Zil & Kellen
Wedding Party
Zil Mickelson
Bride
I never dreamed I'd find love & wrote it off as a fairytale ending that was not part of my life's story, but as the heroine, fate deemed my perspective unacceptable. Kellen wrote his way into my story & breathed new life into my character's development. My story has moved forward for the first time in more than a few chapters in my life. I finally feel free to be myself & grow both as my own woman & together with the love of my life.
Kellen Berthiaume
Groom
Zil came to me in a moment of surprise as I was drawn to her curious veil of passion when writing in a little journal towards the end of a shift on the eve of the Chinese New Year 9 years ago now. After taking the chance to be friends, it was clear there was a depth of character & willingness to live love laugh & learn together. The rest of the story spanned the Bay Area with adventure & overwhelming stress until we were able to escape together to our perfect little strange Portlandian homescape. With Zil's support, I feel confident in my abilities to push our lives to be as excellent as possible together.
Nicole Arocha
Maid of Honor
Zil & I became friends in our first year of college, where of course she had the best hang out dorm room of all our friends. We became best friends when Zil allowed me to stay at her apartment many times so I would not have to drive home to the mountains in a blizzard, & we became like family over time. I had always known Zil to swear off men, & I couldn’t believe my ears when she began to talk non-stop about this guy she met in San Francisco named Kellen (who at first she promised was just a new friend). I remember the sheepish way she told me while hiking years ago that she (FINALLY) had a boyfriend, & how thrilled I was that she had found someone who made her happy & inspired her to grow in all things she does. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Kellen & I’ve only seen the happiness & love grow in Zil’s eyes, I’m overjoyed to continue to watch the two of them grow & do amazing things together!
Matt Watson
Best Man
Kellen & I met on the first day of our junior year of high school. To say we quickly became friends would be an understatement. We spent most of our free time together doing all kinds of things, from countless hours of video games with our friends, to discovering caves while adventuring in the mountains, & all sorts of other random situations. Some of which were foolhardy in hindsight, like camping at high altitude in three feet of snow with basically no supplies...fun times. Through ups & downs we have seen each other grow both personally & professionally, achieving & doing things our teenage selves would be dumbfounded to hear about. Moving to California was a big step for Kellen, which none of us knew would lead to his most important discovery yet! When Kellen met Zil, he had found someone who complimented his personality & matched his propensity for random adventure & fun, someone who would push & help him achieve more than he could alone. You could tell in his voice just how happy he was when he announced he was seeing someone. When I flew out to spend a week with them in San Francisco, we adventured through the Red Wood Forest & other spots, I could tell how well they complimented each other, being both driven & joyous. I was greatly excited for them both when they announced their biggest adventure yet - Marriage. It is a great honor to be asked to fill such a role at my best friend's wedding, one which I wouldn't miss for the world.
Michelle Mickelson
Bridesmaid
I am Zil’s sister. What more do you need? I have seen my sister grow up and go through all the crazy stages in her life. Even though we are night and day, we always laugh and keep in touch even when we are states apart. She loves her cats and tolerates my dog (Strider) and I totally love the connection they have. He forces her to acknowledge him and she will oblige with the understanding they will be good for the rest of the day. Thanks for being my big sis.
Ty Berthiaume
Groomsman
I have the distinct pleasure of knowing Kellen his whole life & I mean that literally as I am his older brother! I have been there to celebrate high points in his life, watched him work through low times, & bore witness to some pretty weird phases (cough, cough, Barney the Dinosaur, cough) … We’ve played countless hours of video games together, sharing conversations ranging from which ninja turtle we wanted to be to what makes up the cosmos. I couldn’t be more thrilled for Kellen than the day I got to meet the woman that could match not only his depth of character, but his overall eccentricity! Since the day he met Zil, I have seen Kellen come to life in ways I didn’t know he could. The pure joy & love I see on his face when he is with her or talking about her is something truly amazing! I am excited to be part of their journey on their wedding day & can’t wait to stand next to Kellen as a groomsman as he starts the next chapter in his life.
Shannon Munayyer
Bridesmaid
I met Zil through a stroke of chaos that paired them together as roommates at art school in San Francisco. Things were polite, but reasonably awkward, until one day when I sang a line from the obscure children's cartoon, Madeline, and Zil sang the following line back to me. Thus began a years-long party celebrating our complete and utter weirdness. We bonded over looping re-plays of Kung Fu Panda (the second one is the best) and Lord of the Rings, and inadvertently established a core AAU friend gaggle when they hosted a smash-hit college party viewing for Hook. We were still living together when Zil first encountered Kellen in the wild. I heard many a tale of leisurely walks and heroics at Williams Sonoma, but was never sure if Zil was actually interested in Kellen. Or, as on one occasion, if Zil knew that they were totally flirting right before my eyes. I had to call up other friend Rhonda, sworn to secrecy, for advice because I didn't know if I should tell Zil, "HEY THAT DUDE REALLY LIKES YOU." Thankfully, Zil finally confirmed it, and after a brief suspicion, I settled happily into her new routine, receiving Brookside chocolate bribes from Kellen every time he came to visit. I couldn't be more happy that my supplier will now be a permanent feature.
Randal Cunningham
Groomsman
I met Kellen at a time of transition in my life. I had just moved to the Bay Area to start art school & had stumbled upon a catering job. I showed up to my first event, long ungrounded hair & a beard to match, exhausted from moving & starting school. I walked up & met Kellen, this loud mammoth of a man who stood in front of the group of service staff & gave direction as the manager of this event. He always made me feel welcome, pushed me to learn new things (sometimes begrudgingly), & over time became a friend outside of work. Aside from the time spent yelling at each other to get up a climbing wall, sometimes more graciously than others; I also was introduced to his partner, Zil. Someone who was & is as fun & quirky as him, but the perfect yin to his yang. I got to see their first place together & then eventually their first adventure of moving to another state. I do still miss that Williams Sonoma discount, & them, & looking forward to celebrating the two of them.
