Wedding Party
Andrew Brown
Man of Honor
Gretchen and Andy met in sixth grade and have been inseparable ever since. They grew up together in choir and show choir, sharing countless rehearsals, performances and inside jokes along the way. Gretchen never had a brother and Andy never had a sister, but somewhere between middle school and adulthood they became exactly that to each other. From karaoke nights to wine nights, Andy has been a constant source of laughter, honesty and unwavering support. The two of them have been through more than could ever fit into a short bio, and their friendship has only grown stronger with time. In Andy’s words, “I dated Gretchen in sixth grade, but we are past that. She is incredibly important to me and I will probably be crying most of the weekend.” Andy will also have the honor of walking Gretchen down the aisle. Gretchen’s dad, Michael, and Andy had a great relationship, and Gretchen knows Michael would be happy to have Andy give her away if he could not do it himself. And if Andy could keep Gretchen calm backstage before show choir competitions, she knows he will be able to keep her calm before walking down the aisle too.
Clara Nauman
Maid of Honor
Gretchen and Clara met at the end of their freshman year of college almost ten years ago and quickly became inseparable. Since then, they’ve shared countless adventures, trips, laughs, questionable decisions, and memories that somehow always seem to involve lots of laughter and a little bit of chaos. The two have spent plenty of time dancing to Kesha over the years, but if Gretchen had to pick one song that sums up their friendship, it would be If You Go Down (I'm Goin' Down Too) by Kelsea Ballerini. The “we’re each other’s kinda crazy” part feels especially accurate. Clara is also the reason Gretchen and Dave have Miley, their dog and unofficial child. As a foster for the Humane Society, Clara somehow knew Miley was the perfect fit for the two of them and absolutely nailed it. Clara is the kind of friend who is endlessly loyal, wildly fun, and always there no matter what. Gretchen truly can’t imagine this day without her by her side.
Alix Port
Bridesmaid
Alix is Gretchen’s older sister, an even bigger Packers fan than the bride (if that’s somehow possible), and someone Gretchen has always looked up to. The two love spending time together, whether it’s family gatherings, laughing over shared memories, or simply being there for one another through all of life’s big and little moments. Gretchen still remembers how special it was watching Alix get married and can hardly believe it’s now her turn, with her sister by her side for such an important day. Alix is also the mom to two very important members of the wedding party, flower girls Georgia and Josie, which makes this season feel even more special. When asked what she’s most excited for, Alix said: “The party :) and having the girls be flower girls". Gretchen truly couldn’t imagine celebrating this day without her sister there through it all.
Kristina Colgan
Bridesmaid
Kristina is Gretchen’s older sister and one of her favorite people to spend time with. Some of Gretchen’s earliest memories with Kristina involve her cool older sister taking her to see Cars in theaters or grabbing food at A&W Restaurant, which felt very exciting at the time. As they’ve grown up, so has their relationship, and the two have become incredibly close. These days, they love spending time together around Milwaukee, discovering new bars and restaurants, grabbing drinks, catching a Ladybird show, or relaxing in the hot tub and catching up. When asked what she’s most excited for, Kristina said: “Making Dave officially part of the family!” Gretchen is so happy to have her sister by her side and couldn’t imagine celebrating this day without her.
Haley Richards
Bridesmaid
Haley may be one of Gretchen’s newer friends, but the two became close incredibly quickly after meeting through a mutual friend, Clara. When you can laugh nonstop, gab for hours, and still seamlessly jump into deeper conversations, becoming fast friends comes pretty naturally. Whether it’s girls nights, group hangs, trying new places, grabbing brunch after church, or watching the Packers together, Gretchen and Haley always have a good time. Somewhere along the way, Dave and Haley’s husband also developed a thriving bromance, which only made the friendship even better. It’s also been especially meaningful to Gretchen and Dave to start going to church with Haley and her husband, something that has made their friendship even more special. When asked what she’s most excited for, Haley said: “The first dance. It’s my favorite part of every wedding. It’s just so sweet and I’m probably going to cry". Gretchen is so grateful their friendship came into her life and couldn’t be happier to have Haley by her side on such an important day.
Kat DeBellis
Bridesmaid
Kat is Dave’s sister, and Gretchen has loved getting to grow close with both her and her family over the years. Whether it’s family time or simply spending time together, Gretchen always enjoys being around Kat and feels lucky to be gaining not just a sister-in-law, but a true friend. Kat is also the mom to three very important members of the wedding party, ring bearers Vinny, Mikey, and Josh, who are sure to bring plenty of personality to the big day. Growing up, Kat and Dave loved playing video games together on the original Nintendo Entertainment System, staying up for hours trying to beat impossible levels and making plenty of sibling memories along the way. When asked what she’s most excited for, Kat said she’s excited to “have a sister and watch my little brother say ‘I do’ to the girl he loves,” and to see her three boys “tear up the dance floor". Gretchen is so excited to officially call Kat family and couldn’t be happier to have her by her side on such a special day.
