Katherine & Eric
Wedding Party People
Bridget Ward
Matron of Honor
Big sister of the bride, has known the bride the longest, believes this isn't a competition, but if it were she would be the best Matron of Honor there ever was. Is also responsible for bringing the adorable flower girl and ring bearer of the festivities into the world. Caramel macchiatos with soy milk and sour patch candy makes this Matron's day, especially if paired with watching Murder She Wrote and listening to Goo Goo Dolls, preferably while the kids are asleep.
Corey Zahora
Best Man
Corey met the groom (me, Eric, I'm the groom. I'm just going to write in the first person from here on out) through playing hockey at the University of Illinois. We've been teammates, roommates, best buds, and I've even been his +1 to a destination wedding. One day we hope to have a marathon viewing of the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions together. Corey also plays bass guitar and collects hockey jerseys. He's the best (man)!
Mary Trainor
Maid of Honor
Little sister of the bride, just as loud and competitive as the Matron, can't wait to show everyone the results of her major in Communications and concentration in Public Speaking during her reception speech. Adores the happy couple but would deny it if asked. Vanilla frappuccinos with an espresso shot and chocolate croissants make this MOH happy, or a holiday pour of wine, especially paired with watching Gilmore Girls or Queer Eye and snuggling with her kitty Ozzie.
Matt O'Neill
Groomsman
He's the tall one. Also probably the funniest. I know him from hockey at U of I too. A truly loyal friend who will always have your back, and who will also brutally (but jokingly) insult you and your whole life. He's actually very nice though, I promise. You'll definitely see him out on dance floor. I've seen him do the worm on the grossest bar floor ever, and I've seen him get thrown out of a bar for dancing too hard.
Jenny Placek
Bridesmaid
Big sister of the Groom, and while those two have quite a nice relationship with endless references and laughs, she tends to support the Bride just a little more. Has an impressive amount of knowledge about real estate and wedding planning. Knows how to whip up a mean mac and cheese and dip. Is really good at Grand Theft Auto. Shows up wearing really cute outfits that the bride asks her about and plans to also get. A solid time for this woman is a Jack & Coke and a brownie, but it better have frosting on it, while watching house hunting shows, and laying down next to or under her beautiful Golden Retriever Mabel.
Chris Malave
Groomsman
Chris is my brother-in-law, and I've known him for something like 15 years now. He's a super nice guy who's into soccer, video games, and history. Have you ever drank every kind of alcohol behind the bar at a wedding? Because Chris has, but I don't think he'd recommend it. Love this guy!
Sara Fleischman
Bridesmaid
Lived across the street from the bride growing up, then decided to go full circle and lived with her after college in Chicago. Went from getting 7/11 slurpees together and playing outside on Scoville Avenue to having nights in at their apartment with homemade mac and cheese and the best desserts found at Trader Joe's. And of course walking down to the Irish pub downstairs and later on grabbing Combos, Cheetos, and Ben & Jerry's from you guessed it, 7/11. Knows so much about health and wellness, finds the best airfare deals, and puts together an immaculate charcuterie board. Get her a matcha latte or a glass of wine with cheese curds or banana chips while watching The Real Housewives (specifically New Jersey) and sharing the couch with her adorable Frenchie Luda.
John Gallagher
Groomsman
He's the short one. Also probably the smartest and best-looking. I met John at U of I where we were roommates and played hockey together. He may also be a vampire because he seems to be nocturnal at times. But undead or not, the guy's just a great person who will do anything for his friends. John likes to take trips filled with hiking and checking out cool breweries.
Anne Stohlquist
Bridesmaid
Met the bride in high school health class, and their friendship grew singing At Last, White Christmas, and Beatles medleys in very unattractive choir dresses. Taught the bride how to eat a kiwi with a spoon and introduced her to the magic that is a Corgi. Her bond with the bride especially comes out when they hear For Good from Wicked or talk so much over a bottle of wine and pasta that they end up being the last ones out of the restaurant. A beautiful soul, and she will without a doubt tell the bride that made her immediately think of the song Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney. She hosts a great wine tasting and German fest party, and owns the beautiful cat that is Pascal.
Cole Nordwall
Groomsman
Cole became a father somewhat recently, but in a way, he's always been a dad. This is a man who loves fishing, cooking up some food, and watching a game. Even at U of I, his ideal Friday night was playing video games and drinking beers at home alone. But we still forced him to hang out with us enough to be our friend.
Lauren Sanchez
Bridesmaid
Met the bride while having lunch together in high school freshman year around 10am every day and playing softball. Her laughter is contagious and makes any day better, and the bride tends to introduce those who do not yet know her as her funny friend. Her tendency to be competitive brings out a fiery side in the bride every time a game is played, even if the stakes are extremely low. An amazing writer with a real knack for leaving voicemails too funny to ever delete. Give this woman a drink from Epcot's around the world, some pasta to represent her Italian culture, and some time with her stunning cat Sheba and handsome dog Toby.
Daniel Kelly
Groomsman
Daniel is a rarity in this group because he's not a hockey player, but he does do jiu jitsu, so he will take on all challengers in shirtless wrestling at the reception. Daniel knows a lot about an insane number of topics and is a very nice person to talk to. If you really want to get him going, ask him questions like, "Why can't we just print more money?"
Laura Kaiser
Bridesmaid
What a treasure is Laura Kaiser! Met the bride briefly in grade school and then reunited in high school to start having planned dates to Starbucks, Chipotle and various concerts. They both fell in love with stationary stores and blasting Taylor Swift in the car. The fun continued when they attended colleges very close to each other. The bride really enjoyed mooching off Laura's clearly better dining hall food. Laura likes her Starbucks and wine (especially with a fun movie to watch), but mostly loves the time spent with good friends that comes with it. What a lady!
Chris Corazzi
Groomsman
I know Chris from college too, and he was my favorite partner to play defense with. Chris also happens to be the biggest nerd I know. Not in a Star Wars kind of way, but in that he enjoys creating algorithms and spreadsheets to dominate fantasy hockey. In addition to that, Chris is the kindest, most genuine person I know, and a great friend.
Kylie Poulin
Officiant and Bridesmaid
Met the bride by being the groom's best friend's girlfriend, and became friends with the bride by being a particularly fantastic human being. Has a deep knowledge of Paris and Russia, hockey, and taking care of animals, and speaks multiple languages. Give this lady a good book (one of her many many books from one of her impressive book shelves), some wine with pizza, then turn on an Andrew Garfield film and place her adorable cat babies on her for a delightful time. We are extremely excited to have Kylie as our officiant for our ceremony, being the incredibly thoughtful, well-spoken, and loving friend she is to both the bride and groom.
Sophia Ward
Flower Girl
Here’s SOPHIA EVERYBODY! Our beloved flower girl is funny, smart, sweet, and has a talent for making an impressive obstacle course. Some of her favorite things are unicorns, apple juice, the TV show Bluey, chocolate chip cookies, sticker books, and the color pink. We can’t wait for Soph to show off her flower tossing abilities down the aisle, and for her to play this role on our special day.
Ryan Ward
Ring Bearer
The smallest and youngest of the wedding party will be the mighty and adorable Ryan. This little guy is easy to get giggling, loves to act out animal noises, and could eat an entire box of Mac and cheese if given the chance. We can’t wait to see Ry in his fancy outfit, and for him to be an overall charming ham.