Sarah & James
Wedding Party
Lisa & Arlington Finch
Parents of the Bride
Lisa and Arlington have been married for 30 years! They both have had careers that have brought them much honor and satisfaction: Arlington retired from the USMC after 32.5 years of service, and Lisa has been an RN since 2 weeks before Sarah was born! They raised their two children while living all over the country (NC, IL, SC, CA, MD, & VA). If you ask either one of them, their pride and joy comes from their kids Sarah and Nathan. They are now empty nesters (except for their cats), and are starting to enjoy adventuring as a couple again -- they even have a kids-free trip to Hawaii this summer! Their love and support of each other through all things in life is an example for us to learn from, and their hard work and dedication have always inspired Sarah to live up to their legacy.
Alice & Jamie McLeod
Parents of the Groom
Alice and Jamie have been together for 27 strong years, raising a total of four kids and continuing to love and grow with each other every single day. They currently enjoy kayaking and going on adventures, seeing and trying new things with each other. They are also raising an ornery Yorkie-Silkie named Oscar, who enjoys sleeping in the bed when he isn't allowed, waiting for Jamie to come home and barking at seemingly nothing. Their bond is one that we can only hope to embody in our upcoming marriage and will continue to learn from as we also begin our lives together. Their love and support mean the world to Sarah and James both. James could not ask for better parents and they continue to support and inspire him as he continues on in his own endeavors.
Cole Di Nardo
Made of Honor
✌️🤪
Justin Palmer
Best Man
Justin is the brother of the groom and also his best man. 20 years ago you would have said "there's no way in hell Justin would be James' best man". They definitely bumped heads. It wasn't until Justin was out of the house and James was significantly larger than Justin did they start to get along. They soon found out they shared a ton of common interests from Star Wars to Bourbon. In the coming years they became best of friends. Justin is a huge role-model for James, from enlisting into the U.S. Air Force, to becoming a great husband and finally an amazing father. These are all traits a Best Man should have and there is no one else James would have by his side on this tremendous day.
Mahaleigh King
Matron of Honor
Mahaleigh and Sarah were randomly assigned to be freshman roommates for their first year at NCSU. The match couldn't have been more perfect, as they hit it off almost immediately -- sharing common interests in Disney, musicals, YouTubers, and video games (Sarah became a live-in Let's Player). After freshman year, the two moved into a townhouse to continue out their college careers, eventually welcoming Mahaleigh's future husband Chandler as a new roommate and living together until Sarah ultimately moved out to pursue her job with Fayetteville PD. (Don't worry, they still meet up regularly for board games and escape rooms) Mahaleigh and Chandler have been married for 3 years and have recently welcomed their daughter Allara into the world, and we couldn't imagine having a better pair of friends by our side on our big day!
Chandler Pry
Groomsman
Sarah and Chandler met in one of the NCSU dining areas, when Mahaleigh was introducing her roommate to the new boyfriend -- and it obviously went well as Chandler has continuously proved himself to be an amazing friend. The tables turned when Sarah had to introduce her new boyfriend to Mahaleigh and Chandler, where James and Chandler hit it off right away. On a group Disney vacation in 2020, James and Chandler co-piloted the Millennium Falcon together, and there really isn't a better way to describe their friendship than with that image. A loving husband, new father, and recent Master's Degree recipient, Chandler continues to make us proud and we are lucky to call him our friend.
Jeremy Holland
Groomsman
Jeremy and James met when they worked together on the same squad. They quickly connected, enjoying martial arts, music, and an appreciation for a good drink after a hard days work. Jeremy, a skilled photographer among other things helped capture our engagement along with the help of his wife Dani!
Dani Holland
Bridesmaid
Dani is credited with keeping Jeremy in check (at least most of the time). She is a wonderful mother to her four children and an amazingly talented artist. From creative writing to making custom dolls, there's almost nothing she cant do when she sets her mind to it. We wouldn't want to celebrate this joyous day without you there with us!
Benjamin Washburn
Groomsman
When Sarah picked the trainee B. Washburn to be her squad-mate, she didn't know that she would be gaining a life long friend and brother for life. A squad outing for after-work drinks, and the rest was history. Ben is a hard working family man who loves old coins, writing letters, Carolina swamp life and, above all else, his wife Mo. Although they no longer work in the same department, Team FinchBurn will continue being a badass crime fighting team.
Moriah Washburn
Bridesmaid
The backbone of the Washburn household, Mo is an animal lover with a heart of gold (and the patience of a saint for putting up with many a panic text from Sarah about her cats and their bowel movements). An appreciator of a good sake and crab rangoon, Mo is a steadfast friend and a wonderful pet parent to the Washburns' chihuahua Taco and cat Meow-Meow.
Nathan Finch
Groomsman
Like many siblings, Sarah didn't consider her brother to be a friend until after she moved out (it's okay, Nathan feels the same way). Now that they're grown, it turns out that the two have a lot in common -- although Nathan did much better in high school theater than Sarah did. A recent NCSU graduate, Nathan has made his whole family proud with his pursuits into the Human Resources field, and Sarah knows that he will end up making some big changes in this world. Charismatic, quick-witted, and loyal, Nathan will make an amazing groomsman/honorary Man of Honor.
Sienna Whalen
Bridesmaid
Meeting your brother's new girlfriend is always at least a little bit awkward. Thankfully, it doesn't have to stay awkward. Sienna has grown to be a friend of both Sarah and James', and will always be welcome to party. Sienna is an amazing artist (with her framed art featured on our entertainment center), a grounding wire to Nathan's Aries energy, a true inspiration for staying true to yourself and your beliefs, and a recent Loyola graduate to top it all off. Also, her instagram is 🔥, please teach Sarah how to pose pls/ty
Hunter Bledsoe
Groomsman
185lbs of pure American. A ride or die friend that would be impossible to replace. Renowned for his ability to handle spicy food and a slayer of White Claws. Hunter also enjoys the finer things in life. Bourbon, cigars, steaks larger than you can imagine. A finer man has yet to be found, he would give you the shirt off of his back in a heart beat to anyone in need. A damn fine friend indeed.
Freddie Knobloch
Groomsman
Freddie stands at an impressive 6'01". His beard: strewn together from the hair of a goddess. His heart: larger than that of a fully grown Blue Whale. This gentle giant has been best friends with James for almost 5 years and honestly there is no one else that could take his place next to James on his big day. Freddie also enjoys a fine cigar and a clean glass of bourbon. His ability to grill a steak, is on par, nay, better than that of International Super Star Chef Gordon Ramsay.
Tori Palmer
Bridesmaid
Where do we start? She deals with Justin's shenanigans, she's raising two wild boys and doing a damn fine job! Tori and Justin have been together for an unbelievable 16 years. She has been the glue to their family through it all deployments, lost teeth, power outages and honestly too many things to list. She's an amazingly strong woman and an absolutely fine role model to not only her children but to us as well.
Jackson & Owen Palmer
Ring Security
We're proud to introduce to everyone, our TOP FLIGHT ring security Jackson and Owen Palmer. These young men will be protecting our wedding rings and there is no one we would trust more. Not only are they our ring security they are also our favorite nephews. They love Marvel, Star Wars, Sonic the Hedgehog. They have been know to play baseball. Jackson loves to dance, and Owen continues to train to be America's next Ninja Warrior!