J + J
Wedding Party
Meki (Puff Ball) Blackwell
Bridesmaid
I met this beautiful greek angel 3 years ago. The first time I heard her pray in the spirit, I thought, "I want that intimacy." She's as close to a theologian as anyone I know with scripture passages, sometimes pages, tatted all over her heart. Her fervency for God's heart and boldness in asking Him to move mountains is truly admirable and reminds me of Moses. She prayed with expectancy for my heart to change in so many ways and God answered; including being attracted to Jon. Glory be to God! In the day-to-day, sit down and get some popcorn because the two of us can be a show! With the never-ending randomness, all the inappropriate jokes, laughter until collapsing to the ground, and Vietnamese accents, there isn't a second that we won't entertain someone.
Kait (Boo Bear) Warman
Bridesmaid
I met this powerhouse 4 years ago at a Christmas cookie cutting party and became roommates instantly. Living together truly drew our friendship into instant authenticity and transparency as we both went through extremely similar seasons of relationships ending, career changes, etc. The Lord has us walking alongside one another cheering the other on as we trucked through the trenches of many challenges. Our sisterhood is a redemption story of God making things new. I don't know anyone's heart that is bigger than this lady and I couldn't imagine walking down the aisle without her.
Natalie (Natty Cakes) Stone
Bridesmaid
The one who BELIEVED. I may not fully remember the night I met Jon, but I do remember the night I met Nat. 😂 In a prayer circle, her faithful spirit & child-like faith immediately caught my attention as she prayed to the Lord. I thought, "Wow. She's radiant. How pleasing her prayers must be to God." Weeks later we hopped into a women's group together & it was a match made in heaven; 3-year journey until now. Nat was the first one who caught eye of Jon crushing on me at community group. She thought, "Look at this guy. He's totally into this chatty girl." She fought well when I tried to leave him. She advocated for what God was trying to do in our lives the entire time & had an unwavering faith in the 2 of us. It gives me great honor to have Nat beside me on my wedding day 💕
Savannah-Oh-Na-Na Larsen
Bridesmaid
My beautiful and irreplaceable Savage Savannah! Another match made in heaven when we joined women's group together and have spent every Thursday night for the last 2 years digging deep into our lives, our struggles, our purpose, our frustrations, our hurts, our worries, where the Lord would have us serve, where God is in times of suffering and especially the trialing periods of relationships as Sav is also my brother's girlfriend of over 1 year. You've become family so quickly and I love it so much. You are the ONLY person who I don't mind that calls me, "Jessie". Thank you for loving us (and tickling us) Chow's so much. Thank you for standing beside me in this special season preparing for covenant.
Elissa (Liss) Brown
Bridesmaid
I met my Moana princess 4.5 years ago when I joined a new community group. She has seen me, cared for me, and loved me through several failed relationships. We've remained in the same women's group for the entire time we've known each other, even through a transition out of an old women's group and into a new one, she and I stayed side-by-side. We've both wept and laughed together over many seasons. Our love for each other can also sometimes bring us to tears. Lis is HANDS DOWN one of the funniest people in the entire world TO ME. Simply by being herself will have me rolling on the ground dying of laughter. Her fear of the Lord is undeniable & her love for those she cares about is relentless and unwavering. I celebrate alongside her as she is also newly engaged!
Jordan Ho
Groomsman
Jordan graced Jon with his presence in 2006. They met in high school and have been through various stages of life together. Though their relationship hasn’t been without bumps in the road with even a falling out during college years due to a love triangle,(LOL), it wasn’t until post-college that they rebuilt their friendship and moved out to LA together in 2015. They’ve trekked across international waters together like Japan, and partied plenty. From there on their relationship has only continued to deepen. From the first moment Jon laid eyes on Jess with a crush, Jordan was the first person he approached joyfully showing an instagram stalked picture of her.
Phillip Maire
Groomsman
Phil and Jon’s friendship blossomed over the years during his PhD. They work in the same lab together but beyond work they’ve been on numerous adventures together - trekking to Korea for a wedding, traveling to conferences across the U.S., making road trips, hosting cookouts, and attending music festivals just to name a few. Their humor and their optimism are quite matched and Jess refers to Phil as a “white version of Jon” or Jon as an “asian version of Phil”.
Ruskin Cua
Groomsman
Ruskin has been a constant in Jon’s life since high school. Their bond started over a shared desire for academic success and practice medicine. Throughout college, their friendship continued to grow as they frequently visited one another to chat and party at UCSD (Jon) and UCI (Ruskin). After a short period in Baltimore working for the NIH, they both took a road trip across the U.S. to return home to CA. Jon remembers a moment of pure joy on Ruskin’s face as he was awaiting medical school acceptance emails. A day or so after driving by his desired medical school in Chicago, Ruskin received an email saying he was accepted!! From then on, their friendship continues to grow as Ruskin now lives in L.A.
Ernest Chow
Groomsman
Ernest was one of the first brothers who showed Jon the love of God through consistent pursuit and presence. He’s mentored Jon through many season of his young and adult life and continues to partake in caring for family. As Jon matures, this mentorship has transformed into equal accountability walking alongside each other in Christ.
Edward Marcus
Groomsman
Ed and Jon met in a men’s group part of their home church, Reality LA. Though their friendship has only begun within the past year and a half, what began as a casual friendship quickly grew into deep accountability and brotherhood. Ed has led by example of what it’s like to be a faithful husband, a loyal friend, and a man who sacrificially loves his wife. I’m in great awe of him and honored to have him stand beside me.