Debbie Mickelson
Mother of the Bride
Time and Fate are no strangers to the mysteries of the future. The winding and turning of life's path bring us to unexpected places. Unknowingly, Elisabeth and Kellen's paths have crossed throughout their lives with an unexpected, enchanted encounter being the beginning of an adventure. Elisabeth and Kellen had their own ideas about their futures, then Time and Fate orchestrated their destiny and brought them the joy and love they share. When I had the opportunity to meet Kellen on a beautiful day in San Francisco, I was impressed by his maturity, pleasantness, and poise. He was very attentive to Elisabeth, and I could see how smitten they were with each other. As a mom, I was hesitant about this new person in my daughter's life. But, over these many moons I have seen the love that grows between them and the commitment and respect they have for one another. Remembering box buddies and bubbles, laughter and cuddles, you will always be my baby girl. Watching you mature into the amazing woman you have become has been a wild ride, but one I wouldn't have missed. My darling daughter, you have found your path to walk and are blessed to have Kellen walking beside you.
Michelle Berthiaume
Mother of the Groom
My dream has always been that the people that I love each find the kind of loving relationship that strengthens & fulfils their lives. My heart soars about how Kellen & Zil are so good for one another. They both challenge each other to believe in themselves & to have confidence as they pursue their happily ever after together. What more could a mom want? They are growing up together, facing challenges together, & giving each other strength & light heartedness. They are serious & silly together; they chase goals together & play games together. Their lives are fuller because they are together & they each get strength & joy from the other. I'm thrilled that they found each other & their love is a constant source of happiness in my life. I love them both more than I can express & will always be among the biggest fans of the life that they are building together.
Craig Mickelson
Father of the Bride
Elisabeth has always had a strong sense of self. She knew what she wanted to do & did not follow the path everyone else was waking. She bent the world to deal with her. I was worried that her path would end up being a tough one. Then she met Kellen. She let us know that he was an attentive, kind, & creative soul, just like her. Deb & I met him for the first time in San Francisco & were immediately impressed with his curiosity, maturity, & fondness for all the same type of things that Elisabeth liked. I thought that this was an incredible match. As time has passed, I have seen them grow closer & get involved in an astonishing number of adventures that they enjoyed doing together. I believe that they have each found the right partner for the amazing journey ahead of them.
Ron Berthiaume
Father of the Groom
Some things are so meant-to-be that the laws of physics seem to conspire to make them happen. I'm in awe of Kellen & Zil's origin story: Overlapping but non-intersecting lives in Colorado, similarly timed moves to the Bay Area, finding one another when neither was even looking. Amazing. Their meet-cute is more complicated than most & as a result, their love story is richer. Inescapable forces drew their paths together, & watching them grow together has been a joy. In the time that I've known Zil, her confidence has been rising & her defenses have been falling. She laughs more easily & draws strength from meaningful glances with Kellen in a way that warms my heart. Kellen has become more self-assured, focused & comfortable in his skin. Always a man of unlimited potential, seeing himself through Zil's eyes has shown him that nothing is out of reach & he is unrelenting in pursuit of his goals. I'll always love Zil for how she's changed Kellen's view of himself & I'll always love Kellen for how never stops seeing all that is amazing about Zil. The best love stories are about transformation: people who were good on their own who become great together. These two make one another better, each contributing to & celebrating the other's growth. This is a great love story & I'm so lucky to have had a front row seat. I congratulate them on their marriage, their friends on finding people of great character, & their parents on our good fortune to be part of Kellen & Zil's lives.
Abbey Nims
Chaos Coordinator
https://www.abbeyroseevents.com/ In February 2020, I left my 9-5 for my dream job. I dyed my hair pink, opened an Etsy shop for wedding accessories, made my website, then the pandemic hit. I decided it was as good of a time as any, so after years of event planning for friends and family, I formed my LLC. 2020 taught me that you can't wait for the "right time" because you'll be waiting forever. So, now I'm the Owner, Operator, & Planner Extraordinaire here at Abbey Rose Event Planning & Design! Creating & Celebrating magic is what I love to do. (Other than Netflix and Ice Cream...). More about me? I was born & raised here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm an avid crafter, & plant enthusiast. My favorite show is Supernatural, & I consume enough coffee to put Loreli Gilmore to shame.
Clayton Hull-Crew
Solemnizer
Kellen & I have been friends since high school. There, we made...creative choices regarding our academics, but found understanding & personal development our own way. In brief, we were pretty much constantly in trouble of one kind or another, & a constant headache to anyone in a position of authority. Despite that, we've all found our way into success of our own design, & in accordance with our values. In time, the winds of fate blew us in different directions, & we remain friends, confidantes, & occasional coconspirators to this day. I came to know Zil through Kellen much later in life, but their mutual commitment & love was clear to me at once. Since then, I have gotten to know & better appreciate the thoughtfulness, care, & forward thinking attitude she brings to her life, & the lives of those in whom she invests. I was & remain grateful to have been their guests with my partner, Jen, a few years ago, giving me the chance to bring our families closer together & appreciate the beauty of the pacific northwest. Now, I stand honored to perform the duty of solemnizer, joining Kellen & Zil in matrimony. I look forward to seeing those I know, & meeting those I do not at this joyous event.