Wedding Party
Nicole Thayer
Bride
Nikki is a very reserved type of person when you first meet her. Completely not the type of girl you would imagine with how loud her hair is! Observant and quiet, she tends to stick to the outskirts and watch rather than jump right in and participate. At heart, she is a creative soul who loves to draw, paint, write and dabble in photography. You may not always catch her with a good book (because the act of reading relaxes her into naptime) but she loves a good story. It took no time for her to develop a taste for video games and immersing herself in the stories of heroes. She also LOVES a good board or card game with Cards Against Humanity being a go-to favorite. Then there is the fact that she is an eternal optimist and is always trying to leave the world a better place than she found it.
Matthew Pennington
Groom
Matty is one of the most comical, straightforward and loyal people you will ever meet. He has developed an innate ability to read Nikki's mind and always goes out of his way to do little things for her just to show her that he cares. He always knows exactly what to say to turn her day around and is known for putting on a show for a crowds, often over-exaggerating his humorous antics and making him come across as a muppet. He is known for devouring novels in record time and is constantly seeking new literary conquests. Not only does he love the written word, he loves to truly immerse himself in the realms of heroes and soldiers alike while gaming. It is easy to understand why he is such a perfect match for his bride on multiple levels. Plus, he has a glorious beard -- so there's that.
Katie Darling
Maid of Honor
Katie and Nikki have been the best of friends since they met in Señor Lewis's Spanish class back in high school. It took the pair no time at all to connect, finding they had similar interests and -- more importantly -- they shared a similar, twisted sense of humor. Katie broadened Nikki's social circle and coaxed her to step outside of her comfort zone and further develop her awkward teenage social skills. Since then, their friendship was endured for well over a decade. Katie is Nikki's best friend - she wouldn't trade her for the world. It is with great pride that Nikki selects Katie as Maid of Honor, and she knows that if anyone can keep the sky from falling on the Nikki's big day, it's the blue-eyed bombshell who has always had her back.
Dennis Freeman
Best Man
Dennis has been a good friend to both Matty and Nikki for a while now. Just looking at him, you can tell right off the bat that he is definitely a metalhead with his long hair, black band tee shirts, and an uncanny resemblance to Nathan Explosion of Metalocalypse. Not only is Dennis into metal (the darker, the better) he loves music of all kinds and even has some musical talent of his own in the form of playing the cello. More than that, however, Dennis is a family man. He's been happily married for fifteen years and has seven children -- so you know he's a big ol' teddy bear deep down. Being a father has also fine-tuned Dennis's ability to tell the most ridiculous "dad jokes" there are to tell and he is notorious for making quick, witty puns in a dad-like fashion at any given moment.
Brittany Berger
Bridesmaid
Nikki and Brittany have only been friends for a few years now, but you would never guess they'd only known each other for a short while with how close they've become. Brittany started dating one of Matty's friends, Kyle, shortly after Nikki and Matty got together. The night that Kyle brought her to meet everyone was full of laughter and Cards Against Humanity - truly the best way to get to know someone new and test their boundaries to see if they're a good fit. Brittany was a shoe-in! She and Nikki hit it off quickly and ended up spending a lot of time together. Like Nikki, Brittany is a deeply creative soul. Not only is she a knitting machine, she is also an incredibly talented writer working on publishing a series of novels on top of working full-time and being a full-time mom.
Matt Vankooten
Groomsman
Matt and Matty have known one another for the last six or seven years and work together at Local Roots. Matt is the resident wild child, known for his party boy mentality and bizarre sense of humor. He is a big fan of spending time outdoors, four wheeling and boating. Travel is also a strong desire, as he likes to see the world and has been to places as far away and exotic as Japan and the Philippines. His passion is marijuana and he tends to the shop with a strong sense of organization and cleanliness, always wanting the best experience possible for his customers; but with Matt, his true passion is his dogs. He has two dachshunds: Chloe and Gunner. These dogs are his babies and he brings them along for the ride wherever he can. These two little furballs make his life with their antics.
Tina Philbrook
Bridesmaid
Tina and Nikki became friends in high school by both being close friends with Katie. During high school, she and Nikki never got too close so it was only natural for them to drift apart after graduation. However, a couple years ago Tina came back into Nikki's life once she started hanging out with Katie again on a regular basis. Now, it would be bizarre for the girls to be anything other than a foursome! If you are looking for deep conversations about novels (especially Harry Potter) or art then Tina is your gal. If you need someone to have your back in a fight, she's going to be the first one there -- with bells on! Truly, she is an enigma: a spitfire who takes no shit and a deeply passionate soul with a wealth of feelings and insight. Not to mention she has a mild Disney obsession...
Kyle McClanahan
Groomsman
Kyle and Matty have been friends for the last six or seven years (because Kyle and Matt are inseparable). Kyle is a major outdoor enthusiast and loves to go camping, fishing, hunting, shooting, etc. If it puts him out into the wild, he is game to participate. The most important thing in his life is his son, Kyler. As a single father, Kyle does whatever he can to provide for his son and spends as much time with him as possible. He doesn't ask for help, nor does he ask for handouts: he is a hard working father of one. The best thing about Kyle, though, is the fact that he is so good-natured; he ends up on the receiving end of harmless pranks quite often and despite his weak stomach and over-the-top reactions, he generally ends up laughing along with everyone else in the end.
Neil Bruns
Officiant
Neil and Matty are cousins and have known each other since they were children. They not only have a similar sense of humor, they also share a passion for literature and film that has bonded them further over the years.