Shannon & Sean
The Wedding Party
Sean Benim
Groom
I was born and raised in Erie, PA. I went to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel for K-8, the Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy for 9-12, and Penn State Erie for my Bachelors in Management and MBA. In 2010 I moved to the Quad City area (western Illinois, eastern Iowa) for work, and am currently a Product Manager at John Deere designing a new business system John Deere dealers will use globally with a focus in accounting and finance. I grew up a big NASCAR/Jeff Gordon fan, however I do not follow it anymore. I still enjoy watching/attending Formula 1 and IndyCar races. I was also an avid golfer growing up, but unfortunately do not get the time to play very often. In my 20s I turned into a Pittsburgh Penguins fan and I never miss a game (I'm sure Shannon loves that part :D ). I'm also really enjoy playing pinball, and if you didn't know, Pittsburgh is the home to some really great pinball arcades. During COVID Shannon and I bought bicycles for something to do outside of the house and we have fallen in love with them. On nice days you'll see us out and about on the extensive network of bike paths in our area. Thank you for being part of this adventure Shannon and I are on!
Shannon Christensen
Bride
I am super excited to be marrying Sean! After 12 years, many adventures, personal and professional changes, two cats, one house and the many twists and turns that is life - Sean has been there for it all. Spending most of our 20's together and now all of our 30's, we have been through so much together and I am very excited to be sharing this celebration with so many close friends and family! I have so many wonderful moments with Sean, but one of my absolute favorite adventures, was going to the Grand Canyon to celebrate a huge milestone in my weight loss journey in September of 2021. Sean has always supported me with job changes, difficulties with my back, family or friends advice, and helping me to see things from a different perspective. But supporting me when I was ready to lose weight was a wild ride from the beginning. From doctor appointments, diets, learning how to help me through this was much more than we expected. I could not have done it without him. When it came time to look back and celebrate how far I had come, he helped me plan one amazing trip to Arizona. I am truly excited to continue to share life with him and even more thrilled to see what else life has to throw at us, knowing it will be better when he is by my side.
Shelly Rapp
Matron of Honor
Shelly is the sister of the bride. Close in age but even closer in friendship! Shelly has been helping Shannon every step of the way in this crazy thing called life since forever. From good advice to hand-me-down-clothes (even when Shannon took those clothes without asking!) We shared bedrooms through most of our early childhood and being closer in age foraged one fun childhood! What I am most happy for after all these years of knowing Shelly, is that in true big sister form, she is always there when you need her. She is one of the smartest and most kind people. Level headed when you are in a pinch or need some solid advice. I adore the family she has in my brother in law Jason, and my two nephews, Bennett and Grayson and their now senior black lab/pit bull, Carly. Thank goodness for technology like Facetime and phones to keep us close as she lives just down in Washington, IL a short 90-minute drive away. I personally appreciate Shelly during wedding planning as she has helped keep me cool when planning became stressful. From wedding dress issues, hotel planning to just in general keeping me calm, im so glad she was only a phone call away! Thank you Shelly!
Renee Christensen
Bridesmaid
Sister-in-law to the bride. Renee is married to Shannon's brother, Dan. She has been in our lives for the last decade and we are grateful to have added such a fun and caring person to our family! Renee is always there to talk Harry Potter and all the nerdy things we love. Everyone I’m our family knows that Dan, Renee’s husband, is very lucky to have Renee. She is kind, patient and very crafty! Renee is a brilliant graphic designer both at work and her hobbies of creating beautiful and fun greeting cards and stickers. In addition to her amazing work she also helped produce many of the graphics and signage for our wedding - thank you Renee!
Marc Bailey
Best Man
Marc and I have been friends for over 30 years. We went to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel together for K-8 and to the Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy for 9-12. Marc and I were both in the band playing clarinet, both in cub scouts, and shared lots of experiences growing up. Mrs. Bailey was often our chauffer for rides home from school. Marc has served in the US Army and Pennsylvania Army National Guard for 13 years in intelligence and currently works as a cybersecurity analyst for Ansys. Marc, his wife Heidi, and their dog "Dory" currently live not far outside of Pittsburgh in Irwin, PA. Marc and Heidi enjoy travelling to amusement parks. If you follow them on facebook they always seem to be on an adventure. They are also big Pittsburgh Penguin fans. In fact, Marc and I both went to our first NHL game together here in Pittsburgh. I'm honored to call Marc my oldest friend and am so happy we still connect all these years later.
