Wedding Party
Jessica Saunders
Matron of Honor
Jess has been my forever friend and I'm a better person for it. We grew up right next door to each other for the first 18 years of our lives. We have had so many adventures and let our imaginations run wild - from building a zoo in a peach tree, tormenting her cat Simba by being lion tamers, all out sprinting between our houses with flashlights when we stayed over too late avoiding the snakes/wolves/vampires lurking in the dark, middle school dances, prom, standing by her during her wedding, to celebrating her baby boy. Jess has shown me the perfect example of what it means to be a friend. Her patience, love, understanding and faith have been huge inspirations for me. We may never get anywhere on time when we are together, but we know we'll have a great time once we are there!
Matt Thomas
Best Man
Matt is my older brother, thus was forced to deal with me as the annoying little brother throughout our childhood. Courtney tells me all the time that I’m the most annoying person she knows, and I think Matt would absolutely agree with her on that statement. Growing up I was Matt’s little shadow and followed him around everywhere. I always wanted to do what Matt was doing because he was and still is such a great role model. Today he’s the best dad and role model to Reagan. Recently, Matt and I have been able to enjoy playing hockey together on Sundays. It's one part of the week that I look forward to the most. I’m very honored to have Matt as my best man, I just hope he doesn’t try to get back at me after all these years and embarrass me during his speech at the reception.
Morgan Wilson
Bridesmaid
Unfortunately, these things have a word limit or else I could carry on forever about Morgan. We met in Kindergarten and she's been by my side ever since. Most importantly, we were volleyball all-stars in our youth and remain volleyball all-stars now! :) Back in our single days, you could find us curled up on the couch binge watching SVU marathons with Sierra pup, eating Grady's pizza, or attending every Brantley Gilbert concert in the Midwest. These days, with our lucky men tagging along, we've taken up fishing, are avid wannabe bowlers, fried cheese ball connoisseurs, 4th of July obstacle course champions, card sharks and remain loyal Grady's pizza eaters only now we have a few extra pups. Josh and I are lucky to have such great friends in Morgan and Joe who are always up for anything!
Will Zimmerman
Groomsman
Will and I met during our college years. He was the little kid down the hall that looked like he was still in junior high. We had a rough start to our friendship due to the fact that he thought my name was Jeremy. Once we got past the name confusion we developed a bond unlike any other. Getting to hang with Will was the best because he always took me hunting and fishing on his family's property as well as getting to hang out with his three yellow labs. I always give Will a hard time about pretty much anything, but he may be the hardest working individual I know. This was never more apparent than when he spent his time out of class our senior starting his own business that has grown to a massive success today.
Danielle Kouba
Bridesmaid
I cannot think of Danielle Kouba without smiling. We met Freshman year in Weston dorm at the University of Illinois. Koubs was the outgoing fun girl who was always ready to have a great time doing absolutely anything. I, however, was the weird one crying in my room (which housed the oldest desktop computer known to man - thanks, dad.) 3 times a day because I missed home. How she stayed my friend, I have no idea. Danielle has shown me how to value what is important in life. She has a zest for life, values friendships, adventures, new life experiences and to me, appears fearless. I'll be forever grateful that she's willing to attend another wedding in Downs after nearly getting shot at the first one. She can also operate a cotton candy machine like a boss and is a wheel of fortune champ.
Steve Clark
Groomsman
Steve and I also met during our college years. Steve and I grew close during our sophomore year of college when he was my next-door neighbor in the dorms. I never had to search too far to find Steve, he was either at class or sitting at his desk eating crackers and cheese whiz. Our friendship that sophomore year grew so close that we ended up being roommates for the final two years of college. Steve’s inability to sweat and the fact that he sleeps like a mummy is what always cracked me up about him. Steve and I always found enjoyment making fun of Will throughout our college years and still do to this day. The only issue I have with Steve is that he’s the world’s biggest St. Louis Cardinals fan.
Nijika Rustagi
Bridesmaid
If you want to laugh until your sides hurts, Jika is your gal. I met Jika freshman year of college at the University of Illinois and immediately realized just how much we have in common. I knew we would be forever friends. We have the same passion for eating food (primarily desserts), attempting to workout, painting, speaking with ridiculous accents, adventuring outside, creating fake identities for ourselves and other people, traveling the world, hiding in dumpsters, drinking wine pretending to be Olivia Pope, dancing, watching Friends or Gilmore Girls for hours on end, and packing up and moving all our possessions around Illinois every few years. Jika is a fiercely loyal friend who will drop anything to be there for you. She's also riiiiidiculously good at Clue.
Zach Freed
Groomsman
Zach and I have been best friends since very early on in grade school and growing up it was rare to see one of us without the other. Throughout our childhood summers I probably spent more time at Zach’s house than my own and it was always the type of friendship where I could walk in the back door before checking if anyone was even home first. Zach and his family was always like my second home to me. I was honored to stand up as Zach's best man a few years ago at his wedding. It’s always the most random things that come to mind whenever I think about our time growing up together that make me laugh. For example, the time we tried to bake Rice Krispy Treats or when we spent one winter day driving around Lexington pulling icicles off people's houses to see who could get the biggest one!
