Elayna & Philip
Wedding Party
Gabrielle "Elle" Simpson
Maid of Honor
Elle is the younger sister who fights for me like she is actually older and far more mature than I am. (She may actually be more mature, jury's still out on that one.) When it comes to our wedding, Elle is not just the MOH, but also our planner and our photographer. I asked if she'd also cater the event, but she seemed to think she already had enough responsibilities. If you have a need for advice on natural lighting, playing piano, or understanding all of the papers that your health insurance company is sending you, Elle can definitely help.
Randy McDonald
Best Man
Randy is my older cousin, and he is one of the main reasons why I like rock music. The first time he showed me the song Million Dollar Man by the Christian rock band Kutless, I thought it was okay, but it grew on me and now I think I like rock music more than he does (sorry-not-sorry Dad). Randy is also one of the main reasons why I chose to come to Westminster Theological Seminary. He gave me a set of CD’s with sermons by Timothy Keller on them a long time ago (I still have them), and I loved how much they explained to me about Scripture. In a lot of ways I look up to Randy and am who I am because of him.
Anna "Nanna" Simpson
Almost-Matron-But-Still-Maid of Honor
Anna is my not so baby anymore sister. She is engaged, so she finds herself in a time of being not quite a matron but also not totally a maid either... hence her very unique title within the wedding party. She somehow has managed a classroom of 3rd graders through a global pandemic without murdering any of them (we think), which means she has the amount of patience and organization skills to be great at her AMBSMOH duties. If you have any questions about propagating plants, good tv shows, or the current state of the ozone layer, she is your girl.
RJ Macurak
Groomsman
RJ is my older brother. He lives in Dallas, TX and owns his own landscaping business. He can talk to anyone about anything, a quality I wish I had. He and I and our dad all play the guitar, and it’s funny because we all like to play different kinds of music in different ways. He has a great voice and likes to sing karaoke (especially Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd) and play golf, and thank God for that becausenour dad is also an avid golfer and I am not.
Hannah "Han" Glessner
Matron of Honor
Han and I became besties starting somewhere between the time that I completely laid into her during one of her first soccer games and watching Harry Potter every Sunday during the 2013 season at Eastern. Since then we've been traveling all over the world together. If you've ever seen my instagram and wondered "where the heck is Layna now?!" chances are good that Han has something to do with it. For questions regarding the wizarding world, the US Women's National Soccer Team, or the resuscitation of a very sick human, Han is a good pal to have around.
Zach Hays
Groomsman
The first time I met Zach was at Line Camp at Baylor University. We were in line for something and he just turned around and said, “Hey I’m Zach!” And I’m glad he did. We lived together for two years in LLSam’s Historic Lofts in Waco, TX right next to campus. He’s the biggest sleep athlete you’ll ever meet, a great pianist, and I’m convinced that God gives him new puns to tell every day in his prayers; if they just came from him he would’ve run out by now.
Emily "Rocky" Roquemore
Bridesmaid
Emily and I started and ended our EUWS careers together, and we were co-captains for 2 (and a half-ish) of the 4 years that we played together there. While she may be losing her very cool last name soon (we can work with Bodnar too, don't worry), she'll always be Rocky to me. We got to figure out how to be in college together, how to be good leaders of the soccer team together, how the heck to be real adults together, and I'm pretty stoked that now we get to plan our weddings at the same time, and figure out how to be new wives together. If you want high quality pillow talk, someone who knows how to make numbers make sense, or some of the best encouragement you've ever received in your life, look no further than Rock!
Stephen Ridgway
Groomsman
The first time I met Stephen was freshman year in the basement of one of the Baylor dormitories. He and Zach were playing ping pong while Caleb and I were hard at work studying (I have pictures to prove it). We lived together for two years in LLSam’s Historic Lofts in Waco, TX right next to campus. Stephen knows exactly what to say to get a reaction out of me, and we’ve had a lot of good times because of that. He’s a true Christian, a fantastic mountain biker, a true craft beer guy, and can throw a frisbee farther and more accurately than anyone I’ve ever known.
