Sarah and Danielle — better known as “Mount” — have been friends for nearly 25 years. After running in the same athletic circles growing up, their friendship really took root in high school and has stayed strong ever since. Now living in Bolingbrook, Illinois, Danielle has been by Sarah’s side through every high and every challenge life throws your way. Even though they live in different states, it always feels like no time has passed when they’re back together, usually grabbing coffee, wandering Barnes & Noble, or catching a movie at home or in the theater. Danielle shares life with her husband John, their two sons Theo and Owen, and their dogs Bailey and Ajax.

Sarah’s cousin Lizzy has always been more like a sister. They’ve known each other their entire lives — and perfected the art of being the best hangs at every famous Otteman Family Reunion. They also grew especially close while Sarah was attending grad school at Regis, living close to each other in Denver — frequenting Blackhawk, going to Red Rocks Church and just doing life together in general! Lizzy is one of the kindest people Sarah knows and easily one of the funniest. She works as an elementary school teacher and lives in Thornton, Colorado with her husband Chris, their adorable son Roman, and their beloved fur friend Carlos.

Emily joined the family when she married Sarah’s brother Matt in 2014, and Sarah couldn’t imagine a better sister-in-law. Down to earth and deeply empathetic, Emily is always supportive, always ready for a laugh, and always up for a great time. She lives in Flower Mound, Texas with Matt and their three amazing children: Maeve and Eliza, who will be flower girls, and Madden, who will be a ring bearer. Sarah feels incredibly lucky that welcoming Emily into the family also meant gaining someone who truly feels like a sister.

Sarah and Jessica became friends more than 10 years ago while working together in the trenches of Pepperdine Athletics — Jessica in Facilities and Sarah in Marketing & Communications. Their friendship grew even stronger during and after COVID, when Sarah lived with Jessica and her husband Tim in Winnetka, California — around the same time Sarah first met Connor. Jessica has always been the “group mom” in every circle she’s part of, known for her generous heart and deeply caring spirit. Having someone who knows both Sarah and Connor so well officiate their wedding means the world to them.

Sarah met Cole at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas, where they were teammates before surviving life in a giant softball house with 13-ish other girls — yikes. Living together on the top floor quickly created a tight bond that only grew stronger when they later shared a legendary duplex to finish out their college years (if those walls could talk). Over the past nearly 20 years, their friendship has been built on adventure — from hiking trips like the memorable trek to Petit Jean waterfall (where Cole very nearly went off the side of the mountain) to plenty of laughs over a piping hot bowl of queso and a cold margarita. Cole is a fiercely loyal friend who will always tell it like she sees it, though those who know her best also know she has one of the softest hearts around. She lives in Coweta, Oklahoma with her husband Keith, their stepsons Ryder and Ethan, and their three cats.

Kait was Sarah’s very first student worker at Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kansas — Sarah’s first job out of grad school and first head role. With a natural knack for stats and a shared love of athletic communications, the two bonded immediately. Even after leaving Dodge — Sarah to California and Kait to another college — they stayed close. A few years later, Kait moved to California for a job with the LA Rams and the two became roommates, getting through COVID by building living room forts and people-watching from their third-floor balcony. Kait later returned to California to work alongside Sarah at Pepperdine before eventually moving back home to Las Vegas, where she now lives with her fur-son — and Sarah’s fur-nephew — Bonez. Through every chapter, Kait has always been one of the realest people in Sarah’s life, and the two still bond over trash TV and their shared love of Nike shoes.

Connor and Rudy first met in high school, but their friendship really took off in college when they carpooled to Moorpark College together every day. Rudy and his wife, Lissette, now live in Winnetka, and over the years Lissette has become just as much a part of the friendship, with countless game nights, get-togethers, and plenty of spirited rounds of Codenames and Cranium — where things may or may not get a little too competitive. More recently, Wednesday night Survivor watch parties have made their way into the mix, giving the four of them one more excuse to get together (and debate who should get voted off next).

Connor and his brother TJ grew up battling it out in the backyard, starting with lemon wars before escalating to rock wars and, somehow, can wars. Thankfully, they both survived childhood and these days are much more likely to spend their time together over a trip to Mongo or Greenfields. TJ lives in La Habra, CA with his wife, Melia, and their son Korben, who will serve as the wedding’s ring bearer. The two couples love getting together whenever they can, especially for weekends at the campground surrounded by friends and family.

Connor and Daniel have been friends since freshman year of high school, spending plenty of those early years alongside fellow groomsman Robbie playing video games, with Call of Duty holding a particularly memorable place in the rotation. Connor was a frequent guest at Daniel’s house and always felt welcomed by his incredibly warm and loving parents. Daniel now lives in Simi Valley with his wife, Nicole, and their son, Daniel, and they’re excited to add another little one to their beautiful family this year. After all these years, Connor is grateful to have Daniel and his growing family as such a special part of his life.

Connor and Robbie have been friends since freshman year of high school, spending plenty of those early years playing video games together. Along with countless rounds of Call of Duty, the two logged plenty of hours playing NBA 2K’s MyPLAYER, with Connor holding things down at center or power forward and Robbie always running point. Their friendship has also long been built around a shared love of food, with the two always down to grab a bite and try a spot together. Robbie now lives in Monterey Park, and after all these years, Connor is grateful to have one of his longest-standing friends by his side for the big day.

Zuko lives in Chatsworth with his mom and dad, Sarah and Connor, where he works tirelessly each day monitoring the backyard and protecting the house from any and all suspicious activity. When off duty, he can usually be found visiting Grandma and Grandpa to beg for scraps, stealing the cats’ food whenever the opportunity presents itself, or curled up on the couch watching TV with Mom and Dad. He’s also an avid camper who enjoys chasing down deer and mean-mugging every dog that dares walk past his campsite. Whether they’re camping, lounging at home, or getting into a little trouble, Sarah, Connor, and Zuko make one very happy little family.