Malaina & Vinnie
Who You Need to Know
Kaylee Carter
Maid of Honor
My BF for always. I still remember the day we met. It was 7th grade. Kay was sitting in front of me in english while ripping blank pages out of her note book one at a time. She turned around & asked me if I needed paper. I accepted the offer. Although I wanted to decline. One, I already had paper & two, it was all messy & still had the little paper pieces dangling off of it. Now those little dangling pieces did not bother Kay, meanwhile I'm having anxiety thinking about putting those messy pieces of paper in my nicely organized binder. These things still happen today. She continues to teach me to live in the moment, & not to sweat the small stuff. Although we are similar in so many ways it's the people we are & the things we teach each other that completes us & makes us best friends.
Mareana Brletich
Matron of Honor
My middle sister, my breakwall, my life ring. No matter who, what, when or where Mareana is always there. She's the person I call when I need to vent or just need a good laugh. Our 5 minute convos always last my entire hour ride home. Our quick coffees in the morning turn into entire day events. Our jam sessions include us maxing out the volume and belting out the words we can remember which end up being the same exact ones. Thank you for always being there when I need you most, as council, a best friend & sister.
Makiah Tillman
Maid of Honor
My baby sister and the wisest of us all. It's amazing how much she has taught me about kindness and caring for others. She just graduated from Bowling Green State University and is starting her Masters in Social Work. We could not be more proud of her. Each time she comes home you can see how much she has grown and learned. Mak has an internship now in Bowling Green. She is doing so well I'm afraid they'll offer her a job and she'll never come home! Of course I would be happy for her but I always want my baby sister with in arms reach. Thank you for always being there to help me through anything, whether it's some type of emotional catastrophe or some silly project where I need a hand (like taking Just Add Water apart), you always seem to get roped into those projects.
Holli Berki
Bridesmaid
Holli is the definition of a perfect friend. No matter what time of day or the situation you're in Holli is there to have your back. She's kind and loving and will go out of her way to make anyone happy. Her and her husband Tony have been together as long as Vinnie and I have so our relationships have grown side by side. They just had a beautiful baby girl named Norah and she's perfect! It's been great growing together and I can't wait to see our families continue to grow.
Maria Baumert
Bridesmaid
My soon to be Sister-In-Law (officially). She's a wonderful wife to Paul, and an awesome Mother to our 3 nephews Oliver, Liam, and Quinn. I feel lucky to be a part of their family and to watch them all grow. Vinnie and I miss living in Columbus just because we would see them more often. I'm glad to have Maria in my life, she is a great role model. She's loving and would give anyone the shirt off her back. She's determined to achieve her goals and is there to help Paul and the boys achieve theirs. It's been amazing to watch her work hard and kick ass raising her family while completing her Masters Degree.
Melissa Tillman
Mother of the Bride
My Mama, my #1 fan! I am so thankful to have her. The person who made me who I am today. She taught me to love me for me & not by anyone else's standards. She's taught me how to be strong, & determined. There's not one thing you can't get through, not one problem that can't be solved. She's taught me the people you love come first no matter what it takes. She's taught me to never be afraid to do what's right. She supports & encourages my creativity, sometimes I feel like I would lose it without her. She reminds me that things don't have to be perfect to enjoy. She's taught me to have fun & live in the moment, to not fully grow up & lose sight of what really matters. I feel I'm capable of anything because of her. I hope one day I can teach my kids as much as she has taught me.
Eric Tillman
Father of the Bride
My Daddy, the smartest, funniest, & strongest man. There wasn't one thing he couldn't do. He knew how to solve any problem that came his way. I trusted him with every part of my being. I would have followed him to the end of the earth because I knew no matter what we would be okay. Diving was like that for me. I dove for him, to be on that adventure with him, it was the process, the teamwork. It wasn't about what we were there to see. It was being in the moment with him, seeing him so happy doing what he loved most. Hanging on to every word he said hoping to learn how to be as great as he was at diving or anything else he did. I wasn't, we all weren't ready for him to go but I am so thankful for the time I did have with him. I cherish his memory & try to live the best life I can for him.
Frank Russ
Best Man
Frank and I go way back to preschool, and all the way up to the same schools until graduation. He's my best man because he's the most dependable guy I know. Before I had a truck, I had Frank's truck, if and when I needed it. I've golfed countless rounds with him at early hours, and they're always my best rounds of golf because of his unrelenting calm. I've chaperoned church retreats with him, which just meant we were hanging out for a whole weekend, luxury camping. I've ridden shotgun in all 4 of his vehicles and failed a driving test in his mom's Camry (because I was too scared to use my parent's Explorer). We played youth soccer together, we rode to catechism after middle school football together, we crashed high school parties together, and now I just want our kids to grow up together.