Theresa "TLo" McInnis
Bridesmaid
T was my roommate my freshman year of college, and we really hated each other. Obviously some things have changed for the better since that time in our lives, and I'm so thankful that they did. Aside from my actual sisters, I'm not sure there's anyone that can compete with the amount that T and I bicker, but at the same time I'd be hard pressed to find someone else who knows me and loves me as much as she does. If you suspect that you may accidentally be living out the Truman Show, you need someone to belt out some Whitney Houston with, or you are looking for someone who will fight fiercely for justice, my girl Theresa should be your first call.
Kris Rigsby
Groomsman
The first time I met Kris was sophomore year at Baylor University. We hung out a lot with my other groomsmen at the engineering dormitory, and we all lived together for two years in LLSam’s Historic Lofts in Waco, TX right next to campus starting our junior year. Kris is the loudest racquetball player you will ever meet, he loves Wild Turkey bourbon, he is from Venezuela, and he hates the Mexico soccer team with a passion.
Kaeli "Kale" Leonard
Bridesmaid
When I first met Kale, she insisted that she knew me from somewhere. I looked at her like she was out of her mind then, but we have since decided that what must have happened is that she knew right away that we were soul sistas. If there's anyone on this planet that my dog might like more than me, it's her "Aunt Kale," which has been hard, but I'm coming to terms with it. If you need a great pandemic roomie, an interior designer, or someone to passionately discuss the stock market with, look no further.
Jeremy Macias
Groomsman
The first time I met Jeremy was at Baylor University. We lived together for two years in LLSam’s Historic Lofts in Waco, TX right next to campus. My cousin got me started on rock music, but Jeremy opened my eyes to a whole new world, starting with A Day to Remember. He and I and his wife and brother had a lot of fun going to a Seether concert in Austin and a Five Finger Death Punch concert in Oklahoma. It was my honor to officiate Jeremy’s wedding, and now I am glad and grateful that he will be a groomsman at mine.
Emily "Em" Gendall
Bridesmaid
I am convinced that everyone in the world needs a friend like Emily. She is sassy as heck, but in between that sass she is listening intently to everything you have to say. I don't know anyone who asks better, more timely questions than she does. Regardless of what is going on in her life, you can always count on Em to drop everything and come over and pack up your entire apartment in one night... or anything else you could need. If you're looking for someone to have a glass of wine with in the middle of a random Wednesday, someone to play an unexpectedly competitive board game with, or someone to graciously speak truth (even when it's hard) into your life, Em's got ya covered.
Josh Miller
Groomsman
The first time I met Josh was at Baylor University one time when we went mountain biking. We never lived together, although Josh hung out with me and my roommates a lot and we all got to be good friends. I loved watching movies with Josh because he would pick out details that seem so obvious but that I never noticed before. He also likes history (especially WW2), has a sharp wit, and enjoys watching cartoons that were on TV well before his time.
Diane "DMoy" Moyer
Bridesmaid
My friend Diane is often my first call when I find myself in need of some wisdom, and not just because she has a couple years on me. On the outside, she may look like a big goofball (which is pretty accurate honestly), but you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't dig a little deeper and let her drop some biblical truth on you from time to time. I'd be lost if I didn't have her stop into my office with a Cherry Pepsi (no Coke please), and chips and guac on a regular basis. If you're looking for advice on how to have a strong sneaker game, how to get people that don't know each other talking, or how to be an incredibly kind, loving, and intentional friend, DMoy is your girl.
Brett Derr
Officiant
BDerr is the Director of Next Generation ministries at Christ Community Church, which makes him my (Elayna's) boss. We've been working together for almost 5 years now, and it's such a gift to work for someone who is such an intentional leader. He and his wife Katelyn very quickly became some of my favorite people to hang out with, especially when a board game and a bottle of wine are part of the equation. Phil and Brett have Westminster Theological Seminary in common, and while they haven't ever been in class together, they quickly connected over some of the different professors they've had, as well as their similar theological beliefs. We're both stoked that Brett will be officiating our wedding!