The younger brother of the Bride, Hunter has known Katie for “as long as he can remember.” As a lawyer and the wedding’s officiant, Hunter has assured the Bride and Groom that the ceremony will be “very cool, and very legal.” He believes that Katie could not have found a better guy and he is honored to be a part of their wedding.

AKA: Salmon, Samwise, One Seven, Mantis // Association: Brother // Carl’s younger and shorter brother, Sam has grown from a curmudgeonly pain in the rear to a curmudgeonly best friend. Not known for his verve for travel, Sam’s willingness to travel for his family speaks volumes to his love and his character. Sam is currently living out his dream (nightmare?) in the finance world of LA. To find him literally anywhere, like Carl, just look up.

Erica is Katie’s oldest pal. Katie grew up down the street from Erica and her twin sister Emily, who are responsible for the majority of Katie’s fondest childhood memories and gut-bustingest laughs. Katie and Erica have remained friends throughout adulthood, Erica’s marriage to her Husband, Tim, and the birth of her sweet son, Charlie. You will probably hear Erica’s infectious laughter before you see her, but when you meet her, you will be blown away by her kindness, charisma, and INCREDIBLE story-telling skills.

If it weren’t for Em (and Will and Dave), this wedding website that no one will read might very well not exist as Emily introduced Carl and Katie. Em is (a highly complex form of advertising technology specialist) on paper, but is so much more in spirit. She is the greatest friend anyone could ask for and the life of the party. You will find her and her husband, Julian, on the dance floor, collecting herbs or mixing someone a strong drink.

If anyone is wondering how Erika got all the good genes, we are not related. BUT Erika has been in Katie’s life since 2005 when Katie’s dad, Matt, and Erika’s mom, Kristen, started dating and has continuously been as sweet of a sister as anyone could ask for. Erika and her husband, Tyler (or Tiggie, as he is known) are practicing Dentists, Black Labrador enthusiasts, and certified Cutie Patooties.

AKA: Niko, Niko Pas // Association: Childhood // Known mainly for standing on his tiptoes in pictures next to Carl, Niko has been by Carl’s side since they were young. Through travel baseball, goosey night heists, fencing team, broken heels, and myriad worldly escapades; they’ve seen it all. Quickly (d)evolving into the quintessential Florida Man, you can find him being the (annoyingly) most tan guy at the wedding.

Although Katie and Evan also don’t share any genes, the resemblance they share created an “older sister/mini-me” dynamic growing up with Evan. Unfortunately for Katie, Evan is now a “regular-sized me.” She is also the coolest, most down-to-earth, and possibly the most stylish one in the family. Evan now lives in California with her boyfriend, Trevor, where she is a sales lead at ADP. You will likely see her getting REALLY good pictures of everyone or calming down my dad.

AKA: c1n0ej, Ceej, The Human Highlighter // Association: Childhood // Known for his staple neon-yellow sweatshirt in middle school travel baseball, “The Human Highlighter” also moonlights as one of Carl’s most-traveled-with buddies. Growing up together over games of poker, Call of Duty, baseball, and world travels; these days Ceej is growing his clothing company (check out birdieandace.com).

Katie and Megan have been friends since childhood in Lincoln, NE, and have stuck by each other through the awkwardest of phases. After years of being long-distance friends, they both now live in Austin together. Megan is a marketing manager at Target, and her and her husband, Hayden are also the parents of sweet little Lila.

AKA: Melvo, Melvis, Puppetmaster // Association: College // Carl’s most lived with friend; the two were roommates throughout the majority of college and have traveled extensively. Katie bestowed the nickname “Melvis” on one of their first meetings, and Carl has been kicking himself since for not coming up with it earlier. You’ll find him singing every single word to the one reggaeton song that makes it onto our wedding playlist.

Katie and Lindsay have been friends since elementary school and have been pals ever since. Lindsay is now living in Chicago and working for a top law firm, you will be able to spot her by finding the best-dressed person in the vicinity

AKA: Esteban with a V, Steve // Association: College & Austin // Bo’s first co-parent and Carl’s roommate of 2 years; Steven is as reliable as they come. Steven is a designer, and his knack for it shines through daily in his effortless style (no pressure) and penchant for cooking fine meals.

Alexa is Katie’s dear friend from college and is currently living in Omaha with her husband, Taylor, and their baby daughter, Sloane where she is a counselor. Alexa’s enthusiasm for life, her loved ones, and the Huskers is infectious. If you need someone to dance with, or a hype man, I highly suggest you seek out Alexa.

AKA: Johnny Bahama, John Tonto // Association: College & LA // History buff, amateur karaokeist, provocateur, decibel-monger. Neil is the odds-on favorite to be the first to break any noise ordinance that Tuscany has in place. Find him speaking (fake) Italian to the servers in an effort to locate the best Mai Tai in Italy.

Terra and Katie became fast friends in college when Terra suggested they try to prank every fraternity house on campus before the semester ended. They have been friends ever since. Terra now lives in Lincoln, working at Silverhawk Aviation so she can be close to her family (mostly her baby niece, Millie) Terra asks me to inform all guests that if any cute kittens are found on the premises, to alert Terra immediately.

AKA: John Pismo, McFlair // Association: College & Austin // Has your credit card ever declined? Blame Chris! While Carl and their other roommates were playing video games in college, Chris was building them. Chris now works at Stripe and probably makes money off your credit card somehow. Ask him how many fries he can fit in his beard! And ladies, he's flattered, but frankly not interested.

Katie and Marina's friendship started, as many do: when they found themselves on a rooftop one night in college and started singing show tunes into the night. Marina and Katie have also spent a lot of years as roommates and even got their dogs as puppies together (Moose and June) Marina is a 1st Grade and 1st rate teacher in Austin, TX, and the mother of Moose’s cousin June.

AKA: Mike Fieri, Guy Meller // Association: College & Austin // Known far and wide for his prodigious Carnival Cruise status, an international man of mystery, Mike is always down for an adventure. Fun fact: Mike has spent more time on Carl’s shoulders than anyone.

Megan and Katie became friends when Carl's brother, Sam introduced her as his new cute girlfriend. She is an incredible cook and a low-key interior designer. Megan lives in LA with Sam where she works as a publicist

AKA: Wiley Jiggins, Willy White Shoes, Papa Pacifico, Hygendore // Association: Austin // One of the key figures in the Katie-Carl origin story - Will played a key role in introducing the two when Katie moved back to Austin. Will and Carl became fast friends when Will moved to Austin after college - uniting in their search to find the best tequila soda in town. Fun fact: Will & Carl (& Milena) are in a music video together!

AKA: Snac // Association: Austin // Likely the tallest non-Pecka at this wedding. Zac overcame all odds to become an actual, functioning member of society after the dire setback of attending Texas a&m for college. He is a top-tier hype man with absolute gumby knees on the dance floor. If he’s not on the dance floor, you’ll find him gesticulating wildly with a drink in his hand as he argues with Kevin nonsensically.