Meet the Party!!

Greg & I have had such a blast looking through pictures and reminiscing about our friendships with everyone in our wedding party. We truly are blessed with amazing friends and we are so excited to have each of them stand beside us in October!!  



INTRODUCING OUR WEDDING PARTY!
ladies first.. 

Katie Bergen - Maid of honor

Katie is my big sister and has always been my number one supporter. She is an RN-BSN and works in surgery recovery at the children’s hospital in Madera where she shines light into lives everyday. She is a caretaker by nature and you can see that in the way she tends her garden and nourishes anyone and everyone when you come to her home (with goodies from her garden of course). Katie has always cheered me on in everything I do and encourages me with notes and reminders about how proud she is of me. I have the greatest big sister anyone could ever ask for!

Jacque Othart - Matron of honor

Jacque originally didn’t want to be my friend, and now she’s my Matron of honor! Funny story… I met Jac and her husband Nic at college group. Nic and I immediately hit it off and he had prompted Jac to hang out with me, but she was reluctant at first (she probably hates that I’m telling this). Eventually we all started hanging out and the three of us along with pop became a little family. Jacque is the sort of friend that loves me unconditionally and is a constant encouragement in my life. I’m flooded with emotion just thinking about how many moments in my grieving and growing up that she has loved me through. Jacque will always stand by my side as a friend and a sister in Christ. She has the purest heart of anyone I have ever met and I am beyond thankful to call her my friend! Jacque is also an amazing mom to two adorable little boys, Caleb who is one of our ring bearers and the adorable new baby Jacob who is just about 4 months old.

Caleb Othart - ring bearer

Caleb is Jacque and Nic’s oldest boy. He loves to play in the water, climb on anything and say “yup” to anything and everything you ask him.

Kathleen Bergen - sister-in-law

Kathleen’s dad and my dad were roommates in college at Fresno Pacific and they always joked they would have an arranged marriage with their children. As luck would have it (and by their choice!) my big brother Jake and her fell in love and got married! Kathleen has watched me experience some of life’s hardest circumstances and has always been an open ear to me. I’m so thankful to have such an understanding and awesome sister-in-law! She is a stunning mother to my favorite niece, Violet, who is our flower girl. Kathleen is also studying for her MFT at Fresno Pacific University and you can find her and Jake either toddling around in their beautiful garden or with friends in the posh areas of the Fres.

Violet Bergen - Flower Girl

Violet is 4 and she loves to play with her teddy bears and line them up. She is insightful, funny and pure joy to our family!

Mandi Abbott - My redheaded besty

Mandi is Jacque’s little sister, Mandi and I didn’t start hanging out until about a year after I met Nic and Jac, but we hit the ground running with our friendship. Mandi is that crazy adventurous friend that always has my back when I need her and is always finding ways to motivate me, but she will also push you off a cliff so you can experience the excitement that life has to offer! Mandi and I had some of our best times when she was living in Hawaii, I was a nomad figuring out what I wanted to do with my life and together we explored the island! Mandi has loved me through all the ups and downs and I am so grateful for who she is in my life! I can be resistant to take risks, but she helps me challenge myself and take those chances! Mandi got married last summer so she is enjoying being a newlywed and she recently got her dream job teaching kindergarten and I'm so proud of her, she is going to be such a sensational teacher!

Nicole Esnoz - Mrs. Giannelli after this weekend
I don’t have a single childhood memory that doesn't have Nicole in it! We were in the same class literally from kindergarten until our senior year of high school and we then went on to the same university. We were those obnoxious girls in high school that planned our outfits together and had matching class schedules. Nicole is that friend that we will go months without seeing each other, but when we do we pick up exactly where we left off. She has been there for me in some of the hardest moments in my life and she literally stayed by my side when I needed her most. Nicole is getting married this weekend!!! I will get to stand by her side and help her celebrate! Nicole graduated this spring with a bachelors in education and will go on to credential in special needs. She will be an amazing wife and great teacher, but she is a phenomenal Basque dancer and childhood best friend!

