Wedding Party
Jake Schuchmann
Best Man
From Justin: I have known Jake for over twenty years. Although we went to different schools, we grew up on the same street just two blocks apart. As children we spent our time playing games, skating, and building pillow forts. As teenagers, we got into plenty of trouble together cruising around in Jake's '93 Plymouth Voyager, curfew be damned. In college I even rushed the same fraternity as Jake, in large part so we could remain attached at the hip. These days Jake lives in Long Beach with his amazing wife, Gopi, and their handsome dog Hanz. Across decades and thousands of miles, Jake and I will always be friends. It is my honor to call him my best man, my best friend, my ride-or-die. Jake, I love you, buddy. Photo circa July 2007
Sarah Brown
Matron of Honor
From Meg, What can I say in a short paragraph about my sister? Sarah and I have always been very different from an early age. We have very different temperaments and approaches to the world. That being said, my sister was my teacher (literally, she would play "school" and give me assignments) and my biggest protector growing up. She was always looking out for my brother and I. We played indoor soccer together and I vividly remember her yelling at men twice her size for hurting me during soccer games. I admired my sister so much growing up; she's beautiful, driven, smart, and a strong athlete. Sarah is also a very dedicated mother and I adore both of her kids. I'm grateful to have my sister by my side for my wedding!
Alexander Swain
Officiant
From Justin: Megan's brother Alex and I first met just a month after Megan and I started dating. I was anxious, initially, as he and Megan are so close. I knew that if I wanted to be with Meg, I had to win over her cat and her brother. The cat was easy, but I think Alex was a bit skeptical of me at first. Luckily, Alex and I hit it off quickly and we were both able to relax in one another's company. We found common ground in all our crunchy, outdoorsy, Colorado-y interests. As I realized that I loved Megan more than just about anything, we soon found we had that in common, too. Since then, we have grown very close. Alex and I have hiked hundreds of miles of trails together, including the east ridge of Mt. Yale where I proposed to his sister. Cheers, Al, to a thousand more miles.
Shaina Swain
Officiant
From Meg, It was a little bit of a surprise to me, given his dating history, that my brother Alex chose to marry a girl as cool as Shaina. Shaina and I share an overly competitive spirit, a love of hiking 14ers, and an enthusiasm for craft beer. Shaina is not only a sister to me, she is also a very close friend. I've come to her countless times to vent about some problem and she always is there to listen and empathize. We've made a lot of great memories living with Alex and Shaina over the past year, from nights spent at the house playing Nintendo games to hiking adventures to a trip to Kauai. Shaina is our steadfast planner, adventure-seeker, and resident "well actually" person. I've met few people who are as motivated and driven as she is and I admire her.
Christian Cook
Groomsman
From Justin: I first met my brothers Christian, Michael, and Eric after a brief stint in the neonatal wing of Barnes Jewish Hospital in 1989. Christian is a career Army officer, a brilliant writer, and is raising a beautiful family. In many ways, Chris helped raise me as well. He was certainly a major role model in my childhood, when he taught me about both baseball and life. He was the first to make me an uncle, and gave me a reason to learn a new language and explore Europe when he was stationed in Germany. The example Chris set for me in my youth by his work ethic and intense resolve are part of me now. Cheers to my big brother.
Caroline Smith
Bridesmaid
From Meg: Caroline is my cousin and has been one of my best friends from the start. Caroline and I grew up particularly close, in part, because of our experiences at our family cottage in Grand Haven, MI. She and I shared a bed as kids and I remember fondly the hours we spent in that bed gossiping, reading, and recounting the entire movie plot of the Titanic (I know, we were pretty cool). Caroline and I have experienced the highs and lows of growing up together and I am so grateful for that. She understands me in a way that few other people do. Caroline is smart, kind, determined, and incredibly loyal. I loved getting to be by her side for her beautiful wedding in August and am so glad she will be by my side when I marry Justin.
Michael Cook
Groomsman
From Justin: My brother Michael and I fought throughout my childhood, but mostly just for fun. He is an architect, a creative, and Halloween costume enthusiast. We worked together a number of times in the past, and he taught me a great deal about building and creating. I still use skills he taught me every single day. He helped me develop fundamental knowledge that would eventually allow me to become foreman at a major custom furniture and design company in Denver. I've always aspired to have Michael's wit, which remains reliably one step ahead of my own to this day. His sense of humor is dry and inappropriate, but never hateful or unkind. Cheers to Mike, for teaching me how to design beautifully and how to get away with mischief.
Sarah Zwetzig
Bridesmaid
From Meg, I will never forget the night Sarah and I met. It was at a bowling alley for a first meeting with our graduate school cohort. I knew instantly that Sarah and I would be friends when we both agreed that bowling required a beer. The rest has been history, as they say. Sarah has seen me cry way too many times to count. She is the best travel partner and we've gone on some pretty long road trips (for example, to Toronto and back to Colorado) while still deliriously laughing and having a good time. We call each other our platonic life partners for a good reason. I always feel perfectly myself when I'm with her. I cannot wait to continue traveling with Sarah and doing our traditions together (Oktoberfest, Galentines day, and all the rest).
Pablo Hernandez
Groomsman
From Justin: Pablo and I met at the University of Northern Colorado while pursuing our doctoral degrees in music. We were both selected as graduate teaching assistants and colleagues in the Bear Lake Wind Quintet. We spent hundreds of hours together in rehearsals, performances, and bars. We grew together as musicians and friends, and playing alongside Pablo remains one of the proudest and fondest musical experiences of my career. Shortly before I met Megan, my romantic relationships were fleeting and disappointing. At that time, Pablo and his wife Romina became my inspiration to never give up on love. Their marriage is truly a model of loving partnership. Pablo, it was an honor to sit next to you in the quintet. Thank you for standing with me now.
