Well, we’ve thought and thought and wrestled over this part of it. We’ve decided that Amy Gustafson will be the bride and Patrick Oden will be the groom.

(finally updated 10/21/08)

The Wedding Party (according to Amy)

Rebekah Hsieh: One of Amy’s dearest friends since the age of 14, after a couple years of Rebekah fearing that Amy couldn’t take anything seriously, and Amy fearing that Rebekah was a spoiled pastor’s kid :). They had so much fun together in high school that they proceeded on to Wheaton College together. Rebekah beat out Amy in the “Marry a Wheaton Graduate” contest by several years by marrying Benjamin Hsieh in 2003, and they recently moved back to Oregon from Chicago with their exceedingly adorable daughter Ava Abigail, who has recently learned to say “Amy”, much to Amy’s delight.

Jennifer Storey: Amy’s older and wiser sister, who married her high school sweetheart Christopher Storey way back in 1996, and after a few years of the high life in New York & San Francisco, produced four of the most beautiful & clever children the world has ever seen. She has lived in Oregon City now for several years, during which Amy has taken hundreds of mental notes on how to be an amazing mother by watching her. She also regularly beats Amy at word games.

Emily Blair: Amy’s younger and wiser sister, who will also get a graduating year (’02) behind her name in the Wheaton Alumni magazine write-up about Amy & Patrick’s nuptials. Emily is also the artist formerly known as Amy’s background vocalist; that was until she ran off to Chicago with Amy’s producer, Thom Blair. Fortunately, Thom Blair doubles as Emily’s husband and triples as a Trinity Seminary student, so the move was okay, except that Amy misses Emily terribly on a daily basis.

Jon Oden: Patrick’s older brother (and sole sibling) who, like Amy’s older sister, preceded Patrick in holy matrimony a very long time ago. Jon resides in SoCal with his beautiful wife Michelle, where he teaches at a Christian high school and she works for Warner Bros.

Peter Schrock:  A dear friend of Patrick’s, although Amy still has yet to meet him in person, and if it weren’t for regular updates on his facebook page, a really cool apartment near Pasadena, and a whole website of stunning photography, Amy would seriously wonder if he actually exists.  Reportedly, he “travels a lot” with CRM (the ministry that everyone Patrick knows works for), she is told. Highly suspect.

Eric Herron: Also a friend of the groom, and one that Amy had the pleasure of meeting while he & his lovely wife Nathalie were visiting family in Oregon (Patrick really likes people from Oregon). Eric too (see I told ya) works for CRM, and is a singer/songwriter/pianist/worship leader/recording artist extraordinaire. Amy (known affectionately to Eric as “Internet Girl”) was blessed to be a part of his worship team for a Sunday, and was just as impressed with his worship leading ability as Patrick said she would be. Eric has recently both moved to Colorado and become the father of a beautiful baby boy named Asher.