Alicia & Brad

Our wedding party

BRIDESMAIDS

SARAH RICH—Maid of Honour
Sarah and I met during Frosh Week at St. Jerome's University in 2002. We became great friends during our first year in residence, thanks in part to many late-night chats and a shared love of napping (and Ralph Lauren pillows). Over the years, Sarah has welcomed me into her family and stood by me through all of life's ups and downs. You could say that she is a pal and a confidant. Sarah loves to have fun and is the mastermind behind some of our group's craziest schemes. There is never a dull moment when the two of us get together, whether we're indulging in the world's most garlicky Greek food or hanging upside down at yoga class in Brantford. I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to make so many awesome memories with Sarah over the years and am truly blessed to have her in my life. Sarah has an incredible heart, and has always been there to offer her unconditional love and support. She has been my rock during the craziness of wedding planning, keeping me calm at every turn. I am so thankful that she will be by my side on this special day. Sarah currently lives in Brantford, Ontario and works for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Mississauga.

 

MEAGAN CLARE
I met Meagan during our first year at St. Jerome's University while we were both living in residence. We shared so many fun times together—watching the stellar Thursday night lineup in the Sweeney Hall TV lounge, dancing it up at Louie's and being subjected to the world's worst movies at J.R. Finn. Meagan has an extensive knowledge of all things pop-culture related, especially when it comes to a little indie band called "The Beatles" and a struggling actor named George Clooney. If trivia had a dream team, I'd like to think that we'd be its co-captains. In second year, Meagan and I were neighbours and had the opportunity to travel together to Rome and Greece for an amazing adventure (which featured an epic belly dancing performance by one Mr. Joel Wilcox). I'm very lucky to have had the chance to share such a memorable trip with a great friend. Meagan has always been there to lend an ear—or a Nalgene—and I am so grateful for all of the support she's given me over the years. Meagan is currently living and working as a teacher in Brantford, Ontario.


MORGAN STANEK
Morgan and I met in our first year at SJU when I was "friend stolen" by the ladies of Ready or Not. Morgan is by far the most patriotic Canadian I know, and has had such a big influence on my life, from making me more aware of amazing Canadian culture to making me really think about how I pronounce the word "Calgary." Morgan could easily give Martha Stewart a run for her money as she is an excellent hostess and makes some of the most delicious baked goods I've ever eaten. She is also very crafty, and is the woman behind one of my most cherished possessions—a scrap book of our time at SJU. Morgan has a fantastic sense of humour and is one of the most determined people I have ever met. I am so grateful to have the chance to make new memories with her during this exciting time. Morgan currently lives in Hamilton, where she works as a Woman's Advocate.


MANDY DUNBAR
Mandy and I met in our first year in residence at SJU. One of my earliest memories of Mandy is listening to her practice a song for coffee house with her roommate, Becky. She is an incredibly talented musician, and so inspiring in the way that she follows her dreams. Over the years, Mandy has introduced me to the awesomeness of Jimmy Eat World and Joan of Arcadia, and given me a deeper appreciation for Bryan Adams. Her Sister Act-inspired dance moves are second to none and her guitar stance in Rock Band would put most people to shame. Mandy has been so incredibly supportive during the wedding planning process, from being our dress model to being my wedding dress cheerleader. I am so thankful for her friendship and am thrilled that she will be sharing in our special day. Mandy currently lives in Waterloo and sings/plays a mean guitar in the band Paint.


ANNIKA ASHFIELD
From the very first time I met Annika, she has been so warm and welcoming, it's no wonder we've become great friends. Annika is an amazing artist and we are lucky enough to have one of her paintings hanging in our home in Toronto—a nice reminder of her while she's travelling the globe. Annika and I have had some great adventures over the years—cracking jokes together during driving class, chopping all of Annika's hair off for charity in Sudbury, "tanning" on the dock and reciting lines from Friends—and I'm so looking forward to all of the great times that we'll share together in the future as sisters! Annika currently lives in Banff, but will be heading off to Prague after our wedding to teach English as a second language.
 

–Alicia
 

GROOMSMEN

JON RENNIE—Best Man
My first memory of Jon was when he performed a barefoot waterskiing demo at the annual regatta on our lake at the cottage. He was 6. It shouldn't surprise anybody that we grew up spending our summers at the cottage trying our hands at a variety of watersports. There aren't many people who have experienced our form of "tubing" who will try it for a second time, but you couldn't keep either of us away from it. Since then, Jon and I have grown to be more than just "seasonal friends"—he has been a great friend to both of us for many years. The core areas of our house serve as evidence of that friendship, as we could easily call our living/dining rooms the Jon Rennie Museum of Art. Jon is currently living in Toronto and working as a wedding photographer, and although he is not shooting our wedding, his insight into wedding planning has been very valuable.

MIKE WATSON

Mike and I met during our frosh week orientation in 2001, living on the same floor at St Jerome's. As two of the few members of the UW Math program who wanted to avoid the math building, shower occasionally, and participate in group events that didn't revolve around studying, it didn't take long for us to form a solid friendship. We began living together the following term, and aside from a few months after finishing school, lived together until the end of last summer. In the story of how Alicia and I met, you may remember there was a passenger in the shopping cart I was pushing through the halls—you guessed it, none other than Watts. That was just one of many great memories we have shared through our years as friends. In the time that the three of us have been friends, Mike has become like a part of our family—even taking on the role of uncle to our two cats, whom he affectionately re-named "Black" and "Grey." Mike is currently working on the internet and in casinos around the world as a professional poker player. Don't be fooled though—he still puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us. Well, on days that require pants, that is.

 

RYAN CAMPBELL

WESLEY WONG
I met Wes during my final year at UW at a local poker game. (Yes, oddly enough, there is another degenerate gambler in the group.) We had played together a few times before joining forces for a poker tournament that would feature teams of eight players, broken up geographically. Wes, Watts and I were all members of the Waterloo team, which entered the event as somewhat of a dark horse, even though UW is apparently some sort of poker Mecca. It was during the lead up to this event that the three of us started to become good friends, spending hours dissecting each other's playing style to the point that Wes earned himself the not-so-dubious nickname "Station." Short for calling station, the poker equivalent of an ATM, he wasn't too pleased with the nickname and brought his A-game for the big day, helping lead the team to victory. Now that our Waterloo days are over, Wes and I continue to be great friends thanks in part to our common love of all things sports. These days, Wes is living in Toronto and can be found speaking at approximately three times the speed of sound, usually on a subject relating to poker or any sport you care to discuss.

JOEL WILCOX
To say that Joel played a big role in the two of us coming together would be like saying that Jack Bauer is a bit of a badass. I got to know Joel well during the year after I graduated from UW, when he was living with Alicia. Before that, I had regularly heard stories of "the brother that God forgot to give her" and it didn't take long to see that he was the type of person who would do anything for a friend. Before I could convince her to date me, Alicia sought Joel's advice on our relationship and his response was to either marry me, or cut me out of her life completely. While that may sound like a massive over-simplification, the reasoning was certainly solid. To say that I am grateful for his advice—and his collection of 24 DVDs—is a huge understatement. Joel has been a wonderful friend to us both and we are so thankful that he will also be acting as the official Emcee of our big day. And after the support that Joel showed us early in our relationship, I'm glad that we had the opportunity to be there for him as his own new relationship was blossoming—Joel will be marrying his lovely partner Zuzana in 2011. Joel currently lives in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where you'll find him sharing his expertise on all things wine-related.

-Brad