The Wedding Party
The Groom
Israel Kamerman
Groom
I’m very excited to be marrying the love of my life, and sharing yet more adventures in this wild life!
Dane Casperson
Best Man
I met Dane when I was very young, having just moved out to Eagle Creek from Tigard at the turn of the century. One of the things my mother suggested (I use that term creatively, there was no option) was a chess club with other homeschooled families in the area. While chess itself wasn’t very interesting to my 10-year-old self, that club was the vehicle that introduced me to the best friend of my life. I consider him a brother to me, and our families have remained very close over the years!
Alex Giorgi
Groomsman
Alex and I met at a Theatre Group named Gresham Little Theatre. Israel was cast as Robin Hood, and Alex as the Sheriff of Nottingham! While I’d go as far as to say we were pretty convincing foes, we formed a strong friendship and went on to be in several productions at GLT! Alex continues to work with the arts as a Puppeteer for a local troupe here in Portland!
Austen Brophy
Groomsman
Austen and I met in the Navy, probably in boot camp, but I can’t recall exactly since he was in a rival division to mine (and Ricky and Robins). We started spending more time together at our “A” School in Pensacola Florida. He loved playing basketball (at least the part where he’d jog up the court, airball a three and then take 3 minutes to jog back on defense) and is genuinely one of the nicest and kindest human beings I know of.
Ricky Holder
Groomsman
Ricky “Rick Dawg” Holder is another Navy lag of mine, also in the same division. He is an intellectual, and by far and away the most credentialed of any of my friends in terms of academic acheivement. Many nights on watch we’d spiritedly debate ideas, play basketball, and he shares my exhuberant enthusiastic love for classic chicken wings.
Rob Smiley
Groomsman
Another Navy aquaintence, Rob and I go way back to the Pensacola days where we met in 2012. Rob got a boat while in Florida, I can’t recall what he christened her. We spent a lot of time fishing the Florida Keys, and later in Virginia Chesapeake bay and the OBX waterways. At least, we did once we sorted out where the kill switch goes that would let us start her engine. Rob also briefly got me into weightlifting, which I no longer practice, and is just an absolute peach of a guy.
Robin Doss
Groomsman
Last but certainly not least is Robin Doss, a man of impeccable taste and attention to quality. He has a staggeringly well-curated collection of vinyl records, a decent golf swing, and a deeply closeted love for the Utah Jazz. He is a dear friend that is honest and free with advice, and makes one of the best huevos rancheros I’ve had in my whole life.
Charles Kamerman
Father of the Groom
Not much is know about this Wisconsin native before he struck out West to make a name for himself on the Californee Gold rush. Charles (who goes by Charlie, and possibly other aliases) has been most places and done even more things. Underwater infrastructure maintenance, Engineer, Entrepreneur, Camera Collector, Restaurant owner/operator, to name a few. That doesn’t even scrape the surface, ask him about his hobbies (but make sure you find a place to sit). He is many things to many people, and I am grateful to know him as my father. He’s a man who taught me what a good steak tastes like, is directly responsible for my absurd tolerance for spicy food, and (along with my mother) inspired a passion for music and art that has been formative to me and my family. He has been an example to me for my entire life, and for that I will be forever grateful.
Lynne Kamerman
Mother of the Groom
Where to even begin. My mom is the mitochondria of the Kamerman family. Despite clocking in as the shortest Kamerman (that I know of) at 5’4″, she navigates life with fierce determination, and astounding poise. She spent her life pouring her knowledge and wisdom into her 7 children through homeschool, extracurricular activities like Music lessons, Scouts, Chess Club (where I met Dane) and countless others. She can be as brutal as she is nurturing (with honesty rather than a whoopin’), but I believe that all of us Kamerman kids are who we are by virtue of her example, patience, and tireless guidance. She also wears the most exquisite hats you may ever see.
The Bride
Olyvia Johnson
Bride
The most beautiful woman on earth, and she’s here with me!
