Wedding Party
Kyle Edwards
Best Man
Kyle and Billy met during 8th grade football at Spring Lake when Kyle's inability to catch a football made him the most undersized lineman in Spring Lake history. However, it was in highschool on the wrestling team when they started to actually like each other. Their passion for wrestling led them both to Alma College where their mutual affinity for the policy of "due tomorrow = do tomorrow" and binging netflix bonded them into lifelong friends as they pulled all nighters studying while How I Met Your Mother played in the background. After college Billy and Kyle lived together for several years, tackling living on their own for the first time and all the challenges that come with it. Billy chose Kyle as his best man because after all they've been through there isn't anyone else who's more suited to lead his group of merry men as he enters this next chapter of his life.
Madeline Isaacs
Maid of Honor
The day Jessie met Maddie their freshman year at American University also happened to be the day of Jessie’s first rave, a “life in color” party on the other side of the city. Maddie and Jessie had met earlier in the day through a mutual friend, Siena, and Jessie thought Maddie was the absolute coolest person to walk this earth, with her Kandy and crazy-color nails. Who was this tiny force of nature from Chicago? That night, Maddie proved her chops in showing Jessie exactly how to party at a rave and how amazing electronic dance music could be. After this night, Jessie had to get to know her, and soon they started to do every meal in the dining hall together, paint their nails together, even get ready for every party and event together. If anyone asked, Maddie and Jessie were hanging out. They made their entire group of friends at college together and carved out a place as fellow Jewish “gals” trying to make their way in DC. At this point, their friendship blossomed into more of a sisterhood and has spanned years, continents, and many DJ sets and shows. Maddie has truly seen Jessie through the best and worst of times, being the person that Jessie could always count on no matter what to either gas her up or humble her.
Dan Mcdonough
Groomsman
Also known by his alter ego Robert "Bobby" McClavin. Out of all of his groomsmen, Billy has known Dan the longest, meeting in young 5's at Holmes Elementary. Their friendship grew on the football and wrestling teams in high school and continued into college. Some of Billy's favorite college memories are going out for the night with "Bobby" and then telling Dan all about it over breakfast in the morning. In 2021, Billy was honored to be a groomsman in Dan's wedding when he married his wife Callie. He feels fortunate Dan and Callie bought a house so close to him and that their daughter Addy is slowly warming Jessie up to children.
Jacey Block
Bridesmate
Jacey is Jessie’s younger sibling. Jessie and Jacey grew up in Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, PA. Jacey had to suffer Jessie painting their toenails with glow in the dark nail polish and teaching them Spice Girls songs before pre-school. Jacey and Jessie loved to play “Spy Fox” computer games growing up and can still quote that infamous fox. Jacey has been Jessie’s TV partner from the very beginning, always watching Gilmore Girls with her. In 2014, Jessie had to get her tonsils out, and Jacey was the perfect recovery partner. It was at this time that Jacey introduced Jessie to Doctor Who and Jessie’s life hasn’t been the same since. Jessie even took Jacey to see a Doctor Who Christmas special in theaters. Growing up, Jacey was also the author of one of Jessie’s favorite songs, “the bonfire song”, which was an Ode to our favorite pit. The song is still stuck in Jessie’s head to this day. Jacey lives here in West MI and likes to come hang out with Billy and Jessie to have bonfires.
Zack Kennedy
Groomsman
Zack and Billy went to elementary school together but didn't actually become close until high school on the football and wrestling teams. After high school, Zack joined the Air Force and despite being stationed across the country he and Billy always remained close. Even with their different life choices and career paths, Zack always made sure to keep in touch and make time to meet up when he would come back to Michigan. In December of 2022, Billy was honored to be the Officiant when Zack married his wife Morgan and performed their ceremony in front of the Campus Martius park Chrtismas tree in downtown Detroit.
