Wedding Party
Karsen Kolnicki
Bride
Bear Redell
Groom
Tricia Fishbein
Maid of Honor
How I Know the Couple: Karsen and I met back in 2012 at community theater auditions for Alice in Wonderland in the Chicago suburbs. She’s been my best friend through every chapter since then, and I can’t wait to stand next to her as she enters the next one. Favorite Memory: Karsen and I were pretty much a package deal in high school. We’d start the day drinking Dunkin iced coffee in her iconic yellow Bug, getting to school early to snag one of the few good parking spots, and end it in choir or musical rehearsals together. One of my favorite memories is when Karsen gave me a bunch of envelopes on my 18th birthday—each meant to be opened on different occasions or during specific moments in life. To this day, I still have the full set tucked in my desk, and there are still some I haven’t opened yet. It’s like our own little friendship time capsule, and it means the world to me… If only there was an "open when you're my maid of honor!"
Ben Redell
Best Man
Belle Calforda
Bridesmaid
How I Know the Couple: I met Kars at UCLA (shoutout Theta!): We got dinner at B-plate the first week of school, and I remember feeling so relieved to skip the superficial small talk and discuss real stuff... like shower shoes, boys, and the weird transition to college and Greek life. From that day, I knew she was someone I could go to with anything, judgement-free. I got to know Bear through various trips to Nashville. We clicked immediately over our love of Karsen (I mean, she is a “total babe”) and our similar sense of humor. Favorite Memory : From laughing so hard we can’t breathe over sake bombs and trying to stay serious at Exec meetings, to talking our way into free Cookout after a night on Broadway, and every peanut butter roll-up in between, there is never a dull moment with Karsen. We might share one brain cell when we are together, but it sure is a funny one!! My fave moment with the couple would have to be all sitting in Bear’s car in the parking garage singing along to “Matter to me.” It was silly, simple, and sweet… a perfect description of those two.
Preston Bean
Groomsman
How I Know the Couple: I know Bear from being his friend and being in his band. My favorite memory is when Bear and I were stuck in a van in the mountains after a gig and it was absolutely freezing and Bear couldn’t fall asleep because he was too cold because of the lack of blankets in this van. Then it turns out I was laying/sleeping on all the blankets. The other memories I have of bear shall not be told.
Carly Rivers
Bridesmaid
How I Know the Couple: I met Karsen in 2021 through my college friend Nate when Karsen first moved to Nashville. He introduced because he thought we would be friends, and sure enough he was right! Karsen and I instantly connected and were inseparable when she first moved here. I will cherish the memories that I have made with Karsen over the years. Favorite Memory: In 2021 my apartment building lost power for a whole week so Karsen graciously let me stay with her for an entire week!! We had the BEST time!! She gave me a hair cut, we cooked dinners, went to Bears show, learned dance routines, made baked goods and so much more!!
Charlie Montgomery
Groomsman
Kristin Anders
Bridesmaid
How I Know the Couple: Karsen and I met around the same time we met our fiancés (Dakota and Bear) at a writers round at Whiskey Shot! Favorite Memory: When Karsen agreed to dance on top of a bar with me and jump in the pool with all her clothes on after, I knew we’d be best friends. From our trips to solvang to our double date nights together, there’s too many good memories to pick just one!
Dakota Walker
Groomsman
How I Know the Couple: Robert’s Western World Favorite Memory of the Couple (or just bear!): You getting a gig at this little bar called Whiskey Shot and now you’re playing the best bars on Broadway
Brett Berger
Bridesmaid
How I Know the Couple: Karsen and I met at UCLA in our sorority and we instantly hit it off! We ended up rooming together in Theta, where our nights were filled with endless yapping, laughing, and dancing around the room until we closed our Apple Watch fitness rings. Favorite Memory: With Karsen, it’s honestly impossible to pick just one favorite memory - because chaos and fun tend to follow her wherever she goes. We’ve spent countless nights learning dance routines in our room (only to forget them five minutes later), baking cakes in the sorority kitchen at 2am, or sitting on the roof solving all of life’s problems… or at least narrowing down our Postmates order. Karsen has brought so much joy and spontaneity into my life, and I’m endlessly grateful for the friendship we have.
