Marissa & Joseph
Wedding Party
Marissa Gibson
Bride
Marissa is an HR Specialist at a real estate firm in Chicago. She enjoys s’mores, PSLs, giraffes, large sweaters, and fuzzy socks. Marissa currently resides in Mundelein, IL, however, she is a typical masshole, with a questionable driving record and slight road rage. Marissa and Joe have two wonderful fur babies, Pepito and Pumpkin, whom destroy all of Marissa’s possessions if left within their grasp. The pooches make up for it by making sure they give mom lots of snuggles at night. Marissa is so excited to marry Joe, that she has a countdown calendar app to the day she says “I do”. When Joe came into Marissa’s life she felt in her soul that he was the one. No one quite understands Marissa like Joe does. Joe gives Marissa a run for her money on weirdness. They will have very odd children.
Joe Schanbacher
Groom
After years of preparation, degrees, and full time work as an EMT, I finally got into medical school! Working as an EMT through a pandemic, especially in a large metropolitan area like Chicago, has given me a new appreciation for the life and health of my family and friends. Most importantly, I have found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with! Marissa has been incredibly supportive of my ambitions for medical school, being my cheerleader through the tough times. It feels like the ending of a wholesome movie knowing that by the end of July, we will be married and moving with our two pooches to the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine. I initially grew fond of Rissa, a.k.a Ducky, due to her weird sense of humor and how understanding she was. The funniest thing is: when I first met Rissa, I thought she was weird. People say we’re alike.
Heather & Jeff Jones
Mother & Step-Father of the Bride
Hi, we’re Heather and Jeff. We have been happily married for 10 years. We have 3 beautiful kids and 2 beautiful grandsons. Our family is extremely close. Marissa is the middle child in the family, and she makes that very well known. Jeff has a BS degree in Exercise Science and has worked for the MA Department of Corrections for almost 15 years. Heather was a Paraeducator (pre-school level) for 15+ years and is now a stay at home Mom for her son, Jacob. We remember the day when Marissa told us she wanted to move to Chicago to finish college. We were worried and didn’t want her to leave home, but we knew Joe would help take care of her. They grew as a couple more with everyday and passing year. The bond they have is immeasurable and soon they will be married! Our hearts are so full!
Cheryl & John Schanbacher
Mother & Father of the Groom
Born and raised in Omaha Nebraska, John and Cheryl eventually met in high school, where they quickly grew fond of one another. Before long, they had been together over half a century and raised five children together. Cheryl worked as an industrial engineer for the post office, saving millions of dollars for them before recently retiring. Cheryl is an excellent gardener with a recent passion for learning piano. John worked a long career at Union Pacific, climbing the corporate ladder, reaching the position of a e-procurement supply-chain manager before retiring a few years ago. Both John and Cheryl are active members of their Catholic church, attending daily mass and various church activities. They are both excited to welcome Marissa into the family as a second daughter!
Justin & Dorothy Gibson
Father & Step-Mother of the Bride
Father to Marissa and Mackenzie. My first true loves! Step-father to Kassidy and Reygan. Husband to my beautiful wife, Dorothy. We have been together 7 years, married for 2. When I first heard about Joe, the two were just friends. After a few more conversations with Marissa, I knew that wasn’t the case. You could tell by the way she talked about him. There’s one thing about Marissa you ought to know by now, she gives 100% of herself to those she loves. She hates when people fight and does everything she can to keep the peace. Sensitive as always, I pray she never changes. If I had to hand pick someone better for Marissa, it’d be impossible. Respectful, responsible, loyal goofs. They are truly two peas in a pod. We love you both and are happy to officially welcome Joe into the family!
Kristine Schanbacher
Matron of Honor
Kristine Schanbacher is a senior managing associate of Dentons' Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice. Her focus is on complex commercial litigation in both federal and state courts. Kristine, with the help of Marissa, ran for US Congress in 2020. Though the campaign ended in March of 2020, the campaign is what kick started Kristine and Marissa’s friendship. Kristine is a super mom and avid cook. Marissa often bugs Kristine to bake her something on the weekends. Though Kristine is Joe’s sister, Marissa and her have become so close they have a nickname together, Karissa. You don’t want to get on Karissa’s bad side. If you hear “Karissa attack”, run.
