Wedding Party
Nicole Springstead-Stolte
Matron of Honor
Nicole is Jessica's older, yet shorter sister. Nicole had the wonderful job of navigating all the firsts as a big sister, such as curfew, dating, college, and marriage, which then paved an easier path for the little sister. When it was time for Jessica to experience these things, she had a great example of what to do, and on very rare occasions, what not to do. Nicole set the bar high, graduating from Michigan State University twice, and now working as an attorney while being an excellent wife and mother. Jessica has many wonderful memories with Nicole, including several warm-weather vacations, being by her side at her wedding, and witnessing her new motherhood moments. Jessica is grateful for Nicole's guidance, friendship, and sisterhood.
Chris Wit
Best Man
Chris and Matt became friends in elementary school through Destination Imagination, where they honed their script-writing and acting skills that would play a key role in their collegiate pursuits - mechanical engineering. Chris has made a huge impact on who Matt is today. Chris and his gracious family blessed Matt early on by inviting him on multiple trips to new places - Gulf Shores, Boston, and many places in Tennessee and Kentucky. In college, Matt and Chris spent a week exploring Madrid, Vienna, and Paris, including a 24hr immersive visit to Orly airport (FYI, if you are flying to the wedding, leave early for the airport). Matt is thankful for the many times Chris has pushed him to go further - whether traveling, in college, or just in life. Chris is also a sports fanatic. He loves Lions and Michigan football, Tigers Baseball, and probably at least 2 other sports. At the wedding, Matt is hoping to get Collin Howell, Michael Stolte, and Chris together to talk sports. A meeting of The Greats. It will be a moment to remember for those fortunate enough to witness it.
Carlie Howell
Bridesmaid
Carlie is Jessica's long-time, hometown bestie. They have shared great times together such as Taco Bell trips after high school dances, movie nights watching Bridesmaids for the hundredth time, cheering in the pouring rain as Michigan beat Notre Dame, and vacationing in Las Vegas. A friendship spanning over a decade has its challenges, the most major one being distance. Going to college 3 hours away from each other, and then Jessica attending grad school 11 hours away was difficult. But Carlie was dedicated to maintaining a friendship where despite not talking for several weeks, sometimes months at a time, they could pick up right where they left off. Carlie is a solid rock in Jessica's life and always offers a listening ear, advice, and fun. So long as she is in bed by 9.
Anthony Romzek
Groomsman
Anthony is like a brother to Matt. He has been a big part of his life since birth and started pulling the attention away from Matt. It must be the blue eyes. Anthony and Matt share great interest in cars. In a strange turn of events, Anthony's fleet (4) has far surpassed that of Matt's (2). Anthony's fastest car, aided by borderline drag radials, is his '03 Mustang GT (when operational). Of course, "fastest" is purely hypothetical, as Anthony is a law abiding citizen, so there is no way of really knowing. For those that have not met him, Anthony has a sense of humor. For those that have met him but did not know that, you were likely a victim of said humor.
Jackie Miller
Bridesmaid
(Soon to be) Dr. Jackie Miller is a fortuitous friend Jessica made during her Master's studies at Penn State. Both Jackie and Jessica moved several hundred miles to Harrisburg, PA during the heart of the pandemic and this newfound friendship helped keep Jessica sane throughout the Covid chaos. Jessica and Jackie share a love for small, furry animals and Jackie was gracious enough to accept the role of Neko's godmother. One of Jessica's fondest memories with Jackie is sharing footwear while out on the town. You see, Jackie (just over 5 ft tall) would ambitiously wear 4 inch heels while Jessica (5'8" with extensive knee problems) would wear kitten heels. On more than one occasion, Jessica and Jackie would switch shoes to give her feet a rest. Jackie is kind, artistic, funny, dependable, and a wonderful friend.
Nick Shevnock
Groomsman
Nick and Matt share a bond forged through daring maritime expeditions, from kayaking 30 miles down the St. Claire River, to braving class 4 rapids on more than one occasion. To date, the greatest feat was the crafting of the 30ft+ cardboard Viking ship, "Ragnarok". Despite building the behemoth with two engineering students in Matt and Chris, Nick was the architect of the design. Nick graced the crew and spectators on shore with a rendition of Taps as the vessel sank mere minutes after launch. Chis and Summer were also on board. Nick has proven to be a thoughtful friend. In the digital world of today, Nick has been a driving force in bringing Matt, Chris, Summer and other friends together regularly, be it planned trips or casuals meet ups when the occasion arises. Nick is the glue that holds a geographically dispersed group of friends together, and for that, Matt is grateful.
Nathan Wolford
Bridesman
Nathan and Jessica technically met in tiny tots soccer at age 5, but did not become close friends until later on in high school when he became known as Pedro in Español 4. Nathan added a lot of fun to Jessica's life, from attending dozens of metal concerts to just driving around small town Fremont and going to Wal-Mart. Jessica and Nathan bond over the important things in life- religion and reality TV. He is also the MVP of the Purple Cobras trivia group. Nathan is adventurous, driven, hilarious, and empathetic. Jessica is grateful to have him in her life.
Summer Ort
Groomswoman
Summer has long been "one of the boys" (Maureen, circa 2017). Summer and Matt also met in Destination Imagination, but as a fortunate addition in middle school. Let it be known, Matt was originally opposed to Summer joining the team, but alas, that was uninformed, as Summer swiftly brought structure and logic to an otherwise largely chaotic group. They have been great friends since. Summer recently made the brave decision to recast her life and move out West. She can often be found trekking the incredible hiking trails in the surrounding mountains, and on a rare occasion accompanied by her cat, Bineaux. It is only a matter of time before she buys a Subaru and takes a job at REI. Summer, and her intrepid spirit, is an inspiration to Matt.