Jena & Nicholas
Wedding Party
Jill Klaphake
Maid of Honor
Jill is my little sister and to our mom's dismay, we couldn't be more alike. Many of my favorite memories of us together end in us laughing so hard that we are gasping for air, in tears when suddenly we are overcome with fear that our dad is sleeping upstairs and we have woken him up yet again. Although our jokes were never really that funny, we could always count on each other to laugh anyways. (I am expecting big things from her speech.) Without a doubt in my mind Jill is the most loyal and trustworthy person I have ever met. Words cannot describe how lucky I am to have her as my sister, best friend and Maid of Honor.
Megan Klaphake
Maid of Honor
Megan is my littlest sister and my mini me. I often tell her for better or for worse, I am exactly what she will look like 7 years from now. In our household growing up, Megan was frequently described as the most likable Klaphake sister. She is far more easy going, kind, and gentle than Jill or I and for those reasons and many more, our mom's favorite. The thing I love most about Megan is that she allows Jill and I to be the protective big sisters that we feel we are destined to be, even though she is perfectly capable of fighting her own battles. Megan is the calm after our storm and I couldn't be more grateful to have her as my little sister, best friend and Maid of Honor.
Morgan Adams
Bridesmaid
Morgan is Nick's only sibling and little sister. Although Nick and Morgan could not be more different, Morgan and I have a lot in common. For example, we both love arguing with Nick and putting him in his place when he thinks he is ALWAYS right. Morgan is a strong and independent woman. She knows who she is and doesn't back down to anyone. I admire her adventurous soul and hungriness to explore the world. I may be biased, but I think I hit the jackpot in the sister-in-law department. I'm lucky to have her standing by my side on our big day!
Jordan Halvorson
Bridesmaid
Jordan is my cousin, but was mistaken as my twin and other half for a majority of our childhood. Born just a month after me, we were inseparable all throughout our childhood and high school years. As a result of the time spent together we fought, argued, taunted, and wrestled more like siblings. For the first 18 years of our lives, there really wasn't much we did without the other. We are continuing that trend even now as we are both getting married just months apart. For as long as I can remember, Jordan & I have been planning and fantasizing about our weddings. I can't wait to finally live out all of our childhood hopes & dreams together!
Vanessa Johnson
Bridesmaid
Vanessa and I met my sophomore year at Concordia. She was an incoming freshmen on the volleyball team and I was showing her the ropes, trying my best not to scare her too much in fear she would quit the team. One evening after two-a-days, Vanessa knocked on my dorm room door with a ColdStone ice cream cupcake. If you have ever had a ColdStone cupcake you will understand why I wanted to keep Vanessa around. We quickly became inseparable, spending weekends on long bus rides to volleyball matches and late nights in the dorms being antisocial together. I think it is safe to say I would't have survived college without her!
Caitlin Volkmann
Bridesmaid
Caitlin and I grew up playing against each other in our various sports. However, we did not become friends until my senior year of high school when she hugged me after beating Staples Motley, knocking them out of the playoffs. Our mutual distain for the Staples Motley basketball team became the rock solid foundation for our friendship. The following fall we ended living in the same dorm hall at Concordia & became teammates on the volleyball team. We struggled together through the ups and downs that come with the transition to college. After the first semester, she transfer to Bemidji State, but that one semester of college truly bonded us and we have been friends ever since!
Macy Weller
Bridesmaid
Macy and I met in Mrs. Spanier's kindergarten class in 2000. We have literally been friends longer than I can even remember. A majority of my memories with Macy from our childhood are of us in the gym. Thankfully, all the blood, sweat, and tears resulted in some of our greatest successes that have bonded us forever. To this day Macy and I laugh hysterically thinking back to the ridiculous stunts we pulled when two 16 year olds were left with limited supervision in a hotel room of their own. After we graduated from college we moved to the cities, got an apartment together, and have been conquering adult life (dragging each other along) for the past two years. I'm so lucky to have my forever friend standing by my side on my big day!
Liz Ellens
Bridesmaid
Liz is one of my best childhood friends. When I think back to some of my earliest memories with Liz I remember us roughing each other up at basketball practice in elementary school. Liz and I were both incredibly competitive and a little aggressive. We have always pushed each other both on and off the court. I have no doubt in my mind, my life would have been far more boring with a lot fewer laughs if it weren't for Liz. There are too many hilarious/slight inappropriate stories to choose just one so I will just say this: Liz is the most bubbly, gullible, and loyal person I have ever met. We have been making memories for nearly 2 decades with no end in sight. I'm a better person because of her friendship and thrilled to have her as a bridesmaid!
