Anna & Shawn
Wedding Party
Caitlin Crabill
Matron of Honor
Cait and I met at Sarasota Opera in January of 2017. Little did we know that we would become best friends and continue to perform together at Sarasota for the next seven years! This photo is from the night we both realized we were quickly becoming besties. If you don't know the story, I can tell you in person! Since that night, our friendship has blossomed into something truly magical. She and I have realized on multiple occasions that we are so similar, and if we had grown up near each other, our friendship would have started long before 2017. We can talk about absolutely anything, and we usually have the exact same opinions about everything. Cait and I also have the exact same taste in movies and shows, we grew up listening to and loving the same musicians (and both made up our own music videos to our favorite songs), and we use the exact same Office, 30 Rock, and Parks & Rec quotes and silly niche movie references in everyday life. Some of my best nights and heartiest laughs have been with Cait because she is one of the funniest people on the planet. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know, and she always remembers everything you tell her. Cait’s memory is a “steel trap,” as she would say. I honestly don't know what I would do without her, and I thank my lucky stars that we found each other.
Josh Blackburn
Best Man
Josh has been my best friend since about my sophomore year of high school. We practically did everything together - we were in marching band, on the soccer team, did musicals, and worked the same after-school job at Cold Stone. I never got sick of his company, even though we were together almost all the time. If we weren't forced to be around each other for rehearsal or practice, we were probably hanging out at one of our homes. I would describe Josh as the kind of guy who will run a marathon for you if you ask him to jog a mile. Also, I am pretty sure he can do anything. If somebody told me that Josh walked on the moon, I would believe them without hesitation. He is one of my absolute heroes.
Christina Ray
Bridesmaid
I met Christina in 2009 at Mizzou. We were both little baby freshmen Vocal Performance majors living in the dorms at McDavid. We had the same voice teacher, we were both in University Singers, Opera Workshop, and basically had all the same classes. That first year at Mizzou was formative for both of us. We went on two trips with University Singers that year- one to perform at Yale and tour Boston and then Italy for two weeks! That was the first time either of us had been out of the country, and since both of our families are Italian, it was truly a life-changing experience for us. The next 5 years together at Mizzou would bring countless all-nighter study sessions accompanied by our favorite pizza, so many heartbreaks, too many laughs, and more performances than I can remember. Since then, our friendship has only grown stronger. I have watched her get married, start an opera company with her husband, and become a mother. She is one of the hardest working, most determined, most fiercely loyal friends in the world, and I don't know where I would be without her.
Graham Woodland
Groomsman
I met Graham while studying music at Mizzou. My first impression of him was not the best, as I thought he was a bit pretentious for having a tag from the Fischoff competition on his violin case. This quickly changed, especially after performing the Mozart oboe quartet together. As Graham and I like to say, the rehearsals for that recital were, "the start of a beautiful fwendship." Our friendship was forged in music, but it has grown much deeper than that. Graham has seen me through some of my toughest moments - I am not sure where I would be without him. I know he will always be there if I need to talk about a recent performance of mine, discuss a particularly bad Haydn symphony I heard on the radio, or work through anything.
Sarah Sheldon
Bridesmaid
Sarah was one of my very first friends at Mizzou. She lived just down the hall from me in McDavid, and I met her almost immediately after I moved into my room. We quickly realized we were both Vocal Performance majors and had a lot of the same classes. My first impression of Sarah was that she was hilarious and probably the smartest person I know. That's still true to this day. We lived together for 3 years while at Mizzou, and you better believe we threw the best parties- especially at the Bouchelle house! My favorite story about Sarah has to do with the time a group of us were driving to her family's beach house in North Carolina for Sarah's 21st birthday. We were a ways out from the house when we got caught in a torrential thunderstorm- you know, the kind where you can barely see out of your windshield. Instead of pulling over, Sarah decides to just keep driving...through the hilly Carolina mountain roads...at night. Oh and did I mention we were dangerously close to being out of gas with no hope of a gas station anywhere nearby? Yeah. That's Sarah Sheldon. Fearless! The thing I love most about Sarah is how big of a heart she has. She is a strong, intelligent, independent woman who certainly never backs down from a fun little debate, but she cares deeply about the ones she loves. Sarah is one of my very best friends and I am so grateful for her unwavering friendship all these years.
Danielle Hudson
Groomswoman
In elementary school, our yearbooks contained pictures of students from all of the schools, not just your own. This was a great opportunity to make fun of kids you had never met, and I remember my sister, Aryana, and I getting a particularly good laugh out of Danielle's third grade picture. Fast forward to 9th grade when Danielle and I were finally under the same roof for class and she, for some reason, decided to start being my friend through sheer force of will. I am glad she kept up with it because she is one of the best friends I have. Danielle is one of the kindest, funniest, most selfless people I know. No matter what is going on in her life, I know she will answer the phone when I call. She has always accepted me for who I am and never judged me for my shortcomings.
