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Hover over any of the silhouettes above to learn who is in our wedding, why they are there, and why we love them. And just in case the first-person perspective gets confusing: Whitney does the honors with the bridesmaids, and Trevor has the pleasure of introducing the men and our flower girl.
Lilah is the 4 year old daughter of my cousin, Abigail, and her husband, John. More than anything else in life, Lilah wants to be a princess. Convincing her to be in the wedding was easy when she found out she got to get dressed up like a princess (I think we're even letting her wear a tiara), and I think she would wear her dress every day if her mom let her. She thinks my name is Treasure, and I'm perfectly OK with that (because I am, right?). Once when I was playing with her, Whitney texted me a picture of herself in a bridesmaid dress she was trying on. Lilah got excited and said, "Is that a princess in that picture?!?" I replied: "She sure is." More than anything else, that probably secured Lilah's place in our wedding party.
Ever since Emi moved to Newburgh freshman year of high school, she and I have been best friends. Not only have we roomed together, but we have also been the mothers to two sister kittens. Whatever it is that Emi and I are doing, we go all out...like deciding not to get one cat, but two, or choosing not to get just yogurt covered raisins for studying, but also choosing to get yogurt covered pretzels and chocolate covered peanuts. Honestly, this is also what I love most about Emi: Whatever she puts her mind to, she does it, and she does it exceptionally well. She is one of the most passionate people I know, and I look forward to watching her make her own, unique path in life.
I have known Emily since before we were born, and although it sounds odd to say, it is entirely true. Our mother's worked together, were pregnant at the same time, and hung out frequently before we were born. After being born less than a month apar, it was only natural we would become friends. Despite all the years spent living far apart, we have remained good friends. We have the type of incredible friendship that allows us to remain close, even when we go without talking (or when she is overseas fighting for the freedoms of our great country!). She is one of the funniest and hardest working people I know. We have experienced some awkward times together growing up--mostly because Mindy and Cindi were in charge then--but we have remained friends and (I believe) become less awkward together. These past 26 years have been fantastic and I cannot wait for another 26 years of friendship!
Recently while watching old home videos, I discovered that Kristen attended my fourth birthday party! Up until that moment I thought we became friends in college through her cousin, Sarah (Hurley) Eisenberg. But we have, in fact, been friends since the time when our parents chose who our friends were! I must say, our parents have great taste and we should thank them for introducing us! Kristen and I were also roommates together at IU, so if you get the two Hurley cousins, Jodi, and Emi together, they know ALL of my bad habits. Kristen is by far my favorite person to listen to Justin Timberlake and eat Taco Bell with. She is a wonderful person that puts family and friends first, and she always has a good time. I love that she will always tell you the truth and exactly what's on her mind (and we all know I sometimes need that!).
Sarah and I have known each other and been friends since we were in pre-school together. I don't quite remember how we became friends, I just know we always have been, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. We have done everything together from volleyball to student council to Teen Advisory Council. We also lived less than 0.2 miles away from each other growing up, so we spent a lot of time over at each other's house and with each other's families. Sarah is one of the sweetest and kindest people you will ever meet. She has a contagious laugh and loves to have fun. She has been an incredible friend and is always there when I need her. She has also had the curse of living with me not only one year at IU, but two. She knows a lot of my bad habits and loves me anyways (which probably says more than anything!).
Of all the people that I met in college, Jodi is by far my favorite. We have a mutual love for campaigns, politics, and crazy shenanigans (and swimming in the Showalter Fountain). From the first time she picked me up at 9am on a Saturday morning for door walks, we became instant friends. We have experienced everything from moving to D.C. together to living together to working on the same campaign. I should also point out that Jodi is the only person to have actually shared a room with me--and for that she probably deserves a medal. Throughout our friendship, Jodi has taught me how to see the world from a different perspective than the small-town Newburgh mindset I grew up with. Jodi is my political partner in crime, and I cannot wait to explore our nation's capitol together--again!
Laura and I have been friends since she moved to Newburgh in high school. Ever since we met, we just clicked. I feel more comfortable around Laura than just about anyone (except Trevor). I know that regardless of what I am thinking or feeling, Laura will help me get through it and give me calm, honest feedback...without making me feel like a weirdo. Whether we are spending money we shouldn't at DSW or being walked by her large dog, Knox, we are always having a great time. Laura has an incredible personality and huge heart, and I cannot wait to see where life takes us!
Courtney is Trevor's little sis and my future sister! I am not even going to say my "future sister-in-law," because she's more than that. From the first time we met at the Savage's infamous Derby Party (where she secretly took my photo to send back to the family), I knew we would get along well (I mean, I would do the exact same type of stalkerish thing). Since the day we met, Courtney made me feel at home, and I appreciate that more than I can say. Courtney has become one of my best friends, and I am beyond excited to officially become sisters! Trevor also wanted me to mention that even though he's getting married and lives hundreds of miles away, he still loves his baby sister and will always be an over-protective big brother.
I have known Julie since we were 8 years old. She was my first friend at Castle Elementary School, and (let's face it) I have always been awkward. Imagine how awkward I must have been then, realize that Julie still CHOSE to be my friend anyway, and you'll understand why I love her so much. We have been through many of life's ups and downs together, and yet--regardless of the situation--we get through it together with smiles on our faces. One of the best parts of our friendship is that where we live and what we're doing doesn't affect the strength of our friendship. I know that no matter what the future holds, this will always remain true. Julie is an incredible person and an even more incredible friend. I am so lucky to have her in my life!
