Catherine & Jay
Wedding Party
Catherine Van Halsema
Bride
Catherine (Cate) is working on her Ph.D. in Germanic Studies right now in addition to teaching ESL online to adorable little Chinese kids every morning. Her (current) top three things she loves about Jay: he has a big and generous heart, he always supports her following her dreams, and he's the smartest person she's ever met. Proudest accomplishment to date? Saying y'all without even having to think about it!
Jay Hurdle
Groom
Jay is an attorney in Starkville who, in his free time, pours more love and care back into his community than seems humanly possible. His (current) top three things he loves about Cate: she's bright and bubbly, she's kind and accepting, and she has brought a whole lot of adventure into his life. Proudest accomplishment to date? Finally beating Cate at Mad Verse City! Can you say #RapGod?
Breanna Greer
Maid of Honor
Catherine and Breanna first met in their college dorm at Calvin, but their friendship didn't really blossom until they studied abroad in Hungary together in 2008 (Hungs08!). A shared sense of humor and adventure made them fast friends, and they've seen each other through thick and thin ever since. A million beach days, 80's nights, Ticket to Ride games, and visits to New Beginnings with E-town later, Catherine can't wait to have Breanna by her side as she starts this new chapter of her life.
Ben Lang
Groomsman
More info coming soon!
Maren Peitzmeyer
Bridesmaid
Friends since they met in 2005 when Catherine was living in Vechta, Germany, Maren and Catherine have shared years of laughter and love. Maren's family is Catherine's home-away-from-home whenever she's in Germany, and she couldn't be happier to have Maren standing by her side on the most important day of her life!
Sean Dyess
Groomsman
Sean met Jay in Starkville around 2014 and knew right away that Jay was a handsome, tall nice guy who's always kind to animals and anyone in the service industry. He loves puppies, he enjoys rock climbing and skydiving and doing outdoorsy stuff. Also he dresses well so he probably has some money. (Send a little our way, Sean ;-)) In all seriousness, though, Sean has been a dear friend for years. From tailgating to game nights to after-work drinks at Moe’s, Sean is always the life of the party. Jay and Cate couldn’t be happier to have him standing up with them in April!
Nari Ryu
Bridesmaid
Nari became the sister Catherine never had when she came to live with her family in 2006. Since then they've been college roommates, co-workers, and most of all, close friends, despite time and distance. And if anyone knows how excited Catherine is to be getting married, it's Nari - she's been helping plan Catherine's wedding since before Jay even came along! Catherine is super psyched to have Nari standing up with her!
Kris Lee
Groomsman
Mr. Lee, the Legendarily Loquacious Local, penned us a poem in honor of being asked to be a groomsman. It's too long to post here in its entirety, but please enjoy a highlight: ===== You get this, a secret; You are an ooh la la... all honey flavor. Go on go be a big deal! Be a big deal, Cate! We’re gonna blurb on champagne and watch you two become full become joy become love ===== Kris has brought love and life to Cate and Jay's lives for years now, and we're honored to have him stand with us come April.
Lindsey Pullum
Bridesmaid
Lindsey's been an inspiration to Catherine since they met in 2013. Whether it's falling asleep to reruns of The West Wing, drinking [way] too much hot chocolate, or meeting for an evening jog to discuss school, work, and life, Catherine has treasured every minute of Lindsey's friendship. Three and a half years after catching the bouquet at Lindsey's wedding, Catherine is so excited to have Lindsey standing up with her!
Austin Vollor
Groomsman
More info coming soon!
Arne Willée
Bridesman
Arne and Catherine have been friends since 2013 when they started their doctoral program at IU, and they were near-inseparable from day one. Catherine's even pretty sure she wouldn't have made it so far in the program without his support. Together they've taken the world by storm - literally: Bloomington, Bowling Green, Graz, Berlin, Wrocław, and soon, Utrecht and Starkville! Catherine is honored to have Arne stand with her.
Thomas La Foe
Groomsman
More info coming soon!
Colin Kapps
Honorary Bridesman
Colin and Catherine met at IU when they were both part of IU's Rowing Club, and they bonded almost immediately - especially after unexpectedly becoming co-coaches! They've kept up a close, dear friendship both as roommates in Bloomington, and across thousands of miles. Even though Colin is busy kicking ass in his master's program in Australia, and can't make it to Starkville, Catherine knows he'll be there in spirit (and probably on FaceTime, who are we kidding?!)