Wedding Party

Marissa Weiler

Bride

Cole Christian

Groom

Bliss Ellis

Maid of Honor

Marissa and I met in California after college. I was having my first birthday in a place I knew absolutely no one. She showed up with a friend of a friend and I knew from the second I laid my eyes on her that I wanted her to be my bestie. It wasn't but a few short-lived years later that we were ending our individual leases to live together in 'The Miss Riss and Miss Bliss Palace.' We lived in the heart of Point Loma, California and each day we spent our time laughing, sharing stories about our day and enjoying what life in Cali had to offer. One of my favorite memories will forever be when we went to this house party for 4th of July. She and I were decked out in red, white and blue literally to our toes. My toes were blue. Some guy there had such a problem with my blue toes. He told me how "ratchet" I looked and how beautiful and classy Marissa looked. We laughed out loud about this for hours that day. I am so honored to be the maid of honor, and I am grateful each and every single day for my bestie. She has been my loudest cheerleader, and I am so excited to be hers (and Cole's). #missrissandmissbliss FOREVER

Ernest Robles

Best Man

It's funny that Cole thought I didn't like him at first, & I wasn't sure how he felt about me. A real hang & that lasted for a minute. You rarely see the gravity of a friendship at the start, but early on I knew I'd know him for the rest of my life. Now I can't imagine how I survived life beforehand. I can't pinpoint what broke me first, but I knew I could tell Cole anything and he'd listen without judgement, not realizing how much I'd need that later on. When life threw its share of curveballs, Cole & I spent evenings just talking through life & all its intricacies, crushing cans on my patio, laughing 'til we cried. No matter the high or low, I always felt I was a priority. If I needed it, he'd be there with something off the cuff, hilarious, optimistic & what I needed to hear. It feels like a lifetime since & sadly we live a bit apart these days. I miss being able to destroy some In-N-Out with him whenever, but it's like he's always around. It's special when you can call someone & know they will be there and somehow, you walk away from it in a better place than before. Though he has many charms, the best thing about Cole is that he inspires me. I think everyone can agree, he does everything with his whole heart; being a dad, a partner, & a friend & I can't help but want to be more like him when I grow up. Excited for the beginning of your new journey & feel beyond lucky to be your best friend & a part of it, here's to you guys! -With love, your homie Luis

Erica Allen

Bridesmaid

Marissa and I met at work right after she moved to Texas. During this time, I learned just how much passion and love Marissa had for the field of ABA and for the kids we worked with, which made me feel an instant connection because it matched my love for the same things! From then on, we were connected at the hip at work and outside of work. We discovered our shared love for sports, our pups, floating the river, party planning, decorating Christmas trees, celebrating life milestones, eating late night pizza on 6th street, and making the best memories together, no matter who was judging us, but what solidified our friendship was the shared ability to be fully and completely open and honest with each other, even when we might not have wanted to hear it. We have been through some of the biggest highs and lows in each other's lives and I'm forever grateful to have been chosen by my bestie to be beside her on her biggest high yet, marrying Cole, the love of her life! Let's get y'all hitched!

Geoff Jansen

Groomsman

Samantha Sanchez

Bridesmaid

When I think of my college years, Marissa always comes to mind. Our love of running around one big circle is what initially brought the two of us together. Lady Reds Forever! I mean, how else do you get through the pain of running multiple 200-meter sprints in a row on the TARC track on practice days without your friends by your side... Okay, okay, Marissa was actually in front of me most of the time, but that’s not the point! Our friendship really grew as we bonded over our pageant life as we both competed for Miss Kenosha and moved off campus together our senior year. From our binge watching SVU on the weekends, surviving our marketing classes together, and fighting over space in the fridge – this girl has always been something special. Marissa headed out West after college but traveled, through missed flights, to get back to Wisconsin for my wedding day 10 years ago. She would have done everything in her power to be there and that weekend she definitely did. Life has separated us by distance, but we both will go out of our way to find time for each other. I have enjoyed a weekend getaway in San Diego, Marissa experiencing the Green Bay Packers alongside my husband, Jared, to countless trips to Chicago when she’s back in town visiting. I will always be one of Marissa’s biggest cheerleaders – supporting, encouraging, and watching her achieve everything she has done and continues to do! There is no greater blessing than the honor of standing by her side on her special day.

