Olivia & Matthew
Wedding Party
Margaret Cooper (she/her)
Maid of Honor
Margaret and Olivia have known each other since Olivia was in the third grade. They met at First Baptist Church of Sarasota, and have since traveled three countries together. Now Margaret and Olivia happily live less than three hours from each other and spend weekends together hiking and camping. If you want a conversation starter, ask Margaret about anything related to ecology in the Sierra Nevadas- I guarantee you'll learn something. Margaret is currently pursuing graduate school work in education, and teaches 7th grade earth science in Jackson, California!
Calvin Riss (he/him)
Best Man
Matt and Calvin met in college through the university's Outing Club. They were fast friends, and have bonded through the years over their love of climbing and outdoor recreation. Calvin is currently getting his PhD in Public Health through the University of Nevada at Reno, so he and Matt are able to go and climb together whenever their schedules align. Ask Calvin about his pet lizard, Barry.
Angela George (she/her)
Bridesmaid
Angela and Olivia met when they were both in the eighth grade at Booker Middle School in Sarasota, Florida. While they didn't hit it off immediately (if you Olivia me when I was 13 you would understand why), their friendship has grown incredibly strong in the decade they've known each other. They have traveled to Ireland together (after booking tickets two weeks before our departure), and continue to have so many adventures together. Angela is now focusing her efforts on applying to law school. Ask Angela about her dad's retro camper van.
James Richards (he/him)
Groomsman
Matt and James are what their mom fondly refers to as "Irish twins." They are barely a year apart in age, and despite sharing a room growing up, they are both still around to talk about it. James is currently working with beach erosion research in coastal New Jersey. Ask James about Jersey's beaches.
Hannah Denham (she/her)
Bridesmaid
Hannah and Olivia met during our first year at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Hannah was one of Olivia's first friends on campus. They ended up living together our sophomore year, and enjoyed bathtub grits, pumpkin pancakes, and early mornings on our balcony. Hannah is now a writer for the Washington Business Journal, and has been featured on the front page of the Washington Post (multiple times). Ask Hannah about her cats- Phoebe and Gabby.
Liz Todd (she/they)
Groomswoman
Liz and Matt were Geology majors and Outing Club staff together at W&L. They bonded over long hours in the lab, climbing, and various misadventures. From cribbage games in Joshua Tree to sea kayaking in the Everglades, "Spicy" (aka Matt) and Liz have covered a lot of ground together. Ask her about maps and her and Spicy’s matching wardrobes. Don’t ask her about that one time Spicy ate a bag of old hummus.
Joëlle Simeu (they/them)
Bride's person
Joëlle and Olivia also met during our first year at Washington and Lee University. They became closer their sophomore year when Joëlle would come over to Olivia's apartment regularly and would make their famous quiche. Olivia and Joëlle also participated in W&L's largest event, Mock Convention, together. After working for two years at a Civil Rights law firm in Washington D.C., Joëlle is now getting a PhD in English from Cornell. Ask Joëlle about their favorite skateboarding trick!
Mickie Brown (he/him)
Groomsman
Mickie and Matt were both Geology majors in undergrad. He and Mickie became close friends through the outing club, and climbed together throughout college. They also went to Iceland together! Mickie currently works at Washington and Lee at the Integrative and Quantitative Center and at Douthat State Park as an Interpretive Ranger. Ask Mickie about the time he and Matt were mountain biking and Matt tore his shoulder.
Lorena Essak-Hernandez (she)
Bridesmaid
Lorena and Olivia met during Olivia's first year at Washington and Lee while she was a sophomore. After rushing, Lorena became Olivia's "big" and we have been close ever since. They used to take day trips to DC while they were both in undergrad, and now Lorena lives in Connecticut as first year student at Yale Law School. Ask Lorena about her cat, Tofu!
Ben Schaeffer (he/him)
Bridesman
Ben and Olivia met my first year at Washington and Lee when he was a junior. Ben was on the mock trial team, which Olivia joined my first year. They became fast friends through the mock trial program, and have travelled up and down the east coast together for competitions. Ben now works as a consultant at Berkeley Research Group in Washington, D.C. Ask Ben about his time in Thailand, and all things Thai food.
Mikki Whittington (she/her)
Officiant
Mikki and Olivia met my first year of college when we both joined the same sorority. Mikki lived in the Sustainability House with Matt during the winter semester of 2019. In the summer of 2019, Mikki and Olivia decided to live together while they were both doing research in Lexington. Mikki was the one who pushed Olivia to spend time with Matt (and we're so thankful she did!). As a thank you... Mikki will be officiating our wedding! Currently Mikki is in medical school at Wake Forest School of Medicine. Ask Mikki about her work with snakes!
Jules Townsend (he/him)
Groomsman
Jules and Matt both working at Mesa Rim Climbing Center here in Reno. Matt and Jules climb and hike together regularly and swap dog parenting tips. Jules currently leads all recreation programs at Mesa Rim, and is the father to an adorable pup named Winston. Ask Jules about the time he helped trick Matt for Matt's 25th surprise birthday party.