Wedding Crews

(The people who would have been our attendants, if we were into that sort of thing.)

Zoë’s Crew

Left to Right: Zoe Gierman, Julia Helmeid, Michelle Wiggins

Zoe Gierman:

Word to the wise, Zoe Gierman’s “e” does not sport the umlaut. Zoë met Zoe the first day of orientation at Beloit College (circa 2011) when Zoe and her dad, Phil Gierman, and Zoë and her mom, Tarena Self, shared an elevator. Phil said “Zoe, press floor 2” so Zoë Kent did as he asked but wondered how he knew her name.One of Zoë’s biggest fears (appendicitis) stems from Zoe’s appendix removal senior year.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: an elementary school teacher

  • Lives in: Santa Fe, NM

  • Zoe and Zoë both enjoy having their arms lightly touched to help them fall asleep or relax. Zoe calls it “tickle scratching” which is objectively weird. Zoë, on the other hand, calls it “softy softing.”

Julia Helmeid:

Met during a friend group collision freshman year at Beloit College. The group already boasted one Zoe (see left) AND another Julia. Since the joining, no mention was made of either name without a last name too. Zoë calls Julia “Helms.” Helms is also THE only person involved in theater that could get Zoë to attend a play at Beloit. (She’s good, y’all.) Helms also sang in the very prestigious velvet-skirted choir.

Fast facts:

  • Working on Masters Degree in: Applied Behavioral Analysis, and works in Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention

  • Lives in: Minneapolis, MN

  • Julia and Zoë handle cooking disasters in much the same way: throw the entire pan away, cry on the kitchen floor, and order in.

Michelle Wiggins:

Met in Catholic high school. Following a miserable French class there, Michelle continued French in college and lived in France teaching English as a second language for a year post-grad. Michelle became Zoë’s first official pen pal during that time and has beautiful penmanship (she helped address our Save the Dates). She has the coolest style and loves calling Zoë on her shit. If you’re looking for her at the reception, you can find her at the puzzle table.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: a legal assistant to a Guardian Ad Litem and divorce attorney

  • Lives in: Oklahoma City, OK

  • Michelle can bake with the best of ‘em, her chocolate chip cookies and poppy seed bread are among Zo and Ben’s faves.

Ben’s Crew

There are many, and Ben is bad at executing plans… he’s really more of an idea guy… but here it goes…

Clark Kebodeaux:

Clark and Ben met on move-in day Ben’s freshman year at KU. They lived in Stephenson Scholarship Hall and quickly bonded over video games, poker, and sports. Many years later, Ben eventually became an honorary member of the Kebodeaux family, mostly because he invites himself to family events whenever he feels like it.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: Professor of Pharmacy

  • Lives in: Lexington, KY

  • Our freshman year of college we… Ok, Ben took Clark’s dad’s van into Mexico on spring break… even though it was expressly forbidden… but don’t worry, Ben tipped the guy in the sketchy parking garage 5 bucks to “watch it” for us.

Andrew Cross:

Cross (Andrew is for his parents and wife only) and Ben met freshman year at KU. Cross and Ben always seemed to have a lot in common, eventually, we discovered that we were essentially raised by the same people in different places. Shout out to Jean, Bob, Mark, and Vickie, you all seem to have figured this whole parenting thing out in spite of us.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: a Mechanical Engineer

  • Lives in: Las Vegas, NV

  • During our senior year, living together at 1712 Ohio St. in Lawrence, KS, Cross put a piece of coconut cream pie in Ben’s boxers while he was “sleeping heavily” after a night out and called Ben Pie Pants for days….

Derek Branham:

Derek and Ben met while dating two friends. After those relationships ended, Derek and Ben’s really began, after reconnecting a few years later, Ben has followed Derek wherever he’s gone. For those of you who don’t know, Derek is as eloquent as he is handsome and witty, (Zo’s words, but also Ben’s) so it’s only fitting that he is marrying the happy couple.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: J. Rieger Director of Cocktails

  • Lives in: Kansas City, MO

  • Derek threw perhaps the greatest goodbye party in Lawrence history when Ben and Cross finally left town… a night that most of us don’t remember, and some will never forget.

Charlie Ludden:

Charlie and Ben are brothers, though they didn’t meet until elementary school, by second grade were the best friends known to man. Charlie has been a part of the Anderson Family ever since and they would not have it any other way. Special shout out to Charlie for taking the engagement party and engagement session pics you see on this site, check him out at www.charlieluddenphotography.com

Fast facts:

  • Works as: Development Director OKC Ballet

  • Lives in: Oklahoma City, OK

  • Charlie was Ben’s travel companion on more family trips than any of us could count, if we weren’t in the back of the car fighting over the Sega GameGear, we were in the back fighting over the snacks…

Nick Voss:

Nick and Ben met at KU and eventually lived together at both 1712 Ohio and 5000 Clinton Pkwy. Nick is about as laid back a person as you will ever meet, so much so that he endured living with Ben for multiple years… even when Ben’s dog Beckham was running amuck through the apartment. If you ever need someone to espouse the joys of eating brownie batter straight out of the bowl, Nick is your guy.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: a Civil Engineer

  • Lives in: Kansas City, KS

  • Nick literally saved Ben when he served as his ride to work for a month while Ben couldn’t get himself there, he even woke Ben up when he had to, as most of you know, not even a saint would take on such as task.

Matt Zeets:

Matt and Ben met in college at KU, and though the timing of such a meeting is unknown, one thing is for sure, Matt and Ben have traveled the world together. From South Padre for Ben’s freshman spring break to London for senior spring break, this guy is a hell of a travel companion and friend. He’s also kick ass at DOTA 2 and Ultimate Frisbee…

Fast facts:

  • Works as: a Computer Scientist/Engineer

  • Lives in: Kansas City, KS

  • Matt got to do something that even Ben didn’t get to do during the infamous Kansas Football Orange Bowl Championship season, he saw every game live… what a boss.

