Wedding Party
Melissa
Bride
Weird writing a blurb about myself, but here it goes! I'm a nature-loving, animal-loving, crafty, family-oriented, laid back country gal. Lover of cooking, painting, and watching Buffalo Bills football! As any girl might say, I've been waiting for this moment my whole life-- planning my wedding day! And man, oh man, it's been a wild ride making it happen. I couldn't be happier with the vibe that we've created: our rustic, country/boho-inspired, fall fairytale of a wedding. Cannot wait to actually enjoy it all! I'm honored to be joining the Eaton family as I will be taking Andy's last name. And hoping to start a family of our own as soon as we share it!
Andy
Groom
FYI, yes, this is the bride writing this because I put myself in charge of creating our wedding website-- Andy is my person. My rock, my cowboy, my laid back country guy. Supporter of our little family, the Fixer when things break, the Craftsman of many house projects on my Honey-to-Do lists, and the Spider-Squisher when it's needed. Andy is a lover of the outdoors, hunting, and of course-- racing! Anything fast and motorized can be a racecar, apparently. Andy began his own dirt racing career this summer with his 602 Sportsman car (mostly Saturday nights at the Fulton Speedway). So proud of him for following his dreams! Andy's main concern with our wedding planning is having access to alcohol at all times, so the Open Bar will be available all night after our ceremony. No breaks for dinner or dances; the bar will be open all afternoon/evening. "You're welcome", he says, and "Let's Party!"
Eden
Matron of Honor
Melissa and Eden have known each other since single digits. From the long ago Girl Scout days and many years of summer camp weeks at Casowasco, to our newest challenge taking-on the Adirondack 46, we have been through so much together! The only friend I've held-on to since grade school; true friendships are hard to come by! Now to see her become a mother to the adorable little Marshall man (one of our ring bearers!), she truly amazes me and inspires me with her strength and loving nature. SO happy to have her as my Matron of Honor, to represent me and stand by me. Also, big role-- to be marrying Andy and I as our officiant, which is super special! Can't thank her enough for all she's done for me (and us) throughout all of this. Her planning skills and craftiness are just one of the [several] reasons why we're the best of friends.
Chelsea
Bridesmaid
The "sister I never had", Chelsea is Melissa's cousin. Growing-up 6 months apart we were very close as kids, having a crazy Cousin Week every summer with Melissa's two brothers. Some of my most favorite memories are the Girls Weekends at Grandma Lori and Papa Aim's house-- braving Grandma's [very strong] cosmos, shopping at the Commons, and just catching-up on life. Things are a little different now with Chelsea living in London with her hubby Luke, and adulthood being crazy, busy adulthood. We don't see each other as often, but she's still one of the women I look-up to the most in my family. She's fiercely independent and adventurous with her travels all across the globe, and I'm so fortunate to have her love and support throughout my wedding season, even from afar! She's especially been a tremendous help with the flower arrangements/ordering/designing! Family really is everything, and I'm so grateful for our renewed connection. Thank you for being there for me, Chels.
Marissa
Bridesmaid
A decade of friendship, and we're still going strong! Marissa is a Licensed Veterinary Technician that works with Melissa at LVAH, but it wasn't only the love of animals that brought us together as friends-- our love for country music did, too! We've traveled near and far to attend countless concerts, including out into the boondocks of Skatacoke to see Dierks Bentley, the early days of Kegs Canal Side with Cole Swindell, and even a random Wednesday night acoustic showing of Dan & Shay 2.5 hours away when I'm pretty sure we were both working an early shift the next morning. Rebels? But one of my favorite concerts in all the concerts I've been to was our weekend trip to Boston to see Florida Georgia Line, the Backstreet Boys, and Nelly in the pits at Fenway Park! One word: epic! You've always been the "I'm up for whatever" kind of friend, the "let's just do it" even last-minute kind of friend, and I love that about you. You're wild and spontaneous, and even in motherhood I see how cool of a Mom you've become. I love being Auntie Melissa to your two beautiful kids, your anesthetist for all your crazy animals, and having you as one of my closest friends. Thankful for your constant advice and your genuine nature, I'm so happy to have you as my bridesmaid!
Brian
Best Man
Brian and Andy have been best friends since kindergarten. Growing up together they bonded over snowmobiling and racing. Nowadays, Brian has joined Andy at the Fulton Speedway on Saturday nights. Andy’s racing his 602 Novice Sportsman while Brian’s driving a Hobby Stock car. It’s been cool to see them support each other and watch both of them have fun doing what they love. No matter the distance or time between them, Andy and Brian have always had that true kind of friendship that is hard to come by. Brian lives in Verona with his wife Courtney and their two sons little Brian and Bricen.
Justin & Travis
Groomsmen
These are Andy's older brothers. From what I've heard, they were quite the handful growing up-- shooting arrows and BB guns left and right, wrestling and doing other dumb brotherly things. Family is so very important to the Eatons, and I have loved getting to know these two over the years so far. Justin lives locally in Vernon, has a 16-year-old son Hayden and two beautiful girls: Olivia (10) and Oaklyn (will be 8). He's a firefighter and a loyal family man. Travis lives in the Long Island area with his wife Katie and their son Jackson (born December 2023, the little nugget!). A lover of photography and also a Dog Dad to three pups! Andy is grateful to have his brothers as his groomsmen, to stand by him and represent him on our big day!
