Anja & Kevin's Wedding
Wedding Party
Zoe Spruston
Maid of Honor
Zoe, aka the maid of honor aka the “crazy sister” lives in North Carolina where she teaches violin for a living, and does freelance makeup as well. In her free time she enjoys shopping and cuddling with her dogs. Only 19 months apart, Zoe and Anja have pretty much always been close. She’s always looked up to Anja as her older sister. And although they live miles apart, Anja still always finds a way to steal Zoe’s clothes. Zoe can’t wait to see her big sister marry the love of her life!!
Hezekiah Russell
Best Man
Hezekiah aka lil bro aka the best man, stays in Fort Wayne as a full time student at Purdue University Fort Wayne. If not at one of his three jobs or school, he is an adamant Bible studier and sports follower. He has no tighter bond than with his oldest brother and loves visiting KJ and Anja in Chicago whenever possible, as he’s always looking for excuses to eat Harold’s chicken and Giordano’s pizza. He couldn’t be more proud of his big bro and his bride to be.
Laurel Hill
Bridesmaid
Laurel lives in San Francisco where she is preparing to become a public interest lawyer. She is passionate about correctional reform and often visits state-run facilities with watchdog organizations. Since meeting Anja 10 years ago, Laurel has patiently waited for the Sprustons to adopt her. As one of Zoe’s closest friends, Laurel was with Anja the night she accepted Northwestern’s bid and was there to send her off to prom. Laurel considers her the older sister she never had: a shoulder to lean on and a mentor to look up to. From the day Anja and Kevin brought home their pup, Laurel quickly bonded with Mickey and enjoyed taking care of him as often as they would let her. Despite being over a thousand miles away, their friendship grows stronger by the day.
Francesco Guerrieri
Groomsman
Born in SoCal and now living in NorCal, Francesco and Kev first met in their freshman year dorm, Allison Hall. They cemented their friendship sophomore year when they were roommates and Francesco was "the best roommate [Kev] ever had," as Kev puts it. This was also the year that Kev and Anja met, so Francesco likes to think he was an important, if not integral, part of these two beautiful people's union.
Adrianna Rodriguez
Bridesmaid
Adrianna, the college roommate turned bridesmaid, lives in northern Virginia and works as a reporter for USA TODAY. She's the proud dog mom of a little border collie/black lab named Mia, whom she adopted after meeting Anja and Kevin's dog, Mickey. Adrianna had never been a dog person her entire life, but Mickey was able to melt that ice box where her heart used to be. She lives uncomfortably close to the bride's parents so she can drop by unannounced whenever Anja comes to town. From Fusion dance tryouts freshman year to graduating side by side at Northwestern, Adrianna and Anja have stayed close friends no matter the distance. She was there when Anja and Kevin first started dating in college and now she's so excited to be there the day they say "I do." MaD FuSiOn LuV! **Queues Ginuwine**
Rashad Laher
Groomsman
Rashad was raised in Northern Virginia, and now lives in San Francisco, where he works as a software engineer for a startup. Rashad and Kevin met the first week of college at the Giordano's in Evanston, and instantly bonded over playing football in high school. What followed was an instant friendship, with the two playing basketball and FIFA daily, and incessantly quoting Drake lyrics at each other. Rashad is a big fan of Anja (she's taught him many a thing about organization) and is extremely proud of Kevin for landing such a catch.
Janek Evans
Bridesman
Janek, aka THE Bridesman, lives in Evanston a block away from The Peckish Pig where he runs the bar program and where Anja & Kev are getting married! When he’s not chasing after his 3 year old boy, Janek likes to travel and stay fit by boxing in his spare time. Janek and Anja go all the way back to high school and have always been tight. Back then, Anja taught Janek how to drive, and he hopes to repay the favor by teaching her how to shake up some cocktails. He can’t wait to watch his two friends get married!
Sophie Gordon
Groomswoman
Sophie is a film festival programmer, filmmaker, and musician living in Chicago. She met Kevin in the very first days of orientation at Northwestern, and though some might say she bribed him into being friends at first, their friendship blossomed so very much in the years that followed. She has loved watching Kevin and Anja‘s lives grow together since they met—even more now as they’ve started their little family with Mickey. She can’t wait for that the future has in store for a couple whose love for each other she has always admired!
Lily Cuellar
Bridesmaid
Lydia (a.k.a. Lily) lives in Chicago, where she is a hairstylist by trade. She loves to travel and meet new people, and is the mother to a toy poodle named Drake (who is her favorite rapper). She met Anja eight years ago while working at Buffalo Wild Wings, and she’s been doing her hair for almost as long. Lydia loves working out, doing hair and makeup, and making up songs (with Anja) in her free time. Lydia and Anja have talked about being each other’s bridesmaids for so long, and she is so excited and honored to be a part of this beautiful time in her life!
Dan Toubman
Groomsman
Dan is studying to be a lawyer at University of Michigan. He has been friends with Kev since living in Allison Hall freshman year at NU. Another layer was added to the friendship when Dan and Kev both interned in DC during Summer of 2016. Living in a long term Air BNB at Bertina’s Crib was a hilarious, sometimes harrowing experience for Dan, but there’s no one he would have rather gone through it with than Kev. After graduating from Northwestern, Dan enjoyed chilling in Chicago with Kev and Anja, playing Monopoly, Euchre, Codenames, and hanging with Mickey. Dan is super stoked for the wedding and can’t wait to see Kev marry an awesome girl that he loves a lot.
