Wedding Party
John Leahy & Drew Falvey
Best Men
The three of us have been thick as thieves since 2013, living together in both Charlotte and Denver, Colorado. Ben and John met in 2009, both freshman at UNC living in the Hinton James dorm. Drew and Ben met a couple of years later, during their senior year, living in a house together on Lindsay St in Chapel Hill. Following graduation Ben and Drew moved in together in Charlotte, while John headed off to the bigger city, NYC. A few years later John made his way down to Charlotte, and a few years after that, all 3 of them moved to Denver, Colorado to express our inner mountain man. Ben and Drew have since returned to NC, but John (thanks to Ben's introduction) met his now wife and they happily reside in Denver with their cat Pokey and dog Zephyr. Ben, John, and Drew can typically be found either playing golf or playing pool at a local watering hole trying not to talk smack to the wrong person. Despite all their years of playing pool together, Ben's pool game is still far superior.
Evan Farina
Groomsman
Evan and Ben first met in 2009 as suite mates in the Hinton James dorm in Chapel Hill. As a pre-med student, when their other suite mate cut his butt trying to sled down a hill in an oversized Tupperware bin, Evan was the first to give a thorough examination. After freshman year, Ben went off to join a fraternity, but the two reunited senior year, moving back in together in the Lindsay St house in Chapel Hill. Evan, a premier orthopedic surgeon, lives in Boston with his wife Kaitlin. During Ben and Kristin's time living in Boston, Evan had finally finished schooling and they were able to enjoy numerous New England adventures together.
Sam Williams
Groomsman
Sam and Ben met through their mutual friend, Taylor Allison, in Charlotte back in 2014. Sam, also a graduate of UNC, lives by Lake Norman with his wife Michelle where they spend most of their time trying not to break 100 at Cowans Ford Golf Club. Thanks to their club guest passes, Ben gets to embarrass Sam on his home golf course once a month. Sam and Ben have also been workout buddies in the past, but Sam got too strong and there were no longer enough weights to share.
Taylor Allison
Groomsman
Ben and Taylor met senior year of college, living together in the Lindsay St house in Chapel Hill. Ben and Taylor bonded over Taylor's love of daring Ben to do ridiculous things, and Ben's willingness to do just about anything. For Ben's 22nd birthday, Taylor made a list of 22 things he had to complete that night, and he barely lived to tell the tale. Taylor and Ben are also workout buddies, where Taylor makes Ben get up daily at 5:30am to go to the gym and is solely responsible for Ben getting into "wedding shape". Taylor lives with his wife Amy and their two children Cal and Zoe here in Charlotte.
Stewart Smith
Groomsman
Ben and Stewart met freshman year at UNC in 2009 where they both pledged the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. As pledge brothers, they went through a lot, and bonded over trying to merely survive. They both moved to Charlotte after graduation and have remained close friends ever since. Whether playing golf, brewery hopping, or yelling at UNC sports, they see each other nearly every week. Stewart lives in Charlotte with his wife Allison and their son Mac.
Dylan Culler
Groomsman
It's hard to say when Ben and Dylan first met, but they grew up together in Greensboro where they were wrestling teammates at Ragsdale High School. After graduating college, both Ben and Dylan moved to the Charlotte area and remained great friends. Ben and Dylan enjoy going rock crawling together, and both have custom Toyota trucks. The first time Ben took out his 1st gen Toyota 4runner, Dylan flipped it, but as the great friend he is, he and Ben learned how to do auto body repair and together repainted the truck. Ben and Dylan love playing board games, trying new beers, and going on off-road adventures such as conquering "Hells Gate" at the infamous Hells Revenge trail in Moab, Utah.
Drake Mitchell
Groomsman
Drake and Ben met back in high school from mutual friends. Like Dylan, Drake was also involved in the off-road community and spent numerous weekends camping out at Uwharrie National Park trying not to snap an axle shaft. Drake and his wife Kelsy live in Greensboro with their two daughters Kenly and Kaden. Despite all the places Ben has moved, Drake and Ben have remained close friends over the years. Drake is avid Panthers fan with season tickets, so every fall he has a great excuse to come visit.
Dan Bernstein
Groomsman
Dan and Ben first met working together at Allstate in 2018. Dan was working out of the Chicago office, while Ben worked in the Charlotte office. Dan was promoted and relocated to Charlotte and went from coworker to roommate. Dan, the little brother Ben never had, only lasted a year in Charlotte before COVID hit, so he moved back to Chicago where he met his now girlfriend, Frankie. Dan and Ben have remained friends ever since and Ben and Kristin try to visit at least once a year. Dan is always the host-with-the-most showcasing his favorite restaurants and giving up his bed for them to stay. Dan, the only Jewish Groomsman, is a diversity hire.
Taylor White
Groomsman
Taylor and Ben met through Kristin's Maid of Honor, Jackie. Taylor and Jackie have been dating for several years, and Ben and Taylor quickly became friends. They bonded over overly-competitive board games, video games, and Taylor's attempt to teach Ben how to golf. Taylor also played a special role as the videographer for Ben's proposal to Kristin. Taylor is a free spirit, but let's keep on the Tux and ditch the Teva's for this one buddy.