Joshua Miller

Groomsman

I met Cole while working at Apple some 8ish years ago and he absolutely would not leave me alone. Every time I ran into him at work, he would f*ck with me. There he was, this intimidating specimen of a man with the personality of a rambunctious golden retriever and I was just trying to go about my day unseen. Little did I know, he was the extrovert to my introvert that I didn’t know I needed in my life. We remained acquaintances until the pandemic where Jaime would become the founding father of what is now known as “The Trifecta”. The three of us spent those days slamming beers, discussing our woes of life, sharing the best of laughs and shedding a few tears from time to time. Not much has changed since those days and I’d have it no other way. Cole is without a doubt one of the best friends I’ve ever had. He has been an invaluable source of empathy, compassion, wisdom and *reckless abandon* that I am truly grateful for. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, he has been there for me. I wish him and Marissa all the best that life has to offer as they embark on this journey together. Cheers!! 🥂

Keeko Reid

Bridesmaid

I was just 9 years old when I met Riss for the first time back in San Diego. Little did I know, this hilarious, sarcastic, tough-loving tornado of a human from Chicago would end up becoming the big sister I never knew I needed (or asked for—but am so glad I got). She somehow managed to mix sass, wisdom, and grace like it was no big deal, humbling me when I needed it and being my cheerleader through the hard times. Throughout my teenage years and to this day, Riss was always there—pushing me to chase my dreams, even when those dreams made no sense or involved bad decisions and weird hobbies. Then when life brought me to Austin and having zero clue what I was doing (and still kinda don’t), she was my human GPS, therapist, and part-time life coach all rolled into one. Effortlessly guiding me through the many hardships that came with moving to a new, unfamiliar city. In short: Riss is the ultimate big sister. My family and I hit the jackpot meeting her all those years ago, and now we get the added bonus of Cole—who, let’s be real, is perfect and somehow managed to charm every single one of us. Couldn’t be more pumped to have him as a brother. You two are a power duo, and we’re all so lucky to be along for the ride. It is an honor to be a part of this new chapter. Love y'all so much!

Jaime Gonzales

Groomsman

I think I’m the old man in this group. How I met Cole, though. Well, I’d been working at Apple for about ten years when I saw we had hired a couple of new people. So this behemoth of a man with tattoos is walking over to sit with me and shadow my work. I’m busy when he gets there. Of course, I’m rolling my eyes, expecting to hear this meathead talk about how many hours he spends in the gym. When I finally turn around, I’m a little taken aback. Kinda like the first time you heard Mike Tyson speak. The voice didn’t match the man. However, this guy was friendlier and funny. But the point I knew I liked this guy was when I noticed that he could respond to anyone with a funny quip as fast as I could. I spent years learning that art, and this guy could just lay it out. A natural-born talent. See, hanging with us is like watching a sitcom. Ever notice how they are so quick and witty when they drop insults on a show like Friends? Well, if you don’t have writers, it’s a lot harder to be that quick. I mean, when you meet your humor doppelgänger, you have no choice but to make him one of your best friends. Oh, and did I mention beer? Cole and I are no longer allowed to hang out and drink beer when it’s just the 2 of us. It’s just not good for anyone. I’ll leave it at that. Now, 7 years later, I call this man my brother and consider him family. Never getting rid of me. Like a persistent viral infection, I’m just gonna keep popping up whenever it gets warm. Love you, Brother.

Lyla Christian

Flower Girl

Nolan Christian

Ring Bearer