Brian & Abbie's Wedding
Wedding Party
Amelia Tobin
Co-Matron of Honor
Affectionately known as: Meels Three Fun Facts: 1. She will fight you if say anything negative about the Transformers franchise 2. Thrifting is a God-given talent of hers 3. She can make you any drink on the Starbucks menu with one hand tied behind her back A quick note from the bride: "Everything 'cool' about me comes from Meels. If you compliment me on something trendy that I'm wearing, odds are I'll thank you and tell you it's my little sister's. Due to the fact that we're only 2 1/2 years apart, I literally cant remember my life without the other half of my heart. If you're lucky you might get to see some of her funky moves on the dance floor at the wedding and if you ask nicely she might even share an embarrassing story or two about our adventures. No matter how much snow winter in Maine brings, I know she'll always risk her life with me for an iced coffee as long as there's a four wheel drive vehicle at hand .On a more serious note, in my lifetime there are very few times that I've needed something and Amelia didn't drop everything to be there. No matter how hard life gets, she always does her best to make sure there's something to laugh about and some drink with tequila to be had, but most importantly a hug for her sister. "
Joe Higgins
Best Man
A few words from the Groom: I’m not sure where the relational line between close friend and sibling is, but Joe and I crossed it a long time ago. If living together for most of the past decade didn’t do the trick – surely a few near-death experiences brought us there. It’s the kind of friendship where you can sit on the couch and not talk for hours because there are no expectations, where you can go 6 months without seeing each other and just jump right back in when you finally get together, where you don’t need to say nice things to each other because life has already proven the depth of your relationship. Over the years, Joe has become my brother. And I mean that in many more ways than simply being in the same fraternity. One thing I admire about Joe is how he sustains incredible relationships over years. Joe is a busy guy between a gf, surfing and working long hours, but he’s never let life get in the way of seeing close friends – new and old – which is an area where I often fall short. At his own expense, Joe finds the time to keep in touch and to truly make you feel like you are special to him… and, by the way, it is completely genuine. If Joe catches wind that your birthday is coming up or that you achieved some milestone, it becomes his mission to get a group together to celebrate you properly. All in all, there are too many good things to say. Joe has been my loyal and supportive friend for many years and I am thrilled and honored to have him as my best man.
Kristin Adams
Co-Matron of Honor
Affectionately known as: K or Kma Three Fun Facts: 1. She was once on a competitive jump rope team 2. She cries EVERY TIME she watches Riverdance, no exceptions 3. Never play her in Disney Scene-It unless you’re ready to feel real bad about yourself. She’s the champion. A quick note from the bride: "My opinionated powerhouse of a LDBF. K and I have had the incredible opportunity to see each other through a lot of the events that shaped us into who we are today. As the first of our friend group to get married, I've had the chance to see her gracefully and authentically navigate married life in a way that has made her beautifully wise. My girl's trip & travel buddy until the end of time (or at least until they lock us in an old folks home), from Alaska to Disney Land, the memories we've made in this first quarter of life I will ALWAYS look fondly back on. By the way, only let K pick your road trip playlist if you're ready for __+ hours of showtunes and Disney soundtracks (I always was, so no wonder this relationship blossomed into something special haha). Kristin is someone who you want on your team in life, and I'm incredibly blessed that she's chosen to be on mine. I couldn't imagine my wedding day without her standing up with me. TIGHT <3"
David Adams
Groomsman
A quick story from the Groom: David is the hype man of all hype men. He brings energy, positivity and encouragement to every moment... with a dash of competitiveness to match. Whether it's debating some philosophical fact, taking spikeball way too seriously or racing Birds (those public electric scooters) down the hills of Ann Arbor, David's always up for a showdown. Once when I brought a new form of chess home from Scandanavia (which we've dubbed Viking chess), David and I stayed up all night until almost 3am duking it out to see who would be the champion. We must have played almost 50 games and the score ended up evenly matched. I wish I could say the same about our PGA 2k21 record... The truth is that David is an exceptional and loyal friend with a great heart. You'd have a hard time finding someone who would show up for you every time in the way that David always will. He's currently putting his time towards mentoring and coaching high schoolers from tough areas to help them grow and find their path to a better future. The only thing he's missing is a pair of one-way tickets back to NH so he and Kristin can finally move home!
