Wedding Party
Rachael Stevick
Maid of Honor
Rachael is my third cousin, but we have always called each other sisters. Although she is 6 years younger than me, she has bossed me around since the day she was born (or so it seems). Ray is someone who loves family time just as much as I do. We have been planning my wedding for what feels like YEARS and although she might not wake up to my 5am texts, I wouldn’t want to have anyone else next to me on my big day!
Courtney Kline
Bridesmaid
Courtney is (yep, you guessed it!) another one of my cousins. Some of my favorite years were watching her and her brother, Carter, grow up and get to be their big cousin. Courtney lives in Morgantown and when she was a baby, I would cry as soon as she and Carter would leave town. Courtney is the one who took our amazing engagement photos. I’m so excited to have her by my side on my wedding day!
Emily Drahos
Bridesmaid
Emily is my cousin who also feels like a sister to me. I can remember going shopping when we were little and people would ask if we were twins. She has always been my go-to girl for advice, fashion, & “is this cute?”. We had been dreaming of our engagements forever, and then had SO much fun planning our weddings together. Emily just got married this past July. So glad to have her on this journey with me!
Meggie Ball
Bridesmaid
Meggie is my brother, Brent’s, girlfriend & I’m pretty sure I still smile every time I say that! I’ve known Meggie since high school & to this day, I have never seen her in a bad mood. Meggie lights up any room she walks into with her contagious smile and laugh. When we are together, my cheeks hurt from laughing so hard. We crack each other up nonstop, even during workouts (sorry, Brent!). I could not be happier to have Meggie with me on my wedding day!
Laura Stefanow
Bridesmaid
Laura has been my best friend since preschool. From St. Vincent’s to WVU, every school memory that I have involves Laura. We lived in Morgantown together for 3 years. She is the craftiest person I know. I once made her pull an all nighter to illustrate a children’s book assignment.. that I probably waited until the last minute to complete. Although Laura lives in Washington, D.C., she will always be my forever best friend.
Lauren Gruenhagen
Bridesmaid
I met Lauren in college at WVU, but it feels like we have known each other FOREVER. Lauren knows me inside and out. We talk from sun up to sun down, and sometimes in between. I am beyond grateful that college brought us together, because I don’t know what I would do without this girl! Lauren spontaneously drove to Wheeling one night, which happened to be the night I met Jordan. She is the true definition of my soul sister.
Ali Washington
Bridesmaid
Ali is another one of my best friends from college. I’m so thankful that a series of bad exes made us cross paths, because we instantly became inseparable. Ali, Laura and I lived together for two years in Morgantown. Although I drove home constantly, I’m so lucky to look back on my college years that are filled of memories with Ali. She now lives in Chicago, but she is still my favorite person to act goofy with, even if that means on Snapchat. I’m so excited to have Ali by my side!
Kevin Oberdick
Best Man
I met Kev in high school, and we spent just about every weekend hanging out, looking for (very mild) trouble to get into. Whether it was gathering at his dad’s house with a few friends to drink some *ahem* adult beverages, teaching ourselves how to play various musical instruments, trying out for the baseball team, you could usually find us getting into something together. We chose different paths once it came time to go to college, and hardly even see each other these days, but we never missed a beat as friends. To this day we can pick up a conversation anywhere and be on the same page, finding humor in just about any situation. We just get each other. So even though our lives lead us apart, it never feels that way, and that’s why he’ll be up there with me on the biggest day of my life.
Bobby Wheeler
Groomsman
I met Bob clear back in 1st grade when his family moved here from Florida. New students were rare at Warwood Elementary, so we weren’t sure what to think when he joined our class. Before long, we were playing every sport together and becoming great friends. My man was a serious athlete, too. We took a lot of losses together, as it was typically him vs. the world (I was NOT a serious athlete, nor were many of our classmates), but I got to see this guy do some amazing things on the football field, basketball court, and baseball diamond. We roomed together for a year in college, and again in our mid-20s, and remained close friends over all those years. We still chat daily on just about every topic whether it be sports or video games or life in general, and I’m glad to have him by my side.
RJ Vargo
Groomsman
RJ & I crossed paths many times in youth sports, but there is one moment that stands out. That’s when I had the (bad) idea of trying to block him in a football game. This was the last time I ever played football. You see, RJ was a lot bigger than me, and also moving quite a lot faster. I realized right then as I was flying backwards through the air that this was not for me. This moment did become a great ice breaker when we met later on, and we’ve been good friends ever since. We played baseball together for years and still play pick-up basketball when we get the opportunity. We also spent a few years as roommates and drinking buddies, and though we didn’t always see eye to eye (I was a neat freak, he was…not), I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. I’m happy to have him by my side.
Brent Jorden
Groomsman
Brent and I met a few weeks after I started dating Chelsea. He welcomed me to the family with open arms, and has become a legitimate friend of mine. A true salesman, Brent makes you feel like you’re king of the world when he talks to you. We always have a good time when we hang out, usually chatting about sports (until he brings up NASCAR) or sipping on Fireball at a family function. Brent calls me “Buddy,” which is a perfect fit since buddies is exactly what we’ve become. I couldn’t have picked a better guy to call my brother-in-law.
Danny Doyle
Groomsman
I first met Danny as a rival on the baseball field when we played against him. He got the best of us that day, but we heard that he was transferring to Park. This was exciting news, we already had a good team, and could only get better by adding the guy who beat us the year prior. Little did I know that I’d also be getting a lifelong friend in the deal. We became best buds and even ended up being travel buddies for all the games. Every Friday night was an adventure with us trying to show our school spirit without being sanctioned (chest painting was banned from all events once they published our shirtless “P-A-T-R-I-O-T-S” picture in the paper). We still hang out regularly and now I get to watch him become an amazing father. It’s an honor to have him stand up there with me on my big day.
JD Eddy
Groomsman
I actually can’t quite remember when I met Jack. At some point in high school, all my friends started talking about this “JD” person. “Dude, we going to JDs tonight?” “Yeah man last time was awesome.” I was stuck on the fringes not knowing this guy to get an invite and get in on the fun. All I know is we eventually crossed paths a few times in college and came to realize we have the exact same sense of humor and knack for roasting our friends. We’ve become really close since then, talking fantasy sports all day and often spending Sundays in the fall watching football for hours. This guy is my go-to drinking buddy and main collaborator on finding new beers and whiskeys to try, as well as the best boat salesman I know. I appreciate this guy supporting me through it all on my wedding day.
Josh Nagel
Groomsman
I met Josh when I was a college sophomore and he was an incoming freshman. We played the same positions on the baseball team, so we were sizing each other up as competition at first. Over time, we got to know each other and really clicked. We went on to become somewhat of a dynamic duo as a second base-shortstop combo, then ironically finished our careers with me as a pitcher and him as a catcher. On and off the field we always had each other’s backs. We were pretty good beer pong partners too, almost taking home the gold in the first (and possibly only?) tournament hosted at Generations. We still keep in touch and are both currently finding career success in real estate lending. It’s great to have Josh as my battery mate once again, just like old times on the baseball field.