Jessica & Nicholas are getting married!
Wedding Party
Michael Markesbery
Best Man
Hi, I'm Michael Markesbery. VB and I met while both attending Miami University. On weekends, you can find me skiing, kiteboarding, dirt biking, or learning to fly a plane. In grade school, I aspired to be a Physician (like my grandfather & VB)! VB would say the most special thing about me is either my drive/ grit or that I would go to the ends of the earth for my friends. Nick will say it best: "I wouldn't be who I am today without Mike." Nick was a total stranger when Mike sat next to him in the Miami University cafeteria and struck up a conversation. Since then, Nick has valued this friendship and credits Mike with helping him build his self-confidence, humor, ambition, and comfort in being himself. Nicholas gives credit to Michael for being THE person who inspired him to become a physician.
Ashley Farmer,Esq.
Maid of Honor
The two met in college while both were members of their sorority, Kappa Delta. Shortly thereafter, the two ended up at an Imagine Dragons concert together, and they have been obsessed with each other ever since. When Jess and I first became friends, for 6 years, I failed to notice that her last name was spelled incorrectly in my phone. One day, Jess finally saw it, and I was so embarrassed. But we decided to lean into it, and now we both have each other's names misspelled, intentionally, in our phone contacts. Thinking back when I was in grade school, I wanted to be Elle Woods. I ended up following her footsteps in a lot of ways, joining a sorority in LA, becoming a lawyer, and now a dog mom too! What would Jessica say is the funniest thing, or most special thing about you? I think Jess would say the most special thing about me, which is also the most special thing about her, is the amount of support we've given each other over the years. Our grad school experiences were tough for both of us, but we were always there for each other while we were navigating those experiences. A lot of people drift apart after college, but we have only gotten closer!
Connor Brown
Groomsman
Connor and Nick have known each other since their early teens. One of Nick's favorite memories with Connor was exploring Chicago. Nick was in Chicago for his boards exam, and Connor took him around, introducing him to Chicago-style hot dogs, pizza, and famous city sites. Of note, a picture of Nick in front of the Chicago Bean made it onto his dating profile, which attracted Jess! Even though years have passed, Nick thinks fondly on times like these and spending time playing Super Smash Bros. Connor's sweet golden doodle puppies also inspired Nick and Jess to adopt Tater from the same breeder!
Dr. Gina Livecchi
Bridesmaid
Gina met Jess on their first day of medical school, though didn't become friends until Jess harassed Gina from an unknown phone number sitting behind her in class. Jess brought Cat into the fold, solidifying UCCOM's cutest trio. They spent evenings and weekends together, studying and drowning in Starbucks. They would cheer themselves up daydreaming, including their future relationships and weddings. One of Jess's favorite things to do was figure out how to scare the pants off of me at random points throughout the day--it's not very hard, I’m jumpy and easily scared. Once we were working on the top floor of our building and I stepped out to go to the bathroom. Jess perched herself right outside of the door and jumped out at me when I exited. I screamed so loud that people on the first floor stopped to look up at us. For the rest of the year, I made sure no one was outside the bathroom. Growing up as an oldest daughter, I knew I always wanted a career where I could work with kids. After years of teaching swim lessons and being a lifeguard, I found my true passion in medicine, helping kids feel less scared about being at the doctor or in the hospital. Jess has always appreciated my sense of style (she texts me to tell me that she's thankful for it every Thanksgiving), and we have traded many texts about sales going on at our favorite stores and photos of outfits that we are especially proud of. Gina is so happy knowing that Jess found the man she'd been dreaming about.
Dr. Cody Miller
Groomsman
"When Nick and I first met, I'd pick on him for his shoes and cargo shorts. I told him that if we were going to be friends, he had to dress better, so we went shopping together. Shortly after getting a new wardrobe, he met Jess." Jess and Nick were understandably nervous before getting Tater, but seeing how well Cody balanced work and being a dog dad made things seem less scary. Nick & Cody met during residency and have been great friends ever since.