Megan Toal
Bridesmaid
I'm not sure how I lived the first 23 years of my life without knowing Megan. She is the brilliant counterpart to our "cutest couple" superlative we earned in law school by our inseparability. I wouldn't have survived law school (mentally or academically) without her. We shared a locker together, which she repeatedly trashed so I could never find my chocolate hard shell syrup & had most classes together due to her meticulous planning. Megan is ridiculously fun, an animal lover, my personal fashion police, the greatest travel companion, a forever regular at Galway Arms, an avid Harry Potter fan, a living room salsa-er, champion of escape rooms, & one of the most genuine people I have ever met. I'm not sure how we survived half of our trips, but they will remain some of my greatest memories.
Matthew Barnard
Groomsman
Matthew and I have also been friends since grade school and I was honored to stand up as his best man in his wedding just last fall. Growing up whenever Matthew and I got together it usually involved us getting into some sort of mischief or finding enjoyment in the simplest things. Like the time we waded in the Mackinaw River catching crawdads with our bare hands so we could take them into Ag class or when we roomed together at football camp in Indiana. These are the stories we still laugh about today. One of my favorite things about Matthew is his vast knowledge about the most random things and how he’ll talk for hours about that topic whenever he gets a chance. As we’ve gotten older and grown up he’s become someone I can always bounce ideas off especially when it comes to investing.
Darby Kahle
Best Dog
Our lives forever changed on March 12, 2018 when Darby pranced into our life. She has more personality than we could have ever imagined in a dog and attitude to boot. She loves walks in the woods, grammy's homemade dog treats, taking up all the space in bed, doing anything Wyatt is doing, and getting her butt scratched. There is no creature on earth happier than Darby Doodle and we love her to the moon. For real, check out that face.
Cody Leigh
Groomsman
Cody and I have also been friends since grade school and grew especially close during high school. The lunch breaks at Zach’s house during high school, the endless hours spent in Zach’s garage or capture the flag during sleepovers are some of the great memories that come to mind when I think of Cody. Cody is easily one of the smartest individuals I know, and I have always envied how naturally everything comes to him. Following college, Cody and I had the privilege of living together during my time in Chicago. One of my favorite memories is when Chicago got so much snow the pizza delivery driver got stuck on his way to us, therefore, we hoped in Cody's truck and picked up our own “delivery” order.
Andrew Kahle
Usher
Andrew is the older brother of the bride and thus lucky enough to know her for the entirety of her life! While I hate to admit it, I have always looked up to Andrew and wanted to be just like him, he is wicked smart, incredibly driven, inquisitive (even about super boring or weird things), knows what he wants and goes for it without reservation, challenges bring out the best in him and there is nothing he's encountered that he has not only rose above, but totally crushed on the way. There is no stopping him. He wants to experience life to the fullest and see every square inch the world has to offer - so he is. Which is probably why I ended up extremely cautious, hyper organized, and became a lawyer to reel these kinda people in. For his sake... TLDR: He's the best big brother.
Brett Miller
Usher
Courtney lucked out that Andrew and Brett were inseparable growing up, because she got an extra sibling in the deal. While she was probably the annoying younger sibling that wouldn't get a clue, Brett never made her feel that way. He always included her and made her feel like part of his group. And being in Brett's circle was the GREATEST! It was fast paced, never boring, something new and exciting around ever corner... a life led by a creative genius. Yet, he always makes time for his friends - being the first person to lend a hand or listen to your latest life update- from relationships to aspirations. He advises, challenges, and inspires you to do better and be better in every aspect of life. I know my life is infinitely better having him in it.
Connor Kahle
Usher & Darby Duty
Connor is the younger brother of the bride. While he comes off quiet, he is probably one of the funniest people I have ever met. His wit is unmatched. If I ever need to endlessly rant to someone after a long day, go to Culver's, or eat pizza rolls and ice cream, I know he'll be happy to join in. He sees the world differently than most people and wants it to be better. He's also an incredibly talented artist. You were probably in awe of the sketch on the Save the Dates - HE DID IT IN A COUPLE HOURS. Gasp! So good. He's also one of Darby's most favorite people in the entire world, which is probably the best quality about him.
Reagan Thomas
Flower Girl
Reagan is the niece of the groom and if you've known Reagan or Josh for longer than five minutes you can quickly figure out they came from the same set of genes. Simply for their undying love for their dogs as well as every other dog they come across. Reagan has never met a dog that she didn't like or one that didn't love her back, a trait she quickly adopted from her Uncle Josh. Reagan is constantly on the move and there is never a dull moment when she's around. She will undoubtedly steal the show on our wedding day.