Jacob Pritchard
Groomsman
Bryn Latimer
Bridesmaid
How I Know the Couple: I’ve known Karsen since our earliest figure skating days together. I’ll never forget the exact day we met. It was one of those quieter summer days at the ice rink where we had the ice mostly to ourselves after our lessons. We instantly connected and started creating ice dance routines together that resulted in bursts of laughter and smiles together. I met Bear when I visited Kars in Nashville in July of 2022 and the second I saw them together, I knew they were meant to be. Favorite Memory: Figure skating together was just the start. From our iconic days as Chicago Junior Luvabulls Cheerleaders, creating our own little chef show “K and B’s Chef Shop”, to making countless dance routines in each other’s basements (shoutout Osadalo, one of our figure skating coaches, for our favorite hip hop dance move I know we will both never forget), to our high school days of stifling our laughter in AP US History where Karsen was only known by our teacher as “KarsTen”, to visiting Karsen at UCLA where she planned the best LA weekend for us, I could go on and on. Karsen is a constant light in all of my favorite and most cherished childhood and young adulthood memories.
Alex Knightley
Groomsman
Kailey Kolnicki
Bridesmaid
How I Know the Couple: SISTERRRR Favorite Memory: Karsen - our first trip just us two to Clearwater for Allie’s wedding. We did our own bar crawls, got late night ice cream, and just got to spend true quality time together for our first ever sister trip. Tarzan was born! Karsen & Bear - honestly any of our late night dance parties or hangouts at their house. Watching them become homeowners and bring all our friends to one place when we get together is so special. I’m so proud of them and I feel like I’m at home when we’re all at their place.
Adam McBeth
Groomsman
Caroline Murphy
Bridesmaid
How I Know the Couple: My childhood friend (and fellow bridesmaid!) Carly Rivers introduced me to Karsen when I first moved to Nashville in 2021, we clicked immediately, and were regular woo-girls at Bear’s shows. My favorite memory is picking up Karsen from Broadway and she was trying to convince me to get a Frugal MacDoogal Rewards Card (a liquor store), always a budgeteer.
Joey Kolnicki
Groomsman
Brooke Mitchell
Bridesmaid
How I Know the Couple: I met Karsen in Nashville when my family was visiting to see some local talent perform on Broadway. I haven’t met Bear yet but I can’t wait. Seems like a good guy with great genes. Favorite Memory: every time I go to one of Bear’s shows, I know I’ve got a dance partner in Karsen. When Karsen and I are in a retirement community together in Florida, sitting on a porch with lemonade smacking our dentures, we will remember when our knees used to be able to drop it low when Bear would sing Friends in Low Places at Jason Alden’s.
Adam Mitchell
Groomsman
Grace Tota
Bridesmaid
How I Know the Couple: My parents are best friends with Bear’s aunt and uncle and when I moved to Nashville, Bear and Karsen took me under their wing and became some of my best friends in the world. I don’t think I would have made it this long in this city without them! Favorite Memory: There are far too many favorite memories I’ve had the honor of sharing with both Bear and Karsen. I am so lucky to be able to go to plenty of Bear’s shows with Karsen and getting to hear him shout out his love for her to the crowd is always so special. One of my favorite memories with Karsen was Lollapalooza of 2024. She and I travelled together and we stayed an extra day and explored the festival just the two of us, specifically so we could see Green Day together. I even got to see her childhood home in Chicago! It’s a memory and quality time with her that I will cherish forever.
Danny Redell
Groomsman
Ana Theriault
Bridesmaid
Tommy Redell
Groomsman
Julia James
Bridesmaid
How I Know the Couple: I met Kars at UCLA in our sorority! We bonded over volunteering together at Special Olympics, the many theta exhanges where we wore sweats and no makeup (lol) and our love for music! We would spend hours in our rooms recording us harmonizing and laughing… I met Bear in Nashville in 2022! Such a kind warm humble guy that happens to make music for a living! Seeing the way Bear treated Kars and their mutual love for music is how I knew- this was it! Kars is the best host/most inclusive person you’ll ever meet. From hosting in her hometown in Chicago to visiting her new city of Nashville, she always goes out of her way to take me to all her favorite places and introduce me to all her friends. I’m so lucky to have a friend like her!
Ronny Redell
Groomsman