Wedding Party
Mackenzie Hahn
Maid of Honor
The best baby sister a girl could ever want! She's smart as a whip, has a heart of gold and is always down for an adventure! When Coopersmith (as she is affectionately called) was born I couldn't wait to act like her mother and take her to school for show and tell. Our relationship has changed quite dramatically since that time and now as adults the six year age difference is hardly apparent (heck, she passed as me for 3 years in college...whoops). Though younger, she is often wiser than me and has been George's biggest fan since the early days. We are so thrilled to have her be an integral part of our special day! We love her to pieces!
Taylor Garrison
Bridesmaid
Bradford James (my favorite brother in the whole world) brought the wonderful human that is Taylor into my life in 2013. Our first meeting left me utterly shocked about how someone could be so pleasant, genuinely nice and talkative for hours on end. Little did I know at the time, Brad was similarly stunned when he first met Taylor! But just like Bradford, I quickly fell in love with Taylor's kind spirit, sunny disposition and thoughtfulness. Over the years we have shared so many great memories, she has tolerated my ridiculous death marches across New Orleans for hours on end and now we have shared the experience of planning our weddings together in the midst of the global pandemic. The day would not be complete without her by my side!
Sydney Grims
Bridesmaid
I met Sydney on my first day at Episcopal in Pre-K. I like to think my 4 year old self was attracted to her easy confidence and personable nature that makes her the excellent restauranteur she is today; butttt maybe it was just that she played with the right toys... Whatever it was, she wasn't able to to peel me away from her side until we graduated in 2009 at which point she was merely just another sister. Even though we live 1000 miles apart these days, she remains one of my best friends! No wedding would be complete without this party girl :)
Jules Rodin
Bridesmaid
From the 6th grade through high school graduation, Jules and I shared almost every class (or so it seemed) and even oddly enough often had quite similar grades ( I swear we didn't cheat)! Perhaps this explains while now 1000 miles apart, our paths remain so similar and even though we are both incredibly busy, we have stayed close. My smart, silly, family-oriented friend is now a 4th year ENT resident at Jefferson. We have moved through this long, arduous process of becoming women surgeons together (while apart) and it has been so comforting to have had a best friend to share the journey with. My wedding day wouldn't be complete without her there!
Katie Steefel
Bridesmaid
One of the sweetest, most honest, socially just and all around compassionate people I know came into my life through Georgetown club soccer. After making the team as freshman, we quickly realized in addition to soccer, we also shared a passion for running. Sometime in that first year we started running 5 miles together occasionally and then not too long after it began a daily occurrence. These runs were frequently the high point of my day. We chatted the whole time, sharing the trials and tribulations of young college students, reliving ridiculous nights out and even talking about the bigger, more serious things. My wedding weekend would be incomplete without a 5 miler with my girl!
Danielle LoRe
Bridesmaid
The summer of 2012 (aka the littlest house summer) was when Danielle and I truly became friends. Until that point, our shared friends and classes brought us together intermittently but that summer of working research jobs for med school applications, taking the MCAT, applying to med school, innumerable walks to T Sweets and turning 21 together was what in my mind turned our friendship into a lifelong one. The next year of living together only strengthened that bond to the point that even when Danielle went to Chicago and I went to NOLA for med school she was one of the first people to hear about my infatuation with George. Danielle's last trip to NOLA was on Halloween weekend so it's only fitting she return the same weekend 5 years later for our wedding celebration!
Anna Bareiss
Bridesmaid
A shared mutual friend put me in contact with Anna a month prior to starting medical school, at which time we realized we coincidentally rented apartments in the same building. This turned out to be a godsend, as Anna quickly became my best friend in New Orleans. Both fresh out of undergrad, we continued to lead the college lifestyle together with late night study sessions and weekend parties with our closest friends! We moved in together after that first year and having both matched in NOLA, we've remained best friends throughout residency. Just last year, Anna and Harrison moved into my apartment building, which was one of the only things that made the early COVID times bearable. I am so thankful for my smart, big-hearted, genuine friend and can't wait to share this day with her!
Whitney Nelson
Bridesmaid
My adventurer. If we share one thing, it's a passion for travel and thirst for adventure. Whitney and I met early on in our first year of medical school and quickly found ourselves in the same core group of friends. We moved in together at the end of first year (with Anna too!) and while our early years were largely filled with studying and local explorations, we were fortunate enough to share the trip of a lifetime together at the end of medical school. Even after we graduated and residency brought Whit to CA, we have made the effort to continue to stay close and seek new experiences! As I embark on my next great adventure with George, I couldn't not have Whitney by my side!
Katie Jeter
Bridesmaid
I'm pretty sure when I sat down next to Katie on day one of residency orientation I told her she was going to be my best friend. And whether it was intuition or me willing it into fruition, I can't say I was wrong. For the last four years we have shared the highest highs and the lowest lows of surgical residency. She has been by my side for it all and I could not have asked for a more supportive friend! We have shared call nights, romped around all different parts of the city, eaten fancy dinners and planned ridiculously fun themed parties. Not only this, but we have grown up together during this time and now are both planning our weddings for this Fall - I can't wait to celebrate it all with her this October!
