Shannon & Nick
Wedding Party
Elaina Rankin
Maid of Honor
Our story starts in the summer of 2008. Lainey was a 5th year senior when I started college at Gonzaga. Our teams would frequently support each other and ran around in the same circles. We always had a special connection but everything changed when she moved back to Spokane in 2012. We became roommates and fast friends; from dog walks, nights of cribbage and ice cream, countless nights of shutting down every bar in Spokane, heartache, love and everything in between, we become sisters. I couldn't imagine my day without her right next to me.
Tyler Holley
Best Man
Machine pitch baseball in the second grade brought Tyler and I together, and we have goofing off together ever since. He is in the running for funniest person I know, and he and I have been helping each other figure out the craziness of growing up through sports, church outings at Christ Church United Methodist, and approximately 10,000 hours of Adam Sandler and Chris Farley movies. Tyler is one of those guys that I consider a brother (as are so many guys in this wedding party, to be honest), and he and I share the same brain more often that his wife Sadie or Shannon would probably prefer.
Chelsea Hoffmann
Bridesmaid
Chelsea took a chance on me in the Fall of 2016 and for that, I will forever be thankful. I was moving to California and knew no one. Chelsea was looking for a new roommate for her house and we exchanged a few emails and decided 'it seemed to fit'. From long talks on the couch to hosting holiday parties and making her dress in the most ridiculous attire to her teaching me the correct way to hold a lacrosse stick, fast forward to now and she is one of my closest friends. What started as a fix for a roommate turned into being inspirable friends; Penny Lane was good to us and even better to our friendship.
Matt Walton
Best Man
It’s hard for me not get a big, ridiculous grin on my face when I think of Matt. He is one of the deepest thinkers I know, always thoughtful and considerate, but he has also retained the sense of humor we had as teenagers. This makes for a truly hilarious combination of conversations that move from how to imagine the future of society to what bodily function has cracked us up recently. Matt is funny, genuine, and compassionate – and shares the same "Walton je ne sais quoi" as Reese (the Waltons are indescribable, but instantly recognizable once you meet them). Two years older than me, Matt has always been great at mentoring me and teaching me how to make high-school-level jokes back when we were still in middle school.
Lindy Cunningham
Bridesmaid
It should shock absolutely no one who knows Lindy that she walked into my office her first week on the job at Stanford and said "Hi. I'm Lindy and we are going to be best friends." Lindy and I had known each other through the basketball world and when she was hired at Stanford in the spring of 2017, I couldn't wait to meet the girl who lit our team up for 4 years of college basketball. From helping her pick game-day outfits, to my workout buddy, to us convincing our boyfriends (now husband and fiance) to wear matching shirts for their joint birthday party, we have been through it all together and couldn't imagine my life without her.
Reese Walton
Best Man
Reese grew up as the stoic type; there are numerous stories to tell about Reese’s uncanny ability to not react to things happening around him. But Tyler, Matt, and I got to see the funny side of Reese throughout the years as we had band practice (long live Honorable Mention), tried to skateboard (Reese and Matt were much better than Tyler and I), and played a questionably named game with Splash Balls out in the Walton pool. Today Reese remains a truly funny guy that thinks deeply about the world around him, if for nothing else than to make some great jokes about what he sees.
Megan Whitley
Bridesmaid
Who would had thought that a general chemistry class sophomore year of high school would be where our story starts? Megan and I happened to become partners during the first few weeks of school and by the end of the semester, Megan was driving me home (and to the tanning salon), singing Brooks and Dunn, coming to my basketball games, and I was wearing too much makeup and hair product hoping I could be a honorary dance team member. I left that high school after that year but our friendship withstood the 30 miles with her becoming one of my biggest support systems throughout the past 16 years.
Kaleb Unverfehrt
Groomsman
Not Too Big, But Still Tall Clothing Store: a store for the tall folk among us. That was Kaleb and I’s million dollar backup plan if we failed out of college. It turns out the world had different plans for us, but that hasn’t kept us from having adventures together otherwise. From galivanting around Europe, to cross-country road trips, to football games and college parties, and everything in between, Kaleb and I have lived through enough excitement together to share more than a few good stories. A former roommate in Columbia, SC during my college days, Kaleb has been on my list to have as a groomsman for over a decade.
Ashley Reader
Bridesmaid
To say I hit the sister-in-law jackpot would be an understatement! Since the first moment I met Ash, I knew I had a partner in crime when it came to adventures. Ash let me 3rd wheel along with her and my brother since the day they started dating; I don't think she expected us to be such a package deal... thanks goodness I met Nick and he folded until our #forcedfamilyfun so well! Our adventures have taken us from national parks all over the US to wine weekends to the most random of airbnb's. I feel lucky to have a sister who will 'do the most' and can't wait to continue to check off more adventures.
