Katerina & Kyle
Wedding Party
Greg Coren
Best Man and Officiant
Originally starting out as enemies, Greg and Kyle become friends-turned-brothers in a matter of a few short years. They first met over 20 years ago (yikes!) where Greg showed an admiration for cars and all things mechanical, and Kyle showed an admiration for being an annoying little kid. Greg showed patience while Kyle became a more well adjusted human being and they then soon began relying on each other through some of the tougher times in life. Greg has become a major person in Kyle's life, helping him through some of the bigger and more difficult decisions thrown his way. Greg was the one to truly push Kyle to pursue a career in veterinary medicine when just starting out in college. Like a true over-achiever, Greg has kindly accepted the role of Officiant and Best Man.
Natalya Staritskaya
Maid of Honor
Natalya and Kat met in early on in high school and have been causing trouble together ever since. Much of their senior year (outside of classes) was spent on the floor of Kat's kitchen eating bread and cheese talking and laughing, or driving around in Natalya's Lincoln with Kat riding shotgun blasting music. They have been like sisters since high school and while life has taken them in different directions over the years (Natalya insisted on moving as far away as she could reasonable go!) coming back always feels like no time has passed. She has always inspired Kat with her strength and her drive to pursue her goals. Natalya is engaged as well and they have been able to go through the wedding planning process together! She, with her fiance Michael have two pups: Archer and Zefirka.
Bryan Wall
Groomsman
Kyle has known Bryan since he was "knee high to a duck." They met each other in the second grade after finding out that rolling nickels across the floor in school was way more interesting than paying attention in class. Kyle and Bryan have been accused of having a more adorable "Meet Cute" than Kyle and Kat (which she may or may not be a little jealous of). As one of Kyle's closest friends, Bryan has been his go-to guy for getting in trouble, whether it's climbing on the roof of their elementary school or upsetting neighbors with their System of a Down cover band in high school. Kyle was given the opportunity of being Best Man at Bryan's wedding in August of this year, which is an honor that he will cherish forever. Bryan and his wife, Ashley, have two awesome pups: Ned and Arya.
Matthew Schmunk
Bride's Butler of Honor
Matt and Kat met day 1 of veterinary school and it was like they already knew each other. While in vet school they studied together, and along with his wonderful wife (see below because she is also a bridesmaid!) explored the island together, played volleyball together, (lets be honest) gossiped together, and generally kept each other sane. Matt always manages to bring humor into difficult situations, while Kat gives Matt a hard time for his dark humor that MOSTLY she secretly appreciates... Kat and Matt also worked together for a couple of years right after vet school and learned (mostly the hard way) how to be veterinarians together. They aren't just close friends, they're family. Matt is a veterinarian in NC. He's there with his wife, Meredith, his toddler, JD, new baby Elliot and a whole group of dogs and cats that have adopted them along the way.
Chris Miller
Groomsman
Chris first met Kyle on November 29th, 1989, and his life was never the same. Little did he know that he would be spending every day of the next 18 years of his life around Kyle. For the first 10 years, these two were at each other's throats over even the smallest of squabbles, but soon realized that they worked better as brothers and put their differences aside. Chris has been a staple in Kyle's life, offering tidbits of wisdom and encouragement through subtle jokes and witticisms. He has taken on the incredible challenge of teaching/educating, a career that he takes much pride in, and one that Kyle respects him immensely for (not without the occasional wise-cracks about getting every weekend off). Chris and his wife, Jamie, have two beautiful daughters, Eloise and Maisie.
Meredith Schmunk
Bridesmaid
This amazing woman is a close friend of the bride. She took care of the bride (and her husband, the bride's "butler of honor" Matt) in vet school and beyond. They played volleyball, explored the island of St. Kitts together and she generally was there to keep everyone sane. She also managed to survive Kat and Matt talking relentlessly about veterinary medicine, both in school and when they worked together afterwards. She is also always there to provide not only support, but an honest opinion, which Kat always appreciates. She is far more family than friend. She lives in NC with Matt (see above), their animals and their beautiful son's, JD and Elliot. Somehow, in all their good times, no one managed to get a photo of just Kat and Meredith together. A problem that will be quickly fixed at the wedding!
Jay Guilmette
Groomsman
Jay became Kyle's first true friend when Kyle's family moved to Cranston, RI in 1997 and they have been a pain in their parents' rear ends ever since! They started out simply as next door neighbors but soon progressed to best friends in a matter of weeks. Whether it was comparing whose older brother was a bigger jerk (they have all rectified their differences since) or trying to beat Jet Force Gemini (they never did), they were constantly on each others side through any adversity. Jay made the bold move of moving to China in 2012, something which Kyle is still extremely proud of him for doing, but thankfully moved back home to Rhode Island in time for Kat and Kyle to make their big move back up north. Jay and Kyle now enjoy annoying their partners with countless Seinfeld references.
