Benjamin & Lisa
Wedding Party
Libby Hart
Maid of Honor
Libby has been Lisa’s best friend since they were about 3, and they are truly basically family. They met because they went to the same church. They started going to school together in 7th grade, and have stayed close to this day. They’ve done everything together! Playing MASH, biking around Mahomet, church activities, choir, high school plays and musicals, school dances, family camping trips, sleepovers, and much more. They continue to hang out whenever they can. Libby is also good friends with Ben, she was even the one who helped him with arranging the proposal. Libby and Lisa share a love of nature, art, podcasts, and their childhood nostalgia.
Reid Bundy
Best Man
Reid has been Ben’s friend since they met in high school. They met through strange circumstances: an accidental shank with a drawing compass. Despite such an odd start, they quickly became inseparable friends. Reid and Ben were a duo in the high school drama department and spent practically all their free time together. Reid and Ben have remained great friends and continue to talk and meet up with each other.
Maddie Wallace
Bridesmaid
Maddie & Lisa have been friends since early on in high school. Lisa originally met Maddie through Libby, because they were both in color guard together, and all three of them did that together the following year. They quickly became good friends throughout high school and the three of them are all still very close to this day. Their group chat is still called “The Bowling League'' after a bowling kick they were on that Covid put a damper on, but hopefully will return soon. Maddie and Lisa share a love of pets, art, the internet, & true crime.
Harry Grooms
Groomsman
Harry and Ben also met in high school, through their shared time in the Drama department. Harry and Ben have shared in many great experiences together in school, work, and fun! Harry has always been a close friend to Ben, commonly splitting the couples combo at the movie theater when the drama department went out celebrating. They even were roommates together in college at SIU. Harry and Ben continue to talk and hang out when they find the time.
Adrianne Schmitz
Bridesmaid
Lisa first met Adrianne when they were in kindergarten - they were on the same lil guy soccer team. In high school, they did drama and madrigals together and had a ton of classes together. Afterwards, they both went to U of I for architecture their freshman & sophomore years, and even worked together post-college for a few years! We definitely consider ourselves life twins. We share a love of pets, architecture, design, Spanish, and music.
Kyle Ozier
Groomsman
Kyle has been a great friend and practically family for Ben since his freshman year at SIU. Kyle and Ben lived in the same building, and so they ended up spending a lot of free time together. Their friendship sparked easily and they became close friends over the course of their college careers. Kyle, Nick H., and an ever-growing cat army, rented a house together in Carbondale during Ben’s last year at SIUC. Kyle and Ben share a large number of interests and continue to share ideas, talk, and play video games together.
Lizzie Stremming
Bridesmaid
Lizzie is the sister of the groom. Ben met Lizzie when he was 5, and honestly a little disappointed she wasn’t his brother. However, Ben quickly got over that and grew to love his little sister Lizzie (short for Lizard) and watched as she has grown into an extremely smart and wonderful young woman. Lisa is very excited to have Lizzie as a sister-in-law and thinks she’s the greatest. They both have very similar personality types and are both into art & design.
Dustin Reed
Groomsman
Ben and Dustin met in the Architecture program at SIUC. They really sparked a friendship during their freshman-sophomore years. The long times in Studio meant that Ben and Dustin were commonly spending many long hours together, working on building projects and taking breaks to examine the contents of the vending machine. They both swear that somebody was listening to their late-night conversations while they waited on renderings, because they predicted the Matt Damon film Downsizing (it totally happened!)
Laurel Ryherd
Bridesmaid
Laurel is the sister-in-law of the bride since she married her brother in July of 2015. Before that though, Laurel and Ben Ryherd shared a group of friends throughout their high school years, and began dating in 2011, so it feels like she’s always been around and part of the family. Lisa loves having Laurel as a sister because she is such a sweet person and also shares a love for designing things and DIY. Lisa especially loves receiving cards from Laurel because she is the master of making the coolest ones you’ve ever seen.
Ben Ryherd
Groomsman
Ben is the brother of the bride. She has known him for literally her entire life, since he is two years older than her. When their mom was pregnant with Lisa, Ben’s top picks for her name were “Peekaboo” and “Benny’s baby,” which in retrospect would’ve kinda worked out. Lisa is still super close to her brother, and was so happy when he and Laurel moved back to the area last year. The family regularly gets together to hang out every couple of weeks. Ben & Lisa share a love for designing things & DIY.
Nick Jukes
Usher
Lisa has been friends with Nick since junior high. He is absolutely hilarious and is always there for her and all of his friends. He is definitely Lisa’s go-to friend if she wants to go out and have some fun. They were both very pleased when their siblings started dating and ultimately got married. Lisa loves having a close friend as an "outlaw in-law," which is the term they came up with for how they are related.
TJ Eberle
Usher
TJ is a mutual friend of Ben and Lisa. Lisa has known him and been friends with him since junior high, going on to have classes with him in high school and do drama, choir, and madrigals with him as well. Ben knew him in high school as well, but really got to know him and became friends with him later on in college. TJ lives in Minnesota, but still finds time to travel out to his friends and catch up when he can.
Jacob Pfeiffer
Usher
Jacob is Ben’s cousin on his mom’s side. Jacob has always been a great friend and family to Ben. They grew up together playing Power Rangers and other games when they were younger. As they have gotten older, they share video games with each other. Jacob might not have a lot to say, but Benjamin (as always) has more than enough words to fill their conversations!
Marcos Hoppe
Ring Bearer
The Hoppe kids are the children of Lisa's cousin Joanna & her husband Martin. So far, they are the only three in the next generation of the Ryherd family. Lisa has known these sweet & crazy kids since they were born and is so glad to have them involved in her wedding day. Marcos is 8 years old and is a sweet and sassy boy who loves dinosaurs.
Elisa Hoppe
Flower Girl
The Hoppe kids are the children of Lisa's cousin Joanna & her husband Martin. So far, they are the only three in the next generation of the Ryherd family. Lisa has known these sweet & crazy kids since they were born and am so glad to have them involved in her wedding day. Ellie is 4 years old and is a wild and funny little girl who loves unicorns.
Oscar Hoppe
Ring Bearer
The Hoppe kids are the children of Lisa's cousin Joanna & her husband Martin. So far, they are the only three in the next generation of the Ryherd family. Lisa has known these sweet & crazy kids since they were born and am so glad to have them involved in her wedding day. Oscar is 2 years old and is a sweet, fun little guy.