Bridesmaid Coordinator
I met this super cool lady at design school (MATC) in 2008. Nicole is a pickle ball master, a fabulous designer, and a friend who has helped me grow in so many ways. We've enjoyed hiking together, taking rec. department classes ("it's pronounced Aloo Gobi, not Aloo Goobi!") playing tennis, exploring Milwaukee's varied culinary scene and seeing each other through heart aches and and happy times alike. She brings so much fun, laughter, and perspective to my life that I will be forever grateful for. I was however disappointed that she was unimpressed by Gerrard Butler's performance in Phantom of the Opera. I think she even laughed... You were "THIS" close to being the perfect friend Nicole... "THIS" close.
Bridesmaid
Friends since the 5th grade, Sara and I were lucky to grow up just a short bike ride away from each other. In the summer, we'd stroll through the gardens at the Boerner Botanical, visiting the koi pond there and feeding those fat golden carp fish food we pilfered from home. Countless sleepovers, Girl Scouts, trips to Door County, shared love of Anne of Green Gables, Josh Groban, Ewan McGregor, Titanic and "Leo" made our childhood friendship so special. Now as adults, I'm so lucky to have one of my best friends once again living just a short bike ride away on the North Shore of MKE.
Bridesmaid
Katie is the closest person I have to a sister. We became friends at the age of 4 when we crashed into each other on our training wheeled bikes in our neighborhood shortly after moving in. We would then spend the next 15+ years running across the field that separated our houses to play, make mud pies, pretend we were pioneers on the prairie, put on gymnastic shows for our parents, fly kites (or plastic garbage bags on strings when our real kites flew away), watch storms roll in over Crystal Ridge, and make hilarious audio recordings with a karaoke machine that we would enjoy for years to come... quoting Disney's Robin Hood all along the way. Oooh da lali, golly what a wonderful 32 years it's been being your friend!!
Bridesmaid
Music has brought so much goodness into my life.. Laura may be little, but she is a BIG part of that goodness. I met Laura in the music program at Carroll College back in 2003 when we were wee little freshman who thought we were so grown up. Playing together in the Wind Symphony and Quintet was just the beginning of a friendship forged in music and a shared love of desserts. Music helped keep our friendship alive during those weird transitional years between college and "real" adulthood when we formed Quintessence which later morphed into Monarch Wind Ensemble. I have so many wonderful and hilarious memories of us playing various gigs together... my metronome going off during a funeral, those midnight mass services during Christmas when we were so tired we barely knew what was going on... "the incense is burning my eyes!!" Laura has been a calming influence in my life and I'm eternally grateful that she is also an exemplary therapist... Seriously, she's a LCSW. I'm so thankful to have had her support and friendship as we've traveled down life's winding paths, making lovely music along the way.
Bridesmaid
We may not share DNA, but there's a lot of wonderful things we DO share... conversations, clothes (a-hem!), and car rides to Kopps to get shakes followed by a shopping trip to Marshall's. She has a wonderful sense of humor and a fearlessness and curiosity that never fails to bemuse me. And it's worth noting that her left turns are the safest and executed with the utmost caution. I'm grateful that Avery has allowed me into her life and to share so many special moments together.
Groomsman
Matt met Ritesh 15 or so years ago on a Cream City photowalk. They bonded by geeking out over cameras, sushi, and their shared love of Ritesh’s moms cooking. One of Matt’s closest friends for years, Ritesh unfortunately moved to Matt’s favorite place (Colorado) a few years ago and it was hard, on the one hand Matt lost another friend, on the other hand it was to Colorado and it was a good excuse to have to go back. Some of Matt’s favorite memories of Ritesh are playing footsie while out for sushi, Cream City After Dark and him being the first person Matt told that he going to ask Paula out. He’s always been a stand up friend who would give the shirt off his back without even being asked. If you have a chance to talk to him be sure to ask him how his cycling is going since moving to CO.
Groomsman
Mark is witty, gregarious, and has a great accent. But despite that those aren’t the reasons that Matt was drawn to him. It was his humor. His ability to tell non stop jokes like Steve Martin or a young Billy Connelly. Mark is one of the funniest people he knows. It’s all Matt can do not to laugh most of the time they’re together. Ok, and it was the accent a little. Matt met Mark and Joanne around the same time as he met Ritesh, on a Cream City Flicker photowalk. Mark and Joanne kept showing up everywhere Matt was (usually before he got there), as if they were following him, but from the front. And he found that aside from his great sense of humor, and his ok accent, he was also just a really interesting person who also shared a lot of the same thoughts and interests. Mark introduced Matt to cycling, which was a big deal for Matt for a few years there, which unfortunately Matt didn’t keep up with once Mark and Joanne moved to North Carolina (much to Paula’s chagrin). Some of Matt’s favorite memories of Mark are going over to watch Dr Who, river cruises (especially for the fourth), and day drinking back when we could do that and not fall asleep by 7. Mark is an amazing person, always there to help, to tell a joke or to just be the wise sage and say something deep and profound when you need to hear it. Usually followed by a joke, but the sentiment is still there. If you get a chance to talk to him ask to tell you a joke. He never seems to run out.
Groomsman
Groomsman
Groomsman
Ring Bearer
Father of the Bride
Mother of the Bride
Mother of the Groom
Father of the Groom
Officiant