Donald Williams
Best Man
Dave's cousin Donnie, often referred to as Cal due to a mutual obsession with Talladega Nights, has been Dave's best friend since early childhood. Both their Dad's had always been close and they made it their mission to make sure both their sons shared a similar bond. Their early days consisted of countless weekends spent staying up all night, playing video games, and watching Talladega Nights, Spaceballs, or Step Brothers. These weekends slowly evolved into numerous high school shenanigans and later, college visits where all sorts of chaos ensued. 2 things are certain with these 2: they're always there for each other, and when they say "Shake n Bake", you're in for a good time listening to them recite the entire Talladega Nights movie.
Johnny Orowick
Best Man
Johnny is Dave's long-time childhood best friend since 1st grade. The 2 grew up together on the same street, rode the bus together in middle school, played hockey and basketball in each other's driveways and much more. Both are also nerds when it comes to superhero movies, music and bands, and anything related to Star Wars. When a Marvel movie comes out, the two spend a good hour debriefing on their thoughts of whether or not the movie was good and comic accuracy. Both don't see each other nearly as much as they did when Dave still lived in his hometown, but they both take advantage of any time they get to hang together whether it be in Milwaukee or Chicago.
Micky Graff
Groomsman
Micky has been a close friend of Dave's since Junior High. They first met in Summit Hill Band as percussionists and their relationship is described perfectly by the picture: Just 2 drummers that don't really know what their doing! In high school, their relationship really grew when they both played drum set in Jazz Ensemble and when they marched together in drumline. They've shared countless memories in their musical journeys and nowadays their conversations revolve around grilling/smoking meat, drinking beers and reminiscing on the old days.
Jimmy Poynton
Groomsman
Jimmy is Dave's pop punk brother from another mother! Dave met Jimmy through a musical he did in 2016 where Jimmy simply walked up to Dave after the first rehearsal with the cast and pit orchestra and asked him if he was looking to play more music. In typical Dave fashion, he said "YES" and the 2 have shared a special bond with writing, playing and recording music ever since. Of the bands that Dave is in, he often refers to his project with Jimmy (Life After 5) as the project near and dear to his heart since the 2 have been writing and playing for so long together. If you are ever in a room with them, there's a high chance that you'll hear loud pop punk music, band planning, and what life is like when they hit it big with music.
Joe Reuther
Groomsman
Joe is Dave's college best friend. They were randomly matched roommates through Western Illinois's system due to interests in the Chicago Blackhawks and video games. One of the first messages was "do you have a mini fridge?". Dave said yes and it was all down hill from there. They roomed together all 4 years of college and while Joe was known to be quite the prankster throughout college, the 2 have been close friends ever since graduation. Dave still sometimes locks the door out of habit when going to the shower out of fear that Joe will throw cold water on him. Dave's fondest memory was the first night they met. Joe had said "I think this is the beginning of a really good friendship" before a night of partying for the first time at school.
Anthony Debellis
Groomsman
Anthony is Dave's brother in law and before that he was Anthony's best-worst employee. When Dave's Sister and Anthony first started dating, Anthony owned a hot dog shop down the street from Dave's hometown house. Anthony gave Dave his first job when he was in high-school and he lasted all but 2 months. The hot dog life just wasn't for him. Since then though, Dave grew to adopt a work ethic heavily inspired from Anthony after seeing the things he has done to support Dave's sister and their family. Dave's sister is a very significant figure in his life and he was very thankful that she found Anthony. He was even more thankful that Anthony over time became the older brother figure that Dave never had.
Mikey, Vinny and Josh
Ring Bearer
What are the three ring bearers most excited for at the wedding? Vinny says, “Definitely drinking kid wine (aka Shirley Temples) and dancing to music.” Mikey also said he’s most excited for drinking kid wine. Josh just said he didn’t know yet, which makes sense, this will be the very first wedding he’s been to!
Georgia, Josie and Lilah
Flower Girl
When asked what the flower girls are most excited for at the wedding, Lilah said, “Walking down the aisle with Georgia and Josie and dancing". Both Georgia and Josie said they’re most excited to walk down the aisle with their cousin Lilah. Josie also shared that she’s excited for “getting to see Auntie Gretchen in her pretty dress,” while Georgia added that she’s excited to see Gretchen and Dave kiss because “that will be funny”.
