Alyssa Bailey Henderson & Ian Del Schwarz
Meet The Wedding Party
Marissa Hudson
Maid of Honor
I met Marissa in college, where we bonded over our love of art, bohemian style and superheroes. How she survived three years of my weirdness as my roommate I will never know. I'm sure sue has some great and embarrassing stories to share about my crazy antics! She's my best friend and second sister. In college we would stay up all night talking but our specialty was movie nights with smoothies and ice cream! She’s the triple chocolate to my vanilla bean. Riss is the sweetest soul you’ll ever meet! She may be deaf but watch out, she can read lips like no one’s business! Her favorite color is purple, she loves horses and she can’t say no to blue raspberry . . . anything!
Rob Clark
Best Man
Rob and I met in high school through band, he was a beast on the clarinet. He has dabbled in trumpet, baritone, and tuba since. In high school we bonded over a mutual interest in Doctor Who, and hung out in the same circles. We would often all get together and go over to our friend Deans for Game Night. After high school we stayed in contact, and eventually began playing Dungeons and Dragons together, another shared nerdy passion. Rob is a stand up guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and he's quick to laughter (a great trait to keep around in life), but don't get him started on The Bluecoats, or anything to do with music theory, he'll talk your ear off!
Katie Mitchell
Bridesmaid
Katie and I became friends through Marissa. We’ve all gotten really close since she’s came back from her many adventures abroad. Who knew having two deaf best friends could be so enlightening! Katie is the sort of friend I didn’t realize I needed until I had her. She’s a smart, witty gem of a woman with a dry, and at times, morbid sense of humor. She’s my late night, sleep deprived, meme loving, card playing partner in crime! And I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Max Umphress
Groomsman
I met Max in elementary school, we were both friends with Frid. We weren't "formally" introduced though until Middle School when we all shared a lunch table in the cafeteria. At that age everyone is your friend but it wasn't until he joined band senior year of high school that we really became good friends. Now Max is the one I turn to for all things car and motorcycle related. He is an aficionado in game cubes, drinking games, and small British cars.
Shelby Casner
Bridesmaid
Shelby’s been my friend since the summer after sophomore year of college. We met through a group of mutual friends and got to know each other better when we learned we lived in the same town. We bonded over the outside scoop and talks about the future. She's a great listener and an even better friend! Shelby is an outstanding elementary teacher with eons of compassion and creativity. Since college we love to get together at coffee shops for lunch to catch up and talk about work drama. One of my favorite things about Shelby is her smile. She’s got one of those smiles that can light up the whole world and it never fails to brighten my day!
Seth Hammond
Groomsman
I met Seth in elementary school. We did the Playground Olympics together with Max and Frid. This is where my nickname 'The Mibbs Man' was born. However, it wasn't until the latter half of high school that we really became good friends. After Seth and Frid graduated from drake we all decided to get an apartment together and we've all been close ever since. In the last year or so Seth and I have bonded over a mutual interest in Dungeons and Dragons, we play with Rob, Simon and a few others about once every month. He's a musical genius who has a passion for teaching, a great listener and an even better vocalist!
Lily Schwarz
Bridesmaid
Lily is Ian’s little, but definitely wiser, sister. ;) A double major in Religion and Anthropology with a minor in Public History, you can bet she knows her stuff! More than that she’s a beautiful and independent young woman who knows how to have a good time. I met Lily shortly after Ian and I started dating but we really started to get close in recent years. She's wicked smart and always has my back. She a constant inspiration and I’ve admired her ever since Ian introduced us. She’ll inspire you even while she's schooling you on the dance floor!
Derrick Fridley
Groomsman
Derrick, aka Frid, I've known the longest of everyone, all the way back to Wolf scouts in the BSA. We stayed friends through scouting as we both earned our Eagle rank, and we formed 2/3 of E, our bachelor pad apartment with Seth for two years. Since we all moved out last year we routinely get together every Monday night for Mug Club at our favorite German bar in downtown with Max. Recently all the guys and I have been helping Frid build a bar in his basement. Frid is a numbers man, can drink you under the table, and knows his sports inside in out.
Katie Soda
Bridesmaid
I met Katie my sophomore year of high school and was instantly drawn to her fun, spontaneous personality. She never fails to make me laugh. Katie is my oldest friend and she was there for me when I needed her most. Katie's the sort of friend where time and distance mean nothing. We can meet back up after a year of craziness and its was like it was yesterday that I last saw her. I’ve always loved our lunch dates and shopping sprees! Katie is always the life of the party, and you’ll probably find her getting the dance floor started with drink in hand and some killer moves!
Simon Clark
Groomsman
Simon is a mutual friend to both of us, Alyssa met him through their various art classes and I got to know him through Band. My roommate senior year was in percussion with Simon and one day we invited him to game night. Since Simon is the youngest of our friend group, we jokingly refer to him as the baby of the group. Simon is a big Dungeons and Dragons nerd, Simon's actually the reason I'm such a nerd for the game myself. Simon is probably too smart for his own good. He has a great laugh, and he's a talented artist. Be sure to ask about his travels, especially the alpacas.
Kassie Henderson
Honorary Bridesmaid
I’d always wanted a little sister! And I met Kassie the summer of ‘09 and started calling her my sister when her adoption was finalized on November 21. From matching clothes to talking about boys we’ve really bonded over recent years with our mutual love for shoes and interior design. It hasn’t always been easy, but just like all siblings we’ve had our moments. I’ve learned so much about who she is. She’s creative and loves to dance, is obsessed with Billie Eilish, and she’s outstanding with small children. I’m proud to call her my sister!