Rachel & Eric
Wedding Party
Susie
Matron of Honor
Mother of the bride, the Lorelai to my Rory, peacemaker and Yoda to the entire family, what can’t this woman do?! Retired isn’t in her vocabulary. When she’s not running around taking care of everyone, you can find her sipping coffee and chit chatting on the phone with her long list of best friends, working out or bingeing the latest show with her ultimate best friend, me! If you want to know where I get the gift of gab and a knack for maintaining long lasting friendships, look no further than her. Since I can remember, it’s been us against the world, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to stand by my side as my Matron of Honor.
Natalie
Maid of Honor
Natalie and Rachel or Mary Kate and Ashley? Some can’t tell the difference! Ever since we were little, we have always been the dynamic duo. In our younger years, it wouldn’t be rare to see us walking around with fake names and British accents thinking we were actually fooling people. Nowadays, you can still find us walking around with fake names and British accents. Just kidding, but also, not really. Ultimately, Natalie has a talent for bringing out the vibrancy and amusement of life that is often lost in the hubbub of daily living. We all need to take note and live life more like Nat, which is why it was a no brainer having my bestie cousin as my Maid of Honor!
Brittany
Bridesmaid
Brittany may be the shortest of the cousins, but she sure does make up for it with her big personality. She has no problem telling you exactly like it is and is always her authentic self. While she may have been a wild child in her hay day, she has always been a true teacher to the ones she loves. Did you know she was the one to teach me how to ride a bike without training wheels?! It was just last week...joking, joking! She now enjoys the simple things in life and has since bloomed into such a wonderful mother and a dedicated worker in her professional career and I honestly couldn’t be prouder to have her as my bridesmaid.
Alexandra
Bridesmaid
Growing up, Al was always my "big sister" cousin. If we played zoo, she was the zookeeper, if we played church, she was the priest. Al was my firsthand look into what the next steps were in life being just one grade above me - from seeing her through her Goo Goo Dolls phase, visiting and learning about the college experience at Georgetown, traveling around with her and Natalie as young adults, and now settling into adult life as a business owner and the best aunt. I'm pretty certain there is nothing she cannot accomplish. If someday she decides to run for president, I will be the first vote! But for now, my bridesmaid will do perfectly! PS - I’m the red dress one!
Vanessa
Bridesmaid
And then there is my "little sister" cousin, Ness. My most cherished memories are with her. Some of those memories include attempting to sell our drawings door to door in Riverside for money, helping her fake sick from school, and watching each other build homes and storylines for our Sims characters for hours on end to name a few. It’s been wonderful seeing her go from building her dream life on The Sims to her dream life in reality. Now in motherhood, I couldn't be more overjoyed to see her in her element recreating that same sense of wonderment for her daughter. Another trip to Europe together but this time as my bridesmaid! PS - I’m the red dress one!
Hailey
Bridesmaid
The youngest girl cousin of the fam! This girl is feisty, strong, and loves like no other. She is the person that I can tell anything to without judgement and has always been my strongest supporter. Back in the day, when Hailey would visit from Florida, we would barely sleep. Instead, we would just stay up all night, talking about our past, present, and future and of course the end of the world and aliens (is that normal?). I recall my mom yelling at us many times to go to bed. It has been a pleasure watching her raise her two kids from afar, too far in fact - Florida is too far! She may not be making the wedding in person as my bridesmaid, but I know she will be celebrating with me back home!
