Wedding Party
Jenn Viner
Maid of Honor
When Elana and Jenn met in college working at the student newspaper, they pretty much knew immediately that they needed to be best friends. The two bonded over a similar taste in music, AP style, a love of ampersands, baking cookies from Pinterest recipes, and always being the lame ones with no crazy stories to tell at parties. Jenn lives in Iowa, and even though they're thousands of miles apart, Jenn and Elana talk almost daily, and Elana was a bridesmaid in Jenn's wedding last year.
Greg Johnson
Best Man
Jon and Greg met in high school, and one of Jon’s first memories of their friendship is accidentally getting stabbed by him with a pencil during a drama club audition. Things only got better from there. Greg currently lives in Washington state, but even before that long distance was never a deterrent; they have chatted and played video games together almost every single day ever since they started college. Behind all the years of inside jokes and online trolling, Greg is one of the kindest and most caring souls on the planet, and Jon is honored and humbled to have such a dedicated best friend serve as his best man.
Whitney Dunkle
Bridesmaid
Elana and Whitney met in jr. high, but they've been so inseparable since high school that their families often wondered if they were dating. Tragically, they are both heterosexual. Whitney is Elana's partner in crime when it comes to thrifting and trying new coffee shops, and the pair can often be found crying over that time they got to see Amy Poehler this year. Also close friends with Jon, Whitney has been there throughout the entire relationship - from telling Elana after prom that Jon had a crush on her to finding out from Jon when he was going to propose.
Adam Castro
Groomsman
From the very moment Jon was introduced to Adam, he knew he had made an immediate friend. Adam’s outgoing and loving nature is what defines him; Jon has always admired his ability to strike up a conversation with any person, in any context or situation, and to end up laughing with them as though they have been friends for years already. He is funny, personable, and a loyal friend. It is only natural that he be one of Jon’s groomsmen.
Kylie Kiernan
Bridesmaid
Elana's oldest friend by a landslide, Kylie and she met at ages 6 and 7 when their families became neighbors. They became each other's pseudo sisters since both only had brothers, and they went through all of the pains of puberty and the joy of knowing each other as adults together. Despite the fact that Elana and Kylie have wildly different interests, they managed to stay close and talk constantly even while living hours away from each other. Now that the two work in the same industry, their conversations are filled with less info on young adult novels and more digital marketing jargon.
JD Park
Groomsman
James has the distinction of being one of Jon’s newest friends — and his generous and welcoming spirit is a rare one to find in this day and age. The first time JD opened his doors to him, Jon knew he had met a true human being. From political views to video game preferences, Jon knows he can discuss anything with him and receive an open-minded response.
Casey Wintheiser
Bridesmaid
After being friends for years, Casey has often been Elana's saving grace when hanging out with a bunch of guys talking about video games neither of them knew anything about. The two became even closer when they realized they were two of the only people they knew with Disneyland passes, and they spent much of the past couple of years at the parks together. Of course, most of this has included getting McDonalds beforehand and spending all of their time talking for hours over desserts rather than actually going on rides.
Jeremy Wildermuth
Groomsman
Jon and Jeremy also hail from the same hometown, but it wasn’t until after both had started college that their true friendship began. His intuition and wisdom are valued not only by the groom, but the bride as well. Whether through a phone call or a personal conversation, he has been there for both of them and everything in between — he is a loving father, husband, and friend.
Gabriella Talmas
Bridesmaid
You could call all of Elana's bridesmaids and friends her family, but Gabi actually IS family now. Elana and Gabi met in jr. high and then became close friends in high school. Of course, the entire time, Elana knew that her brother Lucas was in love with Gabi (which made talking about boys really annoying when they started dating). Lucas and Gabi got married last year, and now, Gabi is Elana's sister-in-law. From swooning over Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge in high school to talking to strangers in bathrooms in Vegas as adults, Gabi would be a bridesmaid even if she wasn't family.
Lucas Talmas
Groomsman
It was always apparent to Jon that Lucas is hard-working and genuinely honest in everything he does — whether it is for him well being, his wife, or his family. A brother in every sense of the word. Jon was humbled to have been able to attend his wedding last year, and is honored to now have him in his wedding party.