Wedding Party
Rachel Gulasey
Maid of Honor
Big sister, volleyball teammate, and Red Rover Overlord. Rachel has been with Sara through it all. Together, they have traveled the world, adopted the best of dogs, and survived running the FULL Cleveland Marathon. Sara could never quite imagine this day without the woman that has been looking out for her since day one. Ice Breaker: Ask Rachel about the first and last time they attended Shooters together.
Kate Cook
Matron of Honor
Sara met Kate shortly after she moved to Nashville, TN to begin her budding medical device sales career circa 2017. They quickly recognized each other as sisters from different mustached misters. Over the years, they have been unapologetically silly, bonded over bottles of cheap champagne, and visited each other no matter the miles between them.
Emily Edel
Bridesmaid
This friendship is a (Swedish fish) tale as old as time. Sara and Emily met when they were teeny boppers playing Junior Olympic Volleyball and exchanging concussions on a weekly basis. Emily has supported Sara through awkward phases, bad haircuts/box dye experiences, and nights of too many 1800 shots.
Miranda Lundberg
Bridesmaid
Sara and Miranda met in 2011 during their freshman year in nursing school at CWRU. Although that seems like forever ago, Sara can still vividly remember the day she met Miranda walking to MedSurg class. Since then, this duo has actively made time for each other even though they have been separated by varying amounts of miles. They have shared many belly laughs, travels, and margs over the years.
Anna Ambrose
Bridesmaid
Anna and Sara became friends during their sophomore year of nursing school at CWRU. They supported each other through clinical rotations, survived the revolving list of interesting professors, and many hangovers. They have matured together as people, professionals, and friends. Anna is the mother of our flower girl, Mila.
Fady Haddad
Bridesman
Sara met Fady at CWRU in the fall of 2011 and she quickly recognized him as one of the most genuine and kind humans you could ever meet. These two could be found being serious/motivating each other to study at the library, cheering each other on in a drinking game, or running into each other at the gym.
The Pickles
Bridesmaid
It is relatively unfair to group three of the most influential people in Sara’s life under one umbrella, but it is the best way to describe this weird and wonderful cluster of friends. Case Western is a small school, so if you played a sport or went to parties, you knew a good chunk of social people on campus. The ladies had known each other in this capacity for a few years; however, when they decided to help start a new sorority on campus, they became lifelong friends. Eileen McCafferty (pictured left) - Cleveland native relocated to Portland, OR. Kind heart, super smart, and always down for a good time. A fair amount of Sara's near-death experiences happened with Eileen (we can laugh about them now!). Hope Ho (pictured middle left) - Sunshine incarnate and the most entrepreneurial of the group. Hope lives in Columbus with her husband, Isaac, and her two dogs, Dale and Dory. Jiji Ciolek (pictured right) - Jiji is Sara's sorority twin. They were instant friends whose love for being silly was matched by their love of caring for people. They worked on sister ICU units at the Cleveland Clinic. Jiji now lives in Chicago with her husband, Joey, and her two dogs, JoJo and Pepper.
Tony Floden
Best Man
Born and raised in Bussey, Iowa (pause to consult a map, if necessary), Tony spent his freshman year in Hillcrest N168, across the hall and one door down from Casey. He also lived with Casey for their junior and senior years, as well as Casey’s first two years of law school (during which time Tony was allegedly going to graduate school for biomedical engineering, although this has never been confirmed). In the 17 years since they ceased their co-habitation, Tony and Casey have engaged in countless hours of phone calls (in varying stages of sobriety) about any number of topics, but usually the Hawks and the Cubs. Suggested icebreaker: Ask Tony about the time times he visited the Johnson County Jail. [Note: Selecting an ice breaker for Tony was incredibly difficult due to the sheer volume of options. If you speak with him for five minutes, you will understand.]
