Wedding Party

Christian Whitaker

Groom

Rebecca Stone

Bride

Joe Burak

Best Man

I heard it's a saying that you meet your best friends on accident. Joe was a friend of a friend. The first time I hung out with Joe, he showed up to my house in the middle of summer, after riding his skateboard 3 miles from home, to ask me to go skate at the high school. I had no option but to say yes, as I had a deep love of skating, and I knew how far he had ridden. When we were younger, that was our friendship: our shared love of music and skateboarding. As we aged, it became clear our paths of life would differ. After high school, Joe left to enter a 4 year service with The USMC, while I left to attend college. Staying in contact the whole way through. Each decision we had made changed us in a different way, but we remained close. Seeing each other every 9 months or so didn't change a thing, it felt like we never skipped a beat. And I swear we never did. To this day, I don't recall a single meal that we've made it through without crying laughing. I've never been sure what it is. But We can take one look at each other, and laugh so hard we almost choke. Laughing over nothing and everything at the same time. Joe's a father of two, and I a stepfather. So we now get to share a different NEW bond, watching our kids play and grow up together. I couldn't imagine a more beautiful experience to share with a friend. If I got the chance to go back and meet him again, I wouldn't change a thing

Laura Cordean

Maid of Honor

I wanted to take a moment and express my deepest appreciation and love for my big sister. Laura and I were born 10 years apart. So naturally I drove her absolutely insane at times. Laura has been a constant source of support and guidance in my life, and I am forever grateful for everything she has done for me. From the days of our childhood where Laura was my protector , wether it was letting me crawl in bed with her after our courage the cowardly dog marathons or telling me "no one is going to break into our house because thieves only rob rich people!” To the present day where she continues to offer encouragement and wise advice, she has always been a shining light in my life. Her strength, compassion, and kindness have inspired me to become a better person. A lot has changed since we were kids, but of course some things have stayed relatively the same. She will still show up at the drop of a dime when i'm scared or hurting. Like when I called her to tell her I was going to have a c-section and she sped back to the hospital in a snowstorm ( where she had just been all night & left just an hour before) so she could hold me and assure me everything was going to be okay. Thank you for always being there for me through the ups and downs of life. Thank you for your unwavering love, support, and guidance. I love you more than words can express, and I am proud to call you my big sister.

Arielle Whitaker

Bridesmaid

Arielle is Christian's sister who quickly became one of my closest friends. She watched our relationship bloom from being best friends to falling in love with each other. Christian and I spent every weekend we had free at Arielle's apartment, hanging out with her and her two roommates (Amber and Autumn Brown) who also happen to be close family friends . One time on my 21st birthday she threw me a party at her apartment and the power went out, I thought to myself....."not only was I unable to go out on my 21st birthday because of Covid but now my party is ending at 9 pm because someone hit a utility poll" but Ari wasn't having any of that: she was going to make sure my 21st was memorable, pandemic and power outage or not! She whipped out some flash lights & candles. Then we played beer pong and listened to music all night. I share this story because it truly encapsulates who she is as a person, she is someone who cares deeply about the people she loves and will make the best of any situation! Im so lucky to add her to my little tribe of sisters.

Rhiannon Berry

Bridesmaid

When I met Rhiannon my dad had just started dating her mom. Dad, Hollie and I had just drove 6 hours to the middle of nowhere in Maine where they lived. Rhiannon ran up to me with the cutest little smile and a full head of thick curly hair... in that moment I knew this little girl had a fire inside of her. On my first outing with Rhiannon I watch this tiny little girl jump off of a literal bridge into the water below ( with absolutely no fear and a big smile might I add) which confirmed my suspicion that this kid wasn't like any other 7 year old that I had ever met. The first time Rhiannon came down from Maine to stay with us, she kept telling me how much she LOVED my pink hair. This was the first time I felt like someone was looking up to me. So of course I asked her mom if I could dye her hair pink. Somewhere in that conversation I managed to get her to agree to dying Rhiannons bangs pink. We had so much fun in that bathroom laughing and messing around all the while making it look like a bubblegum grande went off. Amongst the chaos Rhiannon's eyebrow ended up pink too! Rhiannon has never felt like anything but my sister. In my eyes there is no step, she is simply my baby sister. The first person to make me want to set a good example and the first person that made me feel like I was cool just being myself, even when I shaved half my head (very poorly I may add). We don't share DNA but the universe knew I needed her and I'm beyond thankful to have such a great baby sister.