Katie Gottwald
Personal Attendant
I met Katie when I was in the 6th grade. She had just started dating my older brother, Greg. She definitely didn't know what she was getting herself into when she came out to the Klaphake farm to watch Scooby Doo with my sisters and me. Now 13 years later, we are the sisters Katie always wanted (; Katie has been one of my biggest supporters attending countless volleyball and basketball games and even learning the lingo so she fit in with the Klaphake family. Our running joke is that I act like I'm the 30 year old and Katie acts like she is 24. We balance each other out nicely. She has been my saving grace with all the wedding planning this past year. I am very thankful to have such a great bonus sister!
Emily Williams
Personal Attendant
Emily is my female cousin on my mom's side of the family. She is just one year old than me and growing up she would come to Sauk Centre for one week each summer and stay with my grandparents. That week would be one of the best of the whole summer. We would spend hours on the trampoline performing choreographed dances to Hannah Montana & The Jonas Brothers. She is also the incredibly talented photographer who took all of our favorite engagement photos. Considering the subject matter, it's a true miracle they turned out so well. Emily was (and still is) the epitome of the cooler, older cousin that I spent my whole life trying to become more like. It means the world to have her be apart of my wedding day.
Anna Hertler
Hostess
Anna and I met sophomore year at Concordia in our Intro to Social Work class. On the surface Anna and I had very little in common. She was a Type A music geek who had never attended a single volleyball game. Seriously, I didn't know someone could know so little about sports. Despite our differences, we became instantaneous friends. Anna checks all the boxes of a great friend. We have the exact same sense of humor, which has been vital in our line of work. She moved out to Tacoma, WA after graduating from undergrad, but our friendship is thriving amidst the distance. I'm thrilled that she made the trip back to the Midwest to celebrate my big day with me!
Mandy Mercil
Hostess
Mandy and I met freshmen year on the Concordia volleyball team. We were both recruited as setters, which immediately pitted us against each other for playing time. As it turns out, Mandy friendship would be one of the best things to come out of my Concordia volleyball experience. We were the only two from our class to play all 4 years. Mandy and I had the same passion and competitiveness. Although our college volleyball careers didn't have as much success as we would've liked, I wouldn't trade away a single day. Okay, maybe 6am lifts in the off season. I could go without a few of those. I'm lucky to have such a great friend to celebrate with on our special day!
Lauren Gottwald
Flower Girl
Lauren is my six year old goddaughter and will be starting kindergarten this fall. One of Lauren's favorite places is the cabin. She loves riding on the boat and playing in the sand. Not that she has had much choice, but she has grown up in the gym attending many of our games over the years. Win or lose, nothing was better than seeing that little girl come bolting across the gym floor for a hug after the game. Although Lauren loves spending times with her aunties, she would ditch us all in a heartbeat to hang out with Nick. Seriously, I think she is going to be mad on the wedding day when she realizes I'm the one marrying him. Even though she told us no when we asked her to be our Flower Girl (it took a little bribing), we couldn't imagine our big day without her!
Nora Wensman
Flower Girl
Nora is Nick’s little cousin and goddaughter. Her dad, Ryan, is Nick's godfather. She is 3 years old and the smiliest little girl on the planet! In the summer she loves to go camping with her family. Nora spends a lot of her time trying to keep up with her older twin siblings, Owen and Ashlyn. We can't imagine our big day without her!
Zach Whitchurch
Best Man
I met Zach freshmen year at Concordia. We lived on the same floor and instantly became best friends. We spent a lot of late nights playing Halo in our college dorm room and having late night talks about deep topics such as the origin of the universe and the plausibility of aliens (it is really a miracle we aren't both single). Zach and Vanessa helped me pull off my proposal to Jena last spring on our hiking trip along the North Shore. He is the epitome of patience when we go golfing together, and I bug him continuously to give me pointers. If I were to give Zach an award it would be: Most Likely to Give You the Shirt Off His Back.
