Wedding Party
Christina Blaszczyk
Bride
Christina first met Jacob at Wautoma High School. Jacob was Christina's freshmen Link Leader. They really did not know each other then, but formed a friendship years later when they both worked at the Piggly Wiggly in Redgranite, WI (RIP to The Pig). Thanks to a loud mouth, high school friend of Christina's, Jacob found out during the summer of 2013 that Christina had a crush on him. After a month or two, they started dating, and the rest is history. Today, Jacob and Christina are parents to a Labradoodle, Zuzu. Christina is a Mental Health Therapist at a school in Minnesota, and working part time at a winery. Christina's favorite memories with the bridal party have been parties at the "Stout Getaway"--Jacob and Christina's old Hudson apartment, hanging out in South Hall and around Menomonie, visiting Nick in Jersey, and Jacob's summer birthday parties at the Blaszczyk Compound.
Jacob Gies
Groom
Jacob's first met Christina in a somewhat unconventional manner during high school…that load mouth friend of Christina’s and Jacob thought it would be fun to throw a freshman in a trashcan…Christina. Unbeknownst to Jacob, she was going to be one of his Link Crew members. Years later they reconnected thanks to that loud mouth friend and its been 10 years and counting! Jacob is an environmental brand designer and project manager at Imagin' Studios in Minneapolis. In his free time, Jacob is working on reassembling his restored 1992 Camaro. His favorite memory of the wedding party was spending time with everyone in college, watching B-rated movies, and holiday get togethers.
Emily Bergum
Maid of Honor
Emily's friendship with Christina and Jacob started in South Hall, where Emily met Jacob during their first year as Resident Advisors. This friendship would lead her to Christina; together, they've become two of Emily’s absolute favorite people on the planet. From the laughter-filled escapades tubing on Lake Irogami, to the many themed parties, there are many fond memories than can be listed. With Christina, Emily has come to treasure the value of adventure, new experiences, and heartfelt conversations shared about the importance of nature. With Jacob, Emily fondly reminisces about their South Hall experiences, each deserving more than a paragraph to capture the essence of those formative years. Fun fact: The groom paid for Emily to be arrested in 2015. Thank you to Sergeant Lisa Pederson.
Pat Lytle
Groomsman
Pat first met the groom during his first year at UW-Stout in South Hall. During the following years at Stout he got involved with University Housing (as we all seem to do), worked a bunch of jobs around campus including at MRC ETC (Event Technology Crew) and the Abby. After college they had a semi-working relationship with one of Pat’s previous employers. After graduating in 2019 with a Real Estate degree, Pat entered the professional arena, founding Piedmont and later joining TruStage. Pat decided to go back to school in 2023 for his MDA in Business Administration at UW Madison. This decision underscored his ongoing dedication to personal and professional advancement. Looking back on the past year, Pat not only celebrates academic and career milestones but also cherishes the enduring friendships cultivated along the way. From South Hall to UW Madison, he continues to tackle challenges with unwavering determination and a forward-thinking outlook with his love of merlot in hand.
Emma Blaszczyk
Bridesmaid
As the younger and only sister of the Bride, Emma grew up idolizing Christina. Even though they always didn't get along, Emma pursued a Black Belt in Tae-Kwon-Do, and a high school career in vocal performance, just like her big sis. Emma has played the Narrator in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," Maria in "The Sound of Music," and Marian (Madam Librarian) in "The Music Man." Now, she faces her greatest role yet, Christina's bridesmaid. Can she pull it off?!? Emma graduated from UW-Madison in 2022, and now resides in St. Paul, MN, which makes hanging out with her sister so much easier. Emma is currently a Support Specialist at a middle school in the Twin Cities. She was accepted into Law School, and will be starting graduate school in Fall 2024.
Nick Baumann
Groomsman
As a former South Hall ARC (Academic Resource Coordinator), Nick also meet the groom in South Hall. They became chums pretty quickly. He went one to be a hall manager in his last year at Stout before graduating. He graduated in 2018 with a bachelors in Engineering Technology. Then he promptly moved out east to New Jersey to be closer to the calling sea. He is sailing along with his partner Mackenzie and his two pups. Nick is currently a operations manager at Nekoosa Coated Products. "My favorite early memory with the groom would be in semester 1. At the end of first semester, Jacob was graduating and the final step for his program was senior show. And for this show Jacob was in need of a wall to showcase his product and I was enlisted in this noble pursuit, after procuring the necessary materials. Being the excellent framers we are 😂 we quickly (roughly 8 hours later) assembled our masterpiece. Being that this was finals week for both of us, there was definitely some long nights prior which may have contributed to the delirium of the day, but I'll never forget the look we both had when we looked at each other and realized we hadn't eaten all day."