Hollie Stone

Bridesmaid

Hollie is more than my sister, she has been my partner in crime my entire life. When Hollie was born I was 15 months old so naturally I can't remember a time in my childhood where she wasn't right by my side. As kids Hollie and I fought like cats and dogs. To say we were opposites would be more than an understatement .She was a blonde, charismatic cheerleader and I dyed my hair black, wore an excessive amount of eyeliner and listened to what she called "emo music"unnecessarily loud in our bedroom. Despite our differences we were each others "keepers" as we called it. In our eyes, only we had the right to fight with each other. If someone messed with one of us you could bet the other was going to barge out guns blazing. Even as kids when one of us was hurting, the other would do anything to get the other through it. I knew Hollie had my back and she knew I had hers...always. She is the person who knows every detail of my life, every secret, embarrassing memory, heartbreak and accomplishment. She is the shoulder I've cried on more times than I can count. She makes me laugh harder than anyone I know (sometimes without saying a word) at the same time, the person I turn to when I feel like the world is caving in. I know now how extremely lucky I was to grow up with her right by my side. Even though she hates when I say this, she is and always will be my baby sister and I thank the universe for that everyday..well except when she decides to prank call me at 12am on a weeknight.

Jetta LeVenture

Bridesmaid

I remember the first time I saw Jetta, she was working at subway in Winchendon… The first thing I noticed about her is that she had an extremely similar style to me with the spunky personality to match. The first time we hung out I invited her to my house for one of those Pure Romance party’s. From the moment we starting talking, it felt like I had known her my entire life. She is funny , kind and uniquely herself. If I could only use one word to describe Jetta as a person and friend, I would choose “ loyal”. She is a person who would stand up for me even if the whole world was against me. She has become so much more than a friend to me, she is one of my soul sisters. A person who accepts me for exactly who I am and pushes me to stand my ground and advocate for myself. She has always made sure that I know my worth and didn’t accept any less than what I deserve. I can’t thank her enough for that. Jetta and her fiancé Jared gave Christian and I the absolute honor of being the Godparents of their beautiful daughter Eliza, a gift that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. I love this girl with every piece of my heart and I can’t imagine my life without her.

Kate Hutton

Bridesmaid

Kate is both the most spontaneous yet reliable person I know. Kate is the person that will show up at your house when you are going through a break up, haven’t done your dishes or cleaned in a week; just to clean it for you ( while blaring Taylor Swift and telling you he was never good enough for you.) If you know Kate, you know when she tells you she’s going to check up on you She is GOING TO CHECK ON YOU, unannounced, and ready to lecture you on the importance of knowing your worth. I remember one time I was going through a really difficult time and Kate showed up at my apartment every day to help me with anything that I may need all the while making me laugh until I almost Peed myself. Somewhere in the mix we even baked a cake and smothered it in gummy bears for some reason? She is one of the only friends in our circle without kids, but she's the “mom” of the group for sure, telling us to drink plenty of water or dragging us out of bed when we are feeling sorry for ourselves. We ALL know Kate will always show up to save the day. Kate is one of the funniest people I know, she will tell you the most obscure and outrageous information so casually that you have to do a double take to make sure you heard her correctly. She is one of my absolute best friends and I can’t imagine getting married without her. P.S- if your mom's name is Susan and or you're an Aries don’t tell Kate -this will trigger her fight or flight response… just kidding Kate I love you!

Heather Fasulo

Bridesmaid

Heather and I have been friends since we were 9years old. We lived in the same neighborhood and from the moment we met we met we just clicked. If you know heather you know these three things: she is as stubborn as an ox, She is ALWAYS the life of the party and she loves these three things most, her son Grayson, iced coffee ...and me. Heather and I were friends all through high school with the exception of a few months where I'm fully convinced we both wanted to have a full on octagon cage match: but of course that didn't last because we can never stay mad at each other. She was the first person to congratulate me on my pregnancy with my daughter. We were Sophomores in high school and one can only imagine how scary that was. Most of my friends slowly stopped hanging out with me, but not heather. She stuck by my side everyday calling Willow "our baby" and predicting she was girl from the moment she knew I was pregnant. She was the person who would stand up to anyone and defend me... because she was and always will be my person ( anyone who watches Grey's Anatomy knows exactly what I mean.) Heather, I know by now you are probably bawling your eyes out (which you will 100% be too stubborn to admit) but before I end the sappiness... I just want to say, I couldn't walk down that isle to marry the love of my life without you standing behind me; like you have since we were 9 year old kids. Thank you for loving me half as much as you love caramel iced coffee.