Seth Otte
Groomsman
I have known Seth nearly my entire life. He is one of my oldest friends and the closest thing I've ever had to a brother. Seth grew up in the house next door. I am pretty sure we played nearly every sport known to man kind and then some more we just made up. Seth held me accountable as a kid and never let me amend any rules to our games to ensure that I won. As we got older, we upgraded from games of HORSE on our backyard hoop to traveling basketball tournaments. Our families still do a lot of things together and I anticipate doing much more in the foreseeable future. Seth's award is: Most Likely to Create a $1,000,000 invention (I am expecting my cut).
Andrew Leen
Groomsman
Andrew and I have been friends since our HFS days. We have spent countless hours hunting and fishing together over the years. In high school, Andrew always got roped into helping my Dad and I with whatever our project was that week. No questions asked & unjustly underpaid (usually all he got was a free meal), Andy would show up with a smile on his face willing to help. There are far too many funny and slightly inappropriate stories to share. However if you get a chance, ask him about the time he caught a domestic turkey with his bare hands. Andy is without a doubt one of the most likable, fun loving dudes I have ever been around. With that being said, his award: Most Likely to Make You Laugh Out Loud.
Greg Gottwald
Groomsman
Greg is Jena's older brother. They grew up together on the farm, and I am convinced they will not run out of stories for as long as we all live. One of our first real dates Jena & I ever went on was a double date to Blake Shelton at the MN State Fair with Greg & Katie. Greg and I have a lot of similar interests: pontooning, playing volleyball, and drinking beer. Greg & his wife Katie are currently neck and neck in the race for who is most excited for Jena and I to move home. I see many nights of brewing craft beer while hiding from our wives in the years to come. Greg's award is: Most Likely to Fix Whatever is Broken
Dylan Kohorst
Groomsman
Dylan and I go way back to our daycare days. We have been friends for as long as I can remember. The rockiest moment of Dylan & my friendship was in the 3rd grade when we had plans to meet at the park to play baseball. I crashed my bike on the way there and got a concussion. Dylan thought I stood him up. We were on the rocks for a bit, but he forgave me. Coincidentally Dylan is also Jena's cousin. Being born just a month apart, they did a lot growing up (to Dylan's dismay). Dylan should be given at least partial credit for setting Jena and I up way back when. Dylan's award is: Best Dance Moves (he is single ladies)
Jesse Schneeberger
Groomsman
Jesse is Jena's cousin, also born just months apart. Although Jesse grew up in Fergus Falls, he was in Sauk Centre plenty during high school visiting family & supporting Jena at her games. He even went to prom in Sauk Centre our junior year of high school with our friend group. Jesse is one of the goofiest dudes I have ever met. He was born with the unique ability to say or do something just bizarre enough to make everyone laugh. You can always count on him to lighten the mood. Jesse and I really got to know each other during our 3 years at Concordia together. Jesse's award is: Best Beard (no real competition)
Billy Moritz
Groomsman
Billy and I have been friends since high school. Go Mainstreeters! Getting back out on the golf course with Bill definitely makes the top 5 list of things I can't wait to do when we move back to Sauk Centre. Quite possibly the biggest commonality between Billy and me is our mutual love and adoration for the fine dining establishments in Sauk Centre such as (but not limited to) Bart's Bakery, Diamond Point, and Tutti Fruiti. Last summer Billy travelled with Jena and me out to California for a mutual friend's wedding. There we spent nearly 5 days together. We all survived and still liked each other by the end of the trip. Billy's award is: Best Dressed.
Ryan Herickhoff
Groomsman
Ryan is another high school buddy of mine. We were also teammates in high school and hung out in the same friend group. However, Ryan and I really started hanging out a lot more the last couple years while we have both been living in the Twin Cities. Ryan would join my roommates and me for WILD guys' nights which consisted of playing Settlers of Catan or Super Smash Bros on the Nintendo 64 (while drinking some beer). The ideal Saturday night if you asked any of us. Ryan and I could spend hours chatting about anything from politics to fantasy football. Ryan's award is: Can Talk to Anyone About Anything.
Clay Gottwald
Ring Bearer
Clay is my two year old nephew and Nick's godson. He is happiest, like most toddlers, when he is eating. He loves spending time chasing his sister around the house. He was a cow for Halloween last year and still will put his cow suit on periodically when he needs soothing. For reasons my sisters and I can't wrap our minds around, he LOVES spending time with Grandpa Jim. Yes, it is adorable and yes, my dad is getting a little soft. Clay is working on learning aunties' names right now. He usually picks one each day and sticks with it calling us all the same name. We can't wait to see our chunky, little man steal the show on our wedding day!