Mark Schneider
Groomsman
Mark and I (Sean) met at John Deere Information Systems (JDIS) about 5 years ago, where at the time I was a Dealer Business System Advisor and he was an Infrastructure Analyst. Mark later joined the project I'm currently working on as a Process Specialist and Software Engineer. He has since left Deere to take an active role in his family's business in educational materials. Mark and I have always enjoyed a special relationship at work, full of banter, and always finding funny ways to describe hypocrisy around us. Mark moved a few blocks away from Shannon and I a few years back and we've become each others "cat sitters". When Shannon and I are travelling he and his wife Kelly will come take care of Tuna and Ahi, and while he is out I'll take care of his 3 cats Rune, Griffon, and Namira. Mark and Kelly helped me to "surprise" Shannon during my proposal. I "pretended" to run into them during a bike ride along the river, but of course it was staged so they could be there to take pictures and video. I think Shannon knew something was up. I can't thank Mark and Kelly enough for continuing to be a part of our lives and I look forward to many more years of entertaining experiences together.
Alice Christensen
Flower Girl
Alice is Shannon's niece, daughter of Dan and Renee Christensen. Alice is learning so many new things and enjoys playing with all kinds of toys from playdough to baby dolls to magnetic building blocks. She is very sweet, caring and while she likes new things she has a real knack for building a routine - like on every walk she has to "feed" a neighbor's frog statue with her favorite crackers. One of my favorite memories with Alice is playing hide and seek with her in the living room. She would hide with her dad under a blanket on the couch, and then I would try to find her!
Ella Brizuela
Flower Girl
Ella is Sean's niece and daughter of Meridith and Tomas Brizuela, and little sister to Tommy (Thomas) and Vinny (Vincent). Ella doesn't get to see Uncle Sean very often, so this is an exciting opportunity to involve her in our lives. We hear she was very excited to wear her dress for the wedding and we know she will be great with the responsibility of being our flower girl!
Bennett Rapp
Ring Bearer
Bennett is Shannon's nephew, son of Shelly and Jason Rapp. When Bennett was born, it was Shannon's first official promotion to Aunt. Bennett is an avid baseball and soccer player, boy scouts and is very intelligent when it comes to playing games. He is probably the best tic-tac-toe player there is! One of my favorite memories with Bennett is when he was a baby and had tummy time. I really enjoyed just laying there with him while he learned to pick things up and listen to him babble. Bennett was the reason I had a title of Aunt and I was fascinated with him. Now I am in awe of the young boy who is so full of life, ready for an adventure but also very grounded in what he learns. If you have a piece of paper he will conjure up something quick into origami.
Grayson Rapp
Ring Bearer
Grayson is Shannon's nephew and son of Shelly and Jason Rapp. While he is a couple years younger than his brother, Bennett, he does his best to keep up and is always such a ball of energy! He is goofy in person and for the most part, has a big ole smile on his face. He has such an imagination and loves playing with toys and stuffies. When Grayson visits he likes to play video games and lure Tuna and Ahi out of their hiding spots so he can pet them. One of my favorite memories of Grayson was spending time on a recent trip to Des Moines when we played this combo game of monkey in the middle and finding pool toys while swimming. He had way more energy than I did!
Dan Christensen
Usher
Dan is the brother of the bride. Even though he towers over everyone he is actually the youngest of the family. Shannon and Dan are called 'Irish twins', meaning that there is less than one year between us. Dan and I had many adventures growing up and through the years has always been there to lend a hand or give advice. Dan is always there when you need him. He is probably one of the most trust-worthy people you have ever met! He has both brain and brawn; never shying away from either a problem to solve or weeds to pull (even if he gets poison ivy!) It is for this reason that Dan will both be assisting with ushering during our ceremony, and will also be walking our flower girls down the aisle too!
Dan Laurie
Usher
Dan and I (Sean) met at John Deere where we worked together training John Deere dealers how to use new business systems and have spent quite a bit of time travelling across the USA/Canada together for our jobs. Dan and I don't work on the same project at John Deere currently, but our desks are still a stones throw away from each other. Dan is always a great friend to talk to, and is always somebody I can count on for help whenever it is needed. If you get a chance, take some time to learn about Dan and all the different things he has done in his life. It seems as if he's done a little bit of everything and always has some great stories to tell.