Dr. Cat Taylor
Bridesmaid
The two met on their first day of medical school, and Cat will forever be grateful that Jess snatched her up as a friend immediately. They remained inseparable over the next four years of trauma bonding- correction, **medical education. Their friendship is defined by countless hours in an overheated study hut, chicken wings, scary movies Gina won't watch, zombie possums, Graeter's ice cream BOGO sundaes, and long talks on the floor. What’s a funny Jess and Cat story? One late night in Cincinnati, Jess and I pulled over on my street to try to help an ?injured or ?dead possum. At some point we were approached by a strange neighbor lady who asked us to help her look for her missing kitten.... Eventually we found ourselves searching around her creepy dark backyard, being asked to climb in her car, and realizing that this was the perfect way to get murdered. Luckily we escaped and lived to tell the tale, and we will always share Possumgate. In gradeschool, what did you aspire to be? I passed through different phases of aspiration, wanting to be a "hair-doer", an actress and a fashion designer, sometime after that, eventually landing on a surgeon in middle school. Thank goodness I didn't achieve that! I did become a doctor, in the very niche corner of forensic pathology. Jess would say the funniest thing about me is that I always have sauce somewhere on my hands.
Dr. Carly Morgan
Groomswoman
Carly and Nick were co-chiefs of their residency program along with Cody, and she was a warm and encouraging senior to Jess when she was just a nervous student. After residency, Carly pursued a fellowship in Sports Medicine. During their training years and beyond, Carly has been a wonderful source of support, and she can always be counted on to send the perfect Star Wars-themed meme. Carly and her husband Dan are Nick and Jess’s go-to double date partners for pickle ball, Korean barbeque, and antiquing at Trader’s World.
Margo Winchester, J.D.
Bridesmaid
Margo and Jess met junior year of college when Jess joined Kappa Delta. At the time Margo was determined not to take another Little, until she met Jess and changed her mind. Who was she to deny fate? After that, they took as many classes together as they could. Since then they’ve been wonderful friends despite distance and grueling grad school experiences. What’s a funny Jess and Margo story? Once during our time at UCLA, Jess and I drove Ashley to a pier to go on a date. Instead of following our first instinct and spying on her, Jess and I did the responsible thing and just walked around the pier doing Christopher Walken impressions. We called it Walken and Talkin’. In grade school, what did you aspire to be? For the longest time I wanted to be an actress. But in high school, I thought that might be too challenging so I decided to be a doctor. A horrifying experience shadowing a doctor changed my mind, but I’m happy that I can now brag about my favorite doctor, Jess! After law school, I ultimately decided my first instinct was right and am now an actress. What would Jess say is the funniest thing about you? She would say the funniest thing is that I’m an absolute weirdo. Once when we were taking a psychology class together, the professor had us draw what we thought an alien would look like. With my poor drawing skills, I drew the weirdest looking abomination I could think of. Jess thought it was the funniest thing, and we laughed about it for weeks.
Kaitlyn Bharwani Ferrer
Bridesmaid
Jessica's cousin, Kaitlyn recently graduated from high school with high honors. She is now a Freshman at UC Riverside, kicking college's butt, and aspires to have a career in the medical field. Kaitlyn and her family celebrated her graduation by taking a 3-week European cruise, including four countries: England, Spain, France, and Italy. The highlight of the trip? EVERYTHING!
Christyana Visk, MLIS
Bridesmaid
Jess and Christyana were hallmates during their first year at UCLA and then ended up becoming roommates for the remainder of their time in college. Constantly bonding over their Filipina-ness, koalas, close relationship with their families, The Office, and delicious food, Christyana and Jess's friendship turned into a sisterhood of heart and hearty laughs. Christyana credits Jessica for teaching her what healthy, kind friendships look like and how to have a backbone for oneself, and for that, she is forever grateful for their friendship! In grade school, what did you aspire to be? It always came back to writing and telling stories. I loved writing my own lyrics, writing slogan and blurbs for websites, or sending handwritten letters to friends. What would Jess say is the funniest or most special thing about you? I'm pretty sure at first Jessica was annoyed that I made up songs for literally everything I would do around the apartment, but eventually she memorized most of my tunes and would end up proudly singing along with me. In seriousness, I think Jessica would say the most special thing about me (which I also think is the most special thing about her!) is being honest with others and creating a space for others to be honest back. Despite not talking as often as we'd like to nowadays (I have kids and she's a doctor - so proud of her!), I still find it easy to be Jessica's friend, easy to pick up where we left off, and easy to just be ourselves. Truly a sister to me!
