Wedding Party
Clara Hurt
Matron of Honor
Clara is Elinor's cousin! At only 18 months apart, they have been inseparable since they were babies! Their favorite thing to do together is to get their nails done, shop with their moms and play cards with their extended families.
Philip Markose
Best Man
Philip and John went to Iowa State together and built a strong friendship during their final semester. While their other friends graduated the semester prior, they spent their last months at ISU constantly entertaining each other. Activities included hosting hang outs or game nights at Philip’s apartment and creating homemade hammerschalgen in the back yard.
Kiley Awender-McMurphy
Matron of Honor
Kiley is Elinor's cousin too! They love football, Taylor Swift, and watching Kiley's son RJ play hockey. They are both highly organized which makes them key players in planning family events and cooking at Thanksgiving. Kiley is also the DIY queen and is always getting Elinor to make various crafts together, although Kiley's usually look better!
Joey Nottoli
Groomsman
Joey is one of John's oldest friends from elementary school. They met in 2nd grade at St. Theresa School in Palatine. Throughout grade school and high school, they could be found playing with Legos, filming YouTube videos, and playing roller hockey in driveway.
Bella Baptista
Bridesmaid
Fun fact, Bella and Elinor went to preschool and college together! Over the span of 20 years, they often caused trouble (mostly at Liam's expense) on Bella's family farm or at the Kappa Delta house. Bella is one of the only people who can convince Elinor to do just about anything!
Dawson Fox
Groomsman
Dawson was John’s random freshman year roommate at Iowa State. Many of the memories they have together in Ames include late night TV show viewings, various dorm room arrangements, and exploring buildings around campus (even the locked ones)!
Elise Chaffin
Bridesmaid
Elise is Elinor's grand-little at Kappa Delta and Bella's sister, so the three of them spent the majority of their youth as a trio singing to a well loved High School Musical CD or swimming in the above ground pool in the Chaffin front yard. Most recent memories include Elinor and Elise sneaking Coors Lights onto the roof of the 17th and R street parking garage at UNL and taking each other to formals.
Adam Thielges
Groomsman
Adam was also one of John’s college roommates. Some of their favorite memories together include things like studying materials engineering (absolutely not) and going to Australia together (absolutely yes). Some of their recent highlights include Adam’s wedding, skiing in Switzerland, and making yearly trips with the rest of the ISU crew.
Lexi Barp
Bridesmaid
Lexi is Elinor's little from Kappa Delta. Elinor wasn't supposed to get another little, but she begged to get Lexi because they had an instant connection! Lexi and Elinor have kept up with each other even while they were both in rigorous doctoral programs. They now get to be back together as Lexi finishes medical school in Des Moines and Elinor works 45 minutes up the road in Ames!
John Beck
Groomsman
Jasonowicz and Beck are great friends from college! They met through their mutual friend, Dawson, freshman year and continued to hang out ever since. Their favorite memories together include game nights at Hyland Ave and going to Wine and Spirits class together. Beck is very artistic and the entire ISU crew benefits by getting to throw pottery at his studio!
Marybeth Reilly
Bridesmaid
Marybeth and Elinor met their first week of college at UNL! They made a "study group" for general chemistry, which meant that instead of studying they would eat dinner together and talk for hours, then cram for whatever they were supposed to be studying for. They are both die-hard Taylor Swift fans, and have spent multiple album release nights staying up past midnight listening to the songs then talk on the phone about them!
Nilesh Deokar
Groomsman
John met Nilesh standing outside of his apartment in Omaha after a night out. They quickly became friends as Nilesh was adopted into John’s work friend group at Conagra. They explored the Omaha bar scene together and have stayed in touch across many moves between the two of them.
Kristen Knipp
Bridesmaid
Kristen and Elinor became friends while at Creighton for dental school. Kristen and Elinor love taking turns hosting each other at their apartments! They make appetizers, drink wine and subject John and Kristen's boyfriend Dan to board games they know they have the upper hand in, such as Boggle or Scrabble.
Matthew Markose
Groomsman
Matthew and John met during their first week at Iowa State. While at ISU, they spent time attending campus events (mostly for the free food), competing in the Cymazing Race, and watching the Cyclones play football at Jack Trice Stadium. Post-graduation activities mostly include trying to keep Matthew out of the hospital on group ski trips or visiting him in San Francisco.
Teresa Jarrett
Bridesmaid
Teresa is Elinor's friend through Liam. They are both amateur bakers, and have spent the weeks leading up to Christmas trying to make approximately 1 million cookies together to enjoy the entire holiday season! They did once have to spend the majority of an afternoon hunting for a cookie press across the Omaha metropolitan area.
Liam Stanley
Groomsman
Liam was the first of Elinor’s family member that John met. Elinor and Liam lived together for 3 years in Omaha, and John was lucky enough to become the honorary roommate. Liam and John often talked in the living room about movies, games, and sports. Huge thanks Liam for letting John steal his roommate away from him!
Sarah Nilsen
Bridesmaid
Sarah is Elinor's friend and John's sister. Elinor and Sarah are both very detail oriented, which helps when they tag team making charcuterie boards for any event they can! Sarah is a woman of many hobbies, one of which is bread making! Sarah and Elinor's text thread is almost exclusively pictures of loaves they have made.
Caleb Nilsen
Groomsman
Caleb is John’s brother-in-law, but they first met in high school. Their friendship has grown over the last several years as Caleb has joined for family vacations and game nights. Caleb also introduced John to his family member Greg, who is the lead pastor at First Covenant Church and will be officiating John and Elinor’s wedding.
Jasmine Brown
Usher
Jasmine and Elinor met at Creighton during their D1 year. Jasmine is the mastermind behind the vacations that Elinor and later John went on to Mexico, where they had the best time exploring cenotes, drinking margaritas and snorkeling!
Xander Stanley
Usher
Xander is Elinor's older brother. He is the most voracious reader Elinor knows, which is in her favor as he always has the best recommendations for her next book! He also connects with John for their shared love of games, and they have given games back and forth to each other during visits to try.
Paige VanDelinder
Usher
Paige and Elinor went to Creighton together, but actually met through a mutual friend that went to 1st grade with Elinor and later college with Paige. Small world! Paige and Elinor consider themselves "girly" martini experts, and have spent more than one evening having girl's night espresso martinis with Kristen and Jasmine.
RJ Awender
Usher
RJ is Kiley's son, making him Elinor's second cousin. RJ and Elinor have been close since he was very young, dubbed her "little" as he and her were often found together talking and cooking in the kitchen. Their relationship inspired the "junior-senior" way the family pairs people up for the annual Trotter Family Olympics on the 4th of July!