Kasia
Bridesmaid
Kasia's vivacious zest for life and exploration is just as endearing as her sweet personality. I first met Kasia through my friend Sam freshman year of high school, and we clicked right away. Did we get ourselves into some trouble? Yes. Did we have fun? Yes. As an adult, I have seen this woman work her way up just by her work ethic alone and am so proud of her in her career and in life. I'm loving this "lounge, talk, and bonfire" phase of our lives. In addition, in the last 3+ years, I have also had the unique opportunity to welcome her into the family. As a bridesmaid in our wedding, I hope to one day repay her the favor. *wink wink*
Samantha
Bridesmaid
If you think I'm bubbly, then you haven't met Sam. No matter what, this girl has a smile on her face and optimistic attitude. Want to know how I fell in love with horror? This girl right here. She is quite possibly the queen of horror. I first met Sam in 3rd grade when she welcomed me with open arms to St. Cletus. She is that friend you can call after months of not speaking and pick back up like no time has passed. It has been a pleasure to have her by my side all of these years and seeing her shine as a mother of two all while pursing her degree. While she may not be able to attend the wedding in person as a bridesmaid, we will be raising a toast to her!
Caitlin
Bridesmaid
If you think of Rachel in high school, you think of Caitlin. One of us was not without the other! We met sophomore year and were instantly attached at the hip. Although we attended rival universities, we often traveled to visit each other. Some to this day are still confused that Caitlin indeed did not go to Purdue. This is the girl I did most of my "growing up" with as we have laughed, cried, and got in a little trouble (good trouble) along the way. She always has the best intentions for everyone, and it's been wonderful seeing her flourish as we continue to lean on each other into adulthood. She is a complete shoo-in of a bridesmaid! PS - help me convince her to move back to the Midwest.
Dana
Bridesmaid
If I could count on my hands and toes how many times someone has asked if we were related, I'd run out of digits! Dana is my ultimate soul twin. When we aren’t psychoanalyzing the whole world’s entire existence, you can find us connecting over our Scorpio tendencies, lattes, all things witchy, and reality TV. We first met through Caitlin in high school and became fast friends, often having long debriefs on various aspects of life. Fast forward to today, our closeness continues to grow as the Quad Squad, sharing our latest Ube latte pics and finding the most random unique attractions of each new city we explore together. Can't wait to see this gorgeous girl as my bridesmaid!
Haley
Bridesmaid
Haley is the friend you think of and say to yourself, "How does she do it all?". This girl makes running a business, being a wife and mother of two look easy! If you think you're crafty, just watch Haley go with her Cricut machine. She has a natural knack for creativity and truly makes everyone she knows feel special. I was originally introduced to Haley in high school through Caitlin, and soon took her "under our wing" as upper classmen. Haley followed suit to Purdue and became my unofficial roommate my junior year and official roommate senior year. Can't wait to get this hardworking momma out and about in Portugal as a bridesmaid!
Becky
Bridesmaid
Becky - my ultimate travel buddy! She is always down to explore, whether it be in her own city, country, or internationally. We have been many places together, from New Orleans, Dallas, and various countries of Europe to name a few. Fun fact - she is the friend I first traveled to Portugal with, and our time there helped me fall in love with the country. Friends since my junior year of high school, we often bond over how cute our pets are. Becky is the type of person that when she wants to make a change or accomplish something, you can guarantee she will make it happen, which is something to admire. Can't believe we are adding another trip to our list as my bridesmaid!
Gianna
Bridesmaid
If there is one friend I can show people and say, "See! I used to be cool! Just look at who my friend is!", it's Gianna. She is the ultimate cool girl up front and a complete goofball when you get to know her. Assigned as random dormmates freshman year at Purdue, we quickly bonded so much so that we remained roommates throughout. We were often running the frat parties, getting BK Mocha Joes after a night out, or sitting around in the living room having a complete laugh attack about absolutely nothing for hours while watching a variety of Disney movies. It’s been wonderful seeing her grow as a mother and business owner. Roomie for life turned bridesmaid for life! Is Rachel done talking yet?….okay finally my turn!
Jared
Best Man
In case you don't already know this about me, I am 1 of 4 boys in my family. Jared may be the youngest of the Hoffmann men, but he definitely has earned his place as my best man, even though I may have forgotten to mention him in a previous best man speech, haha. Although competitive himself, growing up he often played peacemaker between the rest of us brothers when we weren’t all seeing eye to eye. To this day, he is still often fulfilling that roll. Being my current roommate, JJ has had a firsthand look into the story of Rachel and my relationship, and am privileged to have him standing up as my best man.