Destini Davis
Bridesmaid
Affectionately known as: D Three Fun Facts: 1. Any and all fictional characters that she falls in love with die. It's a curse 2. She could and will tell you the chronological order of all the Marvel movies unprompted 3. She can pull off electric blue hair better than anyone I've ever met. (Seriously, ask her for a picture.) A quick note from the Bride: "There is perhaps not a single person who has the ability to nerd out about something with me like D does, and nerd out we do. Whether its finding a group Halloween costume to top the previous year's, or refreshing the Regal website to buy tickets for the most recent Avenger's movie opening weekend, she will geek out with me until our hearts are both content. This girl is one of the most passionate people I've ever met. If she's in, she's ALL in and she loves fiercely. She's also gifted me one of my absolute favorite titles on this planet, the word Auntie. I've had the incredible privilege of watching my friend raise her beautiful daughter, my niece Marli (our flower girl) and she has taught me first hand that strong women, raise strong women. I could not be prouder to have this firecracker in my corner."
Ryan LeClair
Groomsman
A quick story from the Groom: You may not be able to tell from the picture, but Ryan is a big guy. I'm pretty sure he was training in the gym by 5th grade and I found out the other day he trained in MMA and has some sort of black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Glad he's on my side. In his journey to find enough calories to sustain his size, Ryan learned to cook.. and I mean COOK. Recently, Abbie and I went to Ryan's house for a last minute dinner and found out we were having a 5 course meal, largely from Chef Ryan (with some help from Cali too). 1st Course: XL charcuterie board (didn't last long seeing as I grew up on a meat and cheese diet) 2nd Course: massive bowl of fresh guacamole 3rd Course: leftover shrimp scampi with linguini from the night before 4th Course: Ryan's secret cheeseburger recipe which won him chef of the year 5th Course: Dessert platter of cheesecake and pb pie Needless to say, I'm contracting Ryan to give me cooking classes.. but really, it's been such a blessing to get to know Ryan and his wife Cali in the last year. The kind of friends that always want to hang out and always have your back.
Emily Heidt
Bridesmaid
Affectionately known as: Em Three Fun Facts: 1. She would commit crimes for sweet potato fries 2. She is a tea-enthusiast, any flavor with ginger in it is a yes from her 3. In another life she would have been a weather woman A quick note from the Bride: "You will never meet a gentler or kinder soul than Emily. She has gracefully and seamlessly stepped into and filled the role of older sister in my life. If you need a real life Jessica Day or simply someone to gush over "horse girl" stories, Em's your person. You can also thank her for the lack of grammatical errors in your invites and save the dates, as she probably feels like her new part time job has been as editor and chief of all things wedding word related. If you happen to need essential oils during the wedding weekend, look no further, she's your gal! If I'm with Emily, I can almost grantee you you'll find us scream singing to Dermot Kennedy, watching sunsets on her back porch, giggling over the live penguin-cam at the Boston aquarium or sitting in a tea room somewhere in deep and fulfilling conversation. I'm SO thankful for this wise advice giver and sweet friend."
John Barnard
Groomsman
A quick story from the Groom: John is one of my favorite people on this planet. He's professional and ambitious, but - at the same time - gets me out of my comfort zone and straight into all kinds of shenanigans. John is single-handedly responsible for the love of cigars and bourbon I have today. John and I lived together during our senior year of college and, one day, had a random thought. We had a bunch of buddies on the club lacrosse team.. why not join the team ourselves? We'd get to spend time with our friends and, since we had both played in high school, it should be easy enough. First, we needed gear. After asking around, we got most of the basics, but still needed gloves and sticks. Sure, we could have totally bought some cheap ones and invested in nicer equipment later, but instead we went out and bought THE NICEST gloves and sticks in the store. Full price. Fast forward a couple of days to tryouts, we were looking so good in our gear. We had even managed to practice a little in the backyard. We made it through that day of tryouts in one piece and boy was it hard work. More work than we wanted to put in. Without ever discussing why, we looked at each other before the next day of tryouts. "You going?" "Nah, I'm good". Needless to say, I still have the stick and gloves. They're probably gathering dust in my attic.
Rebecca Heidt
Bridesmaid
Affectionately known as: B or Becky Three Fun Facts: 1. She spent a summer in South Africa swimming with and studying great white sharks 2. True Crime podcasts are her kryptonite, there is ALWAYS time for another 3. If a person could win a gold metal for parallel parking, it would be hers A quick note from the Bride: "My favorite crunchy shark girl concert junkie and surrogate younger sister. When I stopped growing my freshman year of high school, no one told B that those same rules applied to her, so voila, now I look up to Becky in more ways than one. I don't think she's ever let her fear keep her from doing something, she simply does it afraid. From living in South Africa and studying Great Whites for a summer, to pursuing her passions all the way to the Boston Aquarium, if this girl has a dream there's not much anyone can do to get in the way of it, and that's a quality that I have so much admiration for. To say that I have the "proud older sister" mentality about Beck would be the understatement of the year, but one thing that I appreciate most about her is her ability to remain completely and unapologetically herself. If you see this Aqua Hippy at the wedding ask her about True Crime or her next tattoo!"
