David Gilliland...

...but you can call him Dave. He was born on November 16, 1974, meaning he'll be the ripe old age of 30 at the time we get married. He got started in Fort Wayne, Indiana, but moved during his teens to the lovely town of Goshen, Indiana. After three years of countless rehearsals for every imaginable high school music ensemble (including a thrash metal pep band), and a summer of itchy blue corduroys at Interlochen, Dave decided to give up the bassoon (thank goodness!) and instead focused on his piano skills as a performance/music composition double major at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.

Dave then got hooked on academics, trekking to the (snowy) Eastman School of Music for his Masters in accompanying, then on to the (even snowier) University of Minnesota, where they finally gave him his Doctorate, and forced him out of academia and into Ann Arbor (okay, actually Beth did that last part). Still needing to feed his addiction, you can find him currently accompanying students at the University of Michigan (for a modest fee.)

Elizabeth Schindel...

...but you can call her Beth. She was born on August 20, 1975, and as much as she tries to deny it, she too will be the ripe old age of 30 when we get married. She got her start in Terre Haute, Indiana, a lovely town you may just have the priviledge to be in someday soon, hopefully. She grew up backstage at the Community Theatre, in bandrooms and on stages around the city, until she finally decided to officially commit to a life in the arts by getting a degree in theatre, also at DePauw University. With a major in communication and a minor in economics, she was destined to talk a lot for very little money. :-)

After college she moved to Chicago and worked with various theatres and a dance company, finally ending up a freelance graphic designer, and getting hooked back into the drum corps scene she had only narrowly escaped. The GLASSMEN Drum & Bugle Corps of Toledo, Ohio pulled her to her next midwestern state, and after a few years in the Glass Capital, she's finally plunked herself down in Ann Arbor with Dave, where she continues to work for the GLASSMEN as Director of Marketing and Promotions (and telecommute every once in awhile).

So of course...

...they met at DePauw University. Unfortunately, they were not quite smart enough to date each other while living in the same state, and had to wait until fate brought them together again in Atlanta (?!) for New Year's Eve in 2001. Big phone bills and numerous Northwest flights ensued, until they finally couldn't afford each other anymore and had to move in together to save on rent (in Michigan, where it's EVEN SNOWIER - HAHAHAHAHAHA).

And then what happened?

The Gilliland Family Ah, those wacky Gilliland's. Did you know Dave's not the first one to get married? You can read more about his brilliant family here.
	The Schindel Family Ah, those crazy Schindel's (and don't leave out the McDonald's!) Did you know Beth's not the only one getting married this year? Find out more about this extended family here.