Lauren & Timothy
Wedding Party
Kelly Whiteford
Maid of Honor
Lauren has had the distinct pleasure of having spent almost the entirety of her childhood with Kelly by her side. They met when they were eight years old, when Lauren was a shy new student in Kelly's 4th grade class, having just moved from Guam. Kelly wasn't shy at all about welcoming Lauren with her signature sunny smile and warm hug, and they have been sisters ever since. Kelly's warm heart naturally led her to her career, and she is currently studying to earn her doctorate and practice as a therapist. She is gifted with a vivid imagination and is an excellent artist, storyteller, and dungeon master (dungeons and dragons, for all you casuals!), and kind and compassionate friend to all she meets.
Mike Sullivan
Best Man
As Tim's elder brother, Mike has played a not-insignificant role in making the groom who he is today, through decades of sibling torture, as well as through loving support. He's witty and hilarious, and has made for a wonderful roommate and friend. Mike is both talented at painting miniatures, and at dodging Lauren's hugs and affection. He will be carrying the rings during the ceremony, and better not lose them.
Stephanie Wu
Maid of Honor
Lauren met Stephanie when Stephanie briefly attended Lauren's elementary school in seventh grade, and Lauren was immediately enamored with "how cool" she was. They met again in ninth grade choir, and Lauren was delighted that the cool girl with the black skinny jeans and worn band tees wanted to hang with her. Lauren was quick to learn that Stephanie is an exceptionally tender-hearted, devoted, and fun friend. They have been extremely close in each other's hearts, no matter the distance, even after Stephanie moved to San Francisco, and later, to New York City. Stephanie is a talented photographer, chic urbanite (no more band tees!), and profoundly knowledgeable beauty guru.
Rain Lee
Groomsman
Rain has only been a fixture in Tim and Lauren's lives for a few years, but he's been a wonderful friend from the start. He and Stephanie both served as excellent hosts and tour guides for Tim and Lauren on their many trips to SF over the years. They hope to one day venture to Korea with him. Now, Rain is back to school, studying for his PhD in gerontology in New York, a field in which he will make good use of his cheery demeanor and helpful attitude! He will be joining us in spirit on our wedding day, as he will be in Florida presenting at a conference. Rain will be greatly missed but we're all very proud of him, and he may make a Skype or FaceTime appearance at our reception!
Natalie Kelly
Bridesmaid
Lauren met Natalie in early high school, bonding over a mutual love of doodling disturbingly bug-eyed creations together during art class. They shared many an embarrassingly nerdy adventure together through their high school years, which of course continue to this day. Lauren and Tim both worked as laborers on Natalie's family farm, sharing in Natalie's pumpkin-picking, animal-rescuing (and wrestling), and stall-mucking pains multiple times. Natalie may appear mild-mannered, but she's very much an absurdly-talented superwoman. She is an incredibly gifted dancer and dance instructor, artist (Lauren has seen her paint with her feet), writer, musician, bartender, and more. She is sharp-witted and the life of the party as a natural extrovert.
Sean Dineen
Groomsman
Sean is Lauren's eldest brother, and one of the sweetest people she knows. She and Spencer frequently put his patience to the test while he babysat them in childhood. He is remarkably well-read and has a special interest in military history and aviation, and is a font of obscure facts and peculiar trivia. Sean spent much of Lauren's childhood tutoring her in math, and unsurprisingly works as an engineer these days. He is a gentle and loving father to two girls (soon to be three!), one of whom Lauren has the great honor of calling her goddaughter.
Jamie Dineen
Bridesmaid
Lauren met Jamie years ago when her brother, Spencer, began dating her, and was overjoyed when he made the smartest decision he's ever made, by marrying Jamie. Jamie is warm, kind, and makes anyone she meets feel at ease. She's a skilled wiener dog wrangler, as well. Her adventurous spirit has taken her all over the world, and she's a very daring outdoorswoman. She recently attempted to summit Mt. Rainier with Lauren's father and Spencer. She's also an accomplished businesswoman and creative entrepreneur, having launched a trailer and van rental company, Outbound Rigs, with Spencer. (Lauren and Tim proudly rep their Outbound Rigs gear on the regular). We couldn't be more joyful to have Jamie as our sister-in-law, forever!