Andrew Schwartz
Groomsman
A quick story from the Groom: Shwartz knows everyone and is friends with everyone. It's impressive, endearing and frustrating all at the same time. I bet if I went to introduce him to my grandmother that she'd turn around and say "Andy? Andrew Schwartz? It's so great to see you!" In this imagined scenario, Schwartz and my grandma would turn out to be old soccer buddies and I'd learn that he sees her more times a year than I do. Jokes aside, Schwartz has seen me at my best and *for sure* at my worst. There was one day that we met up to ski at my small home ski hill called Mt. Wachusett with a bunch of guys. There must have been 15 of us all racing down the trails and showing off our tricks on little side jumps. I made a bad choice. I hit a jump going WAY too fast and came down on my right arm. I instantly knew something was wrong and confirmed that thought when I raised my arms up and only one of them went up. The other just hung swaying by my side. 15 guys on the slope, but only one of them stayed by my side to make sure I was alright. Through the toboggan ride down the slopes. During the long wait to see the medical staff. Even when a girl was brought into the ski patrol hut screaming about her shoulder, he toughed it out to make sure I was alright. I wasn't.. and I ended up needing to get surgery to put my arm back together, but remain appreciative that Schwartz had my back.
Savannah Knisely
Bridesmaid
Affectionately known as: Sav or Banana Three Fun Facts: 1. She's been to 26 national parks 2. When she was a toddler Snow White was her favorite Disney princess but she couldn’t pronounce her name so she called her Snow Wipe for a few years 3. She once met Jimmy Garoppolo at a bar in college and he bought her a drink A quick note from the Bride: "My very own adventure Barbie, but as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Sav and I met at church a few years ago and I knew immediately that I wanted to call her friend. No matter what she's going through she works hard to keep a contagious smile on her face and is full of kind words of encouragement and comfort. Savannah and I pretty much immediately bonded over the Enneagram personality test because we're introspective nerds, and she is my favorite 3. I think the website says it best, this girl is as 'self-assured, attractive, and charming as well as ambitious, competent, and energetic' as they come. If you're lucky enough to know Savannah you've gotten to experience first hand her drive to succeed as well as her incredible ability to be a selfless friend. She's certainly made my life better by being mine."
Billy Jackman
Groomsman
A quick story from the Groom: Billy is always good for an epic adventure or a deep conversation. Seriously, I don't know many other people that can ask questions that really make you think quite as well as Billy. He has a talent for hosting people and helping them have a good time - humbly making the group a fire, starting up a game of cards or making the newcomer feel welcome. One day, Billy asked if my roommate and I wanted to come hike Cannon Mountain and ski down. We'd leave early and take the day so it was nice and easy. I'm used to skiing big mountains out west and Billy's so laid back that I was pretty sure it would be a piece of cake. I had no idea that Cannon is advertised as "The Highest Ski Area Summit in NH" and that "skiing in-shape" does not equal "hiking in-shape". We stopped at a cafe on the way up to the mountain and I got an AWESOME breakfast sandwich. Lots of cheese and meat (just the way I like it) but I was definitely feeling it by the time we got to the mountain. Within the first 15 minutes, I was pale and feeling horrible. I guess drinking coffee and barely any water wasn't a great choice either. I wasn't about to turn around so the only way was up. It was a struggle, but turned into one of the most beautiful days on the trail. My legs were so tired that I really botched the ride down the mountain at the end, but it didn't matter. We made it through alive.
Jordyn Pollard
Bridesmaid
Affectionately known as: Jo or Jordy Three Fun Facts: 1. She is an avid believer that there is no such thing as owning "too many cats" 2. She is a Dungeons & Dragons extraordinaire 3. She's a professional Anime Binger A quick note from the Bride: "Where do I even begin with my Jordy? She is and will always be my very own spooky Disney princess. Don't let her (at times) edgy appearance fool you, she is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. (that being said, she's an introvert, so when you see her at the wedding, maybe just give her a little wave from across the room, she would LOVE that!) We met a handful of years ago and immediately bonded over our mutual love for cupcakes (she makes the BEST), our awkward emo phases, our obsession with Hayley Williams and Paramore in general, and our almost impressive ability to house an entire bag of watermelon sour patch kids in 2 minutes flat. Some of my best memories with Jo involve getting dressed up and pretending we can afford dinner at The District in Portsmouth or going on long drives along the seacoast and belting the greatest showman soundtrack with my person."
