Kendall + Josh - Wedding

The Wedding Party

Bridesmaids

Matron of Honor: Jenny Ryan (Los Angeles, CA) Jenny and I first met when she picked me up for UCLA orientation at the airport in 2002; she and I swam together for 2 years, and shared a bedroom in Santa Monica my first year out of college. She was my small group leader and she also introduced me to a church in LA. I wish she lived in Atlanta but she and her husband Dan will forever be my West Coast friends and the perfect excuse to go back and visit California.

Stacey Ajram (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) Stacey is my favorite Canadian and we met in 3rd grade when she and her parents moved to the States; I used to make up ridiculous things and tell Stacey that they were true "things that we do in the United States" when we were 9 and have probably scarred her for life. Stacey's parents are just as much fun as she is so you'll have to be sure to meet them in March; Stacey and I enjoy singing out of tune at the top of our lungs to music when we visit each other.

Lauren Jones (Atlanta, GA) Lauren and I met when I first moved back to Atlanta from CA in 2007 in a small group that we both joined. We quickly decided that we would have tons of fun traveling together and nearly 3 years later, we finally did it: we were travel buddies in Argentina in September. We have been in small group together for almost 3 years. Lauren and I embraced the South American 80's hairstyles while visiting Argentina, so I told her she could sport a Topsy Tail in the wedding if she would like...

Katie Lansbury (Washington, DC / Charleston, SC) Katie and I met in Pre-First and have been partners in crime ever since. Katie and I have an endless amount of stories that we could tell about elementary school shenanigans, and we still like to laugh about them. Katie and I started attending different middle schools in 7th grade, but we've made sure to stay and good touch.  I was lucky enough to get to spend a long weekend in Folly Beach this past fall to be in Katie's wedding on the beach.

Emily Choate (Atlanta, GA) Emily and I grew up together in the same neighborhood and have been friends ever since we were little. She was my faithful LA visitor when I lived in CA and as a result we even got to see One Republic perform the day they got signed! She is like adopted family to me: her family comes over to my house on Thanksgiving and we go to theirs on Christmas. If you ever need a good food or beer recommendation, Emily is the person to ask!

Ashley Koetje (Atlanta, GA) Ashley is my soon to be sister-in-law who is tons of fun and whom I cannot wait to have as a sister.  When we went wedding dress shopping a month ago, she found and made the appointment at the store from which I ended up getting my dress!  Ashley has 2 year-old Preston (who is adorable) and baby Peyton, whom we often refer to as "Princess Peyton" because, well, she really is a Princess.

Cameron Butler (Atlanta, GA) Cameron might as well be a sister too, but she's technically my cousin. Cam was our one-night-a-week roommate last year as she was having to commute from Lilburn to Atlanta for grad school. She's probably the most fun person to attend an Auburn game with, and she loves a dance floor:  you can look out for her dance moves at the wedding reception.

Ashley Bishop (Atlanta, GA) Ashley was one of the first faces I met when I moved back to Atlanta in 2007 and we met at GroupLink through Buckhead Church. She quickly became my church buddy since we didn't really know anyone else at the church and we were in small group together for the next two years. Ashley and I enjoy solving the world's problems over Mexican food and she has always been someone I can count on. You may quickly find yourself becoming a Colts fan if you hang out with Ashley for a long period of time...

Groomsmen

Best Man: Alex Fuller (Sugar Land, TX) The groomsman with whom I have been friends the longest, Alex and I have known each other since we were 9 years old and began swimming at Dynamo and we've been best friends since we were 12. He grew up yelling distance (that's a Joshism) from Oak Grove United Methodist Church where Kendall and I are getting married. After graduating from Lakeside High School (where Kendall's parents went), he went to Rice where he swam and received his undergraduate degree in political science and policy studies. He subsequently earned his MBA from the University of Houston and he now works for Oracle in software development. He still lives in the Houston area with his wife Kathy and their daughters Lauren (4 years) and Ashley (5 months). In addition to swimming, Alex and I have a shared love of many things including board games, Lego, Def Leppard, and Van Halen.

Todd Koetje (Atlanta, GA) Todd is my brother-in-law and we met after he and my sister Ashley began dating in 1998 while they were both at Florida State, where Todd received his undergraduate degree in business in 1999. He grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently lives about 2 miles away from me in Dunwoody with my sister and their two children Preston (2 years, 8 months) and Peyton (4 months). Todd has spent his entire career with SunTrust where he works in syndicated finance. Todd loves sports and the outdoors.

