Wedding Party
Emma Koestner
Bride
Beauty and grace have nothing on her lovely face. She is special and wonderful, and I love her a lot. That's a silly sentence but it's true. She's the strongest, best, most loving woman I've ever met, and from the first time that I saw her I knew she was going to wreck my life. That's not a joke. Not a cliche. That is my very first memory of ever seeing her. I knew she was beautiful and that she was going to be significant to me. Almost three years later, we started planning this wedding. I'm super excited to marry her, because I couldn't be more in love with her. - Ben
Benjamin Bonwell
Groom
And to think, it all started with an egg circle, a fateful "community group" hike, defeating the friend zone, and one coffee date ending with Paw Patrol in a friends basement. What I know now, I did not know then - that Ben had been laying the groundwork for a beautiful story of pursuit and intentionality in the years leading up to our engagement . Ben displays humility, genuineness, zeal, and loyalty each and every day. He is a steadfast safe place. I am so blessed that he is on my team for life. Love you, dear. - Emma
Regan Mitchell
Maid of Honor
I got so lucky when Regan and I (Emma) got stuck on the continent of Australia together in 2019 - bonded by the unexplainable experience that is YWAM. Today our friendship is held together by hours long phone calls and a text thread that just never seems to end. Regan is such a committed, selfless, passionate friend who I am grateful to have in my corner.
Christopher Weidenbacher
Best Man
Chris has been my best friend for like 26 years(?) and he's been looking forward to this day almost as much as I have. He's a friend, a brother, and a best man for a reason. We've been through pretty much all of life together. He's a brother in Christ and has pointed me towards Jesus in ways I don't even think he knows he has.
Kayla Logsdon
Bridesmaid
A friendship almost as old as she and I are! Kayla and I met in our kindergarten class and have been through pretty much every life stage together since then. From sports to fine arts in school, making music videos in friends basements, living together post-grad, and now celebrating exciting seasons of adulthood - she has seen it all! Kayla is a compassionate, empathetic friend who I am so lucky to have for life.
Colin Wilson
Groomsman
Colin became an immediate permanent fixture in my life when I moved to DSM, and never shied away from asking me hard questions or pushing me to think about things differently. We've gotten to walk through a lot of real seasons together in a short time, and I couldn't be more stoked to have him in my community. Ask him about Dirt Bike Club.
Layne Bormann
Bridesmaid
Layne and I's friendship began when she moved to Grimes in 4th grade, where Kayla and I invited her to sit with us on the bus. What began as many days squished all together in a school bus seat has grown into a friendship that has blessed me abundantly. Layne is the perfect blend of goofy and genuine. She keeps a room light-hearted and fun. Her quick wit and sincerity is a gift to everyone.
Clayton Bonwell
Groomsman
My big brother and a large part of I'm as weird I am today. Between the two of us, our mom has rolled her eyes and our dad has been confused more times than anyone needs to count. He's always been there for me when I needed it, and proved to me almost daily that I'm incredibly easy to gaslight.
Cathryne Moore
Bridesmaid
What an amazing friend, mentor, sister all rolled in to one! I am immensely grateful for The Coffeesmith employing both of us during COVID so that we could cross paths. A dinner at the Moore's townhome and a church invitation led to such a gift of community from not only Cathryne but the whole Moore family. Cathryne (and her husband Jerrin) deserve some relationship credits for vouching for Ben's character and having some insanely cute kids who happen to love Ben a lot. Cathryne is so gifted in welcoming, caring for, and connecting people. I am grateful to have been one of them.
Stuart Craig
Groomsman
Brother-in-law. The things to be said about Stu eclipse the character count that this website allows. Having him as an extra sibling has definitely made my life better, and pointed me more towards Christ, and plenty of shenanigans.