Lauren Cook
Bridesmaid
I met Lauren at Boston Conservatory when we were both there studying for our Master's Degrees. Well, according to Lauren, we met at a party before the school year even started. Unfortunately I have no memory of this due to inebriation, but apparently we were deep in conversation when I just turned around and walked away without saying a word. When she told me this story I was mortified! The night I knew we would become best friends was the night we went to a Boston Symphony Orchestra concert together. She and I clicked immediately, and then we were inseparable for the next two years. Lauren was the first person I'd ever met who was wholeheartedly and unabashedly herself 100% of the time, and I have always admired her for that. Every single one of my most favorite memories from my time in Boston include Lauren. I also have her and Whitacre (aka: Mr. Toot, Mr. Tootbutttootfacetoot) to thank for making me fall in love with cats. On top of all that, she and I helped each other get through some really tough times, including the Snowpocalypse of 2015™, and I know in my soul that I would not have survived my time in Boston without my BoCo Wife. Every time I get to see Lauren, it's as if no time has passed and we pick right up where we left off- cracking jokes and speaking in silly voices and trolling the day away. I can't imagine my life without Lauren, and I feel so lucky to have one of the best humans in the world as one of my best friends.
Ron Curtis
Groomsman
I owe my friendship with Ron to his attraction to my older sister, Shadi. He was hanging out with her the first few times I interacted with him, and I remember Ron being really kind to me. There is one night in particular where he was over for one of Shadi's parties in our basement and he spent a good part of the night just talking with me at our kitchen table. Ron was a grade ahead of me, so I thought it was cool to have an older kid hanging with me while the party raged on downstairs. We've been best friends ever since. Ron, Josh, and I, collectively known around south KC as "The Tripod," raised some hell in high school. Some of my best memories are with these two, and I feel like Ron was the catalyst for a lot of our adventures. He was always looking for a good time and introducing us to music that would change our lives. Music was and still is a massive part of our friendship. Ron is one of the most talented musicians I know. His guitar and piano playing are stellar, and he is a great songwriter, too. He has always encouraged me to pursue my dreams, be they music-related or otherwise. The way he motivates people makes him the amazing teacher and friend that he is.
Liz Copeland
Bridesmaid
I met Liz at Mizzou in 2009 along with the rest of the McDavid crew. My first impression of Liz was that she was so cool and one of the funniest people I had ever met. That’s still true to this day, by the way! Liz is a fantastic cellist, and while we did live in the same dorm freshman year, we also got to know each other through playing in orchestra together. This was also when a certain superstar freshman oboist started to catch my eye. Fast forward to sophomore year when Liz and I were sitting in our 8am music history class writing notes to each other to stay awake. Out of the blue, Liz said, “You know who is cute? Shawn Nemati!” I said, “Yeah he is pretty cute but I don’t really know him.” Liz said “Here’s what I know…” and then she went on to tell me everything she knew about Shawn. Some time after that, Shawn decided to give an elective recital (which was unheard of, by the way). Liz and I decided to go together, and at intermission she said, “I’m going to go backstage and tell Shawn to ask you out!” After the recital was over, everyone went to congratulate Shawn on a beautiful performance. I said great job to him and got out of there as fast as I could because by this point, I definitely had a crush on him. As I was leaving, Shawn ran out after me and said “Hey Anna? Would you like to get coffee with me sometime?” Of course I said yes and the rest is history! If it weren’t for Liz and her matchmaking and scheming, we might never have gotten together!
Adam Strouth
Groomsman
For a little bit, I actually lived with Adam. Unfortunately, I did not make much of an effort to get to know him better, which I regret to this day. If I had, I would have made a great friend that much sooner. Some of the biggest laughs I have ever had have been with Adam. The guy is an absolute riot and always wants everyone to have a great time, but he is way more than just the life of the party. I have not met someone more selfless than Adam. He will go to unheard of lengths to help out someone he barely even knows. For two days, he helped me and my dad replace the clutch on my mom's car. I know his back was not feeling great for a while there after, but he never complained about all the work. Better yet, the car is still running like a dream.
Nicole Woodward
Bridesmaid
I first met Nicole when we were both apprentices at Sarasota Opera together in 2017. My first impression of Nicole was that she was fearless because she (and Caitlin) were some of the first singers to volunteer to sing in our first masterclass at Sarasota. In the fall of 2018, Nicole and I decided to be roommates when we were working together in Sarasota for The Barber of Seville. This was when we went from being just friends to being very close friends. We would cook for each other and watch shows together when we weren’t rehearsing, and it’s thanks to Nicole that I developed a love for wonderfully terrible Christmas movies. One of my favorite moments of all time was with Nicole on the balcony of the Steinwachs apartment building in Sarasota. That fateful night will live in infamy in my soul forever. I have never laughed that hard in my entire life and I doubt anything will ever top it. IYKYK, as the kids say. My favorite thing about Nicole is that you have to earn your spot in her life as her close friend, but if you’re lucky enough to do so, your life is forever changed for the better. Her wisdom, sense of humor, and generous heart know no bounds. She loves her friends fiercely and wholeheartedly, and she is always there for you if you need her. I love her so much, and I feel endlessly grateful to have her in my life as one of my dearest friends.
