The Fellas
The Groom
In Madeline’s Words
Before Patrick, I had never met a partner who encouraged me to be honest, and true to myself, even if that meant calling him out on his little charades. Patrick makes me laugh when I least expect it, makes fun of me for my awful reality tv shows, and always has his arms open to give me a hug when I need it. Whether we’re out on the town for a fancy dinner or sweating our way up a mountain, he is my best friend and I am so glad he is by my side. Here’s to a lifetime filled with fake nacho cheese, skittles swaps, airport anxiety, logging miles in our fitbits, speaking in accents, traveling around the world, and loving each other along the way.
The Groomsmen
The nice thing about being a groomsman at this wedding is that you don’t have to do much besides give a speech and embarass yourself.
Sean O’Brien (brother, co best man)
From 3 hour lunches at which we played trivia, getting him gifts I knew Gina would never let him get himself, having our name on the (now defunct) Barney’s wall of fame, to skipping out of work to go watch a day time baseball game, Sean and I have had some fun together. He now works for the enemy, but he’s still somehow a friend.
Thomas O’Brien (brother, co best man)
One time Tommy beat up an older kid who was picking on me during summer camp. He’s always got my back and I can always count on him. When I’m frustrated, annoyed, or otherwise needing to vent, he’s always there to listen and to give some solid advice. It’s also a nice perk to have an attorney in the family.
Sean O’Brien (dad)
Not many people are as lucky as Sean, Tommy, and I are in regards to the quality and character of the parents you get. We’ve always gotten the support and guidance we’ve needed to succeed, to become better people, and to make the best decisions according to our own interests and needs. On top of that we’ve all gotten a great friend out of it, even though he can’t seem to keep the entertainment center cables organized.
Paul Fox (brother-in-law)
Sometimes significant other’s older brothers are awful, sometimes they’re alright, but every once in a while they’re awesome. From the start Paul was welcoming and friendly, even when I told an inappropriate joke in front of him the 2nd or 3rd time meeting him. Pretty surprised he didn’t swing at me.
Julia Price. To sum up my relationship to my older sister in a few sentences might be impossibly unfair. We had our share of sisterly teasing growing up but there eventually came a day when the picking on each other turned into challenging each other to be bold and authentic. When we’re together we manage to bring out our goofy sides and laugh so hard that other people want to leave the room. If we’re not laughing together we’re probably wiping tears of joy off our faces. There is no one else I would want by my side on my wedding day.
There is never a dull moment with Mary and you’ll know she is around when you see the world’s biggest smile light up the room. Mary is quite easy to get along with and always adds a little more life to any party. Throughout childhood (and maybe even the college years) we knew exactly how to push each other’s buttons. I’m not sure if it was the perfect 3 year age difference that made us argue and compete but I’m thankful we have grown out of that phase. Mary has this beautifully sensitive side to her personality that helped me soften up and tread lightly. As a little sister and friend, she continues to teach me what it means to love with your whole heart.
Phoebe is my youngest sister and I have always felt the desire to protect and watch over her. However, over time she has shown that she has it all figured out on her own. Even though there is a 5 year age gap between the 2 of us, Phoebe always gave me the best relationship advice and kept it real. My first summer back from college, we shared a room in my parent’s house and quickly began referring to each other as “roomie.” Her first summer in college she lived with me in my apartment and we got to relive the magic. My “roomie” always felt like my biggest fan but what she didn’t know is I have always been her biggest fan.
When Jessie and I were Girl Scouts together we learned, “make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold.” Jessie is the gold. We have known each other since kindergarten and have stayed bffs through all the growing pains of grade school, junior high, high school, and college. We’ve done it all together: from wearing glitter makeup to family camp trips to being camp counselors to traveling to Puerto Rico to coordinating Halloween costumes. She is one of the few people who knows exactly what I’m thinking with just one look. I feel so fortunate to have this sincerely genuine woman just a phone call away.
My sister Becky told me that you’ll make some of your lifetime friends when you’re in college. In walks Kayleigh. Kayleigh and I met in a Spanish class at Cal Poly the semester before we both planned to study abroad in Granada, Spain. We carpooled to the Bay Area for our program orientation and I knew by her taste in music that ranged from Frank Sinatra to awful 2000s pop that we were going to be good friends. We hit it off right away and lived together our first semester. Kayleigh is spontaneous, good-natured, and full of energy. While in Europe we became gelato connoisseurs and gin & tonic enthusiasts. Upon returning to CA after Spain, our friendship has continued to grow and I am so thankful. Frances & Yvonne 4 lyfe!
I (Madeline) was dog sitting this little monster during Christmas 2011 for my sister Joanna. Joanna lived in the same building that Patrick’s brother, Tommy, and Tommy’s wife, Susan, lived. A few nights before I met Patrick, two of my sisters, Julia and Becky, learned that Tommy had a younger (and more handsome) brother and wanted to know if he was single and ready to mingle. Susan reassured them that Patrick was single and that he was going to fall in love with me. I was unsure about this setup, but was willing to give it a shot. I finished Christmas dinner with my family, brought Chester back home to the apartment, and was invited to Tommy and Susan’s apartment to play Taboo.