Emily & Justin
Wedding Party
Melyssa Wise
Maid of Honor
" I met Melyssa in grade 7, she was immediately nice and the first to invite me to a birthday party at my new school - she became my best friend shortly thereafter. She is one of the kindest and gentlest souls you will ever meet, a human ray of sunshine. She cares deeply for animals, the children she helps at work daily, and all beings. She is adventurous, hilarious, dependable, soulful, and loyal. We share innumerable wonderful memories; most of them examples of two people not being afraid to be varying levels of ridiculous together. And we have many more to come, maybe even the adjoining llama farm that we have always dreamed of! Few people know me better than Melyssa, I couldn't ask for a better Maid of Honour and I am so excited to have her alongside me in this journey!"
Patrick Twomey
Best Man
"Pat and I have been best friends since birth. Growing up, we spent all of our time together; even after he trapped me in a slide for a whole recess and then tattled on me for calling him stupid. I'd go to his house during the winter and skate on the rink for hours, usually with Pat skating circles around me. We ended up working together, going to Brock together, and even living together for a while. We have so many great memories it's hard to choose specific ones, and even harder to think of appropriate ones. I'll say this though, Pat is the champion of "pick it up with your butt". We could spend countless nights telling stories of our times together, but one thing is always constant: I can count on Pat for anything and I couldn't imagine anyone else as my best man."
Jaime Giles
Bridesmaid
"I met Jaime in grade 9 and we have since developed a wonderful and sincere friendship; we went to Brock together and then lived both nearby and even with each other. Jaime is a welcome constant in my life, we're always chatting and visiting with each other and having hilarious, but also meaningful conversations. Jaime is one of the most hard-working, driven, passionate, and supportive friends anyone could ask for. She volunteers her time and energy for social and animal-related causes and is just one of those kind, selfless, and generous friends that you know is always ready to help you when you're down or to let loose with you when the time is right. I am lucky to call Jaime one of my closest friends and my Bridesmaid!"
Garrett Wassenaar
Groomsman
"Garrett and I first met at EL Crossley. At the time, he had crutches and a fanny pack that held all of his medication for his foot infection, but that didn't stop the girls from swooning over his perfect hair. We quickly became friends, bonding over music and video games, primarily Halo and Call of Duty. Over the years we've remained close friends and we still game together as often as we can. Garrett has always been big on having heart to hearts, and we've had countless great talks in his car listening to post-rock instrumental music. Garrett's a great guy and I'm grateful to call him one of my best friends."
Taylor McGuffin
Bridesmaid
"Taylor and I met in high school and we have continued to grow our friendship over the years since. We have certainly had fun together, we may have even gotten into trouble once or twice; but these days we're more likely to be found playing with her adorable daughter Izzy, catching up over lattes or wine, or sharing our love of Harry Potter and mystery novels. Taylor is a steadfast, honest, generous, and fun-loving friend and I can always count on her for good advice, a meaningful conversation, and a good time. I'm thankful to have her alongside me as a bridesmaid - not just for her supreme organizational skills, but for her supportive and caring friendship"
Chris Giles
Groomsman
"I first met Chris when he started dating our friend Jaime in 2012. We quickly became friends, bonding over our love of hockey / sports and general appreciation for hip hop and video games. Sooner than later we became close neighbours and Chris got me into my first organized hockey league. As linemates we dominated the PHL silver division, capturing a championship and he even helped me capture the Art Ross. A selfless teammate, Chris is also a selfless guy; he’s always willing to help out anyone in need. We've had many long talks over the years, some funny, some more serious, while having our traditional "gars" and hopefully will have many more (as long as the wives let us)."
Brittany McLeod
Bridesmaid
"Brittany and I met in gr. 7 and over the years we have developed an honest and easy friendship and a solid connection. We can spend time together with or without specific plans and have a good time either way. Brittany is caring, supportive, hilarious, and always up for a good time. She is passionate about animal advocacy and the environment and is adventurous - Brittany and her husband Rory spent 9 months travelling around North America in their Airstream - during which Justin and I had an amazing time visiting them in Washington state, where we got engaged! Britt and Rory also just welcomed their son, Jasper and I can't wait to make new memories with him and Britt. I'm lucky to call Britt my bridesmaid and close friend!"
