Wedding Party
April Poling
Matron of Honor
Sami and April met their junior year of high school in Mr. Nesbitt's marketing class. Although they went to different colleges and lived in different states since then the two have remained close over the years, planning visits to one another. These two sure know how to have a good time and will keep the party going until the sun comes up. April spends her days working as a dental assistant, bringing beautiful smiles to all with her equally beautiful smile and infectious laugh.
Fred Thesing
Best Man
Former co-worker of JL's and Sami's at RMS, Fred is JL's Best Man and de facto gaming partner. Not a day goes by that one isn't texting the other about good ol' times, some new beer, or a random patch note from a Bungie blog (if you know, you know). A masterful designer himself, Fred designs tools and interfaces for musical artists you have definitely heard of and constantly makes JL and Sami jealous with his San Diego home location and landscaping.
Jenna Kushmer
Bridesmaid
Sami and Jenna are excited to soon be sisters-in-law, but they actually haven't met IRL. Many thanks to this lovely pandemic and failed attempts of crossing paths, the two are looking forward to getting to know each other at the wedding. As a mother of four boys, Jenna can often be found running around making sure her boys have the best childhood ever.
Trey Stephenson
Groomsman
Brother of the bride and resident tax expert, Trey is actually named Robert Lee Stephenson the Third (and if you don't know, now you know). He and JL met during one fateful birthday weekend (Trey's, not JL's), full of Bengals football, Cincy chili, and cake baking (again, Trey's, not JL's). They have since spent many hours together either lounging in Smoky Mountain campsites, joking in Xbox chat lobbies or collaborating on building ridiculously powerful gaming PCs.
Phoebe Stanley
Bridesmaid
Sami and Phoebe met in college at BGSU while studying in the same program, where they shared many laughs and late nights around town. With their shared love for "keeping it real" the two have remained close over the years. Working in marketing, Phoebe has quite the way with words and is also a bit of a dog whisperer. She has a soft heart for all animals (besides cats) and has recently found she's got quite the green thumb.
Tim Hollar
Groomsman
Tim and JL met during freshman year of college in a little place called The Maddox Dormitory for Young Men, Third Floor™ at Belmont University. Since then there has been many a time shared recording songs (ask him about Horrible Face), watching movies, slinging back beers and generally just experiencing life together. He's a therapist by trade so he always knows what to say, but seriously, ask him about Horrible Face.
Anum Askari
Bridesmaid
Sami and Anum finally met after years of hearing about one another when they were in April's bridal party. Sharing a love of travel, they have become close friends adventuring together, mainly in California and Colorado. Anum is probably one of the kindest soul's you'll ever meet and has a knack for making friends everywhere she goes. Speaking of going, Anum is always on the run—jumping from work to biking to volleyball to spending time with her family.
Matt Fishel
Groomsman
Also a hailing alum of the famous Third Floor™, Matt is a songwriter, health aficionado, and can whip a soldering iron around like a fencing saber. Matt and JL have spent a good amount of time getting into trouble together when they aren't watching horror films. Both can remember a specific time where they ended up at The Stage on Broadway one random weekday in nighttime Nashville, but neither can remember how they got there.
Alena Tipnis
Bridesmaid
Craigslist can be a weird place, but it can also be a great source for roommates and friends. Sami and Alena lived together when she first moved to Colorado, where they bonded over pizza and many seasons of Gossip Girl. They have both bounced around a few states since then, but remain close and love to visit each other. As an engineer turned lawyer turned a combo of the two, Alena has a love for learning and being a general boss. Sami will never forget the time she came home from work when Alena excitedly proclaimed "Look Sami, I did all this math today!!". What a cutie.
Moho Dorff
Groomsman
Mohonri Dorff is your everyday, run-of-the-mill translator of obscure Japanese GameBoy Color games from the early 2000's. All jokes aside (JL is still waiting for his Custom Robo translation), Moho is also a former co-worker of JL's and Sami's and is never afraid to join in head first on the fun even when it entails driving almost an hour away to spend an entire day looking at landmarks from an old TV show he'd never even heard of but should definitely watch sometime (Twin Peaks, if you're curious).
Zoë Knight
Bridesmaid
Sami and Zoë actually met in a very professional setting where Sami was interviewing for a designer to join the team. The interview went great and they began working together at a local startup where they quickly became friends. They had a lot of fun together going on hikes, eating delicious food, sipping drinks, and exploring in the mountains. As a product designer, she can be found pushin' pixels by day and flexing her creative muscle making pies in the evening.
Mike Cummings
Groomsman
Mike, or as he is sometimes otherwise known, Michael, is maybe the most wickedly talented illustrator you'll ever meet. Also an RMS design team alum, Mike is in many ways responsible for JL even coming aboard that fateful company and the two have since shared many a memory inside it and out. Fun fact, JL was forced to get Mike his brown shoes for this wedding as he refuses to own anything other than black clothing/accessories (just kidding, maybe).
Bob Stephenson
Father of the Bride
As a self-proclaimed brewmaster and cub scout pack leader, Sami's love for beer and the outdoors can be attributed to her dad. As a young girl, she would often be heard threatening to run away due to the terrible smell of barley brewing in the house or tagging along on all of the cub scout activities. Although Bob's hobbies have shifted to all things Reds and Bengals and tending to the fish tank, he's persistent about teaching us all to stick with something, even when it's hard, do our research, and that "You only drink IPAs out of a glass. No exceptions". Bob always has a good story or five to share (ask him about inventing the word 'brewski') and a solid dad joke at the ready.
Hewson Phillips
Ring Bearer
Hewson, 6, is JL's oldest son and is very much his mini-me. They love playing video games together (specifically Mario ones) and can spend literally all night talking about all of the many branching storylines of fictional characters, mostly-but-not-limited-to the Sonic the Hedgehog and Spiderman universes.
Patty Stephenson
Mother of the Bride
Patty serves as an excellent example of how to be a great mom and a best friend. Through the years, her and Sami have always had a close relationship, never going more than a week without talking on the phone. Although they may get on each other's last nerve, it's probably because they are so similar. If you ever lose track of one of them, head outside because the two love being outdoors lounging by the pool listening to music or enjoying a drink (or five) around the fire. Newly retired, Patty keeps busy tending to her beautiful garden, working on a creative project or having a good time with friends.
Harrison Phillips
Flower Child
Harrison, 3, is JL's youngest son and they share the same sapphire blue eyes. Harrison has a major-time love for monster trucks (especially if they also look like dinosaurs), apples (but no skins, please), and snuggling on the couch with humans but also his greatest of furry friends by the name of Kiki.
Jon Tam
Officiant
Connie Russell
Mother of the Groom