Kelsey Penner - My “college roommate”

Kelsey and I grew up going to the same summer camp as well as in a Mennonite church, so we share the understanding and love for things like zweibach and old hymns. We met through her brother Blair and from there we unknowingly embarked on this crazy experience of understanding loss and friendship. The start of our friendship was mostly ditching school to hang out and long phone calls. Just a short while after meeting Kelsey was living a parallel life to mine and we both shared an experience that bound our friendship. There was no other reason why we should have been friends other then God having his hand in it and knowing that we would needed each other. We laugh now, but I was suppose to be Kelsey’s roommate our freshmen year of college, but because of life’s unexpected turns I ended up not going away to school. Needless to say Kelsey has been my confidante, “college roommate” and musical soul mate. We both share a passion for music, life and weird funny things, which makes for great times and conversations. I love to see the world through Kelsey’s eyes and her passion for people is incredible. I love her dearly and am so so thankful for her! Kelsey just finished her masters at Fuller Seminary in Psychology and is working on her PsyD in psychology, I am proud to call this little smarty-pants my great friend!

Maria Marzullo

Maria is that cousin that no matter what life throws at either one of us we have always been there for each other! Maria and I have tons of memories growing up together, camping and dressing up at our grandmas. One particular day we decided to put every shade of blue eye shadow and blue lip-gloss on and let our grandpa photo document it, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but now we have these horrible pictures of our already awkward Jr high years covered in nasty blue makeup! Maria is that partner in crime sort of cousin that understands my roots and where I come from. She is also an amazing friend, I got shingles when I was 19 and Maria sat with me for a couple days laughing until we cried and talking about our dreams and passions, I am so thankful for the friend I have in her! Maria is a newlywed as well and she is enjoying living up near Monterey with her husband Nick. She is working doing massage therapy and she’s not just a great masseuse, but an awesome listener and she thrives in everything she sets her mind to!

Katie Welsh

Katie is Greg’s older sister and my soon to be sister-in-law. She has just started the process of gaining her masters in speech pathology at Texas Tech. She is the adventure queen, always looking for the next thing to jump off of, swim
in, climb up or dance to. She and Greg were the middle siblings and through that they formed a great friendship, one that will always be a big part of both of their lives. Katie has been a concert buddy of mine, she and her mom came to Bakersfield to see Carrie Underwood with me and she and I also got to see The Avett Brothers together last year! Katie has recently discovered a fetish for bacon wrapped peaches, and I am happy to accommodate her with them anytime!! I’m excited to be gaining a new sister-in-law and look forward to making many memories with her!

Introducing the boys.. 

Brian Welsh - Best Man

B-Dub is my older brother, and only recently have I realized just how much of an impact this man has had in my life. Brian was the reason I played soccer, started surfing, and listened to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sublime as a young lad. To top it all off, Brian was the first to grow his hair long; so yes, quite an influential guy. One of the most caring and thoughtful person I know, Brian lives in Seattle with his wonderful wife Nikki (August 17th was a day I'll never forget!).

Doug Welsh - Best Man

Doug-E-Fresh is my younger brother, and quite a cutie. He has surpassed both Brian and I in the hair farming industry (Brian closed up shop several years ago, but rumor has it he might be making a comeback) and might even be the tallest of the Welsh boys. Doug and I shared a room until I left for college, and people still switch our names around and/or refer to us as "the little boys". That's just fine with me. Doug is quite the character and has developed a craving for world travel as he works towards his bachelors and masters degree in history at Wheaton College in Chicago.

Jake Bergen

Jake is my soon-to-be brother and quite an insightful man. His German descent and Bergen birthright leads one to believe he may or may not have characteristics of high intensity, extreme attention to detail, and a special seriousness that rivals an old man's shoeshine... or something like that. Anyway, Jake spends his days as a construction manager, his evenings as a husband and father, and his weekends philosophizing with friends or trekking through alpine meadows in Kings Canyon... very, very efficiently.

