Jen & Jesse
Wedding Party
Jen Blaine
Bride
Jen, originally from St. Marys, OH, is a marine fish biologist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. She runs her unit's annual bottom trawl survey, pilots a remotely operated vehicle, and scuba dives all to monitor and manage the bottomfish of Puget Sound. Outside of work, Jen enjoys pretty much anything outdoors: hiking, backpacking, skiing, biking, kayaking, etc. (and dragging Jesse along for any of these that she can ;-) ). She also enjoys days and nights in/out with Jesse, playing games, hanging with friends, going to Sounders games and cultural events, and playing with their dog, Mika. Jen is also an experienced traveler and can't wait to travel with Jesse as much as they can! Note: The bridemaids' descriptions are written from Jen's point-of-view.
Jesse Hadley
Groom
Jesse, originally from Medford, OR, is an architect at Milbrandt Architects in Kirkland, WA. While his favorite structures to design are single family homes, he also designs a lot of townhomes and multi-family buildings. Outside of work, Jesse enjoys hiking, backpacking, and skiing, buuut maybe to a lesser extent than Jen ;-) . They enjoy playing games together and with friends, watching movies, cooking, playing with Mika, and working on their house (ok, maybe this one is less enjoyable sometimes). On his own time, Jesse enjoys reading/listening to books, playing video games, and building models. He also can't wait to travel with Jen and have a lot more adventures together. Note: The groomsmen's descriptions are written from Jesse's point-of-view
Kris Gresham
Matron of Honor
I'm honored to have my older seester, Kris, serve as my Matron of Honor! There's no way that I can put into words what this intelligent, witty, artistic, kind, and compassionate woman means to me. I'm truly fortunate to have had such a role model to look up to in life. Thankfully we are still close even after growing up with each other, living on opposite sides of the country, and leading very different lives with different distractions. Two of the cutest distractions are my youngest niece and nephew, Sara (7) and Connor (4), who will be walking down the aisle as well (actually Connor says he wants to fly down the aisle with wings and a dinosaur pillow, but we'll see how those negotiations go ;-) ). Coming from: Marietta, GA
David Burnett
Best Man
David is by far the best friend I have ever had, even though I haven't always admitted it. Meeting originally in college, he has been there with me for most of the major and minor events of my adult life -- from the late nights in the architecture studio, to deciding not to move back home with my parents after college, and ultimately to living in Washington and working in architecture here. I can even credit him with facilitating the initial spark in Jen's and my relationship, which happened during his wedding. Coming from: Seattle, WA
Mer Blaine
Bridesmaid
Mer has become so much more to me than a sister-in-law, so now I call her my bonus or second sister! Mer has been around our family since I was in high school, so she's seen a good deal of my growing up and has played a significant role in it. This strong, smart, and caring woman is an amazing hostess and has a knack for making people feel welcome. She also bravely just started a new career in real estate and is killing it! I'm so lucky to have her in my life! She's an amazing mother of my oldest niece and nephews--Jake (11), Cate (9), Caleb (9)--who will also be walking down the aisle. Coming from: Perrysburg, OH
Justin Taylor
Groomsman
My younger brother Justin was the athlete of the family. His strength and confidence were always qualities I looked up to, despite being four years his elder. Even though we didn't always get along and would often fight, at the end of the day we were still brothers who loved each other. I'm proud that I get to have him as a part of my wedding. Coming from: Medford, OR
Jaki Ferchland
Bridesmaid
Jaki is my best friend from my time living in the Portland area through now. We met in 2008 and have only become closer over the years, despite having lived 4+ hours apart since 2013. We've had a lot of adventures together skiing, hiking, backpacking, enjoying nights on the town, and just hanging out. We've been there for each other through the many ups and downs of adult life, and continue to be, even if we don't get to spend as much time together as we used to. I know I can always count on her to be there for me, and vice-versa. Coming from: Portland, OR
Jordan Taylor
Groomsman
My youngest brother, Jordan, has always been the comedian of the family. No matter the situation, he always knows what to do to make people smile. This and his charisma have always been traits that I have envied. Growing up I thought for sure that he would become an actor...or president. I'm grateful that he is also a part of my wedding. Coming from: Medford, OR
Nicole Ream-Sotomayor
Bridesmaid
Nicole is my best friend from my undergraduate years at Wittenberg University. We were roommates our sophomore year, remained good friends after that, and still to this day call each other "Roomie." From our first outing together at a Counting Crows concert, to wrapping ourselves in Christmas lights, to tobogganing down the Great Wall of China, we've shared a lot of fun times together! Even though we don't keep in touch as frequently anymore, when we do the years melt away, and we could easily chat for hours. Coming from: Urbana, IL
Arnie Aurellano
Groomsman
Arnie was one of the first friends I met after moving to Washington. An out-of-state transplant himself, we quickly discovered we shared many of the same nerdy hobbies and interests. Whether it is a night of board games, shooting hoops, or discussing the Marvel universe, our evening hangouts have always been great times. As it turns out, Arnie and Jen actually knew and worked with each other when they both attended Wittenberg University in Ohio, and just happened to become part of the same friend group here in Seattle. Coming from: Seattle, WA
Erin Hammer
Bridesmaid
Erin is my best friend from childhood. We first became friends in first grade and stayed the bestest of friends and almost inseparable until going to different universities. Our friendship started in Girl Scouts but quickly developed. We always hung out together, ate lunch together, tried to have as many classes together as we could in school, and were even each other's senior prom dates! I can't think of too many memories from life in St. Marys (our hometown) without Erin. Not everyone gets to experience such a strong friendship at such a young age, and I'm very fortunate to have done so. Erin is another friend where we can pick up where we left off even after years of not seeing or talking with each other. Coming from: Powell, OH
Sean Stevenson
Groomsman
I met Sean as another member of our out-of-state transplant friend group. He and Jen have also been close friends since moving here and regularly went skiing together and to Sounders games and plays. In fact, they were so close that I actually thought they were dating (but they weren't). Originally from South Africa, Sean has always brought a different perspective to our hangouts, as well as his unique sense of humor. He is a kind soul with a knack for making people feel welcome, particularly at all of the themed dinner parties he hosts. Coming from: Bellevue, WA