Leeanna Clevenger
Bridesmaid
They say the friends you make in residency are like a family. Using that simile, Leeanna is like my big sister. A year my senior & pursuing a trauma fellowship at MUSC, Leeanna has served as a mentor and role model for me since early on in my PGY1 and 2 days. But also we've shared similar challenges with long distance relationships and residency that has made her one of my closest friends and greatest confidants. Luckily for me, she only lives 2 blocks away, which I have shamelessly taken advantage of on more than one occasion. She also shares my thirst for fun and desire for adventure. This can be dangerous at times...but sometimes it's better to live life on the edge. I know my wedding would not be complete without Leeanna, as she will undoubtedly make the party more fun!
Heidi Waldenmaier
Bridesmaid
The first time I met Heidi was at George and my medical school graduation in 2017. Our families spent the early evening together at a bar in the Quarter and she seemed to fit in seamlessly. Fast-forward 2.5 years to Christmas 2019 when the Waldenmaier family came to New Orleans. This was the first time I truly got to known Heidi. I was immediately impressed with her quick wit, calm manner and subtle confidence. While George would often share tidbits about her dance and theater accomplishments, it wasn't until this meeting that I truly got to know my future sister! I am so excited that she has recently moved down to the South so that we can hopefully spend more time together and can't wait to have her play a part in our big day!
Jordan Bergmann
Best Man
Jordan and George met, fatefully, in New Orleans during Second-Look weekend for Tulane Med School. After discovering they were both proud members of the US Navy, they took their oaths to heart and like any good sailor, went straight to the nearest bar. There, George proceeded to lose several consecutive rounds of credit card roulette, and Jordan rightly surmised that here is a person he could take advantage of for years to come. They both continued on through med school, intern year and flight school together, before Jordan left for a tour in Bahrain. Jordan has since staged a glorious return to New Orleans, and the two once again haunt the streets loudly singing "In the Navy" by the Village People, despite not knowing any of the words. Because after all, they are macho macho men.
Pat Melmer
Groomsman
George and Pat met during their first year of college, on a Bro Date arranged through their fraternity. Their initial conversation mostly consisted of "duude, me too!" as they found they had many common interests. This burgeoned into a course of collegiate codependency that was only broken when Pat met his wife, Monica, and proceeded to go to medical school, become a surgeon, start a family, and generally show a respectable amount of responsibility. George on the other hand has clung to the belief that he is still 21 years old despite rapidly developing the temperament of a cantankerous 70 year old. However, the bond remains and Pat was nominated as Groomsman; with George hoping to once again coax Pat into putting on polos, popping the collar, and acting way cooler than they probably are.
Nik Lawson
Groomsman
Nik and George met in college where all the coolest kids meet: organic chemistry class. Studying together blossomed into becoming roommates their fourth year, where Nik then changed George's life forever... by introducing him to craft beer. Prior to this moment, George (and Pat) had considered themselves the pinnacle of high society and class by spending the extra 25 cents to drink Yuengling instead Natural Light. Nik dashed such illusions (amongst others) and opened up a broad new world of beer possibilities. Indeed, if you know George and Allie, you know the vast majority of their activities are centered around the sampling of as many craft breweries as possible. Thus Nik was a clear and obvious choice for Groomsman, for no one else wields the Beer Advocate app with such alacrity.
Ray Lee
Groomsman
It is unknown when George and Ray actually met. In fact, it is rumored that Ray is not actually human, but a immortal agent of mischief that exists to nudge otherwise boring individuals into wacky situations. Such it is with George and Ray; Ray, sensing an unwitting sop, suddenly appeared during college to lead the otherwise dull George onto ridiculous adventures. There are legends that speak of an early college chemistry study session where the two first met, though those sources are disputed (mostly by George and Ray who are too cool). The pattern continued despite the years; though Ray has settled down with a good job, house and dog; he still emerges periodically to drag George, usually protesting, out of monotony and into another adventure. The wedding weekend will be no exception.
Brad Hahn
Groomsman & Officiant
George and Brad's first meeting was as expected when a new male interludes into a new pride; much jostling for dominance, posturing, urination to mark territory. Things looked like they were headed to a final confrontation just when... wait, sorry I'm actually just recapping the latest David Attenborough documentary I watched. But you get the picture, that's pretty much how it went down, just substitute the wilds of the Serengeti with a middle-upper class suburban kitchen. They're basically the same thing. Thankfully, George was accepted into the family, and Brad has shown his support not only by being a Groomsman, but also officiant. As such, he has the great honor of accepting his sister's final bride price of 2 cows, 4 goats, 15 chickens and a West Elm living room furniture set.