J.T. Foody
Groomsman
A native of suburban Chicago, J.T. resided in Hillcrest N164, across the hall and one door down from Casey, as a freshman. J.T. and Casey (and Tony) were roommates when Casey was struggling through his first year of law school and J.T. was thriving as a super (5th year) senior after taking a “redshirt” year as a sophomore to concentrate on academics. Over the years, J.T. and Casey have remained close friends despite only seeing each other once or twice a year. Once in college, J.T. styled Casey’s hair when Casey had overindulged following a Hawkeye football victory. Once in adulthood, J.T. escorted Casey to the wedding of a friend (Chris) when an irresponsible bartender overserved Casey. Reflecting on these moments reminds Casey of an undergrad conversation in which J.T. referred to Casey as his “road dog.” Casey has never understood exactly what that meant, but he could not agree more. Road dogs for life. Suggested icebreaker: Ask J.T. about the time he and Casey (and Tony) cruised the Mexican countryside.
Chris Svehlek
Groomsman
Hailing from the foreign land of Wisconsin, Chris exhibited exemplary judgment in venturing south to Iowa City for a fulsome college experience. Chris lived directly across the hall from Casey in Hillcrest N166 freshman year, and they shared an apartment with Tony for their junior and senior years. They spent another year as roommates in Kansas City when they were technically “young professionals” but generally spent their weekends living like undergrads. Chris has a reputation as a very intelligent, very responsible individual. This is accurate, but do not be fooled. This man will crush beers until sunrise if the situation presents itself. Suggested icebreaker: Ask Chris about the time he went to Arlington Days.
T.J. Alshouse
Groomsman
The other half of Casey’s longest friendship, T.J. has known Casey since they were infants. Their inability to recall their initial interactions in diapers was what the literature community refers to as foreshadowing, as they spent innumerable days and nights in high school, college, and thereafter which they cannot necessarily recall as we sit here today. From their days in little league through their days cruising the gravel roads of northeast Iowa and continuing to their present-day interactions as “adults,” T.J. and Casey have maintained a friendship that would make Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin jealous. Suggested icebreaker: Ask T.J. about the time he bailed Casey out of jail or the time he accessed Casey’s third floor college apartment from the outside of the building.
Paul Seedorff
Groomsman
Already diehard sports fans, Paul and Casey immediately bonded as kindergarteners. Despite their differing allegiances – Paul a White Sox fan, Casey a Cubs fan; Paul a Michigan fan (why?), Casey an Iowa fan – they shared a love for the Bears. Throughout numerous childhood faceoffs on the court – Jordan (Paul) vs. Bird (Casey) – and the diamond – Frank Thomas (Paul) vs. Andre Dawson (Casey) – their friendship grew. They await the day they can finally celebrate a Bears Super Bowl victory. As they say, patience is a virtue. Suggested icebreaker: Ask Paul about the time he hosted a party during senior year the night before a school trip to St. Louis (hint: neither Casey nor Paul was in good shape as they boarded the bus at 5:00 a.m.).
Travis Robinson
Groomsman
This man – who goes by “Robo” – has been a friend of Casey’s since their interactions at Robo’s grandparents’ bakery in Strawberry Point in the mid-1980s. The geographic distance that has separated them for two-plus decades has done nothing to deteriorate their ability to go back-and-forth with movie quotes and inside jokes immediately upon encountering each other. Having served as the unofficial bodyguard for Chuck since approximately 2000, Robo is a friend not only to Casey but to the entire Keppler family. The final – and perhaps most important – thing that you must know about Robo and Casey is that the world has never seen a more formidable Beer Olympics pairing. Put simply, you do not want to be on the other side of the table. You will lose, and you will lose badly. Suggested icebreaker: Ask Robo about the time he picked up Casey (and Tony) at a gas station in Georgia after their car broke down on the way to the Outback Bowl.
Nic Taulbee
Groomsman
The only member of the wedding party who can actually confirm that Casey attended law school, Nic was involuntarily required, i.e., forced, to spend every classroom hour with Casey their first year. As soon as they realized that studying 24/7 was not the answer to maintaining their sanity – and that alcohol-fueled breakaways eased the stress significantly – Nic and Casey became fast friends. Their shared affinity for Hawkeye football and wrestling ensured their friendship would continue long after they parted ways in Iowa City and began their respective legal careers. For any ordinary person, law school is an excruciating, confidence-crushing experience. Without Nic (and others in their small circle), there is no telling if Casey would have made it through. Suggested icebreaker: Ask Nic about the time he and Casey experienced Four Loko for the first (and only) time.