Kathryn & Cory
Our Wedding Party
Lissy Essmann
Maid of Honor
Lissy & Kathryn’s friendship began in elementary school through Vacation Bible School, homeschool skits, & a mutual obsession with Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s more accurate to describe them as sisters than friends, which is why Kathryn can’t wait to have Lissy by her side on her wedding day.
Tess Clark
Matron of Honor
Tess & Kathryn met in high school, where their friendship blossomed through high school retreats, science class, and a love for Chick-fil-A ice cream cones & Target trips. They’re each other’s favorite people, first soulmates, and you’ll hear them refer to each other as “Chummy.”
Lindsay Dreis
Bridesmaid
Lindsay & Kathryn met while studying abroad in London one summer in college, which of course became their entire personalities. Although their time in London was limited, out of it grew a special, life-long, bust-you-out-of-jail friendship. 99% of the shenanigans Kathryn’s gotten into since then involve Lindsay (including the night Cory & Kathryn met) so it’s only natural she stands by Kathryn’s side on her wedding day.
Shay Petrilla
Bridesmaid
Shay & Kathryn met during their freshman year at George Mason University, but their friendship really grew when they started traveling together (thanks to Shay's American Airlines internship) during their senior year. They shared their first post-college, bug-infested apartment and navigated the first few years of adulthood together, which is enough to bond anyone for life.
Theo Linnemann
Best Man
Theo (Tay-Oh) and Cory met during their freshman year in the University of Iowa's Intro to Basic Acting. Cory was a theatre nerd who belonged in the class; while Theo was a swim team jock rebelliously sporting a giant blond curly afro and forced into the class by his mother - thank you, Cyndi! Over 10 years now they've remained friends and stayed in touch thanks to their video games as well as Theo's inclination to create multiple group chats and send countless memes. Since college, Theo's computer science brilliance has taken him far and Cory wishes he just had enough vacation time to keep up with him! Cory is glad to have a best friend like Theo to be alongside him on his wedding day. (This bio has been refined for clarity thanks to Artificial Intelligence bot ChatGPT)
Adam Henry
Groomsman
Adam and Cory met in college as they both were part of re-founding their fraternity. This meant creating new bylaws and chapter guidelines and Cory always admired Adam's maturity and professionalism - surely something he picked up in his time with the National Guard. Adam and Cory stayed connected after college with life update phone calls where they shared advice and commiserated about work. In fact, this staying in touch led Adam to visit DC and was responsible for the night Kathryn and Cory first met. Cory still owes him a fruit basket or something.
Parker Stanley
Groomsman
Cory first met Parker through his wife, Caroline Stanley, whom Cory worked with at Marriott Georgetown in DC. Caroline and Cory became "lunch friends" and eventually "hang out after work friends", where Parker came in. Post-work hangouts at HomeSlyce and brunches playing card games like Cards Against Humanity or P&A were always a hit! Even though the two of them moved to Kansas City to start a family, Parker and Cory remain close through weekly video game nights where they try to climb the ranks of Competitive.
Devon Dawson
Groomsman
Still in Cory's phone as "Devon Iowa!", Devon was one of Cory's first friends at college. During their freshman year, Devon and Cory met a host of characters, played some spirited games of ping pong with other dormmates, and on the Mayflower Dorm Soccer Cup! The two stayed close throughout college and afterwards. Devon studied psychology and recently completed his PhD program all while actively participating in his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club (congrats, grad!) Devon's dedication and focus have always been admirable. He's a great conversationalist as well and Cory enjoys their thoughtful conversations. Cory is proud to have a man like Devon Dawson stand up with him on his wedding day.
Michael Petrilla
Groomsman
Fondly known as "Mikey P", Michael Petrilla is a man whose excitement and energy fills up a room (along with his voice, which is saying something coming from Cory). Michael was dating Shay, Kathryn's roommate at the time and so the four of them became inseparable. Board Game and movie nights were blast! Cory had the pleasure of officiating Shay and Michael's beautiful South Carolina wedding in 2022 and he's thrilled to have Michael alongside him as well.