Samantha & Justin
Wedding Party
Sydney "Syd Monster" Mercer
Matron of Honor
Meet Sydney (Syd Monster)! Sam was blessed (cursed?) with this little sister 27 years ago and life has never been the same! Sydney has always been by her side and has never known life without Sam, her big sister. Growing up, they were typical sisters who fought every day about toys, barbies, barbie horses, and who stole Sam's white top and got sauce all over it (Syd, obviously). When Sam left for Santa Barbara, that's when they became much closer and are now best friends! They may not see eye to eye on everything, but Sam is the only one who get's to be mean to Syd, and Syd will throw down anyone who says a bad thing about Sam. While Sam may have showed Syd the ropes growing up, Syd has been showing Sam all the ropes on planning a wedding without going insane! As Sam's designated proof reader, contract reviewer, and Matron of Honor, Sydney has an incredibly important job in this wedding. Syd's favorite things include snuggling her cat, hiking with her husband and dog, and being a badass event planner!
Tanner Fitzpatrick
Best Man
It's hard to describe someone who has been by your side for your entire life in only a few words, but here we go. Justin's dad (Bryan) growing up always told Justin that Tanner would be his built-in best friend and that statement has rang true. Tanner is always the person that pushed Justin out of my comfort zone, which has allowed him to experience so much more out of life. Tanner is always up for going out and doing things. There is not a single day that Justin is not grateful to have him as his brother, even though they do not get along when they play board games (cue the Jeopardy Incident of Thanksgiving 2023). When they were deciding on the wedding party, it did not even cross Justin's mind to ask someone else to be his best man. From playing sports with all of the neighborhood kids, to growing up with all their adventures, to traveling all over, growing up and experiencing the world with each other has been quite the winding journey. Justin hopes everyone at the wedding cuts loose with Tanner and that he hits the dance floor with some of his patented moves!
Emily Whistler
Maid of Honor
Emily Whistler is single handedly responsible for keeping Sam alive during grad school. As the designated home for way ward girls, Emily has been the light in the stormy harbor, guiding Sam back to reality and safety. Throughout their friendship, Emily has been the older sister that Sam never had and is her biggest support system in Pullman. Trauma bonding about graduate school, late night wine drinking, and board games with a million tiny pieces are all things they enjoy doing together! Emily has been helping Sam with wedding dress shopping, calming Sam down when work and life get crazy, and supporting Justin while Sam spins out of control every other day. At the wedding, Emily will be in charge of making sure that Sam's wedding themed nightmares (literally, stress dreams about people wearing sweatpants to the wedding) don't become reality! Some of Emily's favorite activities include being the office mom, bossing around burly construction men, and dancing to early 00's hip hop like we are 16 again.
John Ryskamp
Groomsman
John and I met after college when we were roommates at the "Empire House" for years. John has always been the friend to make the most out of every summer with all of his camping trips! One of the most memorable trips was sliding down rocks near Priest Lake wearing garbage bags over our clothes. John spends his winters getting beat at NHL on the Xbox and having his yearly white elephant party. John is always full of laughs, he's a great guy, and he's always up for an adventure!
Lauren Bobzin
Bridesmaid
A tragic, and necessary, high school breakup brought Lauren and Sam together in high school and they have been friends ever since! Horton plaza Christmas shopping, endless cheese boards, Oklahoma road trips, and many nights spent drinking Tom's Sangria and playing Catan are just some of Sam's favorite memories of their friendship. Brains, Beauty, Grace, and a Doctor (PhD) to boot, Lauren is a woman of many talents whose ability to see through the chaos of Sam's life knows no bounds! Lauren has been a constant in Sam's life and Sam is eternally grateful for their friendship.
Michael Bennett
Groomsman
Michael and Justin were pretty good friends before they moved into the "Hoffman House"; however, once they were roommates their friendship took off. Michael, Tanner, and Justin spent late nights watching the Great British Baking show, playing Smash Bros, and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Through it all, Michael has always been a true friend. Michael is a chill and fun guy. He is also quite the dancer (hopefully he shows everyone his moves at the wedding).
Theresa Morrison
Bridesmaid
Theresa and Sam have been friends for almost as long as Sam and Lauren, give or take a few days! When attempting to find a photo of Theresa on her facebook, you will see that this incredible woman is truly the artist of the group! Her incredible eye for beauty and ability to capture that on paper cannot be rivaled. Sam and Theresa have truly bonded their love of spicy fairy smut, outdoor activities, arts and crafts, and cheese consumption! Theresa is also in the process of planning her wedding, so as true friends do, she and Sam have enjoyed commiserating over wedding planning and how much things cost! As a bridesmaid in Sam's wedding, she will be lending her aesthetic eye to make sure the little details of the day are beautiful!
Alex Petretee
Groomsman
Alex and Justin have been best friend for almost three decades! They first met in elementary school and have been best friends ever since. They have many memories over the years together, from playing hockey in Alex's basement, to Justin ending up through Alex's drywall (sorry Ms. Danette!). Alex has always been Justin's most loyal friend and has always been the first to text Justin on a holiday or birthday. Justin loves Alex's laid back attitude, fun nature, and always makes him laugh.