MEET THE BRIDAL PARTY
|
ANDY FUNK
GROOM Andy was born in Decatur, Illinois, spent most of his childhood in Tallahassee, Florida, and ended up with a couple of degrees from the University of Florida. When he's not working on his dissertation on funky beets, he loves crushing people at soccer and Magic the Gathering or watching his Gators win. But if we're being honest, he'd rather be playing Dungeons and Dragons. ANNA GROVES BRIDE Anna was born in Naperville, Illinois and went to Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, where, unrelated, much of Andy's family is from. Weird, right? Anna likes singing, and hanging out with anyone that recharges her extrovert meter. After spending a lot of time studying weedy prairies, she finished her degree at Michigan State in April and is now an editor for Discover magazine in Milwaukee. She hopes Andy comes to Milwaukee soon, since it's really hard to find a good DM in a new town. |
|
HANNAH BECKER
MAID OF HONOR Hannah joined Anna's girl scout troop when she moved to town in the 4th grade. After the two survived both Kennedy Junior High and Naperville North High School, Hannah asked Anna to be her freshman roommate at Illinois Wesleyan. Anna wasn't sure it was a good idea, but agreed anyway. Despite a single morning when Hannah ran the blow-drier while Anna was sleeping, it was the best decision ever. Today, Hannah and Anna remain an indivisible duo, despite time spent in separate states. After Anna's engagement, Hannah was the first to start planning the wedding. |
|
|
JOSH MARTIN
BEST MAN Josh was one of the first people Andy met when his family moved to Tallahassee, Florida at age 7. Always one to put his best foot forward, Andy wore a red blazer with matching pants to his first day at church, where Josh declared him to resemble Little Lord Fauntleroy (Andy had no idea what he was talking about.) Despite the culture shock, the two became lifelong friends, with Josh heavily influencing Andy’s interests in soccer, music, art, and dancing. They shared countless experiences throughout middle school, high school, and undergrad, including a six-week trip to Europe. Even though they live in different parts of the country, they manage to pick up wherever they left off each time they meet again. |
|
NICOLE ASHLEY
The Anna Nicole Show began in 2001 when Anna made Nicole ride the Zipper at The Last Fling and the chicken noodle soup Nicole had had for lunch didn't appreciate it. Reflecting on the immediate hip-attachment that ensued, Anna is surprised she didn't just move in with the Ashleys to save on gas. To this day, Anna's favorite chapter of life remains the summer after 8th grade, when she and her Nikki Baby had near perfect attendance at the Naperville Tigers Little League season, Anna crashed every Ashley family photo, and the two had enough inside jokes to put here in this diary. Don't worry, though, these kids will keep raging on -- and they ain't ever gonna stop! |
|
|
ROBERT EATON
Bobby is a Tallahassee boy that had the good fortune to attend the University of Florida in the early 2000's. There, he and Andy met and had a great time playing frisbee, becoming connoisseurs of real and virtual tennis, and riding around Bobby's green Ford Ranger singing along to The Outfield and The Darkness. Bobby graduated and started his professional climb, at which point the dudes began a long tradition of weekend meetups to locations as diverse as Tampa, Boston, D.C., Las Vegas, and Bermuda. Always a source of good conversation and good cheer, Bobby is a stalwart and fortitudinous companion on the road of life. |
|
MICHELLE PONSCHKE
Anna and Hannah lucked out when this babe moved in across the hall from them in their first dorm room. After she and Anna bonded over love of a certain video game, the two became inseparable. Anna lucked out a second time when Michelle took a job in Lansing, where Anna was going to grad school. Over the years, Michelle has somehow put up with Anna's (and everyone's) nonsense while remaining the steady, kind-hearted soul that she is. There is no better friend with whom to share a PBJ and solve a crisis at 3 a.m., or don costumes and frolic in the out-of-doors. |
|
|
CAYDEN BUNNELL
Andy met Cayden at Crossroads Church in Lansing, Michigan circa 2013. The two got to know each other through a weekly breakfast group, where they and their friend Bryan met to share their thoughts, experiences, and encourage each other to be more like Jesus. Cayden and Andy's natural compatibility, along with Cayden's openness, honesty, and kindness, has led to a deep friendship that continues to provide encouragement to this day. Whether hauling a woodchipper across soggy ground in the rain, talking about home gardens, or providing each other with perspective on major life events, time with Cayden is always cherished. |
|
REBECCA BENDER They say your wedding party shouldn't just be your favorite people, but the people you trust to nurture your marriage as you venture forth through life. Luckily, Becky's both. Andy and Anna met Becky at Michigan State when she started hanging with Jesse, who you'll meet in a moment. Anna isn't sure what she admires more, Becky's attitude toward life or her presence at the D&D table -- but either way, she's a must to bring on the next adventure. |
|
|
JESSE TRAUB
Andy met Jesse “Star of Stage and Screen” Traub in grad school. Maybe it was statistics class? I’ll always ask myself “what are the odds that I’d find such a great friend in statistics class?” I’ll never forget that fateful day, probably in fall, or was it spring? Conversation of video games led to talk of D&D, and I confidently told Jesse if he would be the DM, I would supply the bodies. Fast forward five years and we’ve gone on countless adventures together, been through thick and thin, faced death, starvation, and repeated crashes in cars and motorbikes. Although Jesse lives in the great white north, far from the land of reliable broadband internet, neither distance nor lag will ever be able to break the bond we’ve formed. |
AND OF COURSE, THE FAM...
|
We love them dearly. They'd get bios too, but that would require us writing our whole life stories, and that's a bit much for this particular page, don't you think?
|
|
CORY VOWLES ANDY'S BROTHER-IN-LAW MARJORIE VOWLES ANDY'S SISTER |
|
|
KELLY GROVES ANNA'S SISTER-IN-LAW MATT GROVES ANNA'S BROTHER |
|
JENNY ABRAHAMIAN ANNA'S SISTER AD HONOREM PETER GROVES ANNA'S BROTHER |
|