Alison & Matt
Wedding Party
Erin Elgass
Maid of Honor
As Alison’s older sister, Erin has been there since the beginning. She’s a passionate music teacher, ice cream maker, book worm (reading 100 per year!) and fellow cat mom. After spending 8 years in Nashville, Erin moved to Brooklyn with her boyfriend Jon and now lives just down the street from Alison & Matt where they often do trivia together.
Emily Wilson
Bridesmaid
Emily is Alison’s longest standing friend. They met on the middle school bus, where they would write and sing songs about their fellow passengers from the back seat, which of course everyone loved. They spent many weekends playing Scrabble, climbing trees, playing Scrabble in trees, and going to regional musical productions. Emily currently works for an architecture firm in Chicago and is a passionate cyclist.
Elis Cooper
Bridesmate
Elis and Alison have been friends since freshman year of high school when they were placed in symphonic band together. They conquered many dances, movie nights, physics tests, country club banquets and of course, band concerts. They even survived a bus trip to NYC together. Elis now lives in Seattle with their fiancée and dog, and constantly inspires Alison to be more mindful and adventurous.
Hannah Hesse
Bridesmaid
Hannah was in the same sorority as Alison at Michigan, and a fellow math major. They immediately bonded over a love for desserts, cozy coffee shops and shopping. When Alison started seeing Matt, she was relieved to get Hannah’s approval…of what food he ordered on their first date. Alison was a bridesmaid in Hannah's wedding last summer so now she's returning the favor. Hannah lives in Michigan with her husband Ben and works as an auditor.
Clara Steeby
Bridesmaid
Clara and Alison were freshman year roommates. Their dorm room was consistently lauded as the cleanest in South Quad (besides the chicken wing incident). Clara was also the first person Alison explored Savannah with! She is always happy to share her expertise and love for board games, Lake Michigan, pickle ball and granola with both Alison & Matt. She now works as a neuroscience researcher in Boston.
Shira Caplan
Bridesmaid
Shira is Matt’s younger sister. She and Alison have bonded over shared interests in Spongebob quotes, cheese, and trying to beat Matt at mini golf. A fellow warm weather lover, Shira went to college in San Diego, then moved back to the northeast for grad school. She recently passed the exam to become a registered occupational therapist.
Ben Shapiro
Best Man
Ben & Matt met at Camp Bauercrest when they were 10 years old. They spent their childhood summers playing sports and grew up with each other on the hillside. They also enjoy experiencing new restaurants and cuisines together. One of their best discoveries was Sweet Cheeks BBQ, owned by legendary Tiffany Faison, located right by Fenway Park in Boston. Other notable shared favorites are the roast beef sandwich from Route 110 and the rosemary chicken from Sweet Basil; their obligatory date spot every time Ben visits Matt in his hometown of Needham. Ben is currently getting his master’s in architecture at the University of Virginia.
Alex Raskind
Groomsman
Alex & Matt also met at Camp Bauercrest, but their friendship developed through many different phases of life. In addition to attending the same summer camp for 9 years, Matt & Alex both went to Needham High School, and eventually became roommates their senior year at the University of Michigan. Even as the star of the women’s volleyball team, Alex was still able to find the time to spend time with Matt, whether it was playing pickup basketball, eating bibimbop, or tailgating Michigan football games. Alex currently resides in Boston, MA, and is pursuing a career as an actuary.
Zach Lyons
Groomsman
Zach & Matt met at their first job out of college working for Epic and living in beautiful Madison, WI. During the pandemic, they became roommates and bonded through various activities such as golf, video games, and fishing on lake Mendota (or Monona, who really knows). Though they didn’t catch any fish, Zach & Matt were not deterred. Their friendship continued to grow thanks, in part, to a mutual affection for Chipotle, Camp Randall, and claw machines. Zach now lives in Denver, CO and is pursuing a career in business intelligence.
Vipul Chona
Groomsman
Vipul & Matt decided to become roommates in Madison before they even met. The driving factor in this bold decision was their shared love of the Boston Celtics. Some of Vipul & Matt’s most iconic memories together are singing Over by Drake on the karaoke machine in the backseat of an Uber and screaming their faces off to Kendrick Lamar at Gov Ball in New York. Vipul is loyal, thoughtful, and brave (except for the one time he got scared by a blueberry). He currently resides in Austin, TX, pursuing a career at the intersection of data, business, and engineering.
Chris Jasinski
Groomsman
Chris & Matt met at the University of Michigan and were roommates their sophomore year. Chris essentially taught Matt how to be a Michigan fan, never shying away from an opportunity to enlighten him on the Greatest University in the World’s rich athletic history. Chris & Matt also share a love for board games, especially chess. Some of their best memories include attending live golf tournaments in Detroit and Hilton Head, and the infamous Detroit Tigers game of 2019. Chris currently lives in the Raleigh-Durham area, pursuing a career in molecular biology.
Mitch Apollonio
Groomsman
Mitch & Matt were in the same fraternity in college and share a special bond over the Moe’s stack and Thanksgiving feasts. Even after graduating, they both moved back to Ann Arbor and lived on the same street where Mitch taught Matt to play Catan and Matt introduced Mitch to the Disney Pixar movie Up; they both have never been the same since. Mitch resides in Ann Arbor, MI with his wife, Bailey, and dog, Minnie, and is currently pursuing a career in supply chain management and economics.