Samantha & Ethan
Wedding Party
Summer Hay
Maid of Honor
Sam's ride or die partner in crime! She is pure sunshine, joy, and kindness! Some of Sam's favorite memories with Summer include traveling Europe, eating candy salad (iykyk), endless amounts of sleepovers, and feeding Summer green tums only. Summer knows the absolute most TMI information about Sam's life, and vice versa. It would be a liability for both of us if we didn't remain besties. You will see Summer tearing it up on the dance floor!
Noah Price
Best Man
Well, there’s a reason he’s the best man. Noah is one of Ethan’s best friends and brother. From having Nerf Wars in the basement to staying up til 2 a.m. playing video games, they’ve done a lot together. Noah is thoughtful, enthusiastic, and intentional. He even has had his Best Man speech written for 2 years (allegedly). You can catch Noah lifting, geeking out over Lord of the Rings, in the Army, collecting LEGO’s, and playing video games.
Claire VanEssendelft
Maid of Honor
Sam's sister and built-in best friend, although Claire is definitely the cooler one. She rides motorcycles, lives in Tennessee, and is a line dancing pro! Claire is spunky, sassy, but also one of the most genuine people to ever exist. Claire always gives it to you straight, which has made Claire one of Sam's best friends in life. She is a reliable, trustworthy, and caring sister and friend. Claire is most likely to start a non-profit! Go pitch her your ideas!
Jason Belval
Groomsman
Ethan's Tapawingbro (ask either one of us for many stories). Jason and Ethan have been great friends since 2021 after bonding on a golf course doing groundskeeping. They were both in RUF and grew much closer after surviving Tapawingo (the golf course). You can catch them birding, playing video games, disc golfing, or laughing hysterically from funny (but honestly stupid) videos. If you want to debate about hot takes for a solid hour, go talk to Jason.
Carley VanEssendelft
Bridesmaid
Carley is Sam's youngest sister of the three! She's the life of the party, kind, and could probably make friends with a rock. Every family vacation growing up Carley would be off with a new friend she'd ran into on the beach, at the pool, or on a hike. If you don't know who to talk to at the wedding, find Carley! She's sure to liven up your night!
Joe Butler
Groomsman
Joey Butts and Ethan go waaaaay back and I mean like 4 years! Okay maybe not way back, but believe it or not, Joe actually predicted Sam and Ethan's relationship back when Ethan first started talking about her in 2020. You can catch Ethan and Joe going on walks, talking about comics, and riding bikes, before Joe's was stolen :( . Joe is a great guy who's always cracking jokes like the stand up comedian that he is (subtle plug). If you're looking to have some laughs, go strike up a convo with Joe.
Emerson Price
Bridesmaid
Sam is soooo excited to be gaining Em as a sister-in-law! Em is a talented saxophonist, actress, frog racer ;), and dancer (stick by her on the dance floor). Em has one of the most contagious laughs and is such a joy to be around. She is also the most trendy teen you'll ever meet! Be sure to learn all the new TikTok dances from her!
Jordan Sheese
Groomsman
One of Ethan's older cousins who is an all-around great guy. He's a blast to hang with and is very selfless. Ethan grew up playing video games with Jordan having a great time with lots of laughs and that still is the case today. Whenever Sheese had to babysit Noah and Ethan when they were younger, they knew they'd be having an absolute blast and making memories staying up late playing Halo. You can catch Sheese hunting, fishing, playing video games, or working on his hit podcast Land Your Ground.
Mia Schindler
Bridesmaid
Mia is one of Sam's oldest friends (queue "Old Friends" by Ben Rector). Sam and Mia have had a special bond since third grade. Their elementary school days consisted of stealing paperclips from their teacher's desk (so rebellious), playing bodyguard tag on the playground, and also getting into petty arguments about Mia being bossy and Sam being a one-upper...iron sharpens iron even in fifth grade. Safe to say their friendship has matured since then, and Sam is so thankful to have Mia stand by her on her big day.
Ethan Buerck
Groomsman
The other half of Ethan squared! The Ethan's have been great friends since 2021 and were always up to some shenanigans (and maybe still are). You can catch the Ethan's playing video games and disc golfing. Ethan B is a great guy who loves to joke around with his favorite people and is also very intentional towards those around him. If you want some fire pizza or bread, hit this guy up.
Natascha Theus
Bridesmaid
Natascha is one of the first people Sam met her freshman year of college! She was an intern with RUF and quickly became a sweet friend to her. After wrapping up her time at RUF Natascha decided to stay in Columbia! Natascha is such a thoughtful friend, always celebrating others, and she has made Sam feel so loved in this wedding season. If you want to talk Taylor Swift, movies, or really anything else, find Nat!
Patrick Collison
Groomsman
Patrick and Ethan have been friends since 2012 and spent a lot of time together when they both lived in Aledo. They would play trumpet in the pep band at every home basketball game and loved doing it. Patrick and Ethan even skipped homecoming one year to go to the arcade because they were so cool. You can still catch them playing video games every now and then too. If you love cars, the Blues, and the Cardinals, go talk to Patrick.
Luna Mocellin
Honorary Bridesmaid
Luna and Sam met when Luna was an exchange student at Sam's high school. Since her second day in the States, Luna and Sam were attached at the hip. After COVID put an early end to the school year, Sam knew she had to go to Italy someday to visit Luna. Since 2020 Sam and Luna have traveled Europe together three separate times. Luna is unfortunately unable to make the wedding, but will be celebrating with us in spirit.