Aubrey, Olivia & Oaklyn
Flower Girls
Our three lovely little ladies who will be decorating the aisle with flower petals... Aubrey (11) is Melissa's niece. She's a sassy cheerleader who loves to sing & dance as much as possible; she picks-up on lyrics to songs and memorizes them so quickly! (Aubrey and her Aunt Lissa will most likely be singing karaoake at the wedding together.) Olivia (10) is Andy's niece. She's a lover of horses and is already a very talented musician (playing the cello and learning the clarinet, as well)! Oaklyn (will be 8) is Andy's niece, too. She's a wild child who is following in her Aunt Katie's footsteps by becoming a dancer! All three girls have had the chance to spend some time together over the years. Whether it was splashing each other in the hot tub or going to Family Fun Factory, they seem to get along great!
Marshall & Mason
Ring Bearers
These two little gents are going to look so dapper in their western attire for the wedding! Marshall (will be 2) is the Matron of Honor's (Eden's) son. He's already a big SU and Buffalo Bills fan, just like his daddy! Mason (3) is Andy's cousin Briana's son. He's also following in his daddy's footsteps being a big Green Bay Packers fan-- hence, the cheese head that Andy bought for him!
Michelle
Mother of the Bride
How can a girl really summarize the role a mom like mine has had in her life and throughout this whole wedding season? Maybe like this: my mom is a rockstar. She works so hard to make sure her kids' (and her grandkid's) lives are full of love. She's a constant-- always there for a conversation or a silly question needing answering, a crazy house project that usually takes way longer than we imagined it would, and she's an amazing role model that I've been lucky to have been raised by. Mom loves the outdoors, cooking, and crafting-- like mother like daughter! She enjoys decorating the house for the different seasons/holidays, and hosting the majority of our summer Family Reunions. Her creativity and artistic nature are just a couple of qualities I'm proud she's passed down to me. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the planning and phone calls, your organizational skills, and your countless other contributions to this special day of ours. We're both beyond grateful!
Dave
Father of the Bride
My dad insisted on wearing a suit because he only gets to walk his only daughter down the aisle once to give her away. I had to adjust his mindset a little to fit-in with our more relaxed country/western style we have going on. We explained he’d probably be the fanciest dressed person at the wedding, so he (begrudgingly) consented to the wardrobe change; thanks, Dad. I'm so excited to have him walk me down the aisle! A daddy's little girl's dream come true. Writing out this website very ahead of schedule-- my dad plans to help with some of the outdoor woodsy crafts for the wedding-- building the arbor made of yellow birch trees from his property in Tug Hill, and cutting other wood pieces for the table settings. Thanks, Dad, for all that you do constantly to support our family and for giving Andy his blessing to marry me. I'm so fortunate to have been raised by a true family man, and to be marrying one, too!
Ethan & Dylan
Brothers of the Bride
These guys will be walking their mom down the aisle on the big day! Growing up being in the middle of these two was entertaining to say the least. Ethan was always pushing the boundaries, and Dylan was learning from both of his older siblings "what not to do". We had fun, though. Currently, Ethan is a Sr. Construction Manager working in Alabama. He enjoys coming back home to NY to spend time with his daughter, Aubrey, when he can, and for holidays/special occasions. Ethan's big on country music (finally!-- only took him until adulthood!), motorcycles, and Diesel trucks. Can always count on him for a terrible Dad Joke-- and the fact that he will laugh at them all, too! Dylan has a house in Ohio with his cat, Riley. He works as a mechanical engineer when he's not playing D&D with his buddies or going on cool camping/biking/skiing adventures. He's always been super great with designing/drawing! Looking forward to seeing them all "dressed-up" for our special day!
Rosemary
Mother of the Groom
The mom that you can always call and always count-on. Family is so very important to the Eatons. She’ll do anything for her kids, grandkids, and grandpups. We are so grateful for all of the million times she’s helped take care of our pups! They sure do love going to Grammie and Grampie’s house. Every time you stop by the Eaton house, she is up for telling a story, watching a Hallmark movie, or lounging by her pool in the summertime. Rosemary loves summer most of all; if you ever need her she's most likely out by her pool! Andy wants to thank his mom for all the years of life lessons. Whether it was teaching all the kids how to swim or learning basic manners, Rosemary went above and beyond for her children. She is/was always there to help pick up the pieces when life seems to fall apart. I'm so fortunate to have a wonderful, strong woman to call my Mother-in-Law. Can’t wait to see how beautiful she looks all tanned-up for the wedding!
Roger
Father of the Groom
A simple man with a big heart. An American Airlines lead mechanic, he can fix just about anything. Many of these skills he has taught and passed-on to Andy throughout the years. He’s also done so much for Andy and me with our home (fixing things and mowing our lawn)— our home is the house Roger grew-up in! He’s a pilot (and certified flight instructor) who loves to fly and still does from time to time with his own plane, taking Rosemary up for rides in the countryside. Can’t forget to mention that he absolutely loves our pups! They all go crazy when Grandpa comes over! I’m honored to be joining this family and taking Eaton as my last name.