Kaitlyn & Kristofer
Wedding Party
Rebecca Offhaus
Maid of Honor
When I found out that I was going to be a big sister, I stated that, "I did not want a baby sister, I wanted a goldfish," Thankfully I got both. Over the years, Becca and I have become close friends, talking on the phone frequently and enjoying coffee dates when we are in the same place. We shared simultaneous senior years (hers from high school, and mine from college), during which time our friendship deepened as we shared uncertainty about next steps, senioritis, and general exhaustion (mostly via thumbs up and a sarcastic "everything is fine.") It's hard to sum up 20 years of friendship and personal jokes in just a few lines so I will just leave it at this: Becca is kind, thoughtful, and a celebrator of people, and I am thankful every day to have her as a sister.
Max Fell
Best Man
Max and I met at New Student Orientation for PLNU and continued to connect through a love for the outdoors, intellectual curiosity, and an earnest desire to grow in our Christian faith. All of these have made for a fulfilling friendship. As roommates our sophomore year we studied side by side for hours at a time, bouncing ideas off each other, until Max would convince me it was time to leave the books and go have some fun. One such way was through frequent trips to the beach for bodysurfing, or more often than not, getting whomped by the waves. It was at an outing to the beach that I first told Max about my feelings for Kaitlyn and he confirmed that I should pursue her. Max is adventurous, encouraging, and thoughtful, all of which has made him a cherished companion.
Karlin Labenske
Bridesmaid
Karlin and I first met at my first family dinner with the Labenske's after Kristofer and I started dating. When we played games that evening, I saw the way she brings a levity and fun to group settings, and gives people the freedom not to take themselves too seriously. I've been so thankful for the chance to get to know her better over the past two years as she has moved back to San Diego after finishing her masters and is now Kristofer's roommate. We have had the chance to bond over a shared love of books and movies with strong female characters, arts and crafts, and cats. Karlin in strong, passionate, and caring. It’s such a joy to be gaining a sister and also a friend.
Andrew Offhaus
Groomsman
I first encountered Andrew during the buzzing energy of Kaitlyn's graduation day. He was shooting her graduation photos (Andrew is a fantastic photographer) and he took some great shots of us, the first professional-caliber photos we have together. Andrew struck me immediately as enthusiastic, adventurous, and kind. All of these have proven true as I've gotten to know him more. Being a brother myself, I knew the importance of gaining Andrew's approval. We found this brotherly bond when I got to walk around San Diego with the Offhaus guys during the Offhaus family reunion. Andrew also shot some incredible photos of the proposal, which you can view on this website. Andrew is fun, versatile, and great with people. I'm honored to call him friend and brother.
Lizzy Kim
Bridesmaid
Lizzy and I met the first night of our freshman year at PLNU. After two weeks of spending lots of time together, I decided there was no way I wanted to be friends with Lizzy for the long term. Fortunately Lizzy stuck around, and we ended up becoming close friends. We bonded over a shared love of books, telling long tangential stories, deep conversations, cats, cheese, and late night food runs. Lizzy is the first person I told that Kristofer and I had decided to date and she was so enthusiastic and excited that she ran in circles and threw her flip- flops across the track. Despite living on opposite sides of the country after graduation, we have kept up our friendship with lengthy phone calls and virtual movie nights. Lizzy is loyal, honest and one of my biggest cheerleaders.
Jonathan Offhaus
Groomsman
I first met Kaitlyn's brother Jonathan (JoJo) during her graduation weekend over a "meet the family" lunch. Both being on the quieter side, it took us some time to get to know each other but I knew we had bonded when Jonathan called me out of the blue to discuss his distaste for tofu. We have continued to connect over our shared musical interests, board games, and our love of cats. Since we first met, Jonathan has started high school and I am deeply amused by his witty humor and encouraged by his dedicated involvements with sports, music, and church. I learned recently that Jonathan had been referring to me as bro Kris since the early days of Kaitlyn and I dating. So I'm glad to know Jonathan today as Bro JoJo.