Bill Steven
Groomsman
"I met Bill at our high school bus stop and we quickly became friends as we shared several grade 9 classes. Even though he's not Dutch, he somehow became a mainstay at the Dutch table in the cafeteria with us. Always a gamer and lover of competition, Bill would bring a deck of cards with him everywhere and we ended up playing a lot of "president". His love for math and stats would fuel his passion for gaming strategy and would be the basis for lots of competitive games in our future. We ended up going to Brock together before he eventually went to Virginia to further his baseball endeavours and finish his degree. I always look forward to when Bill comes home and we can have yet another great night talking about music and playing video games - the spare room is always open for you Bill!"
Katy Wassenaar
Bridesmaid
"Katy and I have been close friends since meeting in gr. 7 and there are few people that I have more memories with. We shared many sleepovers and family vacations in our younger years and even though she moved to Ottawa for university, we still managed to spend time together on every visit home. Luckily, Katy married Jonny, (one of Justin's groomsmen) and we got back to spending lots of time together with or without the guys; we even now both call Port Colborne home! Katy is the perfect balance of light hearted fun and meaningful friendship when it counts. She is witty, intelligent, caring, dependable, and so much fun. I'm always happy to spend time with her doing whatever, and even more so now with their adorable son, Reid. Happy to call Katy one of my bridesmaids and closest friends!"
Jonny Wassenaar
Groomsman
"I've known Jonny for as long as I've known Garrett. While Garrett and I bonded over music and video games, Jonny I have always focused on sports. We've probably had more discussions over what the Leafs should do to eventually become Stanley cup contenders than is reasonable. We've also had countless fantasy sport matchups in our storied careers, usually with me coming out on top (sorry Jonny). When we’re hanging out, Jonny is always ready for some friendly competition- whether it be a lawn, card, or even drinking game. And if not, he’s happy to watch almost any sport. And at the end of the day, Jonny is a great friend who I always enjoy spending time with."
Jessica Twomey
Bridesmaid
" I have developed a lovely friendship with Jess over the past 8 years while her and Pat (Best Man) met, got married, and had their adorable first son, Jack. I have truly enjoyed getting to know Jess and we have had many wonderful girls days together (often shopping, sometimes sitting in parking lots locked out of the car!). Jess is a kind, caring, dependable, and fun friend that I am truly lucky to have gained. Jess and I can have a great time just sitting and catching up for hours, and I am so looking forward to being able to call her a sort of "cousin-in law-in law". We have many more memories to be made together both as friends and family and I am happy to have her alongside me as a Bridesmaid as we make these next ones!"
Peter Nauta
Brother, Groomsman
"As brothers, Peter and I grew up doing everything together. Lots of hours spent watching cartoons, playing video games, and ripping up Fonthill's trails on our bikes. We share lots of great family memories, including the year we got to play on the same softball team. Peter is passionate about many things, music included, and I credit him with introducing me to screamo and hardcore music. Peter started listening to it first and introduced me to a lot of songs / bands I still listen to today. Seeing Enter Shikari, A Day to Remember, and August Burns Red together is a memory I won't forget. I'm happy to have Peter alongside me, I know he will always have my back and I know couldn't ask for a better brother."
Tyler McGuffin
Groomsman
I first got to know Tyler at a cottage weekend away with a large group of our friends. As a master of lawn games he was there for my first ever kan-jam slot shot (against Jonny), confirming my come from behind victory. Since then we've had countless weekends together, usually playing lawn games, drinking games and Pokemon Drinking board game (which he's suspiciously undefeated at). A few years ago Tyler introduced me to World of Warcraft. After a few days of playing I was hooked and even though we live far apart, we've become close friends spending countless days playing together. Just like in game, I know that in real life I can always count on Tyler. He's a great friend and I'm glad to have him stand beside me.