Wedding Ensemble

Jane Goldstone Sarouhan: The Sage

We have asked Jane to officiate our wedding, and feel immensely excited for and proud of the role she will play in consecrating our vows. A beloved friend to us both, Jane possess many traits that make her just shy of super-human. We admire deeply the rhythms Jane uses to dance gracefully through life, and the words she chooses to illustrate its beauty, silliness, and profound meaning.

Jane's skills in life are not limited to her verbal poetry, oh no. A ski instructor and world traveler, Jane's dancing skills are perhaps only surpassed by her love of Cape Cod and pirates. It's rumored that Jane turned down multiple offers to go pro in hula hooping.

Jo Oleet: Woman of Honor

Jo and Lauren shared the womb, which makes them womb buddies. And twins. Though as kids they insisted on doing most things differently, these days Lauren & Jo share nearly everything. In fact, Michael insists that Jo & Lauren communicate in partial sentences because they read each other's minds. We considered ourselves immensely lucky that Jo moved to Northampton in 2008 to attend grad school; being virtual neighbors made family dinners and coffee dates rather easy. An incredible rock climber and crossword puzzle extraordinaire, Jo makes the best Aunt-to-a-canine.

Derek Wentz: Best Man

While Derek was the reason that Michael could multiply in first grade, there are many things that Michael will never master quite like his brother. Chief among them is Derek's EA Hockey skills. Additionally his LEGO imagination is legendary. Having recently made Tahoe home, Derek managed to ski into the wee days of August, and has the permanent goggle tan to prove it.

Monica Wentz: Navigator

Monica has benefited greatly from being the youngest sibling in the Wentz family: by middle school she was a certified international jetsetter and had been towed down every trail in Stowe by her brothers. And yet, the most impressive things she's accomplished have been all her own. In eighth grade Monica served as a Page in the Vermont House and Senate, and during the following summer she was chosen to participate in World Learning's American-Iraqi Youth Camp. While not spending her time changing the world from sun up to sun down, Monica is reading every book in sight, dominating in ice hockey, and water and snow skiing her way through summer and winter.

Jason Oleet: Navigator

Though Jason convinced his little sisters that they were moving to Disney World when they were only five, he redeemed himself by repeatedly sneaking Lauren & Jo into his room after bedtime to watch the Carol Burnett Show and A-Team. Lauren credits Jason with schooling her in almost every sport she pursued - from soccer, to basketball, to lacrosse, to skiing. A perennial advice giver, Jason's generosity is only superseded by the length of his beard. He also has driven on nearly every dirt road in Vermont, probably twice.

Kathryn Ratey: Navigator

Kathryn and Lauren met on the first day of college in 2000 and life hasn't been quite the same since. They consider brunch the most sacred time of day, which is a good thing considering how many times they've dined over omelets and coffee. Though they've been known to close down a dance floor or two, Lauren loves most Kathryn's unfailingly honest and compassionate words of wisdom. Frankly, we think she rocks.

Abbie Weiss: Navigator

From the moment they met while jockeying for the tire swing in preschool, Abbie and Lauren have been rather inseparable as friends. 24 eventful years later, Abbie lent Michael some crucial help with his proposal to Lauren, and even managed to have her unknowingly pick out her own engagement ring while visiting Abbie in Denver. A co-founding co-member of Team Awesome with Michael, Abbie is truly a best friend to us both.

Jason Sarouhan: Navigator

When Jason and Michael aren't plotting their next big winter adventure into the mountains, he and Lauren are busy perfecting their skills in 4-square and becoming coffee connoisseurs. A champion of movie marathons, Jason's knowledge of 'awesome' 80's action films is nearly as impressive as his ability to write his own raps and lyrics to old songs. A master with words and and artist of life, Jason is an incredible friend, Jedi, and partner in nearly any law abiding crime. He can also run really fast.

Alexa Hege: Navigator

During the summer of 1998, Alexa and Lauren met at UVM. Funny enough, Michael just happened to be on campus at the same time, though with a different program. Alexa & Lauren fashion their friendship after the post office's credo: neither rain, snow, plane cancellations nor living on opposites coasts have prevented these two from discovering and rediscovering just how parallel their lives are.

Sarah Walker: Navigator

Though the air was thin at 12,500 feet, Sarah and Lauren became friends while hiking their way through the backcountry of Colorado when they were 17. Since then they've punctuated their friendship with one adventure after the other - from ski trips to Maine, to attending beer festivals, to playing obstacle-course croquet. We love her so much that we forgive her for not liking chocolate.