bridesmaids
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groomsmen
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Reid Barrett
When we find ourselves unwittingly participating in some far-out activity, Reid is usually at the center of it. Reid and T.J.'s sister Julia brought together the entire Barrett and Filip families into one 12-person team that ran the 200-mile Hood to Coast Relay in August 2011. Together with Julia, Reid operates The Dump Truck, a food cart in Portland, Oregon that has been recognized repeatedly in the national media for serving an innovative twist on the traditional Chinese dumpling.
Jessica Bazirgan
Although Jess and Wendy spent time together in Girl Scouts, soccer and elementary school in Concord, they joke that they didn't really find each other until the end of high school. Since then, they have shared an apartment in Medford, MA and many nights filled with explorative cooking, thoughtful conversation and country-music concerts. T.J. and Jess only met briefly before Wendy's month-long stay in Denver with Jess and her family in February 2012. Before meeting Jess, T.J. wanted to make sure that Wendy was in good hands. He quickly learned what Wendy has known for a long time - Jess is a caring, thoughtful and responsible mother figure. Jess lives in Denver with her husband Matt, their children Brody (Wendy's godson), Charlie and Elizabeth and their cat Lily.
Courtney Cease
Wendy and Courtney’s elementary school teachers threatened to separate them, but they managed to stay together in the same classroom from kindergarten through high school. When they weren’t sharing a teacher, they were sharing a trail, a ski slope, a mission trip, a camping trip or lots and lots of laughs. These days, they marvel at how similar they are. They can often be found talking about matching passion with profession or dreaming up their next adventure. Courtney lives in Washington, DC with her kitten, Kaya.
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Nehad Chowdhury
After graduating from Haverford College, Nehad and T.J. worked together at Goldman Sachs. Since then Nehad has been rehired by Goldman twice and, though he works for the International Monetary Fund today, no one will be surprised when Goldman hires him a fourth time. Though their career paths have diverged, they continue to rely on each other for thoughtful career advice. Wendy and T.J. traveled to Nehad and Ashna's wedding in Bangladesh in January 2013.
Derek Conover
Derek and T.J. met while sitting in the front row of the classroom during the first days of dental school. A week later they moved to the back of the classroom and have been friends ever since. They both graduated from the MBA program at Wharton and are continually hashing out ideas about how to transform the business of dentistry. T.J. was a groomsman in Derek and Joanna’s wedding in November 2011. Derek, Joanna and their chocolate lab puppy PApa Bear live in Philadelphia.
Derek Devens
T.J. never wanted a brother but Suzanna found a husband who has become a brother T.J. can't do without. Derek is full of humor, insight and thoughtful advice on how to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Despite growing up as an only child, Derek has adapted well to the in-your-face, in-your-business, omnipresent Filip family. Now he coaches Wendy through a similar transition.
Anna Filip
Anna likes to joke that she is T.J.’s “favorite blister.” She followed him from high school at Deerfield Academy to college at Haverford to grad school in Philadelphia. They have even lived together in Boston and Philadelphia for long enough to begin referring to themselves as an “old married couple.” Joking aside, Anna has paved a distinguished path for herself both personally and professionally. She and Wendy can often be found chatting about global health or laughing until it hurts. Anna finally stopped following T.J. and now resides in Providence, RI.
Julia Filip
Wendy first met Julia when Julia arrived at the Philadelphia airport after a red-eye flight from Portland, OR. Most people would be exhausted and ready for sleep, but Julia was exuding enthusiasm. She rushed into T.J.'s arms yelling "Hey Brother!" Since that day she has similarly welcomed Wendy with open arms. Julia is no stranger to long flights — she is often traveling east to visit family or west for work in greater China. Julia lives in Portland, OR with her boyfriend Reid, their cat Douglas and their dog Ella.
Suzanna Filip
The early sibling rivalry that existed between Suzanna and T.J. in everything from skiing to competitions such as who-can-hang-the-ornament-higher-on-the-Christmas-tree has morphed into collaboration on everything from running to photography. (Well, let’s be honest, there’s still a bit of healthy competition). Suzanna has a way with words on a page, and if you need help problem solving, planning or thinking through logistics, she’s your woman. Suzanna and her husband Derek live in New York City.
Ellie Griffinger-Guidi
Most things Wendy learned about good study habits she learned from Ellie. Unfortunately for Wendy, she didn’t meet Ellie until graduate school at Penn. Ellie sat in the front of the class; Wendy sat in the back. Ellie finished assignments weeks in advance; Wendy hit print 5 minutes before papers were due. Outside of school, Ellie and her family quickly became Wendy’s “Philadelphia family.” They opened their doors to Wendy when she needed a respite from the city, a walk in the woods, a dose of canine companionship, or a home away from home. Ellie and her husband Matt, their sons Griffin (Wendy’s godson) and Preston, and their dog Basil recently moved from Lafayette Hill, PA to Piedmont, CA.
