Samuel & Rachel
Wedding Party
Amanda Nelson
Matron of Honor
Sister to the Bride! You have a built in best friend when you have a sister! Rachel is the classic younger sister and always would steal Amanda's clothes. The two lived together in a small Cincinnati apartment for three years and created so many lifelong memories! Even though they don't live together any more, the two remain extremely close and always catch up during "car chats!"
Jordan Schwantz
Best Man
Sam and Jordan met in 4th grade, at Barton Elementary, when Sam’s family moved to Arkansas in 2002. When they found out they were virtually next door neighbors, the two became the best of friends; spending their early years playing in the nearby woods, or fishing in Cunningham pond. In high school, it was football, and college… well, it was college. But even with Sam’s wild and crazy life, moving countless times and traveling the world, the two have managed to maintain an impeccable friendship!
Rachel Lamey
Bridesmaid
Dubbed "The Rachels", Rachel L. and Rachel H. met at CrossFit SolaFide. The two connected over having the same name and close birthdays (leos for the win!) They ran three races together in 2023 including a marathon in Iceland for their birthdays! Rachel L. is the most kind hearted, sweetest, and thoughtful friend. The two have shared laughs, tears, and countless memories they will cherish for the rest of their lives!
Jake Chaney
Groomsman
Jake is Sam’s older brother. Separated by just under 18 months, you can imagine they had their fair share of spats. That aside, growing up, they were thick as thieves; playing every sport they possibly could together, whether the “together” part was 100% intentional or not. The two truly are the antithesis of each other. In football, Jake played wide receiver, and was a darn good one, while Sam was on the defensive line. On the basketball team, Jake was on outside shooter, Sam, mostly rode the bench, but when he got in, held down the paint. These days, they still may not see eye to eye, but as the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians, concerning brotherly love, they have no need for anyone to tell them, because it was God who taught them how.
Kate O'Regan
Bridesmaid
Rachel and Kate first met at Kings Bluff Brewery when Sam and Casey went there to talk about rugby. The two quickly became close friends! Kate and her husband, Casey, helped Rachel plan Sam’s surprise 30th birthday party. The secret group chat used for planning helped pull off the party, but hurt Sam’s feelings when he realized he was left out!
Casey O'Regan
Groomsman
Casey and Sam met at their favorite local watering hole, Kings Bluff Brewery. Sam came in with the local rugby club and was introduced to Casey because he had played rugby in college. After talking Casey into joining the club, mostly for the camaraderie and beer drinking, the two quickly became good friends. Sharing a love in all things rugby, beer, and Lord of the Rings, Casey has become one of Sam’s best friends in Clarksville.
Meaghan McGraw
Bridesmaid
Meaghan and Rachel met in preschool and have been best friends ever since! They grew up playing softball together! Even though the two went to different schools after middle school, they always made time to hang out with each other! Meaghan is the best travel companion! The two traveled to Ketchikan, AK together when they were just 16! Fun fact; Meaghan is fluent in Spanish and spent three months as a tutor in Madrid!
Elijah Chaney
Groomsman
Elijah is Sam’s not so little brother. Despite many differences, both physically and philosophically, Sam and Elijah have overcome a childhood full of bickering and fighting and become quite good friends in addition to being brothers! Elijah even had to put up with Sam being his football coach his Senior season and yet they still remain close to this day. Needless to say, Sam would do absolutely anything for Elijah, and vice versa! Sam echoes what he said about his relationship with Jake, it was God above who made them brothers and taught them to love one another.
Bailey Randall
Bridesmaid
Rachel met Bailey when the two started going to the Clarksville Weightlifting Club classes held at CrossFit SolaFide! The two bonded over their love of the local pizza and craft beer joint, Thirsty Goat! Any time Bailey visits Clarksville, the two have to get 1) coffee 2) thirsty goat and 3) ice cream from Golly G’s!
Thomas Brown
Groomsman
Thomas moved to Barton in 6th grade and ended up in the same class as Sam and Jordan. Thomas was the guy that was genuinely friends with everybody, but as time went on, a proper friend group definitely began to develop. From elementary, through high school and college, the friend group was for all intents and purposes, inseparable. Whether they were bass fishing at Bear Creek, coon hunting in the hills, throwing bags, or crushing chicken strips from AQ Chicken while watching college football, Thomas is one of Sam’s Day One’s and always will be!
Rebecca Zernick
Bridesmaid
Rebecca (aka Becks) and Rachel first met at CrossFit SolaFide! Rachel was so impressed with her strength at the gym she immediately wanted to be friends with Becks! Becks started being the consistent coach for the 5:30am class which made waking up that early actually fun! Becks might be small, but she is mighty! A mighty great friend!
Jeffrey Bullick
Groomsman
Jeff, or Jefe, as he is affectionately known, serves with Sam and Clint in the same unit in the US Army, though they don’t work directly together. Being the monster of a man that he is, Sam convinced him to give rugby a try, and he immediately fell in love with the game. It was rugby that gave birth to the friend group that is commonly referred to as “The Family”: Sam and Rachel, Casey and Kate, and Jeff. Despite his occasional goofy antics, or scatter brained behavior, Jeffrey has undoubtedly become like a brother!
Brigetta Cook
Bridesmaid
Rachel met Brigetta at a 5:30am CrossFit SolaFide class. She introduced herself and said that her husband, Devin’s, friend brought him to the gym a few weeks before and she wanted to try it out! After a few more details, Rachel realized that Devin and Sam played rugby together! Brigetta taught Rachel all she needed to know about the game of rugby when she started to go to their games. Rachel’s dog, Chic, is absolutely in love with Brigetta’s dog, Manu!
Zach Reed
Groomsman
Honestly, it’s kind of a miracle that Zach and Sam became friends due to Zach’s utter hatred for Ohio State, and the fact that he is a fan of that team up north. Kidding! Kidding!Zach, along with Thomas and Jordan, is one of Sam’s best friends from Arkansas. Through all eras of life, be it high school, college, or even today with everyone all spread out doing their own thing, this friend group always finds time to see each other, check up on each other, and support each other. Much like the others, Zach is like a brother to Sam, and always will be!
Molly Hein
Bridesmaid
Molly and Rachel met at CrossFit SolaFide at the 5:30am class! Then when Rachel bought a house in January 2023, the two realized they were now neighbors! Between impromptu dinners, randomly stopping by to say hi, or carpooling to the gym, having your best friend as a neighbor really has its perks! Molly is a helicopter pilot in the US Army and has a super cuddly cat named Babs after the Gilmore Girls character Babette.
Clint Gardner
Groomsman
Clint and Sam serve together in the same unit in the US Army. Not only that, but at one point they were on the very same machine gun team, Clint being the gunner on Sam’s team. Aside from being on the same team, Clint and Sam bonded over the fact that they are both from Arkansas. Again, not only that, but Clint is from a town that used to play Barton annually. To the point that, unbeknownst to them at the time, Sam played against Clint’s older brother. It would certainly seem that fate or divine intervention crossed their paths, but Clint and Sam have certainly become the best of friends, bonding over complaining about the army and sharing in their faith in Christ!