Mackenzie DiBuono
Maid of Honor
I am Mackenzie, the sister of the bride. I live in MA with my boyfriend, Casey. I’m a full time mom of 2 amazing boys. I enjoy hiking, taking day trips, and annoying Marissa. Growing up with Marissa was nothing short of interesting. Marissa will always come into my room unannounced and jump on my bed like something is chasing her. She’s been an amazing auntie to Colton and Ryder, especially when she dressed as a shark and sang baby shark for them. Marissa has a personality that is unmatched by anyone (expect Joe). I couldn’t have picked a better person for Marissa. Joe has made her the happiest I have seen her and I can’t thank him enough for that. Marissa and Joe deserve nothing less than an amazing marriage and life together. Now hurry up so I can have some nieces and nephews to spoil.
Evan Quartoroli
Best Man
Chaotic good, geologist, from Omaha. Likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. My current hobbies are playing guitar, cooking, and whatever Joe gets me into. I met Joe at Loveland Elementary school. He at the time went by the name, “Hamster King”. We have remained friends ever since. I have remained in Omaha after graduating college and even though Joe and Marissa have moved around, I have never felt our friendship fade.
Tiffany Shepard
Bridesmaid
Hi y’all I am Tiffany Shepard, I am Marissa’s aunt! I want to start off by saying I am extremely happy that Marissa and Joe have found their soul mates! Literally two peas in a pod. They deserve to have this wonderful day with those they love, and a happy and adventurous life together! Agreed with Mackenzie, I can’t wait until you become parents! Marissa…her uncanny ability to lighten any mood or situation is one to be admired, she loves to have a great time with great people but will hold her ground when challenged. Joe seems to match this trait and watching the two of them partner together is one strong duo. Let marriage be fun and spontaneous, life is far to short as we all know! A little about myself; I am a fitness freak, I love lifting, playing softball (both co-ed and women’s league). I enjoy beach volleyball when I get the chance to play, I love hiking and most important of all I LOVE BEING A MOM! My husband and I found each other quickly and we just knew, and now he is stuck with me forever haha! Let’s celebrate these two with tremendous love and support on their new and hard-working adventures!
Steve Schanbacher
Groomsman
Steve is Joe’s second oldest brother. Steve lives in Omaha, NE, and he has two daughters: Allie & Gabi. Steve is a work-from-home developer for TD Ameritrade; his current project is preparing to convert accounts to Charles Schwab’s platform. When he’s not single-parenting or working, Steve is busy remodeling his house. Steve’s interests include: making unusual foods (or foods that people don’t realize are unusual), going to the gym, walking, running, water fasting, listening to audio-books & podcasts and general DIY projects.
Sierra Hodson
Bridesmaid
Hello everyone! My name is Sierra, I am the girlfriend of Joe’s older brother, Phillip. I have known and loved the Schanbacher’s since 2009, and met Marissa when she began dating Joe! I live in Southern California and work as a nurse in Long Beach. I am so excited for this wedding and to meet all of you in person!
Phil Schanbacher
Groomsman
Hello frens, my name is Phil. I have known J dawg since he was a baby because I am his older brother. I am a contractor and meme coin trader living in the OC. Looking forward to meeting you all at this wedding.
Kally Morse
Bridesmaid
I’m Kally! I live in Quincy, MA and work in the beverage logistics industry importing wine. I have two cats named Link and Zelda. I’m a gourmand that loves health and fitness. I met Marissa when we were in college through a mutual friend at the time and we instantly connected. The two of us grew extremely close over the course of the Covid pandemic. We spent hours and hours FaceTiming, playing Animal Crossing, Cards Against Humanity, laughing, talking, crying, and making sense of life. And despite the uncertainty around us, I saw the strength of Marissa and Joe’s love for each other. I’m so happy to see two great people start a life together. I know that we’ll have our friendship forever, and we’ll always be in each other’s lives, no matter where life takes us… and I can’t wait for it to take us to Cancún!
