Our Wedding Party

The Bridesmaids

The Groomsmen

Jen Nelson
New York, New York
Who knew that you could find the woman who would become one of your best friends by searching on the internet? Jen and I are probably one of the only success stories of the has-been social networking site Friendster. Back in 2005, I was looking for other people who had read a novel I loved and stumbled onto Jen's profile page. It turned out that Jen was even better in person than advertised and we became inseparable pretty quickly. Jen is an amazing nanny for a 3 year old boy and the maker of some of the best mix CDs that have ever been burned. She'll hold your hand when you're happy, hold your heart when you're sad, and hold your drink when you want to dance. Fun fact: Jen is an extremely talented licensed massage therapist (LMT).

Derek Sigler
St. Louis, Missouri
My friendship with Derek has spanned over 25 years which is more than half our lifetimes. Derek has such a positive attitude and friendly demeanor anyone who meets him remembers him even if it's only as my "redheaded friend". Over the years we have shared numerous experiences from wisely [stupidly] shooting fireworks at each other, to geeking out while standing in line for Star Wars movies, to road tripping across America. We have several annual traditions that have lasted many of those years, but you'll have to ask him what they are. Derek currently lives in St. Louis with his wife and two children. Fun Fact: Derek is one of the founding members of Arch Reactor, a St. Louis community workshop and non-profit.

Renee Zhang
Woodstock, New York
Renee and I met when we were 13 and instantly bonded over our love of reading, TV marathons, and the confusion we could inspire by telling people we were sisters. We spent many a family party hiding in our shared bedroom playing card games and trying to steal glasses of wine. Renee is fluent in several languages, including English, Mandarin Chinese, and good old fashioned side-eye. She inherited the family "art" gene and is truly wonderful at drawing and painting. Renee recently moved back to America from Shanghai with her husband and son and I could not be happier about it. Fun fact: Renee is a trained swing dancer!

Mark Blythe
Denver, Colorado
Mark and I met through one of those friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend channels and hit it off immediately. Despite us living in separate cities for a lot of the time since, we have maintained that friendship. Mark once said to me, "I surround myself with positive and motivated people. That way the entire group is more likely to succeed." I have since worked to hold up my end of that bargain. His ambition and drive with his career balanced with maintaining solid friendships is one of his greatest attributes. Fun Fact: Having counterparts twice his age, he is the youngest person to hold his position in the Social Security Administration.

Laura Huben
Los Angeles, California
There used to be this photo of Laura in a lab-coat dissecting something while wearing lilac surgical gloves and a strand of pearls. That picture summed her up perfectly: fascinated by medicine while remaining committed to fashion - even around formaldehyde. Of course, it didn't capture the fact that she is also an amazing gluten-free baker, a pop culture savant, and someone who is willing to have a 45-minute conversation to interpret vague text messages from a guy. We have been friends since our junior year of high school and I can't imagine the last 15 years without her. Fun fact: Laura recently completed her first half-marathon.

Myles Arbeeny
St. Louis, Missouri
In 2000 I was helping a local St. Louis Boy Scout troop prepare for their trip to Philmont, a backpacking ranch in New Mexico. Upon our return, I invited the scouts to come rock climb at a local climbing gym I occasionally worked at. Little did I know that the one scout to take me up on that offer would some day be my groomsman. Over the years, I have come to see Myles as my little brother as well as my friend. I have watched him grow from a shy and carefree 15 year old into a man who has overcome adversity and shoulders responsibility with passion. Fun Fact: In the spring of 2014, he and his girlfriend rafted the Colorado River though the Grand Canyon.

Monica Reyes-Grajales
Tarrytown, New York
I decided I had to befriend Monica on the first day of law school after Monica, in a display of confidence that far surpassed what I could muster, sat in the very first row of our lecture hall. It turns out that Monica always seizes the moment like that, which is one of the things I admire about her the most. Monica is incredibly kind and generous. She is a truly wonderful friend who has helped make New York City feel like home to me. She also has never met an exercise class or bottle of wine that she wouldn't try, and together we have planked, jumping-jacked, and raised our glasses all over town. Fun fact: Monica can salsa dance circles around you.

Zavisa Dogic
Boston, Massachusetts
Zavisa and I met through the climbing community in St. Louis and spent many days pulling on rock and nights cooking in campfires. We both have Devil's-Advocate personalities and will argue (er.. "debate") a topic non-stop for an hour, then drop it without a thought or an ounce of ill-feelings. About 8 years ago, Zavisa introduced me to mountain biking which eventually took over much of my free time (Rebecca will attest to that). Around the same time, I introduced him to the woman who he is still together with today. Quid pro quo, I suppose. Fun Fact: Being the highly creative types, Zavisa and his girlfriend hold the record for most awards from my Bring your Own Drinking Container Parties.