Paul Baumert
Groomsman
Paul, my oldest brother- my guiding sage, my consigliere. Whenever I'm about to do something I'm unsure of, I always consult with Paul. Sometimes when I'm getting ahead of myself and working my way into a small frenzy, I can call on Paul to assure me that I'm only considering the worst of the worst with something. He's got the best advice when I don't know what to do, or I can just look at him from my middle-child vantage point to learn from his trailblazing blunders as the oldest. Of course I can also call on him when I need to crack some jokes about our brother Mario, or count on him for dunking the ally-oop in a well timed group chat zinger. Although he lives in Columbus, I always feel he's near, and whenever we get together it's like the distance was never there.
Mario Camera
Groomsman
Mario is my youngest brother and renowned golden child of the family. "Little Baby Mario" (as Malaina calls him) can do no harm, except I know that's not true. I've taken the fall for him on more than one occasion, but he's always done the same for me. We shared a room growing up, which causes a lot of tension when you're younger but I think creates the bond we share now. My mom always lugged us around together as a duo and now as an adult it just feels like home when he's around. I always feel more at ease in his presence, partially because I don't have to worry about whatever my younger brother is getting into, and partially because that's the calming effect he has on me. I always feel like I'm my funnies around him because I know I don't have to try, and he still laughs at my antics.
Tony Berki
Groomsman
Tony is by and large the most unique person I've ever met and befriended. His strange humor and horribly drawn one-off comics are what brought our friendship together back in 9th grade. He's also the smartest guy I know, and just completed his CPA license this year. Tony started dating his wife just a little before Malaina and I started dating, and we had our first double date sledding on "Pill Hill". I know Tony was rooting my relationship on just as I was for his. Although Holli got hurt that night sledding while I was buzzing on my thermos of Irish Coffee, I remember him holding Holli's hand up front as I held Malaina's in the back while we drove home, and feeling what a special moment that was we were all sharing.
Jonathan Cook
Groomsman
Jon is the most compassionate, chaos driven, understanding, hurricane typhoon of guy I've ever known. Growing up together, we had countless sleepovers laughing way into the early morning and sleeping way into the early afternoon. I can still count on Jon to make my sides and jaw hurt with tears from my eyes from a giggle fit that would put a middle school girl to shame. But I can also call on Jon when I need a friend just to listen. From the concerts and music we've shared, the trips to wherever Frank Sandiego is living now, the late night aimless drives we used to take, or thrashing because Billy Idol told us to, I'll always consider Jon to be one of my best friends. He's the only guy I know that could make waxing a Taurus fun and exciting, but that's just because we were hanging out.
Reverend Taylor Temkiewicz
Officiant
Taylor has officially ascended this group and become Rev. Red. He is another friend I grew up with, going so far back that I'd draw about sleeping over his farm back in elementary school when describing my weekend. His family has always welcomed me (and now us) with open arms, and I've always felt his brothers are my own. I've witnessed pivotal moments in Temkiewicz history that always warrant a good telling, but you'd have to ask the Rev himself about the Cherry Apple war, or the first Flannel Party, the Rebirth of the Fort, or the Death of the N64. Because of Taylor, I know how to milk a goat, or how bad a pig pen really can get. But I also know why family will dig a pond together, and why they'd build just up the road from each other. That's what being friends with Taylor has taught me.
Kim Camera
Mother of the Groom
My mom was my original number one fan, before Malaina. My mom taught me how to treat a woman, how to respect her. How not only to listen to her but hear what she has to say. My mom taught me compassion, and kindness, and love, without which none of this is possible. No child has gone without spats with their parents, but I'm lucky enough to have the most understanding mom when I've had moments/minutes/hours/days when I've been in the wrong. My mom has treated Malaina like one of her own, even allowed us to live under her roof for a year while we got our bearings. Any time when my friends say "You've got the best mom/ Your mom is the best/ I love Kim" I just say a small thank you and count my blessings.
Chuck (Pops) Camera
Father of the Groom
Pops, poppo, dad. The sauceman. Where my mom taught me love, my dad taught me responsibility. My dad taught me courage, and integrity. My dad taught me how to put family first, and how to stand up for those who can't stand for themselves. My dad taught me that helping someone can be just as important, if not more, than helping yourself. My dad also taught me its ok to own up to your mistakes, as long as you're willing to learn from them and strive for a better self. Most importantly though and above all, my dad taught me how to be a good Italian and make sure everyone is fed. Whenever someone tells me "I know your dad, he's a good guy" I just say a small thank you and count my blessings.