Adrienne Van Benschoten
Bridesmaid
Nick's younger sister is a Human Resources Specialist at Executive Jet Management at Lunken Airport. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, most people would describe Adrienne as the most thoughtful gift-giver, often creating handmade, one-of-a-kind gifts for her friends and family. In fact, one of the first gifts 'Adge' gave Jessica's mom, Jackie, was so special that Jackie was moved to tears. It is often said that she is the life of the party, the first, and time and time again, the last on the dancefloor, and a sweet and generous dog-mom.
Madison Taalbi
Bridesmaid
Madison shares a special bond as Jessica's cousin and God-sister. Madison is a creative and passionate 11-year-old. Her creative spirit shines through her website, sugarcatart.com, where she offers adorable Kawaii-style pet portraits. Last summer, Madison participated in an art fair where she sold custom Kawaii drawings. Aspiring to be an interior designer, she dreams of transforming spaces. One of Madison's favorite things to do is go camping with her best friends and family. In her most recent camping adventure with her Dad, she learned how to catch a (non-poisonous) snake. Brave girl!
Olivia Grace Cadano
Flower Girl
Meet Olivia, a sweet and curious 2.5 year-old with a heart full of love, and Jessica's cousin. Olivia is a curious explorer who delights in discovering new things. She enjoys building with magnetic tiles, drawing in her coloring books, playing with and feeding her stuffed animals, and asking endless, "What's next?" questions. Olivia has a sweet and caring nature, enjoys helping her mother in the kitchen, and sharing snacks with family. She enjoys singing and loves to dance to her favorite song "APT". At age two, she memorized the lyrics to "Moon River" (her mother always sings this song to her at bedtime). In 2024, Olivia traveled to three countries- Canada, France, and England. Olivia would like everyone to know she loves LABUBU Plush toys and has an extensive collection.
Mr. & Mrs. Jose & Dolly Ferrer
Jessica's Aunt & Uncle/ God Parents
Jose & Dolly live in Los Angeles, CA. They have one child, Kaitlyn, who is also a bridesmaid. One of Jessica's favorite stories about her Uncle 'Hoh' is how oiled up he would get lying out on the beaches of Hawaii. Jose would use Hawaiian Tropic Suntan 'oil', and he would be dripping in oil. Fast forward from the 70s to the present, of course, we all know now that oil is not what you use to protect your skin. And Dolly? Jessica would say she is lucky to have Dolly as an aunt who has the most precious laugh.
Bob Hendy
Nick's Uncle & God Father
Bob lives in Liberty Township, Ohio, with his wife Laura. They have three children, Caroline, Jonathan, and Zachary. Bob always has a smile on his face and loves to know the latest updates from all his nieces and nephews. A fun fact about Bob is that he is a creature of habit, as he misplaces his glasses, wallet, or keys (or all three) every day for as long as we can remember. He still laughs every time it happens, and so do we! His famous grilling skills were much appreciated at Nick and Jess’s housewarming party last summer. Jess appreciates the warmth she always feels at Uncle Bob and Aunt Laura’s house for Thanksgiving every year.
Linda Van Benschoten
Nick's Aunt & Godmother
Linda lives in Hudson, Ohio, to be closer to her daughter, son-in-law and grandchild Luke whom she watches (runs after) during the week. Linda loves Sanibel Island, Florida, where Nick's family has been vacationing for decades. Linda has forty years' worth of seashells inside and outside her house in Hudson as a reminder of warmer days to come. When Jess first started meeting Nick's family, everyone always told her that Aunt Linda was "one of the kindest souls" she would ever meet. Jess has learned this to be true 100x over-- she is the most thoughtful gift giver, a skilled Sanibel shell collector, and a heck of a good tennis player. Nick laughs, remembering Linda's overweight cat Katie and how she used to eat plastic Kroger bags.