THE FUTURE BRATCHERS
wedding partay
ann beverley
Maid of Honor
after spending 7 years together at st. catherine's, ann bev & maddy departed for rival virginia schools. the Lord in His kindness began to weave the threads that would bind them together despite distance : the nourishment of ruf campus ministry, a good saturday morning farmers market, & the melodies of the avett brothers. a few concerts, many cities explored, and countless verses of encouragement later, ann bev is one of those friends maddy will never let go of.
robert
Best Man
you could say the friendship between robert and nick was one borne of necessity. it is a long-held tradition at camp timberlake to initiate counselors by covering them in paint and (to avoid a catastrophic mess) forcing them to sleep under the stars. when the sun set on robert and nick's initiation, warmth became a priority. as providence would have it, robert and nick cuddled up next to one another in the camp's teepee. friendship followed: a couple summers in the mountains, visits to respective colleges, ministry trainings, new years' vacations, and even a wedding for robert to his wife katherine. through changing seasons, robert has stood beside nick, and he's excited to do it again oct. 13!
becca
Maid of Honor
becca saw maddy for who she was right from the beginning : asking for a solo picture blowing bubbles on kappa delta bid night 2014, becca saw maddy, knew her, and proceeded to love her. in true delight, becca brought the spanish wine and spontaneity, making maddy's flannel gray wall dreams come true (follow #flannelgrayroom on insta). just one bed away for a year & a half (too short!), becca will always be maddy's forever roomie. & thanks to the Lord's sweet grace, he's placed becca in st. louis for work every couple of months so the two can continue to put off drinking their last bottle of serendipity cider (the last vestige of spring formal planning), which is silly because every day together is a celebration.
danny
Groomsman
danny is nick's oldest friend. the two joined marching band in middle school and became fast friends, bonding over a shared love of the early 2000s punk-rock band Bowling For Soup and daily trips to the local pool where danny would do backflips and nick would do cannonballs. the two best friends were inseparable until nick moved to kentucky, but they've managed to stay friends through the years and despite the distance.
abby
Bridesmaid
with a turn of a shoulder & the best smize you've ever seen, abby is equal parts sass & loyalty. while maddy was a little unsure of abby for a few months after huffing & puffing up humpback mountain on the 1st year/4th year ruf humpback hike, years of walking through life together have shown maddy the great joy & gentleness in being abby's friend. and when abby was initiated as a seminole at camp merri-mac ... well ... that sealed the deal.
jeremiah
Groomsman
"what does a winky face emoji mean?" "when is too soon to text her?" "is a love for john prine a dealbreaker?" this is the stuff of nick and jeremiah's friendship. it's part analysis and part philosophy. but it's all loyalty, jeremiah's greatest strength. in a world that admires the self-aggrandizing, jeremiah is a selfless and consistent friend, a true picture of the Friend of Sinners.
blythe
Bridesmaid
this one goes out to camp merri-mac, y'all! the Lord works through that place in countless ways, even through its staff. maddy had heard amazing rumors of blythe before blythe arrived to serve as a counselor at camp in 2015, and the two hit it off right from the start. there's something about holding blythe's hand while she got a shot in her butt that really made it official. and five cities explored later, blythe is maddy's go-to for a good beer companion (when nick's not around, that is) & a real conversation about messiness & grace.
jon
Groomsman
it is safe to say that ruf's mandatory friday bible study at 6 a.m. was under-appreciated when jon and nick were in college, but it gave their friendship its start. jon's honesty, candor, and love for the outdoors strengthened that bond. not to mention, everyone needs a friend who has held a human brain in his hand. that's just cool.
ellie
Bridesmaid
a friendship that begins with swing dancing surprises, cheerwine deliveries, & violin serenades is bound to be a good one. after years of mentoring & loving maddy as her big in kappa delta, ellie inhabits maddy's homecity, making it her own, and living as an example of a loving wife, faithful worker, & devoted follower of Christ. and two octobers after maddy stood by ellie on her wedding day, ellie will stand by maddy!
trey
Groomsman
trey can read minds... or at least, he can read nick's. they are both e.n.t.p.'s (a myers-briggs personality type), and to coin a phrase, they're the e.n.t.p.iest e.n.t.p.'s you're likely to ever meet. maybe it was this similar personality wiring or maybe it was trey's love of jane austen novels, but the two have become close friends while attending covenant seminary together. you'll likely find them on campus discussing the gospel implications of a movie they've seen recently.
mary
Bridesmaid
when maddy received a list of mary's interests the week mary became maddy's little in kappa delta, she was amazed. who WAS this hockey-playing, Jesus-loving babe of a girl?! mary was the perfect addition to the historic paisley fam, and her commitment to quality time, baller playlists, and gallery walls solidified her place in maddy's heart. mary may be maddy's little, but she's a big encourager in her walk with Christ and ambition to love people and serve commitments well.
uncle dwayne
Groomsman
since nick lost his father at age 13, a number of men have stepped up to be positive male influences in his life. but no one reminds nick of his dad more than his dad's best friend and nick's uncle, dwayne. from holidays to touring the bluegrass state with maddy. nick's uncle and aunt have always ensured that nick has a home to which he can return. they are amazing sources of love and support for both nick and maddy. no day could warrant that more than their wedding.