Caleb Washburn
Groomsman
Of all the friends in my wedding party, I have known Caleb the longest. We played soccer together throughout elementary school and then became best friends when we started going to Martin City Middle School. I still have my 8th grade math notebook that Caleb and I would pass back to each other with notes and musings on the Chiefs, all while we should have been doing our work. The adage "opposites attract" sums me and Caleb up pretty well. I can almost guarantee that if there is a movie or album that Caleb loves, I am going to hate it. The reason being is that Caleb has such an open and accepting mind - he is willing to give everything and everyone a chance and always goes beyond what he sees. This has led to some of the most stimulating conversations I have ever had, and his friendship has always challenged me to break out of my comfort zone.
Rebecca Murigneux
Bridesmaid
My first impression of Rebecca when I met her at Mizzou was “Hot damn! That girl is SO COOL! I doubt she will ever want to be my friend.” Well, young Anna, you couldn’t have been more wrong! For some reason, she did want to be my friend and we have been friends since 2009. At first, I definitely was a little intimidated by her impeccable style and her perfect, crystalline soprano voice, but when I realized she was just a silly goober like me, that intimidation turned into pure awe and admiration. I am still in awe of her effortless ability to put together the most perfect ensemble. She is by far the most stylish person I know! Rebecca is one of the strongest, hardest working, and most determined women I know. She runs every race she can, including marathons and even a 50K and I know she’s not done. AND she is currently growing a human in her body! I mean I’m not saying she’s superwoman, but she’s probably superwoman. Not only is she truly a super human, but she is one of the best friends a girl could have. We have been through so much together, and I know she will always be there for me and for Shawn if we ever need anything. There’s just no way I could marry my Shawn without having Rebecca by my side.
Kayla Whittemore
Groomswoman
Kayla is another one of my friends I have known for most of my life. It all really started in third grade when we found out we both loved The Simpsons. I would spend so much time after school talking with Kayla about that show on my family's purple VTech phone. Eventually, we started talking about more than just Bart, Homer, and Maggie and we practically became inseparable. For several reasons, Kayla had to grow up a lot faster than the rest of us in our friend group. She was my first friend to get a job and always assumed a lot of responsibilities I never had to worry about. I think this could make a lot of people bitter, but Kayla is the most joyful person I know. She is seemingly unflappable and has never let an obstacle stop her from chasing her passions and being a great friend. I am in awe of everything Kayla has accomplished and am lucky to have known her as long as I have.
Annie Chester
Bridesmaid
I met Annie in 2017 when we were apprentices in Sarasota together. We connected almost instantly. I will never forget the moment I knew we were going to be lifelong friends. It was the second or third day in Sarasota and Annie and I were feeling a little overwhelmed by being in our first big program as young artists. We were walking down Pineapple Avenue right outside the Sarasota Opera House when we came upon a fallen palm frond. We stopped for a moment, looked at the palm frond, and then at each other and said, “It’s us.” We hugged and that was that. We were friends. Since then, we have seen each other through some of our highest highs and lowest lows. Annie is one of the most resilient humans I know and I am in awe of her strength. She is the most creative and talented artist I know because not only is she an incredible singer, but she is also a brilliant painter and poet. She is the Queen of Tea and is the one who opened my eyes to the wonders of loose leaf tea, and we both share a deep love of everything chocolate peanut butter and The Office. I am so grateful for her unwavering friendship, and I can’t wait to have her by my side as I marry my Shawn!
Christina Adams
Bridesmaid
Christina and I have known each other since preschool! Can you believe?! From our preschool production of The Lion King, to our middle school production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, to The Sound of Music and all the choirs and the Adams Women’s Trio in high school, to University Singers and La Cenerentola and Così fan tutte at Mizzou, we have been performing together since what seems like the beginning of time. Christina and I have seen each other through relationships, competitions, international trips, and cross-country moves, and we’re just getting started! It’s incredibly rare to still be friends with someone you have known since preschool, and I feel so lucky Christina and I are still so close! Christina is a force to be reckoned with both on and off stage. She is a very talented and fearless performer, and I know she has made me a better artist every time I have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with her. Christina generously loves and cares for her friends, and I feel so lucky to have been one of them for so long. I was honored to be able to witness her marry the love of her life a few years ago, so I can’t imagine marrying the love of my life without her by my side.