Wes Tobin
Groomsman
A quick story from the Groom: My future brother-in-law Wes is a quiet riot if you watch closely. Normally an introvert and man of few words, Wes has an alter-ego that comes out in certain social situations (like weddings so get ready). When you're lucky, he pairs that alter-ego with his cowboy hat and boots and lets down his long hair ready for a good time. Recently, I had the honor of joining Abbie and her family for a trip down to Sanibel Island, FL for our friends' wedding. It was a great trip and I was really thankful to have Wes there as it was my first time meeting a number of Abbie's close family friends. Beautiful resort, great people and, most importantly, the wedding was a huge success. A few months later, the wedding video came out and we started getting excited texts from our friends. Turns out, Wes ended up being the highlight of the video. He had glow sticks in his hair and a calm swagger about him as he tore up the dance floor with iconic Wes dance moves. I already pulled Wes aside and told him. I don't want a wedding present. I just want him to bring his alter-ego to our wedding dance floor to show us all up.
Brea Vespa
Bridesmaid
Affectionately known as: Bam or BreaBrea Three Fun Facts: 1. She was the drummer in a rock band at the ripe age of 13 2. She once had a short conversation with Taylor Swift’s mom (the best day of her life) 3. Animal crossing was what got her through the pandemic A quick note from the Bride: "Brea and I have what I believe is one of my favorite (and most bizarre) friendship origin stories. I switched schools in 7th grade and found myself sitting in front of Brea in class. In the middle of class on one of my first days there, she decided it would be a good idea to give me a wet-willy. Keep in mind, this is before we had ever spoken a word to each other. Once I got over my shock I'd made up my mind that she had to be my friend. I've never regretted it, Brea is as bold now as she was all those years ago and she has the incredible ability to always see the BEST in people. She'll never quit on the people she loves, and if you're lucky enough to be one of those people it's a gift. You can find Brea and I laughing over how preposterous the serving size of Kraft shapes Mac & Cheese is, aimlessly wandering around target, or reminiscing over our days of musical theater!"
Matt Valenti
Groomsman
A quick story from the Groom: The most humble future NBA walk-on of all time - Matt is a joy to be around. He is such a genuine, kind person. He always keeps the jokes coming to keep everyone smiling and at ease. One day I visited Matt in NYC (where he grew up) and he took me around town to see a day in the life. First stop was the west 4th street courts to play some casual pickup basketball. For those of you that know me, I don't play basketball. Definitely not well. Matt encouraged me that I was "a natural athlete" and had "real solid defense" so I'd be an asset to any team. Turns out, The Cage is a famous spot for NYC street ball and we got there an hour or so before a neighborhood tournament began so some great players were warming up. Matt knew a number of them by name. We got a game of 5 on 5 going and.. you guessed it. I was absolutely useless on the court. The highlight of that morning was seeing Matt Euro Step between 2 huge players to effortlessly lay up the ball. Later that day, we stopped by a building that one of Matt's friends owned (real casual) to change and get ready to stop by a local party. The crowd ended up being mostly Ivy league grads in investment banking and consulting which was a big turnaround from the morning. Once again, Matt knew a number of the group by name and got along with everyone. He's the Mayor that New York City never knew it needed!
Cali LeClair
Bridesmaid
Affectionately known as: Cal Three Fun Facts: 1. Her happy place is on the water! Need a buddy to soak up the sun? If its near a lake or the beach Cali's your girl 2. You will most likely lose to her in any kind of Star Wars or Harry Potter trivia 3. She is a UBER talented hair stylist out of Portsmouth who specializes in blonding & redheads (#ShamelessPlug from the bride) A quick note from the Bride: "Cali is as sweet as honey and as soft-spoken as they come. No seriously, when you meet her at the wedding, you may have to ask her to repeat herself, many many times. BUT I can assure you that whatever it is she's trying to say is well worth your time to listen to. This beautiful young momma is full of wisdom and poise and I'm so thankful to call her friend. Have you ever met someone and noticed that when you're around them you feel just a bit more joy and your face hurts from smiling when you leave? And not only that but that your souls are kind of made of the same thing? This is what Velcro-ed me to Mrs. LeClair. She won't be partaking in adult beverages at the wedding, as by then she'll be 8 months pregnant with baby number two, but if you send a glass full of chocolate milk to her table (a craving) she'll be your best friend forever."
Marli Davis
Flower Girl
Affectionately known as: Mars, MC or Smallish Bear Three Fun Facts: 1. She's a master knock-knock joke teller 2. She's a future tiny CrossFit athlete in the making 3. She finds black pepper all together "too spicy" What the Bride & Groom have to say: "Marli Cole is our favorite Gryffindor and your future best friend (if you're lucky). Wherever this girl is the party is also. MC is a bundle of energy and the first to remind you how 'smart, kind, and important' you are while simultaneously putting you to shame on the dance floor. She has taught us both the overwhelming amount of joy and love a niece can add to life and being a part of hers and watching her grow has been the grandest of adventures. If at any point in the night you can't find us, just assume she's convinced us to duck out of the reception and we're all snuggled up somewhere watching How to Train Your Dragon."