Madison & Joel
Wedding Party
MacKenzie Britt Krall
Maid of Honor (Sister of the Bride)
MacKenzie is Madison's younger sister, and the person who sends her TikTok videos to "keep her young" so Madison can still connect with her students. From memorizing lyrics to their favorite songs on road trips and always giving one another great advice, there's not much this duo wouldn't do for one another. MacKenzie, future Master of Architecture, is one of the quirkiest, kindest people you will ever meet, and we guarantee she will give an absolutely killer maid of honor speech at our wedding!
Colton Phoenix
Best Man (Brother of the Groom)
Colton is Joel’s younger brother and the reason that Joel has been on a superfoods kick the past several years! They’ve been through it all together over the years, and Joel couldn’t be more thankful to have such a great brother. Likely the fittest of Joel’s groomsmen thanks to his MMA ambitions, Joel is honored to have Colton as his best man and looks forward to him standing by his side on our special day. We are so excited for everyone to meet Colton at our wedding and expect all of our guests to be Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experts after asking Colton to teach them a few moves.
JaNiece Cranmer
Bridesmaid (Sister of the Groom)
JaNiece and Madison were introduced to one another in February 2016 when Joel brought her home to Oklahoma to meet his family for the first time. Madison knew JaNiece would be a great sister-in-law after they bonded over their shared love of fiction novels, high-end cosmetics, and lightly poking fun at Joel for some of his nerdy habits. They’ve since enjoyed a bevvie or two together on the slopes of Utah and the beaches of Florida, and Madison cannot wait for JaNiece to entertain everyone with her amazing stories and funny jokes come October!
Tanner Krall
Groomsman (Brother of the Bride)
Tanner and Joel met in December 2015 when he visited Pueblo to introduce himself to Madison’s family after asking her to be his girlfriend earlier that month. Joel is excited to have Tanner as a brother-in-law because it means he will always have Pliny the Elder beer during Colorado visits and someone to commiserate with over Madison’s chronic tardiness. If Tanner wasn’t wearing the same suit as the other groomsmen, he’d definitely be the best-dressed guy at our wedding, and we won’t be surprised if you find him in a different outfit once the dancing starts. :)
Haley Sue Robinson
Bridesmaid
Haley Sue is one of Madison’s oldest and dearest childhood friends. After 25+ years of friendship, Madison can safely say Haley may know more about her than almost anyone else, and she will always cherish their shared memories and secrets. A die-hard sports fan with a passion for social justice issues—Haley Sue did teach Madison about ableist language at 8-years-old, after all—seek her out on the day of our wedding if you want to learn something new about the Denver Broncos or just desire an engaging conversation about the contemporary world.
Eric Phair
Groomsman
Eric and Joel met during a church Bible study the first year after Joel made his way from life in Oklahoma to Colorado. Joel will always be grateful to Eric and his wife, Kristin, for allowing him to be their third wheel on ski trips—back when he was terrible at skiing, so you know they are good friends—and still appreciates Eric’s willingness to play pickup basketball/chat about college sports back when they were both still in Denver. Guaranteed to be who Joel calls when we start our own family, Eric is a great dad and will definitely show you it’s still possible to be the life of the party as a parent on our big day!
Jessica Jean Shelton
Bridesmaid
Jessie and Madison first met in Clinton, New York during Madison’s first year working as the assistant swimming coach at Hamilton College. Jessie acted as Madison’s Manhattan tour guide during Christmas that December and the rest is history—the two got coffee at Café Opus almost daily and Jessie’s family welcomed her into their lives with open arms! The most intelligent and loyal person to ever (G)race (Potter) Cooperstown, NY, Madison knows Jessie’s infectious smile and quick wit will wow everyone on their special day.
James Biscone
Groomsman
James and Joel were first introduced to one another during a Rotary Club event way back in high school, but it took an OCU Honors College ropes course event for the two to become true friends. Fraternity brothers who both loved intramural sports, James is the only other person who will never forgive Kevin Durant for his betrayal, but is still a diehard Oklahoma City Thunder fan to this day. Despite being married to a dance major and choreography expert, James will be the groomsman on the dance floor with the most questionable dance moves while also making certain everyone else is having a great time!
Rachel Espasandin
Bridesmaid
Madison has the 4th West apartments to thank for her wonderful relationship with Rachel, since the two became fast friends there while watching an underwhelming Super Bowl in 2018. During Rachel’s short tenure in Utah, this hardworking business woman was Madison’s go-to friend for venting about graduate school, sharing a bottle of wine, and spending hours chatting at the pool. Since returning to Oregon, Rachel and Madison have cheered one another on from afar, and we are so stoked for everyone to meet Rachel at our wedding—when she’s enjoying herself and not acting like a super mom, taking care of everyone else… ;)
Peter Shin
Groomsman
Another church friend, Peter introduced himself to Madison and Joel during one of their first visits to Capital Church back in 2017. Joel considers Peter to be his first true “Utah” friend, and before meeting his fiancée, Danette, Madison joked that Peter was Joel’s “mistress” because the two spent so much time together! Whether they are hiking, skiing, grabbing beers, or traveling the world together—the two adventured around Japan in 2019—Joel and Madison know they can count on Peter for advice on house projects, a good laugh, and, most importantly, making all of our out-of-town guests feel welcome in Utah before, during, and after our wedding!
