Jillian & Andrew
Wedding Party
Kelly Schwisow
Maid of Honor
The bride and her Maid of Honor met on a fateful day, July 31st, 1997, which was both Kelly's actual day of birth and our beloved Harry Potter's 17th birthday. Over the last 21 years, Kelly has solidified her standing as Maid of Honor by not only being the bride's biological sister (...nice move) but also sharing a passion for the most important things (horses, Harry Potter, and Starkid musicals) and in general being an energetic (after many naps), funny (except for the puns), and deeply loving person. In our wedding, we hope that she and the Best Man--with whom she has coincidentally shared one business class at TCC--can keep it together and lead the rest of the bridal party in what we hope is A Really Good Time.
John Forbes
Best Man
John Forbes, Best Man: The groom's best friend of 10+ years and number one airsoft partner, responsible for getting the groom into motorcycles... plus Andrew was his best man two years ago so things would have been awkward otherwise. To this wedding, we hope John will bring his timeless good looks, casual charm, and malformed sense of humor.
Leanna Vandlen
Bridesmaid
A reluctant friendship blossomed freshman year of college when she and the bride shared a residence hall, 3 out of 4 classes, fine art department aspirations, and shiny new spots on the equestrian team. Jill finally won her over with enough bad jokes and the movie “Donnie Darko,” and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Leanna has remained a constant support for the couple all the way from the times when Andrew and Jill would meet with her separately for coffee and advice about snagging a date with the other, to now, when she may regret moving to the same city as them and is reminded of their neediness <3
Thomas Blanchard
Groomsman
Honestly, this is the man to be credited for the initial introduction of the bride and groom. Were it not for his blaring inability to keep even the smallest secrets, Jill's poetic proclamations of undying love for Andrew might never have been read aloud in real time to her then-acquaintance and future hubby. Truly it was as if he knew... or was drunk. Beyond his matchmaking abilities, Thomas is known among his inner circle for truly understanding the meaning of friendship and unconditional love, as well as hit-or-miss humor and creative projects. Little high school Jill and her classmate T-Bone had no idea what was in store for their relationship, but we're not complaining.
Elizabeth Forman
Bridesmaid
You meet a lot of people in college, but Elizabeth is one of the few friends we kept around. Perhaps credit is due to her quick sense of humor, her simultaneously cynical and optimistic view of the world, and her ability to rattle off anatomy facts, or maybe you just can't go on that many long drives to Oregon horse shows in a packed van or spend Saturday nights losing each other in the crowded Bellingham bar scene without becoming a staple in each other's lives. Whether your fighting over the mini massage chair during an "L-word" binge watch or getting ready for a night on the town, Elizabeth is *our* first choice to have around.
Justin Hurtubise
Groomsman
Before his journey across the mountains of Washington, this wise man started as Andrew's RA, just trying to keep order on a floor of mostly responsible sophomores all of whom were poorly influenced by Andrew's rowdy behavior as a freshman. Soon he proved to be much more. He and our princely groom talked away many a night fervently discussing matters of life, death, man, God, and sometimes seeing who could hold their breath the longest. To many he is mysterious (because he lives in Spokane) but to Andrew, he represents the best qualities in a person that are worth pursuing.
Claire Boyte-White
Bridesmaid
Things we rely on Claire for on a regular basis: knowledge of the best credit card rewards/cheap travel, skin care tips, reminding us of Andrew's childhood characteristics before puberty and alcohol made him "cooler," the best floofy dogs to follow on social media, and a passionate and critically-thinking-minded perspective on current events. All this and more--the "more" being that she is Andrew's sister, Jill's soon-to-be-sister-in-law, and was even roommates with the couple for a time--make Claire a crucial member of the wedding party.
Daniel Moffat
Groomsman
Not only is he the groom's brother-in-law, but he is also Scottish. To our wedding, we hope he brings his best behavior and a distinct aversion to brawling. Kilt clad, Dan will dance the night away, croon sweet nothings to the mic in a soothingly intoxicated accent, and generally party progressively hard until people become uncomfortable with how things evolved and how much they like it.
Melina Forbes
Bridesmaid
Best friends with the groom for over ten years, close friends with the bride for nearly four, delightful roommate currently, possibly definitely couldn't live without her. Melina has many pursuits; slinging lattes, pursuing a graduate degree, letting things rot in the fridge. But her greatest pursuit is her unwavering care and support for the bride and groom, and lying about not being too tired to talk them. Through gritted teeth and profuse sweat, we hope Melina will bring to our wedding her love, warmth, and her child which will likely be cute at this time.
Sebastian Quintero
Groomsman
Taking on a somewhat untraditional groomsman role, you won't see Sebastian walking down the aisle, but prepare for your ears to be dazzled as his talented fingers dance across the strings of his trusty guitar, the music beckoning you to your seat and guiding the processional as if by magic. Then we'll get to see if he can boogie as well as he can play after a few beers at the reception... when he'll get down with the MOH, his long-time partner-in-crime.