Kyle Seay
Groomsman
Kyle, 35 year old Capricorn, people say I resemble my 12th great grandfather. I live my life a quarter-mile at a time. I just want to lie on the beach and eat hot dogs. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. My advice for Joe is marriage is like an unfunny tense version of Everybody Loves Raymond, but it doesn’t last 22 minutes. It lasts forever.
Kylie Squiers
Bridesmaid
Heyyoo I’m Kylie! I’m a photographer & creative from Omaha, NE who recently moved to NYC for a new life adventure. I met Marissa & Joe in Omaha where I instantly connected with Riss on our love for corgis and passion for feminism. My favorite part of Riss & I’s friendship is the fact we never run out of things to talk about. We’ll schedule dates to do specific things but end up talking the entire time instead. I value this so much our friendship because y’all know there are people who walk this earth who cannot carry a convo if their life depended on it. HA. Always, Riss is such a beautiful human inside and out. I’m so grateful we crossed paths. I’m stoked to be part of her wedding to celebrate her and Joe’s love. Ya’ll are the cutest and Cancún bout to be liiiiiit. #GibMeABacher
Jake Albers
Groomsman
It all started sophomore year of college when Jake and Joe decided to be roommates despite not being the closest of friends at the time. That soon changed and the rest of the fraternity was quickly and often annoyed by the friendship that was formed and the hijinks that came of it. Commonly referring to each other as their own son, Jake and Joe continued to live together for the rest of school. Jake now resides in Salt Lake City where he can easily enjoy his passions of skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. A mechanical engineer and an avid cook, Jake has been referred to as "the funniest/coolest/best person I've ever met" by countless people. He still feels a telepathic connection to Joe.
Julia Harvie
Bridesmaid
Hi my name is Julia! I’m a special education teacher and I love what I do! But even more, I love Marissa and Joe. I met Marissa freshman year of college and I have never met anyone I clicked with as fast as her (and Eric, but he has his own bio). Marissa and I just GOT each other from day one! We could joke about anything, literally anything, and she is so understanding and open minded. We went almost everywhere together and could have fun no matter what it was. She’s always there for everyone. My favorite memory is us staying up all night getting into several shenanigans, and dancing around Maddy’s kitchen while painting. Meeting Joe was amazing too; you could see they were just meant to be from first sight. Even though he did eat my little brothers Rice Krispy treat upon meeting him!
Kevin McMahon
Groomsman
Hi, I'm Kevin! I live in Golden and currently am transitioning into a computer programming career. I enjoy reading, walking, and hanging with the boys. Yep, that's it. Soon after meeting freshman year, Joe and I discovered that my aunt and uncle were friends with his parents through church. This correctly indicated that we both were young men of strong moral fiber. I recall once that Joe ate bad Chinese food, went to sleep in the top bunk, then woke me from my peaceful slumber when he regurgitated on the floor from 6ft high. In our senior year, Joe would burst into my room without knocking, leading to many happy accidents. This culminated in him breaking my door handle off with a baseball bat. I look forward to Joe becoming a medical doctor. Congrats to Marissa and Joe for tying the knot!
Brianna Price
Bridesmaid
Hi everyone! My name is Brianna and I’m a Minnesotan turned Nebraskan and soon to be New Yorker! As you can guess, I met Marissa for the first time during my time in Nebraska, where we bonded over our poor swinging skills at Topgolf and proceeded to get a sugar high off of overly-syrupy pancakes at iHop (this probably contributed to how well we hit it off) and I guess you can say the rest is history! Marissa has been a huge part in creating some of my favorite memories I’ve ever made in Nebraska and I’m so excited to make more across the U.S. and abroad! I’m so happy for her and Joe, even despite the fact he thinks bbq is the best flavor of wings at Buffalo Wild Wings (it’s obviously Parmesan garlic) - they are a perfect match! I can’t wait to celebrate with you two for your special day!
