Michelle & Jacob
Wedding Party
Zachary McConnell
Best Man
Jake's one and only brother. Beard enthusiast, whiskey connoisseur, pharmacist, and avid snowboarder. Loving to make their mother worry, Jake and Zach have been going snowboarding since Jake was in Middle School and also went sky diving together. Zach also enjoys fine restaurants and sleeping in as long as possible. Jake, quite possibly, has more nicknames for this human than any other person has been given. This man will always have Jake's back and vice versa. During his senior year of high school, Jake and Zach took a vacation to Virginia Beach to see Dave Matthews and ironically he now resides there. Coincidence? Get ready to meet the best man- Zachary Jay McConnell.
Daniella Schepps
Maid of Honor
We met in ballet school at the age of 3...then went to St. Mark's K through 8th grade together. We lived a "Marin block" away from each other, which led to carpooling to school. Yes, the bride was always late and Daniella hated it. Not much has changed. Michelle relies on Daniella for moral support, hand me down clothes, and styling help. We created car dances, learned to sew our own clothes, and celebrate holidays together. She is my exact opposite and my other half. I love her so much! She lives in Tel Aviv, Israel working as a teacher with At Risk youth. She's getting her doctorate from Northeastern University.
Jared McClay
Groomsman
Jake and Jared have known each other since elementary school. They roomed together for two years at Penn State and joined the same fraternity. He is easily one of his oldest friends. Another beard enthusiast and skilled woodworker, Jared likes to spend his time in his work shop and listening to live music. Jared also is a mainstay at Jake's annual 4th of July celebration and actually met his partner, Erin, of over 5 years at the cabin in West Virginia.
Nadia Bess
Bridesmaid
Not only are the bride and Nadia first cousins (bride's mother and Nad's mother are sisters), but the running joke is that even if the bride is 2 days older, she's always been 2 feet shorter! We have known each other as close to our entire lives as possible. We have shared birthday celebrations and a love for food and travel. She makes the best photo albums and personalized gifts. Fond memories include high school dances and visiting her in Orange County last year for their 30th birthdays. She graduated with an Aerospace Engineering degree from USC and just recently got her MBA!
Stephen DeFilippo
Groomsman
Well, well, well... Mr. Stephen Caleb DeFilippo. Jake and Steve have known each other since college at Penn State and pledged the same fraternity. Steve works in financial reporting, currently at the same company as Jake. As his Italian heritage might suggest, Steve makes a mean calamari and puts together epic charcuterie party platters. He's a compassionate soul and has traveled across the US as well as abroad with Jake. Steve enjoys wearing sandals and corduroy jackets whenever possible.
Liliane Ernst
Bridesmaid
We met the summer before college in Knoxville, TN during a Medical Explorations Grant at the University of Tennessee Medical Hospital. Instantly we became best friends/ soulmates. Since then we have never lived in the same city but still managed to visit each other at college in Nashville and Boston, med school in Dartmouth, and our current home cities of Knoxville and Pittsburgh. She visited me for Galentine's Day when I moved to a new city and we celebrated her 30th birthday in Costa Rica! Liliane is an Anesthesia Resident at UT.
Philip Markle
Groomsman
Phil is Jake's future b-in-l, and Michelle's one and only older brother. A successful improv comedian in Brooklyn, Phil runs and performs at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective, as well as around the world. He is a graduate of Northwestern University where he spent time with the Annoyance Theater and Second City performing his original Happy Karaoke Fun Times. He has a black lab named Star who makes a frequent appearance on his Instagram @PhilipSparkle. When Phil first visited Michelle in PGH, Jake took them to Spirit where they roller bladed to live Motown music. Michelle's mom always joked that she wanted a "boy first so her daughter could date his friends." Well, Phil happens to be born the same year as Jake and Michelle the same year as Zach. Funny how that worked out, mom!
Katrina Bess
Bridesmaid
Katrina is Nadia's younger sister, and the bride's first cousin! Michelle has known Trina her whole life. Nadia and the bride would torture Katrina and make her and Angela (another bridesmaid) do fashion shows. Unfortunately, as hard as Trina tried, she always lost. So glad we remained friends! One of the best annual celebration is her birthday on December 26th when all the cousins get together and celebrate at vineyards wine tasting! Oh, and she's a nurse, like the bride, except for neonates! She graduated from USD with her Masters of Science in Nursing. It's fun exchanging stories and promo codes, especially in the times of COVID.
Matthew Gordon
Groomsman
Matt and Jake have also known each other since college at Penn State. He furthered his education at Clarion University where he received his masters and now works as a Regulatory Team Director for the city of Pittsburgh. Matt hosts a Penn State ski weekend every year at 7Springs which Jake is very fond of. A devoted bicyclist, Matt rides from Pittsburgh to Washington DC every year. He also is a better fisherman than Steve Cunic.