Jeff Mirich

Jeff might just be the oldest friend I have, practically a brother, someone that has always been there in the best and worst of times and dealt with my shenanigans throughout. We were put on the same little-league T-ball team in kindergarten, then soon learned we lived at opposite ends of the same street. Fortunately for me, I had a second family 30 seconds down the street where I spent an untold amount of time as a kid. Unfortunately for Jeff and his family, I lived 30 seconds down the street and there was no telling when I would come over and cause problems, like shooting holes in the lamp shades with an airsoft gun or hurt myself doing something undeniably stupid. Jeff brews his own beer, shapes and shreds his own surfboards, and lays down phat, funky bass lines for The Room Downstairs in San Diego as he works towards a masters degree in engineering.

Kasey Ahlstrom

Kasey also contends for the "oldest friend" and "practically a brother" award. If I wasn't down the street at Jeff's, I could be found at the Ahlstrom house where there was never a dull moment. Weekends were spent skateboarding to the doughnut shop at 6am, playing tag at the local Target, and trying to stay alive as a handful of accident-prone children ricocheted across the trampoline in Kasey's backyard. There was a day I remember vividly when Jeff and I rode our bikes with Kasey as he pedaled around the entire block no-handed; it was as revolutionary as man on the moon. Kasey has always been that super competitive kid and just naturally better at anything, which is why he was always on my team. Kasey and his wife Didi just recently moved to Chicago where he is working for a large advertising firm.

Jean Paul Molyneux

I remember talking to my mom a couple months into my first year at Cal Poly SLO and telling her about this guy that lived in the dorms with me. I explained how I couldn’t believe how much we had in common, and that I felt like we had been friends for life. After living in the dorms and at the legendary 1890 Hays house for 4 years, I can say JP is a seriously special dude. He laughs harder, dreams wilder, and enjoys life fuller than most. What is really amazing about this guy is that JP makes everyone feel like they’re best friends after the first time meeting him. JP has been living in the promised land (SLO County), travelling to faraway places, and working under a professional surf photographer...and always has the best stories to tell.

Mike Croom

Mike says what he means and means what he says, so cut the crap. For a while, his name in my phone was “The Business”, and the best quote to describe Mike is “no excuses, play like a champion” (Rule #76 of Wedding Crashing). Mike and I met in the dorms at Cal Poly and he too became a fellow member of the 1890 Hays clan. Despite some distinct differences like his musical taste for 80’s and 90’s one-hit-wonders and a die-hard affinity for Titanic and Gone in 60 Seconds, I have a ton of respect for this guy because he comes by it honestly and that kind of authenticity is hard to come by. Also, Mike is the most loyal guy I know, he would do anything for a friend, no questions asked. Hopefully Mike will be returning to the west coast after working in Washington DC for the last year with his precious pooch, Riley.

Justin Louen

Justin truly was the first friend I made in college and the first thing we ever did together was watch Happy Gilmore. Yet another irreplaceable member of the 1890 Hays house, Justin is the kind of guy that you can depend on to lighten your day because he always seems to be in a good mood. Due to his carefree nature and a tendency to fall into predictable daily routines (ask him about his butter-grams), Justin frequently was a victim to my favorite pastime: scaring people. Nearly every day when I saw him biking home from class, I’d sneak into the shed and wait in the shadows for him to put his bike away. As soon as he’d pull the lock off the double doors, I’d burst out like a raging baboon and always get the best reactions. Justin is currently hugging lots and lots of trees as he pursues his masters in forestry at Cal Poly SLO

Stephen Bloemhof - ring bearer

Last but not least is our other ring bearer.. He is the fifth son to David and Stephanie Bloemhof. Stephanie and my mom were really dear friends and I grew up babysitting all their boys! I'm so excited to have Stephen be a ring bearer.. he loves swimming and wrestling with Greg. He also has the greatest hand eye coordination I have ever seen! When we was 2 he could hit a live pitch baseball, look out for him MLB 2028!