Allison & Haonan
Meet Everyone
Allison Streckenbach
Bride
“This is difficult because everyone reading this already knows and loves Allison. I will write it in Chinese to better say what I mean: 艾莉森来自威斯康星州格林湾，她有一个姐姐和一个妹妹。艾莉森是个善良温柔的女孩，她总是能在帮助别人的过程中找到快乐，友善和热情是她的代名词。她喜欢音乐、绘画、阅读，不论是工作还是生活中她都是会很认真的对待每一件事情。积极又富有正义感源于她强大的内心，她总是用她独有的人格魅力感染着其他人。” - Haonan Lyu "Allison hails from Green Bay, Wisconsin, with an older sister and a younger sister. She is a kind and gentle girl who always finds joy in helping others. Friendliness and warmth define her. Whether it's music, painting, or diving into a good book, Allison approaches everything with earnestness, be it in her work or personal life. Her positivity and sense of justice stem from her strong heart, her unique personality and charm are infectious." - Haonan Lyu (approximate English translation)
Haonan Lyu
Groom
"Haonan is from Qitaihe, Heilongjiang Province, China. He is the oldest son of the oldest son and is an only child. He loves all animals, big and small. I’ve even seen him save some snails from the rain, moving them off of a busy road into safety. According to both his parents and himself, he wasn’t really a great student growing up. However, he likes to learn things outside the confines of a classroom. His dad once told me that he had never seen Haonan study so hard as he saw him study and practice English after he first met me. Haonan loves taking walks in nature and one of his passions is photography. He would much rather be behind the camera, getting the best angle, than being in the picture. Another one of his passions is singing - he has a great voice! He also can do an ‘announcer / broadcaster voice’ since his degree is in the field of communications and media. He has a wry sense of humor and he doesn’t really understand the concept of Midwest Nice, which is always good for a laugh. He would say that his favorite food is ‘meat’, but his favorite meat is lamb. He can handle spicy food much better than me, but he doesn’t really like ginger. He is a kind person, who cares a lot about people in his life. He is intelligent, curious, strong and go-with-the-flow. Haonan is all of these things, and more, and I cannot wait to let my family and friends get to know him like I have and to love him, too." - Allison Streckenbach
Xiaodong Lyu
Father of the Groom
Xiaodong Lyu (Lyu Xiaodong in Chinese) cannot be with us today, but he sends his love. He works in media, which is where Haonan got his passion for photography. 爸爸 has a great TikTok (Douyin in China) full of drone footage, and loves sharing about his hometown of Qitaihe. He is also a really great singer, which is probably where Haonan got his voice. His laugh is contagious, and usually has a big smile on his face. He recently bought some English books so he can learn more words to communicate with Allison and her family.
Hua Yu
Mother of the Groom
Hua Yu (Yu Hua in Chinese) is not able to be here today but she sends her love. She loves feeding her kids (Allison and Haonan) her delicious recipes - like her amazing wontons. She always sits in the backseat of the car with Allison, and walks arm in arm with her daughter-in-law. 妈妈 makes sure Allison knows that she is the favorite child! She is also a mean poker player and great at mahjong - don’t go up against her unless you bring some funds. Allison introduced her to Uno, and she’s been hooked ever since.
Jeff Streckenbach
Father of the Bride
Jeff is a retired high school math teacher and current tour guide at Lambeau Field. He LOVES the Packers and will be happy to teach you historical facts or make jokes related to football. He grew up in Green Bay, WI and is the oldest of nine. Jeff is the likely source of Allison’s puns and dad jokes, and heavily influenced her sense of humor.
Kris Streckenbach
Mother of the Bride
Kris is Allison's mother. She is a retired Speech and Language Pathologist and grew up in Suamico, WI with her parents, two sisters, and many dogs. Allison can thank Kris for her looks (Kris and the Streckenbach sisters get this comment a lot), her creativity and artistic talent, as well as her sense of style. Kris will most definitely request BTS songs at the party!
Liana Streckenbach
Sister of the Bride
Liana is Allison's older sister. They weren't always close and actually fought a lot as children (don’t mention the shiny Pokémon card incident), but became much closer as time went on. Liana lives with her wife, Laura, their "bicycle seat" dog (Haonan's favorite way to refer to Zuko the greyhound), and their four cats in Sheboygan, WI where Liana works as a veterinarian. Do not let her trick you into seeing photos from animal surgeries... unless you’re into that type of thing. Allison is not!
Laura Aprill
Sister-in-Law of the Bride
Laura is Allison's third and bonus sister, the wife and longtime love of the oldest Streckenbach sister, Liana. She brightens everyday with kindness (and often some tasty treats) and is living in Sheboygan with Liana and their squadron of pets. She works as the Garden Manager of a dreamy garden and greenhouse at the JCC Rainbow Day Camp. If Laura was British, we would probably have already seen her on the Great British Baking Show. She still often follows and bakes along though, much to the delight of everyone around her. Someday her outdoorsy spirit might rub off on Allison… but not likely. Haonan, however, is excited to have a camping buddy.
Emily Streckenbach
Sister of the Bride
Emily is the youngest Streckenbach sister, who has recently moved from La Crosse, WI to Laramie, WY. She loves chatting about K-Pop with Allison and Kris, making art, and playing with her cat Dill Pickles. She has an exceptional taste in Spongebob references and plays a mean French Horn. Haonan dislikes that Allison considers Emily her best friend instead of him, but technically Emily was there first, and the “sisters before misters” rule applies.
Darwin Streckenbach Lyu
Best Man
Darwin is the handsome Best Man and lovable feline son of Allison and Haonan. He enjoys being on neighborhood watch and gossiping, being spoiled with treats and toys, sleeping and cuddles, and rejecting any and all expensive cat bed options in favor for the Big Bed™️. Though he may be mischievous at times and has a well-documented staring problem, he is beloved by all. He is not allowed to be at the event (and he would hate it anyway) but he will be with us in spirit.
Roger and Mary Lee Winnie
In Memoriam
In loving memory of Allison’s maternal grandparents, Mary Lee Winnie and Archie Roger Winnie. They bestowed their love for travel and adventure, art and culture, history and tradition, and much more upon their grandkids. Mary Lee gave Allison creativity, humor, and a sense of wonder, and Roger gave her patience, kindness, and a strong sense of family. They never got to meet Haonan, but would have adored him. Their love is felt on this special and joyous occasion.