Stephanie & Joel
Wedding Party
Lynda & Richard Hood
Mother & Father of the Bride
Lynda & Richard Hood were high school sweethearts, who were married on May 22, 1976... hence, the awesome ruffled tux as well as platform shoes you can't see in this photo!
Kathy & Paul Marek
Mother & Father of the Groom
Kathy & Paul met via mutual friends and were married on Sept 20, 1980...and have been loving each other ever since!
Josh Marek
Best Man
Since Josh is Joel's older brother, he has truly been there since the beginning! He married the love of his life Lacey Jensen Marek on 07.07.07, and they now live in Houston with their 3 children: Annabelle, Caden, & Noah.
Andrew Locke
Groomsman
Since Andrew dated Joel's sister Amy for 9 years before they wed in January 2011, he seems more like a brother than a brother-in-law! He and Amy have a precious pup named Lilly and currently live in Alexandria, VA.
Ashlie Hood Kohleffel
Sister of Honor
Although Ashlie is technically Stephanie's older sister, they are only separated by a mere 16 months, so it is somewhat of a miracle that Lynda made it through those toddler years! Ever since they were children, the sisters said, "We need to find a man like our Pepa," and by the grace of God, they have both done just that with finding Patrick and Joel!! Ashlie and Patrick were married in November 1998, and over these past 20+ years, they have been an amazing example of love and commitment that has been an inspiration to their friends and family, including their 2 children: Kyle and Benjamin.
Heather Norbury
Friend of Honor
Heather and Stephanie have been friends since 7th grade, which means they've had MANY years of experience supporting each other through LOTS of bad haircuts, ill-advised trendy fashion choices, and life's ups and downs...oh boy! Luckily, one of life's major "ups" they shared was Stephanie being with Heather on the night she met her future husband at a little pub in Galveston, TX...then a few years later, Stephanie had the honor of standing beside Heather and Will as they were wed at the Worcester Cathedral in June 2008.
Brooklynn Hood
Cousin of Honor
Since Brooklynn's birthday landed between Ashlie and Stephanie---and she grew up next door and has the same brown hair/green eyes!---she always seemed more like a sister than a cousin. Therefore, as the 3 girls got older, they started referring to each other as "sister cousins," which has become a title with ever-increasing significance as our bond and similarities have grown as the years have gone by. For example, Brooklynn shares an innate knack for art and creativity with Ashlie, but she and Stephanie both have a penchant for world travel and unique foodie experiences... That said, they make for a super-duper dynamic trio when they get together...so Joel better be ready!