Emily’s Maid of Honour! We’ve been best friends since ~two days into Western University, when we both started in the business program. About halfway through, she ditched me for the ancient world and is now getting her PhD in Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa. Having been inseparable since September 2016, I have adopted her parents and their dog, Muttza, and her cat, Mr. Collins, as my own. Photo circa spring 2018.

Emily’s bridesmaid! Immediately clicking at Western University varsity ringette tryouts in 2017, her and I have travelled a lot of Ontario and some of the world together ever since. Crazily, her and I were in the same parts of Iceland at the exact time that Oliver and Cece were there in November 2019. We likely crossed paths and didn’t even know!! I’m now cool aunt Emily to her newborn son. 1 of 2 ringette goalies in the group. Photo circa fall 2022.

Emily’s bridesmaid! Beginning our friendship by competing for the best math test results in grade 8, we also survived the weird ‘teach yourself everything’ high school together — Bishop Carroll. Both being legends on ice, I’ve been his ringette coach and he’s shown me up at many years of shinny. He also frequently beats me at boardgames and once had to yank me up a giant wall at a mud run we did in 2019. Photo circa fall 2012.

Emily’s bridesmaid! Besties since her birth — since I’m older — we’ve had many of our formative childhood years together, especially when I moved into the house next door at age seven. We’ve maintained our friendship across streets, schools, and provinces, and spent one glorious pandemic summer summiting some of Alberta’s most challenging rocky mountains. 2 of 2 ringette goalies in the group. Photo circa winter 2002.

Oliver’s best man! We met at St Nick’s and St Mary’s primary school in Shoreham, and quickly bonded over a love of filmmaking. We would go on to produce many internet skits, several live shows and (almost) one podcast! Our faithful retelling of Carson Clay’s “Playback Time” has been described variously as “breathtakingly accurate.” Photo circa summer 2015.

Oliver’s groomsman! Fun fact!We briefly dated in high school before immediately realizing we were destined to be besties forever, NOT lovers. We did however go on to live with each other in a very nineties style sitcom-esq arrangement throughout a global pandemic. We would be each other’s toughest critic on any potential new love interest. Photo circa summer 2021.

Oliver’s groomsman! Ben and I quickly got to know each other over the winter of 2022, he taught me almost everything I know about Poker and graciously offered a considerable rebate on my first, inevitable, loss to him, a dynamic which was only repeated some three years later. Our weekly digital home game has since become something of myth and one day we will surely play a tag-team tournament! Photo circa fall 2024.

Our officiant! Emily’s adopted Ontario mom and Maddie’s real mom, Paula has been a rock in Emily’s life for 10 years. As a brilliant and accomplished accounting mind, hilarious storyteller, crossword connoisseur, BBQ master, and life advice expert, Paula has also welcomed Oliver into the adopted family with offerings of kindness, lots of cups of tea, and brunch. As someone who has been alongside us throughout our relationship, we’re both thrilled to have her help us tie the knot.

Our master of ceremonies! Emily’s Chicagoan friend with a story for quite literally everything, Julia is bringing her midwestern accent to the mic for our big day. Meeting in a nighttime math class in first year university and becoming one of the founding members of our shared uni house in third year, she’s always been a source of laughter and adventure. With her being American, going to school in Canada, and living in Japan for months, she brings a lot of international flavour — plus her last name is Bankes. Photo circa fall 2017.