Kevin Kohr:

Kevin and Ben met at KU and bonded over sports, games, and tailgates. Even though Kevin is a St. Louis Cardinals fan, they have managed to stay close throughout the years. Ben was even privileged enough to be Kevin’s plus one on lots of his PT school party busses through Kansas City, it is truly a miracle they both survived.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: a Physical Therapist

  • Lives in: Kansas City, KS

  • Kevin is perhaps the greatest beer/drinking/yard game player of all time, for all games in said genre… For real, this guy is just the GOAT. Please see him at the shuffleboard table at the wedding for proof.

Chris Burnett:

Chris and Ben met when Chris moved into Stephenson Ben’s sophomore year. Though not immediately close, who could resist those locks and that beard? Chris and Ben bonded at the Stephenson Oldmen/Newmen football game during Chris’s freshman year and both successfully, if not quickly, finished the annual Stephenson beer mile together that same year.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: a Google Search Manager/ Teleprompter Operator/ Production Genius

  • Lives in: Kansas City, MO

  • Chris once helped Ben relocate his shoulder 3 separate times in one slow-pitch game on the way to a Disney script-worthy team victory.

Billy Faltas:

Billy and Ben met through Cross (as they were both cranky engineering students). Billy and Ben have enjoyed everything from nights out on the town, to tailgates, to killer queen outings. Though what they are probably best known for is arguing about just about everything known to man, that has never prevented them from having one hell of a time, pretty much all of the time.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: a Mechanical Engineer

  • Lives in: Kansas City, MO

  • Billy loves playing Killer Queen, a 10-player derivative of the classic video game joust, which can be found at Up Down here in KC. He also refuses to restring his tennis racquets on a regular basis.

Mike Wilson:

Mike and Ben met in Tahlequah, OK during Mike’s senior year at Northeastern State University as a scholarship soccer player. Just so happens that Ben was his athletic trainer and was excited to make new friends, even if he wasn’t supposed to hang out with athletes. Let’s just say that it worked out about as well as taking a job in Tahlequah could, with a lifelong friend and more stories than Ben can count.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: a Soccer Coach

  • Lives in: Tulsa, OK

  • Barely 4 months after meeting each other, Mike took Ben home to Scotland for Christmas and showed him what it means to party like a Scot. Hogmanay (New Year’s) in Scotland is still one of Ben’s biggest bar tabs of his life.

Charlie Hunt:

Charlie and Ben grew up together in OKC, traveling with our families, playing golf, and generally causing as much trouble as we could. When they weren’t tormenting VBS kids with dodge balls they were playing catch or at the batting cages. They both got their start in Athletic Training working at Cage Basketball Camps in OKC and the rest is really history.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: a Client Manager/ Athletic Trainer (regularly saves Ben with Big3)

  • Lives in: Oklahoma City, OK

  • Much like Ben, Charlie got out of Athletic Training for a variety of reasons, however, you might catch either one of them working for the Big3 basketball league in the summers cause its just too much fun.

Lainn Wilson:

Lainn and Ben met during Ben’s first season with the Pistons when we worked with the Grand Rapids Drive. Lainn was supposed to be a video guy, but when our head coach dipped, he became an assistant coach and really never looked back, what a badass. Ben and Lainn also love poker, and the poker rooms of Grand Rapids, shout out to our poker mom Lori.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: Head Video Coordinator for the World Champion Golden State Warriors

  • Lives in: San Francisco, CA

  • If you couldn’t tell from his picture, Lainn is a World Champion and there isn’t a person in the world who deserves it more than he does, even Ben wears Golden State gear now… Thanks, Steph! (yes, that Steph)

Sheldon Smith:

Sheldon and Ben met during 1L law school orientation and bonded over sports. Sheldon played college football in a former life and Ben took care of college athletes in a former life. They ended up being Moot Court partners in law school, hoping to advance in the competition… thankfully their friendship lasted longer than their Moot Court competition.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: an Attorney

  • Lives in: Tulsa, OK

  • For those of you who don’t know anything about Kansas Football, this will mean little, but Sheldon’s uncle Derek Fine played on the Orange Bowl team that Ben worked for, really cementing Ben’s status as an Old Man in law school.

Bryce Hayden:

Bryce and Ben met during the 1L law school year, but he was smart and took contracts in the summer so he had a leg up on the rest of us. Ben knew he had to be friends with Bryce because he loved the Chiefs and had a crazy shoe game, Bryce decided Ben wasn’t too old to be seen studying with, and it all worked out in the end.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: an Attorney

  • Lives in: Wichita, KS

  • Bryce is a sneaker and street-wear connoisseur. Don’t let his small-town Kansas background fool you, this guy has some of the best swag around. Bryce is as one of a kind as his collections.

Garrett Holmes:

Garrett and Ben met during 1L law school orientation, bonding over the fact that even though Garrett went to OU, he was from Kansas and could understand Ben’s insane KU fandom. Garrett is the kind of guy who will cheer for your team no matter who they are unless of course, it’s Texas.

Fast facts:

  • Works as: an Attorney

  • Lives in: Wichita, KS

  • Ben and Zo once went over to Garrett and Lauren’s (Garrett’s better half) place to watch the Chiefs (Garrett and Ben’s team) take on the Broncos (Lauren’s team). Zo told Ben to behave, Zo was way crazier than Ben all afternoon… (a rare win for Ben).