Liza & Thomas
Wedding Party
Mikaela Thomson
Maid of Honor
Liza can still remember the very first time she was invited to Mikaela's house for a sleepover. Yes, she was that excited! Mikaela has been Liza's best friend since fourth grade, and of course was the person Liza texted IMMEDIATELY after her first date with Thomas where she proclaimed "I could marry this boy!!" After that first date, Liza was SO eager for him to meet Mikaela. Five days later, Liza just couldn't wait any longer, so Thomas came over to Liza and Mikaela's apartment where, even though he called her MacKenzie, Mikaela approved of him almost instantly! The three of them spent so much time together during the COVID shutdown, when it came time for Liza to pick her MOH, Thomas said, "It has to be Mikaela! If she isn't your MOH, I'm going to have to ask her to be my best man!"
Shane McNamara
Best Man
Growing up, Shane and Thomas got along as well as most siblings, but it wasn't anything special. That all changed when they started working together. Shane often jokes about Thomas not being able to function without him, but it's not far from the truth. Although working with family usually isn't a good idea, for Thomas and Shane it couldn't be better. After 7 years working together, they still haven't had a single fight. They even bought a house and lived together while working together. Also notable about Thomas and Shane is they can spend hours talking about anything...or more frequently nothing, and frequently invent new games using whatever is lying around. If you ever need to create a game with two sticks and a milk jug, they've got you covered.
Leah Bates
Bridesmaid
Liza met Leah B. online. Yes, similar to how Liza met Thomas, but instead of looking for a date, she was looking for a freshmen year roommate! Liza could quickly tell that Leah was an honest and genuine human who would be a great roommate. They agreed to be roommates, so they were stuck living together in a college dorm room, and the rest is history. Liza's intuition was right, Leah is one of the best humans she has ever met. Leah is supportive and helpful, and she ALWAYS knew the right time to play "Can I Have This Dance?" from High School Musical 3 to cheer Liza up. After freshmen year, the two never drifted apart. When Liza thinks about getting married at Our Lady of Victory Chapel on the St. Catherine University campus, she could not do it without her Leah B. by her side.
Jesse Schlemmer
Groomsman
Jesse and Thomas were on a soccer team together in elementary school, but then like so many romances they drifted apart until years later, when fate brought them back together. Jesse and Thomas' friendship was rekindled by possibly the best sport in the world, Ultimate Frisbee. Starting their high school club team together with some other friends, led to a new friend group and from there it led to trips to cabins, hikes, cross country road trips and of course...hockey. Thomas never wanted to play hockey until Jesse kept pestering him and all their other friends to play pick-up at Running Park. This eventually led to Jesse and Thomas playing in a league together and continuing to play pond hockey to this day. To understand Jesse and Thomas' friendship, just listen to Damn Good Friends.
Chloe Hetzel
Bridesmaid
Liza and Chloe's friendship began in elementary school. They had play dates where, of course, their moms would have to play "chauffeur". Then, in middle school their friendship grew stronger. So strong that if you ask Liza and Chloe today, they will quickly tell you that they peaked in middle school (and about 25 inside jokes they still remember). In high school, when they finally got their licenses they could be found in the Arby's/Shell parking lot just sitting in one of their cars for hours chatting and laughing. In college, they visited each other at least once a semester and then started annual girls weekend trips. Finally, this past January, Chloe moved to the Twin Cities! Liza and Chloe are positive that there's nothing quite like a friend who knows you inside and out.
Ahmed Tarek
Groomsman
How Thomas and Tarek met is a long, complicated story. So we're going to skip it. Tarek is one of those guys who asks "why not?" instead of "why?". He's one of those guys who has more bravery than sense, more loyalty than logic, and finds the good in everyone. When Thomas and Tarek first met, Tarek's two most used words were "I'm down!". If you know Thomas, you know he likes to always be doing something, so it was a good fit right away. Whether it was volleyball, hockey, a spontaneous midnight trip to Duluth, or a couple grand for an epic snowmobile trip, Tarek was always down. This led to Thomas and Tarek's annual snowmobile trip and their long car rides full of deep conversations. If you ever want to see Thomas and Tarek do something, just tell them it can't be done.
Sarina Morrison
Bridesmaid
Sarina is Thomas's older sister, and he is always quick to remind Liza that he is used to dealing with women because he grew up with a sister. Liza is FOREVER grateful for Sarina for that because he sure knows how to treat her right!! Liza instantly connected with Sarina due to her welcoming personality. Since Liza grew up without sisters or female cousins, Sarina is truly becoming the older sister Liza always dreamed about. Liza loves being able to call Sarina and set up some girl time to get advice on whatever is on her mind. Being a glowing young mother to Thomas and Liza's first nephew and niece, Sarina is the perfect "mother hen" addition to the wedding party. From advice, to band aids, and hangover tips- Sarina has our back through it all!
Jon Leja
Groomsman
Jon and Thomas are just getting started, but already it is clear they have a lot in common. For starters, they both are very driven individuals. Jon is nearing the end of residency on his path to becoming an internal medicine doctor and Thomas runs his own business. Also, Jon and Thomas have both seen Liza's full crazy side and have lived with her very strong willed attitude and love her deeply for it. Although their careers keep them busy, when Jon and Thomas do see each other they enjoy playing board games and ping pong with the family. Thomas loves having a big family and looks forward to being able to call Jon and the Lejas family.