George Zabetakis
Bride's Butler
George came into Kat's life (through no fault of her own) in 1994. She was fascinated by her new baby brother, until he started walking and talking and she discovered how to be bossy. Like all siblings, they grew together and fought together and taught each other a lot a long the way. While they are wildly different in both their pursuits and personalities, they now take the opportunity to learn from each other in their various areas of expertise. Also, while those that know Kat well would admit that she runs only when being chased... George has a solid focus on health and wellness and spends time working out each week. George is a licensed welder and an excellent self taught mechanic who takes every opportunity to modify and improve his own cars as well.
Kate Lanphear Creta
Groomswoman
Kate and Kyle have known each other for almost their entire lives, but their friendship really began to flourish in late middle school into high school. Once they both got their drivers licenses, they spent hours on short road trips, belting out Taking Back Sunday and Third Eye Blind until their throats were sore. They made a countless amount of extremely low budget ($0) music videos with Bryan and company all throughout high school, the evidence of which has since been lost. Kate and her husband, Mike, are truly an inspiration, having been together since junior year of high school! Together, they have the sweetest daughter, Ellie, and two magnificent kitties, Appa and Momo.
Jennifer Zabetakis
Bridesmaid
Jen came into Kat's life about 10 years ago, and Kat's life is all the better for it. She is Kat's aunt by marriage and she is an essential part of the Zabetakis family. This wedding wouldn't be the same without Jen in the wedding party. She is a woman of many skills and professions, most notably, an excellent photographer. She lives in Florida with a house full of animals with her two cats and two handsome German Shepherds, Rusty and Rex.
Shane Smith
Groomsman
Shane and Kyle met at the beginning of veterinary school in 2013. They become study/snorkeling buddies turned close friends in a matter of a few months, and were inseparable from then on. When not comparing who has the better hockey team (Go Bruins!), they spent almost all their time together cooking or swapping stories of their time before vet school (if you have an hour of free time, ask Shane about Colorado, Alaska, or Minnesota!). When Kyle was hospitalized in St. Kitts, Shane was on point with keeping everyone in Kyle's family up to date on his health, as well as keeping him company during his week stay in the hospital. Kyle was made an honorary member of the Smith clan with weekly dinners and hang out sessions with Julie, his amazing wife, and two wonderful kids, Connor and Caleb.
Rina Kelly
Bridesmaid
Kat and Rina were paired as roommates at the University of Chicago by chance, but became friends by choice. They spent plenty of days in college talking about nothing and everything, and Rina always seemed to offer a new perspective on topics that Kat had otherwise looked at from a conventional perspective. She not only introduced Kat to new ideas, but also to some excellent anime shows. Kat never felt alone getting used to the cold because Rina, being from California, was also just as excited to see the snow and just as cold during the winters. She is an even bigger cat lover than Kat, but maybe not Kyle... (To be determined!) and most importantly she makes a great cup of tea which is always appreciated, especially on difficult days.
Jimmy Bowler
Groomsman
Kyle met Jimmy on his very first day of veterinary school. Jimmy was in charge of showing groups of new vet students the ropes on how to survive vet school, as well as how to make the most of St. Kitts, the island where they attended RUSVM. They soon found they shared a love for The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones (don't worry, just the first 6 seasons of each), as well as hiking, hunting, and running. After both realizing they were out of their depth when joining their school's running club, they decided that they were much better at eating steak and watching soon-to-disappoint TV shows. After graduation, they made plans to work together which eventually came to fruition after 5 long years, and they now both practice in Connecticut fixing animals' boo boos with nom noms every day!
Alex Stratmann
Usher
Kat and Alex transferred to the University of Chicago in the same year and ended up in the same dorm. They became friends and later roommates (along with Paul, the other Usher, and Rina, a bridesmaid). Alex has an unending sweet tooth and caffeine tolerance as evidenced by the impressive amount of gummy animals and higher than ideal quantities of caffeine ingested throughout college. Kat has always appreciated his sense of humor and how easy he is to talk to. He currently lives and works in Chicago and Kat is still unsuccessfully trying to talk him into adopting a cat or dog (maybe the best dog will win him over!)
Paul Wyatt
Usher
Kat and Paul both transferred to the University of Chicago and ended up as next door neighbors in the dorms. At that time, Paul's hair rivaled Kat's. (Just kidding it wasn't QUITE that long). They quickly became friends and eventually roommate's along with Rina (bridesmaid) and Alex (other Usher). Paul has always been quick to offer a kind remark, a joke or a cup of tea when needed, and he also makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup when you're feeling sick. He spends much of his time outdoors, and always seems to be trying newer and more daring things, most notably of late he has acquired a motorcycle and has tried his hand at mountain climbing. Paul now works for a startup in California and has recently adopted the cutest cat, Francis.
Guinness
Best Dog
The goodest boy.