Wedding Party
Michael "Mike L" Lindenmuth
Groomsman
Mike L and Vinny have been friends since the 7th grade, when he defeated Vinny at a public-speaking contest by tugging the judges' heartstrings with Jim Valvano's famous "Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up" speech. Since then, they've remained close friends, surviving CYO basketball, high school, college and a few other crises along the way. He's also a shrewd, but fair, fantasy football commissioner, managing the league he, Vinny and most of the wedding party have competed in for more than a decade. He even let Vinny's dad play, to the approval and eventual frustration of Vinny, who lost to the elder Vincent Vella in the finals that first year. Vinny was standing next to Mike in 2018 when he and his wife, Becky, got married in Kansas City, and now he gets to return the favor. If you see Mike L on our Wedding Day, be sure to shake his hand. The whole event wouldn't be possible without him.
Sara Lizzul
Bridesmaid
Sara and Lauren first met in Ms. MacDonald's kindergarten, where they talked to each other so much, they eventually had to be placed in separate classes to stop disrupting the teacher. They weren't in the same class again until 6th grade, where they probably continued to talk too much. Sara's family became like second parents to Lauren. Her mom, Pat, served as their Girl Scout leader. They spent many weekends traveling to Boston, visiting Caumsett Park and spending the night at The Liberty Science Center. Those Friday night meetings were the highlight of the week for Lauren; they were guaranteed chances to see her closest friends. They typically ended with walking around Bay Terrace Shopping Center for hours. After years of exploring their native New York City, Sara and Lauren travelled together, taking trips to Georgia, and and Abu Dhabi, where Sara lives with her husband, Marco. Lauren was a bridesmaid at the couple's wedding in Egypt, and is happy to have Sara by her side at her own wedding. Sara and Marco's two kids, Tala and Noah, welcomed Vinny and Lauren with open arms when they visited them in the UAE, and now they look forward to seeing them any chance they can get.
Matthew Walks
Groomsman
Vinny and Matt met during what would turn out to be one of the most eventful summers of their lives: 2012. The two, raised on opposite ends of the country, became fast friends, and worked side-by-side at The Denver Post as the paper covered a tragic shooting in nearby Aurora, for which they both got their names on a Pulitzer Prize. Since then, Matt has moved around, including stops in New York, Vegas and, most recently, LA. They've never lost touch despite those moves, and spent 18 months on a bar-trivia winning streak when they lived two towns away from each other in central Connecticut. They barely paid for drinks in that span, from what they can remember. In their 12 years as friends, their antics have taken them across the country. From hazy memories of rooftop parties in Brooklyn, to a 3,000 mile road trip during which they were kicked of out the New York, New York casino in Vegas for "being too loud." Matt was the one who convinced Vinny to ask Lauren out, sparking the relationship that leads us here today.
Gabrielle Nussbaum
Bridesmaid
Lauren and Gabby have been friends since they were 2-years-old, which makes them each other's oldest friend. Since those early days, they've been nearly inseparable, whether going to punk shows in Queens, skiing in upstate NY, going to summer camp or travelling to random countries for New Year's Eve. They even created the "Lauren and Gabby theory." You can ask them about it. Lauren loves to tag along whenever Gabby is on an international trip, like visiting her in the UK while she was in grad school and adventuring to Bratislava; conserving wildlife in Cambodia; eating their weight in Khinkali and Khachapuri in Georgia; and scuba diving in Honduras. After so many dive trips, Gabby is the only one Lauren trusts enough to scuba dive with. Gabby helped Lauren pick out her wedding dress, and she couldn't have done it without her. Now that Gabby and her fiance, Michael, have moved closer to Philly, they see each other more often and are looking forward to having even more adventures together.
Michael "Mike O" Owsinski
Groomsman
Mike O and Vinny have spent many, many hours together over their two-decade friendship, usually debating on long drives about coffee, whiskey or Bob Dylan's discography. After meeting in the same high school homeroom, they've remained close friends, and probably spent way too much time in Scranton, Shippensburg and other armpits of Pennsylvania, especially in the dive bars that Mike O loved going to. They've also gotten lost on several occasions during deep treks in the woods. We won't say who was responsible. But, regardless of who was at fault, there are few people Vinny would rather be lost in the wilderness with.
Amy Petrillo
Bridesmaid
Amy's parents and Lauren's parents lived next to each other in Flushing, close enough that their families would often hear crying babies. When Lauren was crying, Amy's parents thought it was Amy and vice versa. It's how Amy came to be known by the Schneidermans as their "second daughter." The girls stayed close throughout the years, especially during their summers at Cedar Lake camp, which, coincidentally, was located in the Poconos, not far from where Vinny grew up. Lauren was also there when Amy and her husband, Zac, started their relationship as high school sweethearts. And Lauren was there, as Amy's maid of honor, when the two got married years later. Keep an eye out for Amy and Zac's daughters, Olivia and Isla, who will be the cute flower girls at the ceremony.
Andrew Merkle
Groomsman
Merkle has more in common with the bride and groom than he may realize: Like Vinny, he is the scion of a loud family of New Yorkers that relocated to the wilds of the Poconos. And, like Lauren, his family is from Queens. It makes sense, in hindsight, that Merkle and Vinny became such good friends during high school and have stayed close ever since. Fate brought them to the same slice of forest, and coincidence reunited them last year: They now live a block apart in Fishtown. During high school, Vinny often drove Merkle to their friend group's hangouts, hour-plus drives that helped cement their bond in which they discussed their lofty plans for the future. Now, they meet up for coffee and lunch and talk about the old times, including Merkle's many rock shows played across the country.
Jared Schneiderman
Bridesman
Lauren, obviously, has known Jared his whole life. In the early days, she would rock him back and forth on her lap, calling him "my baby." Now her baby brother is often mistaken as the oldest, something that Lauren always appreciates. The two have stood together through all of life's triumphs and tragedies, and she couldn't imagine her wedding day without him by her side. Jared has also welcomed Vinny into his family with open arms. The two quickly formed a strong relationship, bolstered by their mutual love of Seinfeld, fantasy football and Jewish deli meats. He also was an essential guide for Vinny through his first Seders and bar mitzvahs with the Schneidermans. Vinny never had a brother of his own, but Jared has been a close second to one in the years he and Lauren have been together.