Melissa Parks
Bridesmaid
Dr. Melissa Parks is one of a small handful of women who will deserve credit for helping Madison finish her Phd next May. Their friendship began in Marouf Hasian’s Critical Methods class (#iykyk) and was maintained thanks to the Chemical Rhetoric Group, led by their incredible advisor Robin Jensen. Always available for a long walk, yoga class, or a semi-productive work session, Madison will forever be grateful to Melissa for her constant companionship and good taste in coffee shops. Find Melissa at our wedding if you want to know more about Utah’s flora and fauna, killer beer scene, or what we can all be doing to take better care of the environment!
Jon McDonald
Groomsman
Joel’s friendship with Jon began at the Mountain West Cider Biergarten—one of our favorite neighborhood spots—a few weeks after he and Madison arrived in Utah four years ago. After meeting through a mutual friend, Joel started playing pickup basketball with Jon and meeting up with him at Salt Lake City’s great breweries, including local-favorite Fisher Beer! A true Utahn, Jon is one of the kindest guys we’ve ever met, and the last person Joel needs to get on the slopes with him this coming ski season! Check in with Jon if you have questions about Utah, or, alternatively, if you just want a good conversation with even better company.
Ella Embry
Junior Bridesmaid
Ella is Joel's niece and one of the best pom performers out there! Tilt kicks, pique turns, spinnings disks--she can do it all! Outside of loving Ella because she is already just so great, Madison especially appreciates that Ella enjoys swimming and watching movies with her two cats, Jenkins and Sofie. We don't get to see Ella as often as well would like but cannot wait to see her at the family reunion this July and to celebrate with her and the rest of the Embry family in October! If you don't see Ella on the dance floor on our wedding day, we can guarantee she will be taking some awesome photos with her camera!
Chad Leonard
Groomsman
Chad’s friendship with Joel started when they were Kappa Sigma pledge brothers at OCU in 2009. The two were roommates together in both Oklahoma and Colorado, and Joel will never forget their fun times together, including “TedTalk Tuesdays” or that one time Chad decided he “was fine in shorts and a tank top” for winter hiking in the Rocky Mountains. A goofy guy with a laugh that can be heard from a mile away, we are excited for Chad to bless us with his energetic presence come October 10th!
Allison Blumling
Bride's Personal Attendant
Allison easily fits into the special category of friend that you can count on for anything and everything. Madison met Allison during a WSCA Conference panel in 2017 and the two have *probably* texted every single day since! A fiercely devoted friend, Madison can always rely on Allison to 1) celebrate her accomplishments; 2) help her check her privileges; and 3) engage her in meaningful conversations about the world. Allison will be the dream personal attendant on our wedding day, and I am stoked for her to be by my side, taking candid pictures and reminding me to enjoy all the special little moments that come my way.
Teddy Chavez
Usher
Madison and Teddy met through a mutual friend at Denver’s Wynkoop Brewery in 2015. When Joel came into the picture a few months later, the two men hit it off and the three of us have been good friends ever since. Indeed, Joel’s many work trips to New York City and Teddy’s regular visits to snowboard in Park City mean they are all stuck with one another, and we are excited for you all to befriend Teddy—an honorary Krall sibling—while he acts as an usher/collector of more drinks at our wedding on October 10th!
Nick Chen
Usher
Joel and Madison met Nick on the rooftop of his soon-to-be house in the summer of 2018. Convinced they were going to try and buy it out from under him, Nick secretly signed the paperwork on his current townhome, then and there! Though we would become Nick’s neighbors a few months later, it took a global pandemic for the us to realize what an amazing person/friend/chef Nick is—Joel and Nick shared many a beverage on his rooftop patio these past 18 months, and Madison and Nick are Pfizer buddies for life! We only wish we could have befriended Nick sooner and cannot wait for y’all to meet him in a few months!
Sid Kapoor
Usher
Curiously enough, Madison and Joel also met Sid on Nick’s rooftop in 2018, but didn’t know what an awesome person he was until he co-hosted a kick-ass party with Nick the following summer. Our most social friend and Hotdog’s 2nd favorite babysitter (after MacKenzie), Sid was part of our pandemic pod and the person we relied on most for socially-distanced hangouts, great cocktails, and camping advice/gear! After you’ve become Sid’s bestie while he takes you to your seat at our wedding, make sure you ask him for tips on local hikes and, if you read, which NYT bestseller you should add to your must-read list!