Billy Reader
Groomsman
I got to know my brother-in-law-to-be very well over a short period of time: we first met at Derby weekend 2019 when he and Ashley joined in for a great time, and then the next weekend we went hiking in King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Park. In no time at all, we had great stories to relive between us and to this day DJ Wild Bill owns the aux cord (or Bluetooth connection) any time he is in my Ford Edge. He was instrumental in helping me execute a successful proposal in Hawaii, and he has been a great brother to connect with on trips to multiple states and National Parks all over. Excited to be family with him!
Samantha Bessert
Bridesmaid
I know they say you can't pick your family but I feel very grateful to have Sam in my life. Not only is she my cousin but our friendship and relationship goes much deeper than that. With us being the same age, we found ourselves sticking together during every family outing (either picking on my brother or getting picked on by her older siblings). From family dinners (that turn into 12 course meals), to college (she was always a support through my basketball career, to growing up together (and complaining about the real world), I feel lucky she has been by my side since I was born, because, yes, she is 2 and a half months older.
Rick Carver
Groomsman
Rick is always good for a southern idiom that will make you double take (for example, "hungry enough to eat the Southbound end of a Northbound horse"). Rick and I first met in 2008 when we started as University Ambassadors at South Carolina, and he has been cracking me up since, with both his reactions to everyday events and his facial expressions every time something ridiculous happens. We have experienced some crazy situations, from being roommates in a haunted house (along with Kaleb) to adventures around Europe to our nights out in Columbia – meaning there have been plenty of opportunities for me to witness great Rick reactions. Above all else, he’s a great friend and always an entertaining person to be around. He is a staple of the good times I remember from undergrad and beyond.
Nick Kwiecien
Groomsman
From the first time we met in the airport during our visit to UW-Madison when interviewing for grad school, to our 4 years as roommates and 5 years as labmates in Madison, Nick and I have been collectively known as “the Nicks” – for better or for worse. Kwiecien and I have lived several lifetimes worth of nights out and adventures together, along with pushing each other to be the best we could be during our time in lab. Nick is both the reason I collectively spent several months’ worth of paychecks at the Chipotle on University Ave. in Madison, and the reason I was able to survive the grad school experience.
Tim Rhoads
Groomsman
Old Man Rhoads, as he is referred to regardless of his relative age to others present, was one of the best parts about my 6 years in Madison. We lived together for 5 years (3 of those with Kwiecien, too), and we were often the enablers of each other to go do things in Madison. From afternoons at the Terrace to beer and music festivals around Madison/the Midwest to witnessing pretty much every major sporting event together between the years 2013 and 2018 – Tim has been there for me as a great friend.
Diana Suedbeck
Officiant
D, DZ, D$. She is known to us with many nicknames but our love for her runs deep. From the moment that Shan first interviewed D for a position at Stanford, she knew that bubbly personality from the Midwest was going to be special. Fast forward to now, Diana has been a roommate to us both and there from the beginning of our story. We couldn't imagine a more thoughtful, fun, considerate and down right awesome person to marry us. Get the laughs and tissues ready!
Justin McKetney
Usher
If you hear a loud laugh bursting out of the group, the safe bet is that it is coming from Justin. He is a jolly guy with a larger than life voice that fits his personality. He makes me laugh constantly, and it feels impossible not to be entertained when hanging out with him. Once you meet Justin, you won’t have to ask “now which one are you again?”, because there will be no doubt. Justin was also a member of my grad school research group (along with Nick, Tim, and Matt), so we all kept each other sane through the hard days of research and long Wisconsin winters. I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t run out of things to talk about for hours on end.
Matt Rush
Usher
Spend an hour with Matt, and you will feel like you’ve known him for a lifetime. He can connect with any given person better than about anyone else I have met, and he and I became quick friends during our years together in Madison. We share an affinity for good beer, the great outdoors, and a good piano bar where we can sing out hearts out. Matt is also known for his phases of attire, whether it was the so-called fisherman phase (a navy beanie and a thick hoodie that made him look like a crew member from Deadliest Catch) or the Hawaiian shirt phase, circa 2017. Regardless of what he is wearing, he’s always a good time and a just a good dude to hang out with.
Josh Keller
Usher
Josh is one of those friends from high school days that help shape you into the person you grow to be. Besides sharing an unending list of great jokes from our times at Ballard and Christ Church together, Josh is a guy that always brings great insight and clarity to any life situation that matches his good-natured sense of humor. On top of that, he might be the smartest guy I’ve ever met. Even though we only get to hang out every once in a while at random locations across the country where our journeys intersect, he will always be a great friend and someone I’m glad I can call on!
Mike Lewis
Usher
Mike’s friendship is one I have had as long as I can remember – literally. We met at Kindercare when we were still counting age in months instead of years, and we have been great friends ever since. Mike has always been one to look out for his friends, from making sure we were all invited over for the Halo parties that kept us up until 5 am to rallying the troops for laser tag. He is as loyal as he is kind, and we could spend the entire wedding weekend just sharing fun stories we have together from growing up. I couldn’t imagine having a wedding without him involved.