Grace Du Mez
Bridesmaid
Grace and Jessie didn’t meet until July 2021 at a pool party at a mutual friend’s house in Grand Haven. Jessie remembers Grace walking into the party and mentally noting that she really wanted to be her friend. Thankfully that wish flourished into a beautiful friendship, as Grace and Jessie were just drawn to each other as friends, first bonding over their love of travel and culture. Once they realized they were both fans of the empire of RuPaul’s Drag Race, it was game over. They couldn’t stop talking! Now, they watch RuPaul together regularly and Grace lets Jessie hunt for fossils in her yard.
Nick Jones
Groomsman
Nick and Billy first met during Billy's freshman year at Alma. Nick was the class ahead of Billy at Alma and showed Billy the ropes during his freshman year. Nick quickly became one of Billy's best friends and over the years has proven himself as one of the most loyal people Billy knows, always willing to defend the people he cares about at a moment's notice. Billy also credits Nick and his Husky Duchess for making him into a dog person.
Kylen Button
Bridesmaid
Kylen and Jessie met preparing for a volunteer trip to Israel their Sophomore year at American University. They honestly didn’t really like each other at first despite having most of their social circle in common. On the trip, this slowly changed as they bonded through their shared experiences of learning about the diverse refugee populations in Israel and climbing Masada at sunrise. It truly wasn’t until their very last semester at American that they became close and then, all of the sudden, they were in a lot of classes together and Jessie was helping Kylen with her Arabic tests. They even sat near each other at their Graduation and Kylen was one of the best parts of Jessie’s senior year at American.Their friendship has since only become stronger and Jessie truly looks up to Kylen as one of the best social justice warriors out there. Jessie loves visiting Kylen on her family’s property in Culpeper, VA, a former civil war battleground and Kylen is the mother of Jessie’s niece, a tri-pawd named Figgy and they live in New York City fighting human trafficking on the daily
Trent Hullett
Groomsman
Trent and Billy met on the wrestling team at Alma during their freshman year and became fast friends when they both rushed TKE as freshman. Trent and Billy have a friendship reminiscent of Brennan and Dale in Step Brothers, always trying to one-up and out-do each other one moment, while being one another's greatest confidant the next. Despite their turbulent relationship, they know they can count on each other for anything.
Sydney Pierce
Bridesmaid
Sydney and Jessie met at Jeff and Elinor Marod’s wedding on Labor Day, 2021 but they truly bonded at a “friendsgiving” hosted by the Marods a couple months later. As soon as they bonded in the kitchen over the actual best turkey Jessie has ever eaten, Sydney and Jessie felt like their long lost souls connected. After Jessie learned that Sydney’s favorite childhood movie was also Labyrinth, Jessie kept bothering Sydney into what is now a very close friendship. Sydney is one of the best chefs and artists that Jessie knows and to this day, Sydney’s Turkey is the only one that Jessie truly enjoys eating.
Joe Hernandez
Groomsman
Joe, also known by his now not-so-fitting nickname of "Big Joe", is one of Billy's TKE brothers. Joe and Billy met during Billy's junior year at Alma, which was Joe's freshman year. Billy quickly took Joe under his wing during his last years at Alma and the two formed a lifelong bond in the process. Billy frequently visits The Hernandez family in Florida and considers Joe's parents to be "Poppa and Momma Joe" and His Aunt Sandy and Uncle Jason part of his "South Florida family."
Maxx Kriger
Groomsman
Maxx and Billy became friends during their time on the wrestling team in high school and have been close ever since. Billy was honored to be the best man in Maxx and Anna's wedding in 2019. Billy, Maxx, and Anna were roommates for most of the pandemic where they bonded over countless rounds of disc golf and games of Fortnite. Billy is grateful to have spent that time during the pandemic with a couple that helped him realize what he was looking for in his own partner.
