once and for all to Ted and Natalie for introducing our two families! Natalie is like the little sister Katie always thought she wanted (she says she’s all set now though). Katie and Natalie could spend a whole evening watching wedding videos on YouTube (and have) and typically find their evenings ending with a trip to Andy’s or TroMo for a little icy sweet treat!
Max Pepper
Groomsman
Max was the Groom’s Big Brother in their fraternity. Christopher had the honor of being a groomsman in Max's wedding when he married the love of his life, Monica, in 2014. Max is currently a prosecutor with the Platt County, MO Prosecutors Office, and resides with his wife in KC. Max enjoys all things political, supporting animal rescues, and spending time at his lake house in Fort Scott, KS.
Gretchen Olwig
Bridesbabe
Gretchen was Katie’s very first friend in St. Louis, meeting through YPO Next Generation. They quickly became close attending everything from Blues Games to Halloween Parties together. Their friendship blossomed even further when Gretchen convinced Katie to take a job with their current company, KellyMitchell! Being able to work with one of your closest friends is said to have its ups and downs but so far, only have gratitude for the situation.
Carson Jones
Groomsman
Carson Jones was a fraternity brother of the groom at SLU. Carson currently works for Centene, doing God knows what. A Rockefeller Republican, Carson enjoys long walks on the beach, the Economist, CSPAN, and generally good conversation. Carson has been apart of the Groom’s merry band of Parade Marshals, in the St. Louis Mardi Gras Parade, since 2015.
R. Michael Lowenbaum
Officiant
Michael Lowenbaum, or Uncle Mike as Katie calls him, has been an instrumental player in Katie and Christopher’s relationship since the very beginning. A lawyer by day, race horse aficionado by night (realistically also during the day, just never in conflict with a mediation or arbitration). When Katie called to ask for his picks for the October races, he gladly helped and insisted he help make the trip even more memorable. And it was on that very trip to Keeneland, Katie and Christopher fell in love. Uncle Mike swooped in again at the Derby to witness and toast to the proposal (and helped Christopher find the picture perfect spot, in spite of the weather). So when it came time to find a man of character, wit, intelligence and faith to officiate, Uncle Mike was the clear and only decision.
Madge Burch a.k.a Grandy
Flower Grandy
As matriarch of the Burch Family, Grandy has spent the last 60+ years supporting her family as its grown and blossomed into the four blooming generations we have now. When she isn’t tending to her family, as a true Master Gardener (accredited by the University of Georgia) she can be found caring for and overseeing the growth of flowers in her own backyard and providing guidance to her family members around the country on their own gardens. For these two reasons (and so many more) we couldn’t imagine a better women to flower the aisle of our big day.