Wedding Party

Jessica Vara

Bride

Eli Gordon

Groom

Joanne Ando

Mother of the Bride

If you want to meet future Jessica, just go and talk to Joanne. Joanne and Jessica are two peas in a pod and can often be found cracking up about something that only the two have been let in on. Joanne likes to fly in a plane like many ride a bus; she can be found hopping back and forth between New Jersey and Michigan with the occasional layover in Hawaii or Rome. At this wedding you'll only have to search two places to find her: At the bar taking tequila shots with Jay or out on the dance floor! Joanne's Nicknames: Jo, Jojo, Olympic Jo, Peanut, Jojomummm, Mummmmm, Maja, Jo Mama, Ma

Lauren Gordon

Mother of the Groom

Lauren and Eli have always had a special bond, but not the typical one that most mothers have with their sons. Growing up, Lauren was Eli's influence in sports and where he derived his passion for the Philadelphia teams. There is nothing Lauren loves more than an Eagles victory, except an Eagles victory while eating a Levain's chocolate chip cookie! Fun Fact: Lauren loves friendly competition so if you are up for a challenge, always be prepared to bring your A game. In fact, she played ice hockey in college and is reigning Pictionary champ!

Mike Ando

Father of the Bride

Mike came into Jessica's life around age 15, just in time for the laborious task of teaching her to merge onto the highway. Since then Mike has taught Jessica many other things, but we think the most important is to slow down, notice and remember someone's name and always ask how they are. Fun Fact: Mike is a pilot for United Airlines, he flies the Boeing 757 and Boeing 767. Pretty cool, right? We think so! Not sure why your flight didn't take off on time? Be sure to ask him!

Jay Gordon

Father of the Groom

Jay is the patriarch of the Gordons; leading family passions for running, trying new foods (mastermind behind the infamous 50 / 50 split), and quality espresso. One of Eli's favorite memories is finishing the Philadelphia marathon together. Look out for Jay at the wedding if you are by the bar...he just might take a tequila shot with you! Pop Quiz: Which of these hobbies has Jay attempted in recent months: A) guitar B) answer A but with an even better guitar C) pottery D) photography E) tequila tasting F) red wine tasting G) whiskey tasting H) tennis I) running J) cycling K) weight lifting L) espresso art M) All of the above

Colleen Baltz

Maid of Honor

Born just 9 days apart with connecting backyards throughout childhood, Jess and Colleen have been best friends for as long as they can remember. From dressing their pet ginny pigs up with toilet paper vails to frequenting Sunday Funday at D'jais in the summers, they have been through it all together. Life has come far from the single days. Now Eli and Zach join them for more "grown up" adventures - like trying trendy restaurants in NYC (yes, we all crashed in Eli & Jess's 480 sq foot apt) or celebrating Eamon's first birthday. Fun Fact: Colleen is a superb motivator. She is the originator of slogans such as "Don't mess with this preggo", "#FitMom" and "Bumpin ain’t easy".

Joseph Gordon

Best Man

Joey, aka "JoeBro", may be the youngest sibling in the Gordon squad but he's definitely the hype man of this wedding. Joey invariably tries to compete with his older bro to take the title for strongest Gordon, the Gordon to shot gun a beer the fastest, and to be the quickest to rise to the top of BofA. He hasn't been successful yet, but we love Joey for always giving a relentless effort, having a smile on his face, and approaching life in an easy-going way! Fun Fact: Joey has a pet snake named Limon and chicks dig it!

Stephanie Homiek

Bridesmaid

Growing up, Stephanie and Jessica could never enter a room without their moms immediately telling everyone "They're born only 20 hours apart!". They may not actually be the same person, but their names were often confused growing up and they have been given the same birthday and Christmas gifts every year. They even went on Semester at Sea together where they were referred to as "the twins." Fun Fact: Stephanie can be very persuasive. She once convinced Jessica that they should both shave their heads while on Semester at Sea because "we ran out of shampoo"....seemed to make sense at the time!

Thomas Vara

Groomsman

Thomas is Jessica’s older brother and role model, which sometimes creates some healthy sibling rivalry! As kids they competed with who was on the better soccer team or brought home the best report card; fast forward, they are still competing for whose picture appears on Mom’s Christmas card more each year. Whether Tom is making his once-a-year quota visiting NYC or fishing on the lake, Eli & Tom always find a good time sharing a cold beer together (or White Claw, no shame!). Food for thought: Thomas had long held the family record for tallest mountain climbed having reached the top of Mt Rainier. Eli and Jess changed that elite status after their expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro this past summer. Will Thomas have what it takes to reclaim the title?? Stay tuned to find out...

Sara Walker

Bridesmaid

Sara is more than a cousin to Jessica, she's like a little sister... just one that could probably beat her up for all the concoctions Stephanie and Jessica made her try growing up. Sara is constantly proving that she's cooler than the rest of the family by jumping out of planes, climbing shear cliffs, and blowing stuff up with army tanks. Sara is our family's certified adventure/adrenaline junky, bad ass chick. Fun Fact: Sara and her husband Billy bought a van and an African Mastiff and are planning to do a year of "Van Life" traveling from Alaska all the way to Patagonia!

Benjamin Gordon

Groomsman

Ben, otherwise known as BENNNNNNY, hails from the Windy City. When he is not crushing research in the lab on his way to cure cancer, he is either sipping a perfectly crafted cortado or cucumber cocktail, jamming on the yucalali, or posing for the perfect picture for his instagram. Fun Fact: Believe it or not, Ben is an excellent fantasy football player having finished the previous season in first place - be sure to ask him about his masterful approach to the game!

Rachel Small

Bridesmaid

@r_small_ comes all the way from #PNW, after just living the #HiLife with fellow bridesmaid @sara.lee.walker. When @smallyogi_ is not showing off a fancy new yoga pose or adventuring a new hiking trail, she is dressing up her dog @Kangaroocass in one of her many pink outfits. Rachel has long been known as one of the Gordon bros, but Jess is excited to soon officially claim her as a Gordon sister! Fun Fact: Rachel loves the idea of participating in extreme sports, some of which she is really good at following through and others are just a good-ole attempt. Just to name a few, some of her favorites are scuba diving, sky diving, rock climbing and "signing up" for marathons.

Ariel Small

Groomsman

He's an All American man. Ariel is a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Rangers; he's got his girl, his dog, and his truck - life's pretty good for Ariel! He officially became the newest member of the Gordon squad when he married Rachel in 2018, and he has fit right in. Well, except occasionally throwing everyone for a loop when he suggests a "chill" activity like a book store or a museum... Work in progress! Fun fact: Ariel could be considered a nomad - he grew up in Chicago, went to school in Philadelphia, worked in Washington DC, trained in Oklahoma & Georgia, was stationed in Hawaii, served our country overseas, and now resides in Tacoma (for now).

Danny Smith

Officiant

Danny and Eli go back to their days at Rutgers, where Danny was Eli's "big brother" at AEPi. Since their school days, they both moved to NYC where young Eli and Danny explored different neighborhoods via Citi Bike, became coffee snobs, and cheered on their favorite sports teams with the guys. After Danny met Jessica, you sometimes wondered who was friends with whom - both have an obsession for mindless gadgets & games, whiskey tasting, and chatting with a perfectly good stranger! Fun Fact: Jessica often refers to Danny as Eli's other girlfriend.

Eamon Baltz

Ring Bearer

Eamon is Jessica’s Godson and he might just steal the show with his cuteness!