Izabela Ortiz
Bridesmaid
Izzy and Jessie grew up in Pittsburgh together and went to the same high school, Winchester Thurston, and shared the same homeroom teacher, Mr. Miller. Jessie and Izzy got in trouble regularly for talking too much during classes or homeroom because they moved in different social circles, yet were still drawn to each other. In their Junior year of high school, they both got selected to travel to Poland on a Holocaust Study Seminar. This trip bonded them as sisters and inextricably changed their lives and brought Jessie the sister she’s always wanted in Izzy.
Jeff Marod
Groomsman
Jeff and Billy first got to know each other on the middle school football and basketball teams but didn't become close friends until the end of high school/beginning of college. Jeff went to college 50 miles south of Alma at Michigan State and Billy would frequently come visit when the parties at Alma weren't up to par. Speaking of par, Jeff is one of Billy's most frequent golfing partners, usually finishing a few beers ahead and strokes behind Billy.
Elinor Marod
Bridesmaid
Elinor is one of the people Billy has known since he was 9 years old, they rode the same bus every day and thus, Jessie was very excited to meet her. When they met at dinner at the Stable Inn in the spring of 2021, Jessie saw the force of nature that was Elinor planning her own wedding. It was truly a thing of beauty to behold, celebrating the Marods made Jessie feel so included in the family she and Billy were building here in West MI. It was only soon thereafter that Jessie realized that inclusivity was actually a part of Elinor’s soul. As a Jew in West MI, Jessie is used to being in the minority, but at every single holiday-themed event Elinor has hosted, she has always thought to include Judaism in the most thoughtful ways that always made Jessie feel like she had a place in the group and has strengthened their bond of friendship continually.
Eric Scott
Groomsman
Eric and Billy meet during their freshman years at Alma, but they became close during their sophomore year. That summer Eric lived with Billy and his parents in Spring Lake and has been like another member of the family ever since. In 2018, Billy stood as a groomsman for Eric when he married his wife Jessica, and over the past few years has been overjoyed to watch them grow into amazing parents to their son Eric Jr.
Paige Reierson
Bridesmaid
Paige is the friend that Jessie met the most recently, and it was after she started dating Billy’s best man, Kyle. One of the first things Jessie learned about Paige was that she is a lefty. Jessie is also a lefty. The lefty bond is very strong, as it is a right-handed world we live in. So, with that as a strong foundation, Jessie and Paige continued to bond on similar love of books and movies– choosing to drag Billy and Kyle to Where the Crawdads Sing when it came out in theaters. While they may have first started hanging out on double-dates, Jessie and Paige make the plans for the boys to hang out now, and no one is complaining! Jessie knew that Paige was born abroad, had lived in the Czech Republic, and gone to college in Montreal, so Jessie’s Francophile nature had found home to bond with about her love of European culture and old lady hobbies like wine, cheese, coffee, and knitting. Paige, as a left-handed knitter, is the actual best tutor Jessie has ever had for knitting and has made Jessie’s technique much more efficient. Even if Jessie and Paige have only known each other a very short time, they feel like long lost old European souls together.
Lucas Bui
Groomsman
Lucas and Billy first met at Alma when Billy rushed TKE during his freshman year. While pledging TKE, Lucas helped Billy navigate through his first year of fraternity life and the two have been close ever since.
Benjamin Grandis
Officiant
Benjamin and Jessie have known each other the longest, apart from their families. Her very first year of high school in 2009, Jessie remembers the day and time that Ben decided they were going to be friends. Jessie is so very thankful Ben had this idea, because he has truly been one of the most influential forces on Jessie’s life, personality, and taste in general. Ben was there for many of Jessie’s first experiences from flowers to fungus, cheering her on and being her babysitter as needed. Jessie spent the majority of her time in high school hanging out at Ben’s house and their parents knew each other growing up as well. In fact, Ben’s dad was Marla’s Cardiologist while she was pregnant with Jessie and Ben’s mom took Jessie’s tonsils out in 2014. Jessie and Ben have continued to make it a priority to see each other everywhere they’ve gone and have always known that anywhere they go, they will be a home for the other.