Wedding Party
Jen Christensen
Maid of Honor
Jen is Lauren's sister (and first friend) and the one she turns to for anything fashion-related (which has increased substantially since getting engaged). She currently lives in Nashville although Lauren is trying to recruit her to Raleigh. If you're ever looking for Jen, she's likely petting the closest dog. Jen is a big fan of Shawn's introduction to Lauren's parents. His first trip to Austin was unplanned as Lauren needed surgery to repair the elbow she broke in Texas' generational winter storm in February 2021. He arrived with a pineapple and red peppers in tow as Lauren's mom (jokingly) told him to bring some fresh produce because they couldn't get any on account of the storm. Jen got a kick of that story and expects fresh produce every time he visits.
Katie Christensen
Maid of Honor
Katie, or Kate as she is known to a select few, is also Lauren's sister. Sharing a love of travel and adventure, they've often spent time together taking trips across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Favorite experiences include skydiving in Hawaii, snowshoeing in a blizzard in Colorado (although Lauren enjoyed that more than Katie), and getting stranded on an island off Quebec in search of wine and maple syrup. Katie currently lives in Chicago and as Shawn spent several years in Chicago himself (attending culinary school and then several years after), Chicago is high on their list of places to travel. After all, they have a spades rematch waiting to be played!
Jimmy Cothran
Best Man
Jimmy is Shawn's older brother. Growing up, Jimmy was typically two feet taller and five years older, and he taught Shawn all the things. Once they were both out of the house, they went their separate ways. Jimmy ended up at the beach while Shawn ended up in Los Angeles, California. In 2015, they were united when they both found themselves in their hometown in North Carolina. At that time, they were both looking for a home and realized they couldn't think of a better roommate - and they were right. They had so many adventures and great times. Jimmy met his wife, Jennifer, and fortunately for Shawn, she had an amazing friend who later became her maid of honor. The rest of the story is still in progress. Jimmy loves fishing and has more fishing poles than birthdays. He loves to camp in anything outdoors. He's great at pool - almost as good as his little brother. He is an amazing host and always has friends and family around. Shawn (and his kids) have always been able to count on him. He is a gentle giant and always gives great advice, the latest of which is that Lauren should join the pool team. Thus far, she has resisted his recruitment efforts.
Austin Cothran
Best Man
Austin is Shawn's first son (he turned 15 in January). He has inherited his dad's love of cooking, and he makes a mean meatball for which even his Grandma Chick has requested the recipe! He is also an animal lover and often debates Lauren about who loves Max more. Austin loves music and has enjoyed some of the recent performances they have all attended together (Stomp in NYC and Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Charlotte). If anyone needs a good (and loud) cheerleader, look no further - Austin is known to be the loudest fan around, which is valuable at Carolina Hurricanes games and Dean's sports games.
Dean Cothran
Best Man
Dean is Shawn's youngest son (13). He has never met a competition he didn't want to win (which has certainly kept Lauren on her toes). In fact, Dean carries evidence of his epic Rummy 500 comeback in his phone case, much to Lauren's chagrin. He has recently taken his competitiveness to the sports field having played soccer and tackle football in the last year. He also loves wrestling (and beating) Max. Like his dad, Dean is always up for an adventure and he seems to have caught the travel bug too. Shawn, Lauren, and Dean have plans to get scuba-certified soon to really open up the possibilities for more travel and adventure.
Max
Best Dog
Max has been a part of Shawn and Lauren's story since the beginning - the day after they decided to make things official, they picked up Max and it's been bliss ever since. Like a typical lab, Max has never met a stick he didn't want and he is quick to jump in any body of water he comes across (which is new for Lauren as her childhood yellow lab never liked swimming after a traumatic near-drowning incident as a puppy). For a dog that was never meant to sleep in the bed, he's become quite the cuddler (and loves to be the little spoon). He is always up for a walk and Lauren's long-distance mom guilt means she's willing to oblige whenever he does his "downward dog walk signal." He looks forward to his Starbucks pup cup everytime Mom is getting her coffee. Max's favorite words are "walk" and "ride" - he loves the car and joining his humans for any excursions. He is a minor celebrity around the neighborhood - everyone knows his name (even if his parents have never seen them before) and he believes the neighbors' house is also his. He is quite well-traveled with trips to the mountains, the beach (he LOVES the ocean), and Charleston. He is so excited to meet everyone at the wedding and will do his best to keep his drool in check.