Jackie & Ryan
Wedding Party
Abby Lawson
Maid of Honor
Abby and Jackie have been friends since second grade. They grew up playing soccer together (which jackies dad coached) and got closer over middle and high school and remain best friends. They’ve done marathons together, mission trips, dressed up for countless proms, sporting events, etc! Jackie was also Abby’s maid of honor, so it’s a sweet role reversal! (Also Abby married a guy named Ryan also. Lol).
Sarah Prenatt
Bridesmaid
Sarah and Jackie met freshman year at Wheaton college! They went to Haiti together on a mission trip, sang in gospel choir together, and survived the beautiful but hard years of college! Since then, they’ve visited each other in each place they’ve lived (DC for Sarah, NY and CA for Jackie) and see each other most thanksgivings since Sarah has family in encinitas, CA!
Halie Hommes
Bridesmaid
Halie and Jackie met in elementary school and have been best friends since middle school! They lived less than 1/2 mile from each other and car pooled going to high school. Halie lives near San Diego with her husband Blake, and helped Jackie find her wedding dress at the same store she found her wedding dress at last year with Jackie’s help!!
Lucy Burt
Bridesmaid
Lucy and Jackie have been friends since freshman year at Wheaton college, and are now super close since Lucy lives close in Coronado! Her husband is a pilot for the marines and she has a beautiful daughter, Emilia and very sweet pup, Luna.
Amanda Azadian
Bridesmaid
Amanda and Jackie have been great friends since freshman year at Wheaton College! They had the same major and have visited each other in all of the different states they’ve lived in since!
Rachel Jones
Bridesmaid
Rachel and Jackie have been friends since 3rd grade! They grew up having sleep overs and spending endless summer days together and also played soccer together from childhood to high school! They remain close, as her and her husband Kelly live in St. Paul and we’re married a few years ago with Jackie in the party!!
Jackie Nemec
Bride
Jackie grew up in Monticello MN playing soccer, and doing elite gymnastics. She chose Wheaton College after high school and studied to be a public health nurse, while also doing a semester in the holy lands. After college she moved to upstate New York to work at a community feeding center in Albany where she coached high school sports and lead youth group on the side, leading to running the youth group part time, and starting a youth for Christ (young life’s cousin ministry) club at the local high school. She did that for 3 years before visiting California, and then to take on a full time position with young life in San Diego near family and friends. She now substitute teaches, coaches, and helps training leaders to invest in middle school students in northern San Diego.
Ryan Friesen
Groom
He loves the 49’ers , football, the Giants baseball team, camping, running , surfing, weightlifting, listening to podcasts, and Star Wars.
Alex Zeller
Best Man
Ryan and Alex played college football together and eventually were roommates in a college apartment in which they had many shared formative experiences.
Andy Bliven
Groomsman
Ryan and Andy met in band in high school and quickly became close friends. Always being asked if they were related, they eventually convinced everyone that they were cousins, some friends still believe it.
JT Turner
Groomsman
JT and Ryan met while they attended The University of Northwestern St. Paul together. Along with Caleb, and other friends, they were part of the best Student Center Beach Volleyball team at Northwestern. Since college JT and Ryan have had many deep conversations on life and what growing up away from their home state of California was like for them while exiled in the frozen tundra of Minnesota.
Caleb Barret
Groomsman
Caleb was also a big part of the best Student Center Beach Volleyball Court team. Ryan and Caleb also shared many strong passions away from volleyball including, working out, watching football, being bros, and just spending time with friends.
Justin Morin
Groomsman
In college, you could have called Justin and Ryan The Bash Bros. Not only for their love of the Mighty Ducks movies and hockey, but they also were offensive tackles together and even had Justin's girlfriend Bri (now wife) braid their hair into cornrows for Northwestern's Homecoming Ryan's Senior year. (Facebook provides proof of this)
Evan Platis
Groomsman
Evan joined Ryan's small group 3 years ago. They quickly became friends going to church events together. Now their weekends are spent surfing, eating the best burritos in the world, and going to Evan's music shows. Ryan and Jackie will be regularly visiting Evan now that he has moved up to the Bay Area, not far from where Ryan was born.
Harlyn Peña
Flower Girl
Harlyn is one of our high school student leaders for Young Life!
Tre Grove
Ring Bearer
Tre is one of our high school student leaders for Young Life!
CJ Carnes
Flower Girl
CJ is one of our high school student leaders for Young Life!