Justine Phillips
Bridesmaid
A friendship that began over shared meals in the caf after freshman psych class has continued to this day. Justine and I share a love of ice cream, science and staying home in our pajamas. Many a college evening was spent with these three things, especially senior year when we were roommates. On a rare outing, we made a trip up to LA and spent 3x as long as the average person at an anatomy exhibit in the science museum delighting in how cute the kidneys are. With shared interest in the health and wellness field, we frequently discuss the latest research and the intersection of nutrition and exercise. Justine is someone who loves well, is a good listener, and is passionate about the things and people she cares about.
Justin Morin
Groomsman
Justin and I lived on the same hall freshman year at PLNU and bonded quickly through first-year shenanigans. On one occasion, late at night we climbed up one of the highest buildings on campus and hurled pumpkins off. Since then we both have grown in wisdom but with little cost to our spirit of adventure. Justin and I also share a love of the outdoors and have enjoyed many rock climbing and hiking trips together, often as leaders in the outdoor leadership club. Justin has been a force of fun and spontaneity in my life, encouraging me to spend time with friends and try new things. He is also very wise and compassionate and has been a loyal friend to talk with through the best and worst of times. I'm grateful for Justin's constant companionship.
Michelle Freed
Bridesmaid
From the first night of introductions on our freshman hall, I was certain that I wanted to be friends with Michelle. Our friendship began with buying ice cream sandwiches and eating them in the hallway and has continued with many a craft night, hike, boba run, and plenty of good conversations as well as being roommates two times. Michelle brings out my adventurous side and every time it would rain, we would stop what we were doing to run down to the field and do cartwheels in the rain, or roll down a big grassy hill. Michelle and I also share a love of games which resulted in the weekly Rook nights that brought Kristofer and I together. Michelle is thoughtful, caring, faithful, encouraging and has been a good friend to both Kristofer and I.
Alex Huber
Groomsman
Alex is one of my oldest and dearest friends. We met as toddlers and enjoyed running around and spying on people (especially our sisters). When we were maybe ten I remember us debating on Alex's trampoline whether God is capable of evil yet constantly chose against it or if whatever God does is by necessity good. I think that sheds some light on the nature of our relationship. Our friendship gained new life in college through great discussions and shared experiences on trips to Joshua Tree, the Lost Coast, and the Sierras. Alex attended UC Berkley as a philosophy major but since has retuned to San Diego to pursue his teaching credential. We try to regularly get together to discuss good books and intellectual trends. Alex is intelligent, thoughtful, and dedicated to the imitation of Christ.
Sarah Wattenberg
Bridesmaid
Sarah and I have been friends since we met in 7th grade homeroom. We played in the band together through high school and spent lots of our limited free time hanging out as well as swimming, watching movies, and baking a variety of treats. We would also often unintentionally wear matching clothes and our lacrosse coach could never keep our names straight. Through college we continued to remain close, reconnecting on breaks and easily picking up where we left off. On a road trip to Flagstaff, Kristofer and I even got to stay with Sarah and have dinner, and go hiking together. Sarah is loyal, a good listener, and one of my oldest friends.
Elijah Kasper
Groomsman
Elijah and I go way back to elementary school. We initially bonded over our enjoyment of jumping. At church we would jump over as many things as we could while waiting for our parents to pick us up: plants, stairs, chairs, even people! As we got older this hobby morphed into parkour and solidified into rock climbing. Elijah is bold, adventurous, and creative which always made for eventful times together. Elijah is also the only person I have watched the Lord of the Rings with more times than I can count on my fingers. We entered PLNU together as roommates and over the course of college our friendship grew in depth, especially through trips into the outdoors. I can always count on Elijah for honest, intelligent, and compassionate conversations. I'm grateful for him as a faithful friend.