Willow Stone

Flower Girl

Paisley Daigle

Flower Girl

Charlie Bridge

Flower Child

Jordan Whelpley

Groomsman

Jordan was absolutely astonished and blindsided when I asked him to be a groomsman. He never saw it coming. His reaction was priceless! Jordan is one of those people you can go and just tell anything to. No matter what the context. He’ll always hear you out, and he’ll do his absolute best to give you the best advice he can, because he cares. Jordan’s a great man to have by your side. He’s also suggested music to me in the past, that is now on my top 5 favorites. He has an incredible ear for good music. You can always find him listening to some new stuff that just dropped, or some of the best indie rock you’ve ever heard. He’s the man to go to for someone to listen, for advice, to hear some good tunes, or just have some good company to pass the time. He’s also the world’s best hype man! When it came to skateboarding, Jordan was the man to hype me up. I could attempt a trick, absolutely wreck myself, and he’d be next to me going “get up man! That was so close! Next try man you got this sh*t!” You need someone supportive like that in your life.

Shawn Barbaro

Groomsman

When I met Shawn, he was two years ahead of me in High School, and I only knew him as the quiet guy who was great at guitar. We quickly became friends when we realized how similar our music interests were, and he wrangled me into the music life. It is because of Shawn, that my love of writing and performing music is so strong. We have remained close since we began our friendship and often meet up to write new songs together. Get into a conversation about politics, music, or cults, and you’ll be talking for hours. Shawn’s mind is vast and holds so much knowledge of so many incredible subjects, he often amazes me. Something happens when Shawn and I play music together. Almost like we each have our own sound wave above our heads, and when we perform, those waves cross paths and intertwine into something amazing. That music bond is what keeps Shawn and I so close over the years.

Dmitri Eddy

Groomsman

It is said that the most unlikely of friendships are the best. When Dmitri and I met, I don’t actually think we had anything in common, beside our friend group, “The Crew”, which we of course named ourselves. Yet, Dmitri and I formed a strong friendship outside of our crew. Dmitri helped me to open up and be brave. He encouraged me to partake in school plays, talent shows, and band concerts. It was Dmitri who first pushed me to sing in front of a crowd. I’ll always remember that. Nowadays, Dmitri lives over 2,000 miles away, but our bond remains pure and strong. I do t think any amount of distance will ever change that.

Hunter Berry

Groomsman

Hunter gives off a very calm energy, you can see it all around him. He’s a kind, quiet, caring young man. When I met him, I knew the two of us would get along easily. What I noticed first about him, was that he always had an earbud in his ear. I didn’t know if it helped him focus, if it helped him feel less anxious, or if he just really loved music. I never asked him, I figured it out over time. You know exactly what kind of man Hunter is by watching him. He can sit silent for 30 minutes at a gathering, then simply stand up, walk over to the children, and play for a straight hour. No one asks him to do so, he just does it. He enjoys making the kids happy. To me, being a child at heart is an important trait, and Hunter has all of my respect for sharing that trait with me. You can tell that family means everything to him. I’ve also come to know that Hunter has a love and a craving for travel, his first major trip being Thailand. It is clear to me that Hunter is going places in the future, both travel and life-wise. I am incredibly proud to have this man in my life, and look forward to the memories we will make together, now as brothers.

Zack Stadtfeld

Groomsman

The absolute most spontaneous and wacky person I’ve ever met. I didn’t think it was possible for someone to constantly confuse and excite you at the same time, until I met Zack. He stood out, he didn’t try to stand out, but he did it anyway. I’ve never known what he is going to say, or where he’s going to take you when on a mysterious adventure. I’d ask if he wanted to hangout after school, and we’d walk around town. Then he’d get picked up an hour by his mom and say “sorry man I gotta go, I’m going to see American Psycho on Broadway” And drive away. But I’d be too confused and amused to be upset by it. Sometimes years would pass without seeing each other, and he’d call: “You work today? Ok cool, I’m outside, come get in my car, we’re leaving” - That is the pinnacle of being friends with Zack. We became close over our similar taste and love for music. He dragged me along to the most obscure and wild concert ever, and that was that: we’ve been friends since.

Donovan Whitaker

Groomsman

At the age of 7, it was unpleasant to have to learn to share a bedroom with my newborn baby brother. For 13 years we shared a bedroom. From the crying when he was a baby, to the night terrors when he was a toddler, to the snoring as he got into his teens. I used to think those were annoying…. Until my first night at college. That night, I would have given anything to look across the room and see my baby brother saying goodnight to me. It broke my heart, and I shed a tear before going to sleep. Donovan has grown to become the most incredible, sweet, handsome, intelligent man I have ever known. I am incredibly proud of who he has become, and I like to think I had a part in that (I hope, maybe. I’ll just keep telling myself that). It has simply been amazing to watch him grow, to help him learn, to teach him life lessons, listen to him talk on and on about music and film. I see so much of myself in him, and I love him more than anything in this world. There are 7 years between us, and he may be my little brother, but I will look up to him for the rest of my life.