Madison Welch
Bridesmaid
Born in Georgia, raised in the suburbs of Chicago, and now residing in Denver as an Associate Consultant for a software company, Madison travels frequently both for work and pleasure. Madison has been best friends with Anja since she was fortunate enough to be placed in Anja’s wing of Foster-Walker (PLEX) shortly after transferring to Northwestern University. Madison has always valued Anja’s friendship and enjoys visiting her in the Windy City -whether it be for dinner and drinks or a four mile jog! Madison has witnessed Anja’s relationship with Kevin truly blossom into an unprecedented partnership and cannot wait for them to spend forever together!
Andrew Shiao
Groomsman
Andrew lives in Chicago with his fiance Kate and works in product development at Shure. Currently he's working on the latest and greatest Shure earphones. He grew up in Shanghai and went to undergrad at Northwestern where he met Kevin and their friendship blossomed over Taco Tuesdays (and cornbread?). Since graduating, Andrew and Kevin have grown even closer, united by their shared love of making good food, drinking good whiskey, and playing basketball wherever and whenever they can. Andrew is honored to be groomsman and excited for Kevin and Anja to enjoy married life!
LaTisha Curtiss
Bridesmaid
Born and raised in Chicagoland, LaTisha is a compliance professional who is passionate about promoting financial literacy and protecting vulnerable consumers from falling prey to predatory lending practices. LaTisha has been best friends with Anja since the day she asked the fellow Plex suitemate to borrow a hammer on move-in day after transferring to Northwestern. From then until now, LaTisha has watched Anja grow and mature into a wonderfully driven and passionate young woman who has found the love of a lifetime in Kevin.
Jesse Clifton
Groomsman
Jesse lives with his fiance Emma in Urbana, IL. He works as a Victim Advocate in the Champaign County State's Attorney's Office and is also pursuing his master's in social work at the University of Illinois. Jesse was a junior at Northwestern when Kevin entered as a freshman. Jesse and Kevin became loyal friends immediately and have remained so - from Jesse whooping Kevin in 2K, to their July 4th escapade into the city, to camping trips and forays in Charleston, IL, and countless other nights. Jesse is honored to be a groomsman, as he knows how central family and friends are to Kevin and Anja. He is looking forward to plenty more adventures in Chicago with Kevin and Anja, as well as down in the C-U (having three cats, Jesse will also try not to kill Kevin due to his unfortunate allergies).
Miranda DeJesus
Bridesmaid
Miranda lives in the suburbs of Chicago where she works as a business office manager at an assisted living and memory care community. Miranda and Anja first met as freshmen at Northwestern, where they lived together in the worst dorm on campus and initially bonded over eerily similar tattoos and a love for selfies. Nearly a decade later, their friendship remains strong, despite their conflicting opinions when asked “Dogs or Cats?” Like Anja, Miranda is a total sap, so naturally she tears up when she reminisces on their past, and she feels a lot of gratitude for the privilege of standing up with Anja on her wedding day.
Ford Carlisle
Groomsman
Ford lives in Chicago, close enough for the occasional dog walking duty for Mick. Ford and Kev met at Northwestern and quickly bonded over a shared love of music, FIFA and Ohio State football. During his free time, Ford enjoys reading, watching movies and collecting vinyl records. Ford was lucky enough to know Kev and Anja when they first started dating, and even luckier to have witnessed the proposal on a fateful afternoon in Manhattan (you might be able to spot him smiling like a dingus in the background of the photos). Bring on the wedding!
Cara Pereira
Bridesmaid
Cara lives in Chicago where she spends most of the year waiting for the summer. In her free time she enjoys singing songs with wrong lyrics and pretending she’s on the Great British Bake-off. When Anja became her college dance team mentor, Cara knew she had found a friend for life. She is forever grateful to Anja for teaching her how to make pasta, rock Timbs, and above all for being her goofy, fierce, and loving self. She’s so excited to be by Anja’s side when she marries the cute boy from the library!
Ryan Fleming
Groomsman
My name is Ryan Fleming (most of you probably know me by Fleming) and I am originally from Chicago and currently live in Logan Square. I work for an automotive supply company in Northbrook and enjoy watching soccer and cooking in my spare time. Kev and I met 6 years ago after we both rushed the same fraternity and he whooped me in a game of 2k; the times have only gotten better since that humiliating loss! In all seriousness though I am grateful for great friends like Kev that decided to stick around and have made life after graduation all the better. I couldn't be happier for Kev and Anja and am honored to be able to take part in what will be a truly special day.
Caroline Comstock
Bridesmaid
Caroline recently moved to Dublin, Ireland where she’s working for a government agency and trying her best to reenact “P.S. I Love You.” Caroline and Anja have a blast sipping on red wine, making bomb eggs benedict, and watching movies on lazy Sundays snuggled on the couch. Caroline is over the moon to see Anja’s fairytale come true and is beyond honored to stand by her side on her big day.
Cassie Cancela
Bridesmaid
Cassie lives in New York City where she works as a site merchant curating cute pictures of pups. She spends most of her time watching YouTube videos and drinking red wine, not much different than when she met Anja. From many wine nights to cooking her dinner to covering her in a blanket when she falls asleep, Anja is like a big sister to Cassie. She couldn’t be happier to relive her Miami moments with Anja and Kevin in the town they all met!
Frederic Graham
Ring Bearer
Frederic lives in Skokie, Illinois and is the president & founder of the, Anja is the Best Babysitter Fan Club, est. 2012. Frederic and Anja have a shared love of DOGS, the beach, dancing, cooking, Dixie Kitchen, and Frank Ocean. While he was in preschool and she attended college, their friendship grew during trips to the park, dance parties, and the reading of many, many books. One of his favorite memories is spending the night at her apartment near Lincoln Park Zoo and eating chocolate chip pancakes. Nearly a decade later, Anja is never far from Frederic’s heart, but he is happy and excited to share her with Kevin.