Rachel & Aaron
Wedding Party
Naomi Katz
Maid of Honor
One day, I put on my coat and my boots and went to Janice's house. By the time I got home, there was a tiny baby there! I have no idea what I felt about her then, because I was not quite 2 years old. But over the years, we've fought with and for each other, driven hundreds of miles, made silly lists, and supported each other at every turn. We share secrets, recipes, and most importantly that incredible closeness that comes from being sisters. I'm so proud of her drive to pursue what makes her truly happy. There was never any question of who would be standing by my (other) side on this important day.
Eric Struminger
Best Man
Somehow my parents convinced me to be excited about having a little brother. I guess it worked out OK. When we were younger, we didn't necessarily see eye to eye and had many fights that ended with both of us in our rooms. However, we did have some good times playing together. As we've gotten older, the physical fighting has stopped, and our relationship has grown. Whether it's playing golf, annoying our parents with stupid jokes, commiserating about the Grizzlies, we always seem to have a pretty good time together.
Krista Scott
Bridesmaid
I have only one word to describe my cousin, fierce. She has always known who she was and what she wanted, and has never been afraid to open her mouth and tell you exactly what her real name is. We spent so much time together growing up she's almost like a second sister. And that relationship has only grown closer as we got older. Whether it was Wednesday night Karaoke the summer I was interning in Grand Rapids or afternoons spent playing games at her house, our bond has stayed strong as we've grown up. I'm so glad she decided to move back to Michigan and that she is going to be there with me for this insane journey.
Mike Brian
Groomsman
I was really happy living in an apartment by myself in Delaware, but Mike dragged me out of my lair. After being friendly for our first two years and dominating undergrads in intramural sports, Mike and my relationship really blossomed while we were living together. We got through some of our toughest grad school times together, and I am honored to be friends with someone who is so kind and caring.
Katie Brieloff
Bridesmaid
It feels like Katie and I have been besties forever. We've danced together, laughed together, giggled about cute boys, and talked art history and modern feminism. We may not have always been great at keeping in touch when we lived in different cities or our lives got complicated, but I know she's the one person that no matter what stage of life I'm in, how long it's been, or what is going on in our lives, I can depend on her to pick up like nothing has changed and we just talked the day before.
Brian Feiler
Groomsman
Born 8 days apart, I think Brian and I were destined to become friends. I have few childhood memories that don't involve Brian in some way. We shared birthdays together and enjoyed being extremely competitive with each other. While we haven't lived in the same city for almost a decade and a half and don't get to talk to each other as much as we would like, Brian is still one of my best friends.
Ali Ortiz
Bridesmaid
I didn't think much of anything important was happening when I turned around to chat with the girls sitting behind me in my genetics class, or when she put her number into my very un-smart phone and couldn't figure out how to turn off caps lock. But a year later we were living together. In truth I had signed the lease because I was desperate to be living with other people, and Ali, Sondra, and Tony seemed like they would make decent roomies. I knew I was in luck when we realized that we both had taste in nerdy weirdness. Whether it was the poster of the president on the stairwell leading up to our rooms, introducing each other to our weird fandoms, or drawing eyebrows on our roommate's dog, that year was so full of laughter and joy. I'm so glad I turned around that day
Max Horovitz
Groomsman
While I technically met his wife first, Max and I quickly became friends during my first year at Florida. We spent many hours at Hillel, both on Friday nights and controlling the TVs during football season on Sundays, and I finally found someone more passionate about Florida sports than me. We traveled to national championships together, lived next to each other while I cycled through roommates, and I was able to share in the joy when he and Mindy got married. I'm excited that Max now gets to share in my simcha.