Cody Watters
Groomsman
Hi! I'm Cody! I am currently living in San Francisco (“San Fran” for the midwesterners) and work as a computer programmer. I have hobbies, I swear. I met Joe freshman year of college and we lived together for three years. Over that time Joe showed me that it was possible to put a hot tub in a self-made igloo, shoot a blowdart from across the room into a person's buttocks, vaporize alcohol, burn thermite directly on concrete, and set up a Christmas tree in a tiny bedroom. But more than anything, Joe taught me that it was possible to have fun simultaneously while getting through school, so thanks for that! And thanks Marissa for taking the bullet and marrying Joe! I'm so excited for the wedding - Congrats Joe & Marissa!
Eric Martin
Bridesman
Hey everyone I’m Eric. Marissa and I met in college, which now that I look back, is probably the reason I dropped out. Marissa’s in Chicago now so I figured hey she’s gone perfect time to go back to school. I also work for Anheuser-Busch (Bud Light) and I am the Bud Knight; so I like to think I’m a big deal. I love Joe and Marissa. I’m so excited to be a part of their big day, however, I’m also extremely jealous of them. Reason one is because Joe can grow such a beautiful mustache and reason two is because Marissa gets to look at Joe’s sweet, sweet mustache when he has it.
Will Freeman
Groomsman
Hi I’m Will. I met Joe in 2017 when we both worked at Kuchnir Dermatology in the far suburbs of Boston. While the gap year job could be a slog, Joe was one of the best people I met that year. I knew I needed to keep him in my life forever when he decided to clip into his skis in his apartment complex and ski down the hallway. Our friendship was further cemented through numerous ski-cations, and trips downtown to Royale and Brittany’s basement. I also remember a phone call that year where Joe asked me if he should ask Marissa out and I told him he should, so I claim responsibility for this whole thing. In other news, I love lifting and skiing, and attend medical school at Washington University in St. Louis where I plan to pursue Emergency Medicine. Love you and congrats my son.
Garrett Baily
Groomsman
I’m Garrett! People describe me as “tall and better than Jake Albers in every way” though I disagree with that second point, Jake has a much better nose than me. I am a rare Colorado native still living in Colorado, no big deal. I was fortunate enough to meet Joe freshman year through our fraternity. I knew Joe was something special when he jumped from the second floor walkway in the atrium of his dorm and shattered a giant glass pickle jar he was holding. People complained about the pickle smell in the dorm for weeks. I have looked up to him ever since then. Joe has always been one of those “pick up exactly where you left off” friends, which is something special. Distance just makes the heart grow fonder.
Billy Helm
Groomsman
Hi, I'm Billy. I met Joe in college, and we've been friends ever since! I'm a Texan through-and-through, and if you don't find me at a HIIT workout class you'll find me enjoying a nice cold bud light watching a football game with friends! I live in Houston but am quite the jet setter - I love visiting people throughout the year and will always say yes to a last minute ski trip! I'm a born-again tech worker after a lifetime of sin in the oil industry, and with my newly found tech wealth I've devoted a large amount of time and energy into exploring high fashion! I've developed a knack for a luxury gold carcanet, and love to sport a year-round sweater, no matter the weather! I'm a kind soul, a good conversation, and I'm happy to be a part of this wedding party!
Peter & McKenzie Palumbo
Honorary Guests
Hi, I'm Peter. I'm an avid programmer, a big time skiier, and an all-around great guy. I just recently moved to Brooklyn New York with my wife, McKenzie. We love spending our time visiting friends and family, dancing, and traveling. The two of us live in a beautiful brownstone in Park Slope with our mentally handicapped dog, Ada. I was the president of our college fraternity where I met Joe and blossomed a beautiful friendship with him through aggressively yeeting, deep talks about the best way to make explosives, and cleaning up his vomit out of my bedsheets. As the only one of our pay-for-friends group that's married, I'm so excited for Joe and Marissa to start their own journey! Plus, I can't wait to show off my above average dance moves. Cheers!