Zach Feldman (Raleigh, NC) Zach and I have known each other since his family moved to Dunwoody when we were in 7th grade. After we graduated from Dunwoody High School, Zach went on to a stellar wrestling career that began at Michigan and finished at Virginia where he was named an NWCA Academic All-American. After earning his undergraduate degree in biology, Zach earned his Masters in economics and his MD from Duke and he now specializes in child & adolescent psychiatry in the Raleigh area, where he lives with his wife Kristen (who is also an MD), their son Sam (5 years), and their daughter Susanna (1 year).

Keith Myers (Pittsburgh, PA) Keith and I became fast friends since when we met in 9th grade when the school he attended in 8th grade, Peachtree High School and the school I attended (and for that matter, the school Zach attended) in 8th grade (Dunwoody High School) merged and the 9th grade was sent to Peachtree, which became the junior high. After we graduated from Dunwoody High School, Keith earned his undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech in discrete mathematics and his MBA from Northeastern University. I had the great pleasure of introducing him to Stephanie, a friend of mine from Harvard who was at that time in Atlanta earning her PhD in biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech and who shares Keith's love for, among other things, basketball. Keith and Stephanie moved to the Pittsburgh area, not far from where Stephanie grew up, late last year and just this month he started a job in pricing with FedEx. Keith and Stephanie have 2 daughters Grace: (3 years, 9 months) and Elizabeth (2 years, 8 months). Keith is 6'10" and once sat in the backseat of my Mitsubishi Eclipse—and amazingly enough, we did not have to call in the jaws of life to get him out of the car!

Lucas Taratus (Washington, DC) Luke and I have been friends since 1999. At that time, we were both members of an email discussion list for fans of Pet Shop Boys and when I found out he too lived in Atlanta, I suggested we get together to hang out; when we got together we hit it off instantly, bonding over not only our love of Pet Shop Boys but also our love of house music. In short order I had introduced him to my boss, who hired him to be my co-worker, and to my (and Zach's and Keith's) high school classmate Katie Brownrigg, whom he began dating a short time later and to whom he is now married. He and Katie now reside in the Washington, DC area. Luke was raised in the Albany, NY area where he earned his undergraduate degree in computer science at SUNY Albany. Luke is a contract developer specializing in WebMethods technologies; he has worked on projects for large corporations all over the world and he is currently on a contract here in the Atlanta area with Cox Communications. With my marriage on the horizon, Luke's run as my "part-time roommate" (during the week when he's in town for his contract) has recently ended but it's been great fun having him here for the last year and half.

Jonathan Howe (Atlanta, GA) Jonathan and I met through a singles environment at North Point Community Church in 2005: I mentioned that my Community Group, our church's small group environment, needed some more guys and he jumped in with both feet and we've been great friends ever since! Like me, Jonathan has gone on to be involved in a couple of additional small groups and he has been and continues to be very involved in singles ministry at North Point Community Church. Jonathan hails from Rome, GA and he stayed local for college, earning his undergraduate degree in computer science from Berry College. He lives in Roswell and works for Macy's in their IT department as a developer. Whenever he's available, he lends his great skill to facilitating my WhirlyBall events. An avid amateur musician, Jonathan regularly organizes events where musicians come together in his home and perform for friends; Jonathan's specialty is the piano, which he will be playing during the cocktail hour of our reception.

Tyler Sims (Atlanta, GA) Tyler and I met through a singles environment of North Point Community Church in 2007. After the end of my Community Group with Jonathan in late 2007, Tyler joined the new group I formed in early 2008 and when that group ended in early 2009 we together formed a group that went through 2010. Tyler grew up in the Atlanta area and earned his undergraduate degree in engineering from Georgia Tech. After over a decade with RJ Griffin, Tyler is poised to move elsewhere in the construction industry to take a role next month in project management with a small company called CCL, which specializes in working with churches on significant construction projects. In the meantime, Tyler is flexing his entrepreneurial muscles with his inspirational clothing company, Folklabel.

Nathan Artt (Atlanta, GA) Nathan and I met when he joined the Community Group Tyler and I started in early 2009. At the end of 2009, Nathan joined me and Luke in "The Adams Home for Wayward Boys" (as Luke calls it), from which he too has recently departed for new environs. In 2010, while continuing on with our small group, he too became very involved in singles ministry through North Point Ministries and he now leads his own small group. Nathan hails from the Orlando area where he was a standout basketball player. Gifted in sales, Nathan has excelled in a number of positions in the real estate industry. In 2010, he took his business acumen to his first role in full-time ministry when he joined the foundational staff of Vinings Church. Having now left the Vinings Church staff, he is eager for what God has in store for him next.