Wedding Party
Melissa Busse
Maid of Honor
Melissa is my older sister and mother of the two ring bearer's, Gibson and Baylor. She is also my best friend and the person I can always count on for encouragement, prayer, honesty and the deepest belly laughs! Melissa is crazy talented - she can sing, dance, paint, ride horses and she is FUNNY! But don't ask her the difference between a quarterback and a shortstop, because she definitely couldn't tell you! haha We may be pretty opposite in many ways, but we have a bond that is unbreakable. I was her maid of honor back in 2015 and I couldn't be more grateful and honored to now have her be mine!
Randi Johnson
Bridesmaid
Randi is my oldest sister and one of the funniest, most caring and thoughtful people you will ever meet. She is the mother of my sweet nephew, Van and my niece & Junior Bridesmaid, Jenna. I was her bridesmaid back in 2005, and despite us being 7 years apart, Randi and I have always been very close. I admire her and the family she has built! She has always always been my cheerleader in all things and I am so lucky to call her my sister!
Liz McDaniel
Bridesmaid
I met Liz the first day of 6th grade and I KNEW we were going to be friends! Sure enough, I was right :) It's hard to describe what Liz means to me in just a few short sentences because she is just the best there is! She's the friend that everyone wishes and prays for. She is incredibly genuine and generous and has picked me up at my lowest. She's never passed judgement, only encouragement. For such a tiny human, her heart is massive! And... she is so much fun! :) From "Cancun Liz" to Mama of 3, she can wear all the hats! I was lucky enough to be her Maid of Honor is 2013, and 11 years later... here we are!
Michelle Hamilton Conaty
Bridesmaid
Michelle and I met in high school but didn't become BESTIES til we became roommates in the dorms at Point Loma Nazarene University. Since then, we have traveled to 10 countries together, lived in 5 different houses together, lived in San Francisco at the same time and so so much more. I was her Maid of Honor in 2016 and feel so blessed that she now is going to stand next to me on my wedding day! She now has 2 cute little nuggets who I adore! Michelle is truly a gem of a human <3
Nicola Martinez
Bridesmaid
Nicola and I met in Middle School and have been best friends ever since. (I even followed her to college!) She is the most resilient, kind, and loyal friend you could ever ask for. I have always been able to depend on her to shoot me straight, yet do it with complete kindness - a quality that is so rare. She has an entrepreneurial mind and a mama heart to her two sweet boys. I've always said "when I grow up, I want to be Nicola" because she is simply a FORCE. I was also her Maid of Honor and am so glad she's going to be by my side!
Larissa Scott
Bridesmaid
Larissa and I met when I was just 9 years old in elementary school. To be honest, when we first met - I don't think we liked each other very much! I don't even remember why, but it makes for a funny story haha That quickly changed and we became inseparable! I mean matching outfits, family vacations, gymnastics class... everything we did, we did together. My dad quickly called her his 4th daughter - and still does! Larissa is quietly funny - she doesn't even try, but you'll leave with a side ache from laughing so much with her. She is now a mama to 3 beautiful kiddos and a badass ER nurse. 25 years later, and I still see her like a sister.
Julie Valentin
Bridesmaid
Julie is my bold, fun, strong, super-mom bestie! We've been friends since high school and she has been such an encourager every step of the way. I've always been able to count on her to say it like it is and shoot me straight - which I love and appreciate so much! Fun fact, Julie is actually the first of my friends to meet Matt! She knew I was a little unsure at first, and in true "Julie" fashion, she lit me up and said "ARE YOU CRAZY? HE IS PERFECT!" So, I really have her to thank for getting me out of my head and to pursue Matt whole heartedly :) I caught the bouquet at her wedding a whole 11 years ago and it's FINALLY paying off! She is a super mom to two busy teenagers and somehow still always makes time for her friends! I'm a lucky girl!
Kaylyn Kresky
Bridesmaid
Kaylyn is my cousin, but we loved (and fought) more like sisters since day 1! We are 9 months apart and grew up attached at the hip. From Barbies to Boyfriends, we have been through every stage of life together. We are very protective of each other and have always wanted the very very best for each other. She is SO fun, so supportive, so loving and I feel so lucky that I got a cousin AND a best friend in one! Now, she's a wife and mama to three cuties who call me Auntie Lulu - and I'm so happy she'll be by my side!
Emily Suttor
Bridesmaid
Emily is Matt's older sister and is just about the sweetest human you could ever meet! Matt has always shared with me what a special bond he has with Emy and how he just knows that any day, any time, no matter the circumstance she would 100% be there for him, no questions asked! When I finally got to meet her, it all made sense! She is so incredibly kind and funny and as loyal as they come! I am SO excited to gain another sister and friend (and two more nieces!) by marrying into Matt's family!
Jenna Johnson
Junior Bridesmaid
Jenna is my amazing, beautiful niece (Randi's daughter) who I absolutely adore! This girl LOVES love. She loves to celebrate others and make them feel special and it has been no different when it comes to me and Matt. She has been his #1 fan since the day she met him, constantly asking me "Lulu, is he your boyfriend yet?" Then it was "When is Matt going to propose? I want him to be my uncle already!" I couldn't do this without her by my side! (Fun fact: her 14th birthday is the day before our wedding, so everyone will have to say Happy Birthday!) Love you, Jenna girl!
Molly Schuetzle
Best Woman
Though Molly and I fought like children while we were them, we became best friends in adulthood and she has been the cornerstone of my support system since forever. Molly is an amazing mother of 2, a tenacious lawyer with a wicked backhand (tennis), and one of the most hilarious humans you'll ever meet. Her ability to make me laugh until I cry is unmatched, and she makes me glad that family is for life.