William Stone

Father of the Bride

I am my dad's first daughter, so naturally as a child I was a total daddy's girl. Most little girls enjoy dolls , and playing dress up but not me...I just wanted to do everything my dad did. He has been my biggest supporter my entire life. There has not been a single time in my life that my father has told me I wasn't capable of achieving something. My father raised two daughters as a single parent and he worked harder than anyone I have ever known to make sure his girls were provided for. He may look like he is this big tough guy ( he's 6'3 and his bicep muscles are bigger than my head) but he truly has a soft spot for his daughters and his granddaughter. You can see so much joy in his eyes when he makes one of us laugh or smile. I remember when I was little, he used to come home from a 12-13 hour shift at work and Hollie and I would fight over who got to untie his boots for him. Even after working hard all day, he would always make sure to ask us about our days and read us multiple chapters of our favorite book series ; while we laid on his bed one of us under each arm, he was always ready to read one more chapter even after he said he was done. but that is just who my dad is, he is the most hardworking, generous and selfless man I know. Without him this wedding wouldn't be possible and I just want to thank him for welcoming Christian into our family.We are so lucky to have such a loving and supportive man on our team and I am so lucky to have such an amazing father.

Kristin Stone

Mother of the Bride

Some would say Kristin is my step mom but that is the farthest thing from the truth in my eyes. I remember one of the first times we went out together, we went swimming at a lake in Maine. I went to shove her in the water; instead of avoiding getting shoved off of a dock, she grabbed my arm pulling me right in with her (and I have the scar to prove it). It was in that moment, I knew I liked her . In my teen years I would tell her everything, not only because I knew she could see right through my lies (and WOULD call me out on it) but because I trusted her more than anyone. I could tell her anything because I would never be met with judgement; that's not to say I wouldn't hear her honest advice on the matter. Even now I go to her for everything.. too vent, ask for advice, or just to cry. She always know exactly what to say or do. she has supported and loved me everyday since the day she came into my life and I don't know where I would be without her. She has planned every major event in my life, all of my birthdays, my baby shower and If it wasn't for her and my Dad this wedding wouldn't be possible; but that is just who she is, the women everyone can count on. Last Christmas she gave me a silver bracelet engraved with these words " I didn't give you the gift of life, life gave me the gift of you" and that bracelet is one of my most prized possessions, as it is a reminder that she loves me not because she has to but because she chose to. I am so proud to call her my mom.

Rachel Whitaker

Mother of the Groom

I am so grateful to have the most loving and caring mum. Her gentle and nurturing personality has always given me a feeling of warmth and comfort. My mum’s unconditional love has offered me a lot of support throughout my life. Her unwavering support and encouragement to pursue my dreams have given me the confidence to reach new heights. She has always been there to wipe my tears and cheer me on. My favorite memories with my mum are her singing me to sleep as a child, she would sing forever just because I loved it. And it felt even better to grow a little older, and sing songs together that came on our kitchen radio. My mum’s love is the most valuable thing I possess, and I'll cherish it for the rest of my life. I am truly blessed to have her, and I thank the universe for sending me a mother as kind, generous and loving as her. I wouldn’t be who I am without her.

Shawn Whitaker

Father of the Groom

It might sound cliche, and has been said before, but my dad has long been my hero. He has always puts others' needs before his own and has sacrificed so much to provide for my family. He’s been an incredible role model and I have always strived to be like him since I was a child. He's a great listener and gives the best advice. He's taught me countless valuable life lessons and has been my rock and, many times, my saving grace in tough times. He has always been incredibly supportive of my dreams and ambitions, always pushing toward what I aspire to be. He has a great sense of humor and can always make me laugh. I'm grateful for everything he has done, everything he continues to do, and I love him more than he’ll ever know.

Gloria Donnellon Smith

Angel Of Honor

Listen closely to your heart. you'll hear the whisper of my name. Although my chair is empty, I am with you just the same. Wishes for a perfect day, years of happiness and love. Forever in my heart, I'm watching from above. I am always with you…

Elizabeth Stone

Angel of Honor

you're getting married, you truly have been blessed, and though you may not see me I'll be a silent guest. I'll watch from here in Heaven as you exchange each vow, and I'll be as excited as both of you are now. As you embrace the moments of love surrounding you, I hope that you'll remember that I still love you, too, I know I'm in your memories but if I had my way I'd be right there beside you on your Wedding Day.

Eliza Jade

Angel of Honor

A butterfly lands beside us, like a sunbeam... and for a brief moment its glory and beauty belong to our world... but then it flies on again, and although we wish it could have stayed, we are so thankful to have seen it at all.

Linda Hanmore

Angel of Honor

There are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone, the light remains.