Jack Stutesman
Groomsman
Jack is the younger brother of Charlie, one of Ben's pledge brothers in the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Upon graduation from UNC, Jack needed a place to live in Charlotte, and Ben and Drew needed the rent money. The rest is history. Becoming quick friends, Jack was often on the receiving end of Ben's pranks. Jack is a gentle, but gullible, giant. Jack also had to learn a lot of life skills in that first year after graduation, like how to cook. One time he tried out Hello Fresh and barely managed to keep both of his eyebrows. Jack lives in Charlotte with his wife Kathleen and their daughter Lenny.
Melissa Hudak
Officiant
HUDAK. A mutual friend of both Kristin and Ben, Melissa lives in Charlotte with her partner Melanie, who is another of Kristin and Ben's mutual friends. Hudak, a locally renowned Trivia host, first met Ben and Kristin at a trivia night in Charlotte back in 2018. Also a lover of over-competitive board games and video games, she can often be found wreaking havoc on the 12-year-olds playing Xbox on a weekday afternoon, sometimes with Ben's help.
Jackie Richards
Maid of Honor
Jackie and Kristin first met during their junior year at Forest Hills High School in Marshville, NC (yes—the hometown of Randy Travis). After plenty of high school shenanigans, they both found themselves living in Wilmington, NC during college, where much of their free time was happily spent relaxing on the beach. Over the years, their friendship has remained strong through both distance and closeness. From high school adventures to beach days and everything in between, Jackie has been a constant in Kristin’s life. Having her close by again makes this new chapter even sweeter, and Kristin and Ben are so grateful to have her by their side on such a special day.
Blair Griffin
Bridesmaid
Another friend from good ol’ Marshville, Blair and Kristin first met in 8th grade when Kristin transferred schools and landed in Blair’s math class. The two quickly became inseparable, sharing countless high school adventures (and there were plenty!). One of their most memorable moments was co-writing an original song to serve as the greeting on Kristin’s family’s home phone voicemail. Now, as Kristin begins this new adventure, she’s especially grateful to be back in Charlotte and living in the same city as Blair once again.
Chloe Moore
Bridesmaid
More like a little sister than just a friend, Kristin and Chloe first met when Chloe was still in high school through her mom, Melissa Ray. Always ready to give her honest opinion on Kristin’s outfits and never one to turn down a nail salon trip with a bevvy in hand, Chloe has grown into one of Kristin’s closest friends—and more recently, her neighbor. Kristin made sure Chloe gave her stamp of approval on the wedding dress, and she couldn’t be more excited to have her by her side on the big day.
Kelsey Cantrell
Bridesmaid
Kelsey and Kristin met nearly seven years ago through Ben while playing trivia at Heist Brewery in Charlotte, NC. Since then, they’ve been travel companions, sharing countless adventures—including a memorable hot air balloon ride together in Arizona. Kelsey’s deep love for dogs shines through in the care she gives to her rescues and fosters, as well as to her own three pups. Though time and distance have separated them at points along the way, their friendship has only grown stronger. Kristin and Ben are truly grateful to have Kelsey by their side to celebrate this special day.
Mary Kate Murwin
Bridesmaid
Mary Kate and Kristin first met seven years ago through Ben while playing trivia at Heist Brewery in Charlotte, NC. Not long after, Mary Kate moved to Denver, CO—and soon enough, Ben and Kristin found themselves heading west as well. While living in Denver, Mary Kate encouraged Kristin to step outside her comfort zone and embark on countless adventures. One of the most memorable was a camping trip deep in the Colorado wilderness with their dogs, Billy and Kash. That night, Kristin was convinced a bear was lurking outside their tent, while the ever-adventurous Mary Kate slept peacefully without a care in the world. From trivia nights to camping trips and everything in between, their friendship has been full of laughter, adventure, and just the right amount of chaos.
Melanie Schacht
Bridesmaid
Melanie and Kristin first met in 8th grade when Kristin transferred schools, and the two have friends ever since. From middle school memories to high school adventures, college milestones, and everything in between, Melanie has always been there. Melanie is an awesome hype woman, she has stood by Kristin through life’s ups and downs with unwavering encouragement. She’s also always down for a game night and with a "Claw" in hand—two things that have brought plenty of laughter and memories over the years. Their friendship has only grown stronger, and Kristin feels incredibly lucky to have Melanie by her side to celebrate this next chapter.
Melissa Ray
Bridesmaid
Who would have guessed a lifelong friend would come from a paralegal job in Charlotte? That’s exactly what happened when Kristin met Melissa at her very first paralegal job, and the two have been close ever since. Always up for a glass of wine and some “trash” TV—two of Kristin’s favorite things—Melissa has been a constant source of fun and friendship. Kristin and Ben couldn’t be happier to have her as part of their special day.
Melissa Sutton
Bridesmaid
Kristin and Melissa—affectionately known as Scudsy—first met when Melissa was just 11 years old. Back then, Melissa was the pesky little sister (and sometimes still is!), but their bond truly began when they snuck off for a sushi date at New Zealand Grill without big sis. Since then, they’ve shared countless wonderful memories, from everyday laughs to celebrating life’s biggest milestones—like Melissa welcoming her first child, sweet Dottie. Kristin is so grateful for their friendship and excited for all the memories still to come.