Tabitha Tatarenko
Maid of Honor
If anything can be said about the type of person that Tabitha is, let me refer you to a significant moment in our childhood. We had been arguing all day, and our mother (all out of patience and all out of Xanex) told us both to sit on either side of the living room closet and try to work out our differences. Shrouded in darkness, I sharply exclaimed “I want to fight!” Tabitha, wise beyond her short 10 years, responded earnestly with “Let’s make up”. I may be the oldest sibling, but she is definitely the smartest. The most patient. The funniest. The only thing better than marrying my best friend is knowing that my sister will be with me.
Angela Bellanger
Sister of the Bride
Confident. Intelligent. Determined. Hysterical. Angela is the youngest of 3, and definitely has the best and most intricate song of all of the siblings. When dad bestowed her with her namesake song, he didn’t realize how perfectly it would fit. “Everybody loves little Angela Rose”. There is nobody I’ve met that didn’t adore her. She’s the kind of person who would help you bury a body, and then pray for forgivness with you on Sunday morning. She’s destined to rule the world one day. (And I wouldn’t trust anybody else to do it).
Sarah Weis
Bride's Best Friend
In the quiet of a Tuesday morning, Sarah sat inches from me diligently working. With a heavy sigh I turned, looked at her dead in the eyes and willingly proclaimed, “Do you ever feel like randomly screaming?” She said no. Now, you can hear the combined cackles of our belly laughs through at least 2 different concrete walls. She’s given me countless inside jokes, a reinforced moral compass, and MANY ideas for our future podcast. Oh, and another mini-best friend named Artemis who ABSOLUTELY has got her mama’s eyes. (And her dad’s love for rocks).
Aleah Hesse
Bride's Best Friend
If you’ve not noticed a pattern of people I tend to gravitate to, let me take you back to the first. The OG. Aleah Hesse has always been the smartest person in the room. She’s also objectively the strongest. Sure she could probably (physically) throw me across the room, but emotionally and mentally she’s the person you can go to no matter what is wrong. Haven’t spoken in 2 hours? She’ll still make time to talk to you. Haven’t seen each other in 2 years? She always picks up where we left off. Strength is her superpower, but to know her is to understand that part of being strong is being gracious, understanding, and steadfast in the face of any situation.
LeeAnn Kamerman
Bride's Sister-in-Law
LeeAnn is the type A friend who keeps me in line; by making sure I stick to the plans I’ve made and stay as on-time as I am physically capable of being. An avid dancer and smack-talker, she knows exactly what you need and how to obtain it for you. She’s honest, she is forward, and she knows the importance of an excellent afternoon nap. LeeAnn may be the only other person who can truly understand my deepest darkest rage when I don’t sleep well. To be loved is to be known, and she understands and accepts the best and worst sides of me.
Ed Bellanger
Father of the Bride
The man. The Myth. The Legend. It’s good ol’ Eddy B. The only man who may not need another person in the room to carry on a conversation. (Yes, sometimes he talks to himself). With faith like an oak tree, the patriarch of this family kept us giggling all of our childood.
Serina Sanderson
Mother of the Bride
The giver of birth. The loudest in the room. If I am the apple, she is the tree. I am the “mini” to her “me”. I’ve met doors with more hinges than her, but that means our childhood was anything other than boring. When you get the two of us in one room there are only two options. Cage match or cackle fest. She’s my favorite. Get over it.
Matthew Sanderson
Officiant
Goofy is his middle name, and officiating is his game. He’s cheesier than a quesadilla, and is the one person who I’ve seen take on my mom’s attitude and win. That’s not something the army can teach you, that’s 100% pure fearlessness.
Sage Marie Kamerman
Best Pup
Sage was brought into the fold in Virginia, circa 2015. I had always wanted a dog but never found the right time or place. Sage changed all of that. She is quite shy and can be a smidge judgy (I’d almost dare to say prejudiced) but under all the fur and sass she’s paws to the floor the sweetest dog I’ve ever met. If she doesn’t like you at first, just bring food until she does (don’t actually, she doesn’t know what an appetite is outside of knowing she has one).