Steph is my little, but bigger (taller), sister. Although we didn't always get along growing up--and many of you can bear witness to that--she has always been my best friend. She knows how to "handle" me better than anyone, and when I am being ridiculous she quickly lets me know. She is one of the funniest and most sarcastic people I know (if you are gullible, watch out for her and Trevor together because they can be quite the pair; I know from experience). Stephanie is one of the most talented athletes and coaches I have ever seen. I am so excited for her future and cannot wait for her to teach our kids everything she knows! We both know that regardless of what happens in life, we will always have each other. I am so fortunate to have her as my little sister am excited to have her by my side when Trevor and I get married!
Over the years, Cam has been a fellow political hack, my boss, a mentor, my roommate, and my landlord. More importantly, he's been my friend. We've held many similar jobs, but he's far enough ahead on the path to give me sound advice on career moves. When my dad was diagnosed with cancer and when my brother passed away, Cam was the guy who talked me through it because he had dealt with similar situations. He introduced me to stratomatic baseball and lots of bad TV shows. He's also the first person I told about Whitney when we started dating, the first person I told when I decided to propose, and I'm glad he's standing besides me at the wedding.
For many years growing up, Zach was my aggressive little brother with a temper that didn't have a problem picking a fight with me--even though he was going to lose it. As we got older, though, we started taking the same side more and more against the younger two kids (True story: We once made a pact to become highly successful as early as possible in life so that the bar would be set so high that Courtney and Jordan could never come close to matching it). He might not readily admit it, but I know he looked up to me for years. Today, I look up to him: He's one of the smartest guys I know (after earning his MBA and recently his MPA, he's decided that going to medical school is more his speed), he's caring and compassionate, and he's got a great sense of humor. Also: He's single, ladies.
Every big brother needs a little brother to pick on. For nearly 22 years, I got that opportunity. For the first 14 years or so, he couldn't do anything about it. And then it happened: One day I came home from college, he was bigger than me, and he was able to fight back. But for all the teasing and taunting he took growing up, he always answered the phone to talk (really, it was more of a mumble) when I called. He passed away in a car accident on June 3, 2011, and I've missed him every day since. We're keeping a spot open for him in the lineup in his honor. I miss you, bud.
I met Gabe my freshman year of college. I think he had graduated at least a decade before, but apparently he never moved off of campus. That year, Gabe was the RA of a house just off campus where they let the rabble-rousers live. It's probably no surprise that I quickly made friends with them, and by extension Gabe. When the Smashing Pumpkins reunited and their first announced show was in Baltimore, we immediately bought tickets and figured out how to get to Baltimore later. When the last Star Wars movie came out, we camped out on the sidewalk for three or four days so we could be first in line (as it turns out, nobody else got in line until the day of the movie). We've had a lot of fun adventures together (Night of a Hundred Tacos, anyone?), and I'm glad he's joining me as I start my adventure with Whitney.
When I worked on Chris Chocola's campaign, Marcus was the press secretary in the Congressional office. Shortly after we lost, Marcus and I moved to Indianapolis within a week of each other. The Bears and Colts played in the Super Bowl about a month later, and Marcus and I (as fellow Bears fans) needed each other as an entire city realized they had an NFL team for the first time. We also bond over our mutual love of Notre Dame football, political communications, and making fun of people (especially fans of Michigan, Purdue and USC). Marcus is the guy that has all the "good" stories about me; as a result, most of what I wanted to write wasn't appropriate and/or I was fearful he would tell similar stories.
In the world of politics, Justin and I have grown up together (along with Matt Kirby). The story of the first time we met is too long to tell here, but the day ended with me screwing Justin out of a job he thought he was getting. I got the job, and the job he got instead was a terrible consolation prize. As a result, over the course of the next year I spent many late nights on the phone with him trying to "talk him off the ledge" (so to speak). Despite that situation, he's done well for himself professionally, and remained a good friend. He's a guy I always want next to me in the political trenches.
Along with Justin Garret and I, Kirby rounded out our Indiana GOP version of the Three Amigos (as our oldest and wisest member). Matt and I got into a friendly competition that resulted in us leading the country in voter contacts in 2006. In 2010, I helped convince him to move to South Bend for a campaign, and (similar to what I did with Garrett years earlier) ended up on the phone trying to "talk him off the ledge" on a couple of occasions. He also made the brief jump to the Indiana Department of Education with me, where he will forever be known as the architecht and first coach of the greatest government league softball dynasty in history.
Whitney went to school in Newburgh with Drew, but they didn't hang out much (she says he was "too cool for school"; having seen his old yearbooks photos, I agree that his frosted hair was pretty cool). After he convinced her to get involved in politics at IU, they became good friends. Over the last couple of years, I've been able to count on Drew for two things: 1) If things were ever tense between Whitney and I, Drew was the one guy who could calmly explain the male mind to her. 2) He owns a pickup, and I tend to need a lot of stuff moved.
Henrik is the 3 1/2 year old son of my cousin, David and his wife, Cary. David was a few years older and lived three doors down growing up, and--having no older brother of my own--he was the guy I looked up to. I was thrilled on the days I got to ride my bike to elementary school with him, on the days in middle school when I got to ride in his car, and when I was in high school and got to stay in a college dorm for the first time with him. Unfortunately, David is too big to fit into the ring bearer suit, so his son will have to do. Henrik is one of the coolest little dudes I know, and I love (or, his mom hates) teaching him tricks to play to people ("I got your nose", wet willy, and most recently wedgie). He will probably be disappointed at the wedding when he realizes he is a ring "bearer" and not a ring "bear" (although his growl is pretty sweet and bear-like).