Avneet McConnell
Bridesmaid
Avi is the bride's future sister-in-law, but is much more than that. We have known each other for 5 years and counting. When quarantine started, Avi, Michelle, and Jake's mom started doing cooking sessions via FaceTime. Michelle also got to celebrate Avi in her wedding last year including performing a Sangeet dance! The bride is excited to shares many more memories including the next generation of McConnells! Avi graduated with her doctorate from Shenandoah University as a Pharmacist, where she met Jake's brother, Zach (best man).
Daniel Cohen
Groomsman
Coming in a close second for number of nicknames is Daniel Matthew Cohen. Danny and Jake, predictably, met at Penn State as well and were in the same fraternity. During their time at PSU, Jake and Danny raised significant sums of money for the Four Diamonds Foundation. He lives in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area and is a high school math teacher. He holds a masters of education in mathematics and loves all things pertaining to sports, politics and various candies.
Angela Noah
Bridesmaid
Angela's mom is the bride's mom's first cousin making us 2nd cousins. Growing up together in California, we spent almost every holiday together from Easter to Thanksgiving to Christmas. Recently the bride got to visit Angela in Southern California, where she lives today. Angela is part of the annual Dec 26th Trina bday celebration too. She graduated from USC with a Masters in Civil Engineering.
Harley German
Groomsman
Harley and Jake also went to Penn State and pledged the same fraternity. An engineer by day and will drink you under the table by night. While he hasn't quite caught onto texting yet, he'll be sure to get back to you with a touch base phone call. A truly genuine person. One fortuitous night, Harley was able get floor seats to a Cleveland Cavaliers game and brought Jake to see Lebron James play versus the Lakers. It was a great night. Harley can be seen biking around Pittsburgh, golfing or cooking gourmet meals for Becky.
Alan Markle
Father of the Bride
Alan "dad" Markle lives in San Rafael, CA where the bride was born and raised. He grew up "on the other side of 8 mile than Eminem" in Detroit, MI. He is the definition of the American Dream. His dad was a milk man and his mother a homemaker. My dad worked his way through Wayne State graduating with a Metallurgical Engineer degree. He then went to Wharton Business School. He moved to NYC and worked for Arthur Young and became a CPA (Certified Publish Accountant). After that he moved to San Francisco where he established his own firm where he still works until this day at the age of 78!! He married my mom in 1982 until her death in 2012. He met Yudith, his companion, 5 months before Jake and Michelle met. He's the best dad in the world!
Bob McConnell
Father of the Groom
Jake's father (obviously). Previous to his retirement, Dr. Bob was the Director of the Office for Students with Disabilities at Edinboro University. His program put Edinboro on the map as the premiere "handi-capable" institution for disabled students, across the country, seeking higher education. Bob also has his pilot's license and loved to fly around in his Beechcraft Bonanza, even flying to PSU to pick up Jake for holidays. These days, Bob can be found traveling across the country, including Alaska, with the Airstream and his wife, Jane. Even with his very demanding job, Bob always found time to be present at any school activity Jake was apart of. Recently, he has been imparting his handyman knowledge as Jake worked on his house. Bob has been, and continues to be, a role model for Jake.
Jane McConnell
Mother of the Groom
Jake's mother (duh). She has primarily focused her life on education, whether directly for Jake or through teaching. She received her masters degree in education. Jane has been a rock in Jake's upbringing. Always making sure he was taken care, ate healthy (very little preservatives), practiced his trumpet, made good grades, got into a great university, and was there to help facilitate any new venture he chose to pursue. A truly selfless woman and lovely human being. She loves the Wizard of Oz, wine, traditions, cooking and worrying about Jake/Zach when they do crazy things. Jane is always there for Jake when he needs someone to talk to and enjoys watching TV series with Jake. She loves traveling around in the Airstream with Bob and visiting Jake & Michelle whenever possible.
Walter (Wally) Cronkite
Family Dog
Walter "Wally" Cronkite has been a staple of Jake's life for 8 years and 6 years for Michelle. He is a constant reminder of happiness, joy and what being a good boy really means. He loves the cabin in West Virginia, where he learned to swim, fetch and become 'Party Dog'. Wally also enjoys visiting with his granddog parents (Jane and Bob) and doing wind sprints at the Tech Forge in Pittsburgh. He perfected the art of cuddling by putting his nose right under your chin as you pet his soft fluffy fur. He also enjoys destroying plush toys and wiggling his nub.