The Beaumont Wedding
Wedding VIPs
Sommer Bahr
Chris' Best GUURL
After more than a year, Chris still hasn't done any of this like asked so: Who is Sommer to Josh or what do I know about her? Well lets see, I first learned about Chris' best friend shortly after we started dating. He was on the phone chit chatting and I didn't think anything of it at first but after a short while, I swear to god I heard him say 'Guuurl' at-least 89 times; so, obviously I was going to ask 'who the hell are you talking to?' Now anytime I hear him go 'Guuurl' I know exactly who he is talking to! Since then it has been mixed experiences, I think she hated me at first because she didn't understand my very sarcastic quips or that playfully teasing Chris is my love language, she thought I was a bully ... little did she know CHRIS IS THE BULLY! Though she admitted later that she knows he is a bully and we bonded over that. The first time I actually met Sommer was when Chris and I were living in Lakeview at Grace Street Towers, she was on her way to a festival with the guy she was seeing at the time. They were passing through and just crashing on the pull-out for a couple nights but one of those days, before I left for work in the evening, I remember I could hear them fooling around in our bathroom/shower.
Abigail Lee
Josh's Best woman
Abbey is my business partner, a chef, my confidant, and an all round badass. Abbey and I met when we were both working at Gyu-Kaku, I think when we first met she thought I was a sassy bitch. I mean she technically isn't wrong, our first meeting was when she was at the host stand at the downtown location and I just came barreling into the restaurant, she tried to greet me like I was a guest but I just zoomed pasted not giving her the time of day. I didn't mean to come off as icy as I did, I was the big man on campus at Gyu and acted like it but I was also in a rush and just picking something up to deliver to the West Loop location. We bonded when we learned we are alumni of the same culinary school, have very very similar senses of humor. After those experiences plus our overall experience in the industry, our relationship is similar to soldiers after their tour; we are loyal AF, there are things only we get, and we get triggered by random things. When I made the mistake of finally introduced Chris to Abbey they also instantly bonded. This was a mistake because Abbey is my main confidant when I need to complain about Chris; but now Chris tells her all my embarrassing stories and she tells Chris when I talk trash about him at work. Abbey doesn't just understand how my crazy mind works but she gets a kick out of it! Abbey is that person that can you 110% vent to about anything and she will listen; HOWEVER, it comes with radically honest advice.
Casey Wareham
Chris' Groomswoman
One of Chris' tenants back in Colorado, probably his favorite given how they have bonded. I am sure he is not the best landlord either, sure he is prompt dolling out money to fix the myriad of issues the old house faces, but he uses that as an excuse to intrude on her life for weeks at at time with very little notice. Even after the work is fixed he sticks around to 'garden' whatever that means, though I guess he makes up for it by getting new appliances and cooking for them. In summary, Chris is a grandma; he will let you stay with him, but the kind that lets you be while visiting just popping in every once in a while, making you goodies, and spending the day gardening. While that is all basically true: Casey is a cousin, a sister, an ally, a confidant, and bully all in one. Also a proud new mother of 2 who graciously planned her babies around our wedding! Casey and Chris have been inseparable since childhood. A fixture of unconditional love and support for Chris during every major trial from his mother passing, coming out, and vetting his future husband. She loves Chris unconditionally but also takes it upon herself to try to break him from his curmudgeon tendencies. Because she is one of the very few people who understand the personal hell he can create for the person who lives with him...
Dominique Heard
Josh's Groomswoman
Part of the OG Kendall House Party crew: Chef Unique, Myself, Zack A, Dusty Diamond, Christine D., Molly M., Hillary, Dustin, Christos, and Petey. We met block 1 of culinary school with Chef Alteri and Chef Coutreux.' We bonded quickly because she was the external echo of my sassy inner diva! To this day I think about the Key Lime-Avocado mini tarts she made for a block 1 class project, the only word to describe them and her ethnic comfort food is: Orgasmic! God I'm drooling thinking about them again writing this. It was with this culinary phenom that I took my first stab at opening a business. Meeting and building the business out of the basement of her condo; we had amazing meetings planning the menu and sourcing equipment for our catering company. I will admit we spent many meeting just getting stoned, doing 'R&D' on our various recipes based on what inspired us. Eating and discussing them before passing out, mostly I was the one who would fall asleep fat and happy; Addictive Eats Catering is still a kicking ass. I think we started bonding in Culinary School because Chef Unique, much like myself, is a presence in every room she enters. We have not been able to get ridiculous since the parties I used to throw at my apartment during culinary school. But life happens and its hard to get wild as a mom; but oh how I miss the crazy times, like when Dustin & Hillary had sex in my bathroom or when that super mousey girl threw up in my soup...
Chelsea Marie Logan
Chris' Groomswoman
'Once upon a time there were 2 tiny diapered humans: Chelsea and Christopher, whom also happened to be neighbors. Due to the friendly natures of their mothers, the two quickly became joined at the hip. Days were filled with slug catching, Wishbone staged readings, and beanie baby collecting. Eventually, distance made them physically further away but their connection is unbreakable. From weekend trips to seeing each other's theatrical performances, the two were still still certain to be in each other's lives, providing love and support ... something they continue to do even with 800 miles between them.' Josh and Chelsea first met at Cesar's Killer Margaritas on Broadway in Chicago, with Chelsea's entire family... not nerve wrecking at all. It was a fun, interactive experience with them over some delicious margaritas; which as everyone knows is my poison, like Chris with Mimosas. It was also when I learned Chelsea is essentially the personification of Chris' theatrical spirit. They have a relationship similar with Josh and Gionna where they can go years without seeing one another or chatting and pick up like they just went out for drinks the night before.
Gionna Tallar
Josh's Groomswoman
VAGionna and I met freshman year of college, instantly bonded, and learned we are basically the same person. She was the best friend of the last woman I dated, I stole her as BFF after the breakup. The two of us together are a ridiculous force of nature. When we get together act like drunk idiots on their 5th joint even when we are stone sober. We have so many inside jokes and wild stories we had to write them down. Like when we won the championship round of a beer pong tournament at Dom's house in high school in a single turn. We were so high and drunk, acting like complete idiots. We knocked our heads together while laughing hysterically after Gionna's successful fail of a skill shot. Literally forgetting we were in a basement with a low ceiling, she tried tossing the ball for an arch shot but whacked her hand on the ceiling rafters which knocks the ball out of her hand and miraculously into the other teams cup! After that we fell over at-least twice, I hit my head on the ceiling, we learned she cannot block a bounce shot to save a life or hop a fence when fleeing the cops. Another highlight of our relationship was when I had to write a letter for her to her boyfriend breaking up with him that he had to call us asking to explain it to him. Thinking about it now, we were so stupid and reckless AF!! The fact we didn't die or get arrested is a miracle