Zach Mullan
Best Man
Zach and I bonded early over our love for music and general tomfoolery. We spent several high school years together as borderline-rockstars, powering a garage band that was highly influential in the Hutchinson High School ethereal alt rock scene. These days, Zach is adventure embodied -- a true man-about-the-world, scuba dive master and decorated singer/songwriter living his dream on the idyllic shores of St. Croix. Fun fact: we once converted a La-Z-Boy into a boat-towed toboggan...it didn't end well.
Kody Schantzen
Best Man
They say the best friendships can come from the most unexpected places. In Kody's case, it involved two pairs of boxing gloves and a bloody nose (don't ask him who's) that would launch a lifelong friendship. In our youth, Kody and I enjoyed playing hockey together, he enjoyed watching me attempt to ride his dirt bikes, and he also convinced me to jump out of a plane. Forever known around the Maurer household as the more attractive adopted son & brother, today Kody is a devoted husband and father, and one of the top 6 CPAs in McLeod County.
Dan Waind
Groomsman
Dan and I met in college while he was serving as a TA for one of my classes. I would go on to ride his coattails for years as we built decorated university resumes together -- spearheading multiple student organizations side by side, and traveling the nation on their behalf. In 2008 we took a multi-month trip around the world together, and have continued to do far less productive things together in the years to come. Dan is a husband, father of 3, and currently lives outside of Denver Colorado where he runs (all of?) strategic planning for Lockheed Martin.
DJ Busse
Groomsman
DJ hails from East Grand Forks, MN which was enough to spark an instant connection, that over time blossomed into a close friendship (which our sister-brides, Lindsay and Melissa, might describe as a little too close). He and I have spent many an evening strolling the shores of Orange County, while DJ educates me on the latest bands re-defining the international metal scene. DJ is a father of two wonderful boys, and while you can't choose your brothers-in-law, if I could have, I sure would have.
Eric Buzay
Groomsman
Eric and I met in college upon the discovery that we had many identical interests, passions, friends, that we played on the same rec hockey team, and lived 6 houses away from one another. Sometimes the universe tells you you're supposed to become soul mates with another man, and for me, Eric is that man. Eric has flown NASA missions over Antarctica, and currently builds super-secret things that he routinely launches into space. He and his wife Kristen live in Denver with their future-super-prodigy son.
Jai Patel
Groomsman
I met Jai in San Jose through a mutual Canadian friend that I played hockey with. We became fast friends and later, roommates in San Francisco, where we spent our formative adult years exploring the bay area together. We have shared hopes, dreams, fears, hikes, motorcycle rides, and (briefly) a podcast. Jai now lives in Austin as an entrepreneur, and on the side serves as a finance executive for high growth startups.
Jason Franklin
Groomsman
10 years ago, while wearing my dapper-est Christmas onesie, I met Jason in the tiny kitchen of a small holiday party in San Francisco. We spent the remainder of that evening laughing away in that tiniest of kitchens, and have been Besties ever since. Jason, a professor, computer scientist, and prominent venture capitalist, would go on to start his own renowned venture firm (WVV), and had the good sense to hire me along the way. We both work here today, where we do our best to behave professionally, while backing the future icons of the technological world.
Jordan Engel
Groomsman
Jordan and I met in college and have been close friends ever since. An avid traveller, it's difficult to pinpoint where Jordan is at any given moment, unless you are standing right next to him, because he definitely invited you along, and you definitely said yes! Jordan and I have travelled extensively, inside and out of the continental 48. A perpetual yes-man, he's the loudest person ever with a heart that is somehow proportionally much larger than his already large person.
Jordan Epstein
Groomsman
I would call Jordan a brother, but it doesn't begin to describe it. We met in Silicon Valley, where our paths crossed multiple times within too short a time frame to be coincidence. We would later move to San Francisco together, where we'd share not just an apartment, but a bedroom (fortunately, it had an attached panic room, complete with bank-vault door). Jordan and I went on to start a software company together, and for 5 years we spent an average of 22 hours/day together. When he met the girl of his dreams, he moved to San Diego, where I followed shortly thereafter and did the same. Jordan is a startup founder, a husband, and father to 2 of the sweetest children on planet.
Matt Witwer
Groomsman
Wit and I met in college, but both had West Coast aspirations which we chased across the country together. In 2010 we landed in neighboring NorCal cities, and spent the better part of the next decade discovering how Midwesterners could survive and thrive in such a foreign environment. Tall, stoic, and silly, Matt is a Hall of Fame athlete, a loving husband, and a respected technology executive living in San Jose in a house full of beautiful girls.
Rob Dobson
Groomsman
The brotherly love between Rob and I began in the fateful Summer of 2009 at, of all places, a wedding. In the years that followed Rob has become one of the most steadfast and reliable friends a man could ask for, and "I'd rather not" simply doesn't exist in his vocabulary. Rob lives in Denver where he enjoys fast cars, soft snow, smooth R&B and fashionable kicks. The man has style for days, and oh boy can he dance.
Shawn Godfrey
Groomsman
Shawn and I met while living in the same residence hall in college. We were line mates on the same hockey team where our call sign was our orange headbands worn outside of our black helmets in order to strike fear into the hearts of our opponents. Shawn and I were later founding members of The Blue House, a home for wayward young men in Grand Forks, ND struggling to get through college and to learn how socialize with neighbors. We spent many a Summer wakeboarding across Alexandria's chain of lakes, and hopping across downtown Minneapolis's chain of watering holes. Shawn is married, and is the father of two living in Edina, MN.