Thomas
Groomsman
Being the second oldest, I only had one older brother to look up to, Tom. Whether it was inventing games in the basement or playing backyard baseball, Tom often led the rest of us Hoffmann boys in friendly competition, which is why we are all still just as competitive to this day. Tom has always been a leader to me and is a big influence on who I am today, and I continue to be grateful for his support throughout the years.
Kyle
Groomsman
As the two middle children, Kyle and I always butted heads growing up. Our competitive nature usually got the best of us. It wasn't until high school that we put our competitiveness to good use with our athletic skills. Both college tennis players, Kyle is the brother that has always pushed me to be a better athlete. To this day, he is still blowing the rest of us out of the water with his recurrent marathon entries. I miss our time living together in Minnesota!
Sam
Groomsman
I've known Sam as long as I've been a hockey fan, and that's a long time. Our families have been intertwined as long as I can remember, being both households of only boys with hockey obsessions. Who can forget the Okauchee pond tournament where he had to play nearly the entire time because the rest of us were too out of shape. To this day, I consider his family my family. I'd love more trips to Armour and Katinka!
Jake
Groomsman
Jake is my former roommate and best friend going back to our undergraduate years at Oshkosh. There was never a dull moment at 929 Wright Street living with him. He is the definition of the life of the party and has a habit of being able to make a good conversation with just about anyone he meets. I owe it to Jake as to why I met so many of my friends I have today. Since Rachel is asking people to move, Jake...move back to Wisconsin?
Andrew
Groomsman
Andrew, aka "Dyno", always has the biggest smile on his face and brings good energy to any situation he is in. Dyno is usually down for anything, except for standard Catan without an expansion pack. I was first introduced to Dyno through Jake at Oshkosh. From Jersey Thursdays in Oshkosh to now becoming a first-time father, I couldn't be happier for him. He is a true friend and have nothing but love for this man!
Greg
Groomsman
Greg has always been the friend who never says no to a bit of fun. Who else do you know that goes golfing at 5:30am before a full workday and still manages to be productive? I originally met Greg through Jake at Oshkosh. Countless sporting events, game nights, hangs, and dinners later, we still manage to find the adventure in the smallest of outings, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Mark
Groomsman
Mark was the first friend I made at Northwestern Health Sciences for graduate school. We quickly realized we were the "old guys" of the group while everyone else was in their early 20's. We gladly embraced being the elderly millennials and formed a strong bond throughout school. This now dad of 3 and chiropractic business owner really made grad school much more bearable. McChicken's just haven't hit the same since our many lunchbreaks together.
Sam
Groomsman
*It's the shhhweeeet one! * It's hard to hate on a Vikings fan when they are as awesome as this guy. I met Sam my first year of chiropractic school and soon became best friends after our infamous overnight school trip. We had partied a little too much the night before and somehow still made it in time for the school site visit the next day. Since then, he has continued to be a true friend and admirable chiropractor who is already killing it with his dad game.
Josh
Groomsman
I first met Josh about two and a half years ago when my brother Jared set up a golf outing with some friends and invited Josh. He had just moved to Milwaukee from Ohio into our same apartment complex, and we immediately hit it off. These days, we are often out golfing on a Sunday or meeting up at a local bar to watch a game. He may be moving to Florida, but he’s always felt like a true Sconi to me.
Greg
Groomsman
I was first introduced to Greg through Rachel in the early days of our relationship and instantly clicked with our likeminded easygoing personalities. Many couple's trips, game nights, and discussions about investments later, he has quickly become a really great friend of mine and a person I can just be myself with. Many more ping-pong battles and golf matches in our future with our matching Golden Retriever headcovers!