Spencer Dineen
Groomsman
Spencer is Lauren's older brother, and Jamie's husband. Spencer and Lauren spent much of their childhood squabbling, which Lauren has now had to admit is probably due to the fact that they are just a little *too* similar at times. They now enjoy a wonderful friendship, though not without the requisite teasing. Perhaps inspired by Air Force brat upbringing, Spencer studied aerospace engineering, working at Boeing for a time. He later ventured to launch Outbound Rigs with Jamie, which has been marvelously successful so far. He has always been an entrepreneur and adventurer, with a particular love for travel, inventing, and generally wandering off the beaten path. Teasing aside, he is a fiercely devoted big brother and all-around excellent dude.
Haily Shaw
Bridesmaid
Lauren met Haily when she met Natalie, back in early high school, and Haily has filled Lauren's life with Haily's delightfully pixie-like presence ever since. Haily cares deeply about other people, particularly those who need more love, and teaches art to differently-abled adults in the community. Haily is a very talented artist (do we see a pattern, here?) and costume designer, as well as a highly-skilled dancer. Lauren has had the great pleasure of seeing Haily's dance performances and attending an art show, when Haily's works were featured in their very own exhibit.
Jacob Mealy
Groomsman
Jacob is one of Lauren and Tim's dearest friends, and former roommate. His gentleness and cheerful disposition have long been among his best qualities, but his ability to fix a car and an internet router are up there, too. Like Sean, Jacob is a bizarrely intelligent guy, and talking to him is like jumping down a rabbit hole of Wikipedia articles. He has a particular fascination with space, but you could probably ask him about any topic and he'll have some odd piece of information to give you. He also spoiled Lauren and Tim with his culinary skills and taste for sumptuous feasting - Lauren will forever dream about a particular meal that involved fois gras, bone marrow, caviar, oysters, and escargot. Jacob taught them that life is meant to be savored, and served with big hugs.
Emily Ewing
Bridesmaid
Lauren and Emily met in high school, were roommates in college, and were (and are going to be!) bridesmaids at each other's weddings. Suffice it to say that they, as well as Tim, have enjoyed a long and loving friendship through the years. Emily is a caring and maternal person, having been a devoted cat mom for several years now, and now continuing on to be an elementary school teacher. Emily, Lauren, and Tim spent much of their youth wandering Davis together, making pilgrimages to In-N-Out and escaping the summer heat. They have fond memories of visiting Emily and Ben at Santa Cruz, and hope to visit them in their new home in North Carolina. Tim and Lauren were overjoyed to participate in Ben and Emily's wedding in June, and can't wait to join them in married life soon.
Ben Ewing
Groomsman
Ben is Emily's husband, and is easily one of the most driven and successful people Tim and Lauren know. His hard work and ambition have lead to a successful career in economics that has sent him overseas, doing things with numbers and computers that most of us don't honestly fully understand. He also runs and bikes regularly, and may be entering a marathon in the future. He has recently begun studies for a master's degree at Duke University. Academic success and excellent work ethic aside, Ben is an easygoing and considerate friend, and Tim and Lauren are grateful to Emily for bringing Ben into their lives.
Kendra Norton
Bridesmaid
Lauren and Kendra met in school when they were fourteen, forming a tight-knit friend group with Stephanie. They have grown incredibly close over the years and have made many happy memories from their youth together. Sharing a love of travel, they've become wonderful adventure buddies, having been to Death Valley, Las Vegas, Seattle, New York City, and Zion and Bryce National Parks together. Lauren hopes to someday visit Taiwan with Kendra, who lived there with her husband, Corin, for a year. Kendra is a deeply compassionate soul and is studying to be a special education teacher. Tim and Lauren also joke that she runs her own animal shelter, gathering a menagerie of pets in need of love. She has myriad interests and talents, including photography, horseback riding, academia, and more.
Corin Howard
Groomsman
Dear friend and former roommate to the couple, Corin has known Lauren and Tim for years, and has spent hours huddled over board games or around the TV with them and their other close friends. Corin is a talented artist, with a particular interest in comic book illustration. He's also a fabulous dungeon master, and is very well-read. He has contributed to many happy road trip memories, and helped make Lauren and Tim's apartment a home. Tim and Lauren have been blessed to watch Corin and Kendra's relationship blossom over the years, and joyfully celebrated their wedding on a rainy day in April, filled with laughter, booze, arcade games, and happy tears. They look forward to more happy tears in November.
Piper Dineen
Flower Girl
Piper is Sean and Theresa's eldest daughter, and Lauren and Tim's niece. She calls Tim "Buncle Tim", after he was dubbed "boyfriend-uncle" by Lauren's family years ago. Some of her interests include dancing and airplanes, and she is very good at coloring in the lines and being the best big sister ever. She will be turning 4 in January, and Aunt Lauren and Buncle Tim think she is a very big girl indeed.