Pete Landreth
Pete and T.J. became friends while walking to biology class in 10th grade. After accompanying T.J. to ski patrol headquarters when he cut his head on the slopes of Berkshire East, T.J. knew Pete was a good friend. And when Pete did it again after T.J. cut his head on the slopes of Chamonix, T.J. knew Pete was a great friend. Despite living on opposite coasts since high school, they have remained close friends who find a way to visit at least once a year. T.J. was a groomsman in Pete and Sabrina’s wedding in June 2003. Pete, Sabrina and their children Josie and Adam live in Oakland, CA.
James Mansfield
One night while sitting at the family dinner table the back door flung open, two labrador retrievers dashed into the house and Mindy's new boyfriend stepped smoothly into the Filip family. Big Jim Mansfield is so caring that he'd drive three hours out of his way to give you a ride to work or offer to wash your car when the forecast calls for rain. Today Jim is a first-rate brother-in-law, father to T.J.'s only niece (Kyleigh will be one of our two flower girls.) and a role model for putting family first.
Mary Malinda Mansfield
Wendy loves hearing about how Mindy would infuriate T.J. by sleeping-in until the very last minute, scrambling into the bathroom ahead of him and making him late for the school bus. However, the relentless feuding of their youth has evolved into a close and supportive adult relationship. Mindy’s daughter Kyleigh recently started walking, and by next June, she will be running down the aisle as a flower girl. Mindy lives in Carlisle, PA with her husband Jim, their daughter Kyleigh, and two Labrador retrievers.
Carson McLean
Carson and T.J. first met on the diving team in the winter of 6th grade. That spring Carson showed up at our first soccer practice with an old pair of gloves and hopes for making his soccer playing debut as the team's new goalkeeper. Our friend Dan set him straight when he said, "We've already got a goalkeeper." Carson and T.J. have been playing together ever since. Carson, Carmen and their children Coen and Cait live in Washington, DC.
Robin Miner, maid of honor
During the wedding weekend, if you see someone jogging while pushing a stroller, walking a dog, sipping coffee and talking on the phone, it's probably Robin. Wendy's oldest sister is constantly multi-tasking and always doing it well. She's full of sage, practical advice and she's got your back when you're in a bind. Thanks to Robin's generosity, Wendy and Robin have vacationed together in Mexico, Nashville and the Caribbean and lived together in Chicago. They're always swapping recipes, music suggestions and running tips. Colby, Robin's daughter, will be a flower girl in the wedding. Robin, Colby and their dog Woody live in Chicago.
Meredith Moore, matron of honor
Meredith and Wendy often wonder how it’s possible that they were raised in the same house. They seem to be opposites in everything from fashion sense (Meredith wears the latest runway style; Wendy wears the latest hand-me-down), to study habits (Meredith works best in the first minute; Wendy works best at the last minute), to hobbies (Meredith loves creating beauty in her home; Wendy loves finding beauty in far away places). Despite their differences, Meredith and Wendy’s relationship has grown into one of mutual respect and support — they talk on the phone almost daily. We are excited that Meredith is going to share her creativity with us when she decorates the FLC club house for the wedding reception! She lives in Dorchester, MA with her husband Paul and their rat terriers Bosworth and Nellie.
Paul Moore
You may know him from such TV shows as "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Zero Dollar Winners Week." (Paul won $32,000!) We know him as a brainy Irishman who knows orders of magnitude more about American culture than we will ever know. For more than 15 years Paul has been the brother Wendy never had and now T.J. looks forward to calling him brother-in-law too.
Phil Perilstein
T.J.'s mother cringes when he says, “Everything I know about right and wrong I learned from Phil.” But it’s true. As a new student at Haverford College, T.J.'s Honor Code Orienteer was Phil, an older, wiser student responsible for indoctrinating new students into the ethos of Haverford’s venerable Honor Code. Stealing apples from the dining center — wrong. Lifelong friendship — right on. T.J. was a groomsman in Phil and Erica’s wedding in July 2007. Phil, Erica and their children Eli and Maddie live in Ambler, PA.
Amy Rebbechi
During senior year of high school, in the middle of their European History final exam, Wendy and Amy glanced at each other and started laughing uncontrollably. The hours of studying together became useless and Wendy had to excuse herself from the test because she couldn’t make out the words on the page through tears of laughter. Whether it’s driving mopeds in Bermuda, running a marathon in Chicago, walking the streets of Sydney or baking chocolate chip cookies at home, Wendy and Amy have played together and stayed together through life’s ups and downs. Amy lives in Darien, CT with her husband Simon, their sons Parker and Weston (Wendy’s godson) and their dog Baron.
Aaron Ritzenberg
When T.J. adds their time living together in Boston to their time living together in college he realizes he has never lived with anyone outside his family longer than he has lived with Aaron. They've had so many good times together thinking, confiding, laughing, skiing, dancing, eating and so much more. Some of T.J.'s most treasured of those times have to be falling asleep while listening to Aaron at the other end of the hallway pick his guitar and sing a tune that gently fades to quiet. Aaron is the Associate Director of First Year Writing at Columbia University and lives in New York City.