Jenna Hunt
Bridesmaid
From Megan: I met Jenna for the first time during my freshman year of college. We were in a freshmen seminar together, though our close friendship didn't really start until our junior year of college. Jenna and I had a lot of fun together our senior year and were quite the beer pong champs. Jenna and I also spent countless nights at Waldo's, a local college bar in Kalamazoo, where we shared pitchers of extra boozy long island iced teas. We shared a love of Two Hearted IPA, deep conversations, and reading, among other things. I've always felt like I found a kindred spirit in Jenna. Though life is busy, and we don't see each other as much as we wish we could, Jenna has always been a friend I can count on. She is a wonderful person and friend.
Brady Schach
Groomsman
From Justin: Brady and I became friends at the University of Missouri as graduate students in music. He is one of the strongest and most consistent trumpet players I have ever worked with, a stunning amateur voice actor, and 40 oz. malt liquor connoisseur. He is also one of the funniest people on this planet, generous beyond measure, and a major part of my support system through a period of significant growth in my life. He was the best roommate I ever had, and I still feel bad that the girl I was dating at the time stole all his espresso (sorry bud). Brady and his partner Korin have been there for me from Missouri to Colorado to Washington and back again. Whenever I need to clock out on a Friday and grab a Whopper and a 40, I know I can count on them. Cheers, bud.
Natalie Reszka
Bridesmaid
From Meggidy, Natalie and I first bonded through playing soccer together at Kzoo. I have countless memories with her throughout college, like going to college parties and being some of the first people there (yikes). The Natalie I met in college is a different person in many ways than the Natalie today, but who she is at her core (a kind, hilarious, and quirky person) was always there. She still always knows how to make me uncomfortable (cue conversations about bathroom habits) and how to make me laugh until my stomach hurts. She was there on the first Colorado trail trip we ever made, where we did 115 grueling miles together. It was one of the most special trips of my life, as funny as that sounds. I look up to Natalie and the driven, passionate woman she is.
Sam Lakey
Groomsman
From Justin: Sam forced me to become his friend when we were 14. We didn't click immediately, but the first time we actually hung out was a bizarre encounter complete with a stolen sneaker salesman, an unmanned Jack-in-the-Box, and a South St. Louis police chase. We've been friends since, and we still occasionally reminisce about our friendship's unlikely origin. He will stand next to me both as an individual and as a representative of our shared group of friends from high school, many of whom will be in attendance at the wedding. We all still talk nearly every day, and have maintained a group chat for over 15 years, in various incarnations on different platforms. Very few of the people I know can say the same. Cheers to Sam, and to the CBC crew. Let's take a cabin trip soon.
Stephanie Verbeek
Bridesmaid
From Megan (said with a French accent), Steph and I met during soccer preseason my freshman year of college. I adore Steph, she's the realest. I became an adopted member of her family during college and regularly spent time at the Verbeek's house. Her family is incredible. Steph and I became closer and closer each year of college. Our sophomore year, we went to France together, which was an adventure I'll never forget. We regularly skipped class to go exploring within Strasbourg and beyond. This picture is from a bar in Milan where Steph and I were made honorary bartenders for the night. I've been through some of my hardest times with Steph by my side. I know that we will be laughing at old memories over wine until we are very very old.
Kolton Emery
Groomsman
From Justin: When I followed Megan to Washington for her doctoral internship, I gained a great many things. I found a love of those rare, incredible places where the salt water laps at the feet of mountains. I found myself looking ever upward at the mossy giants of ancient forests. And I found friends to share those things with. Among those friends are Kolton and his wife Alexandra. Our friendship really took shape through tipsy laughter after soccer matches, exploring the Northwest, and high-intensity badminton. Kolton is the king of chill, an unshakable personality, and a deeply loving soul within the body of a finely-tuned recreational athlete. I'm inspired by his effortless wisdom - he was almost certainly an accomplished Taoist monk in a previous life. Cheers to my dude Kolt.
Alexandra Emery
Bridesmaid
From Megs, Al and I met during our internship year. Moving to Washington was very exciting for Justin and I, but we were both a little worried about starting over and making new friends. Making friends as an adult is hard! Al very quickly became one of my favorite people. We really started becoming close when we did our Friday night soccer league. We would have a drink at the bar above the soccer fields. Then, we would go back to Al and Kolt's place and Al would prepare the most amazing cheese boards. We'd be there until 2am most nights. Al is the most generous host and goes out of her way to make people feel loved and special. I cherish the memories of all the late nights and times of being "floor people" together. I'm so grateful that we moved to Washington and I met you!
Kaitlin Ohde
Member of the Bridal Party
From Megan, Kaitlin and I became friends in graduate school. She's the friend you make bad decisions with. There were many many times where I came out for "just one drink" and ended up having late night margs and quesadillas. Kaitlin knows how to have a good time. Even when we were busy in graduate school, I always knew she would be down for an adventure. She would often generously buy me a day pass to ski for my birthday and we would spend the day carving up the slopes, stopping for an occasional beer. One of my favorite memories with Kaitlin was doing the Colorado trail together. Even when things were hard, and they got pretty hard on that trip, she had a great attitude and kept us all laughing.