Wedding Party
Makenna Reed
Maid of Honor
I first met Gwen when we were in middle school. Our friendship has endured the dramas of high school, the business of college, and the physical distance of graduate school. I remember we would spend entire summers together, going on mission trips, going to music festivals, kayaking, and just bumming around our houses. Although we haven't lived in closed proximity since high school, including a distance of over 2000 miles, I feel like our friendship has never been so strong. The first time Gwen introduced me to Dylan, we went sledding together. The hill was so steep we only went down once before we were exhausted, but we had fun regardless. From that day on, Gwen and Dylan have been inseparable but have always included me in their shenanigans.
Marcus Colbert
Best Man
Marcus and Dylan have been best friends since middle school. No matter the distance these two have been tight. Some of their favorite memories together include golf outings, Iowa sporting events, or just hanging out and enjoying a beer or two.
Mandy Gavin
Bridesmaid
Gwen and I knew each other in high school, but we became good friend at U of I when we lived in the same dorm. I would run downstairs at all hours to chat or ask her for help with homework, boys, and hangovers. When she met Dylan, I remember noticing how easy the two were together, as if they had always known each other. As Gwen's roommate the following years I watched her and Dylan's relationship grow, as we went to Hawkeye basketball games and just hung out. I loved them so much I decided to tag along with them to California for a year and made special memories exploring and playing sand volleyball, not to mention getting stuck in gated parking lots!I live states away now, but I know Gwen will always be one of my best friends and I can't wait to celebrate her and Dylan in April!
Nathan Karlan
Groomsman
Nathan and Dylan have been friends since they were young. They even roomed together for 2 years in Iowa City. Dylan and Nathan can tell you some fun stories from those times if you ask. Through the celebratory cheers and the devastating tears these two have endured all that Iowa sports has to offer together.
Morgan Lishawa
Bridesmaid
I'm so grateful that Gwen and I crossed paths in California. I don't recall our first memory, but I do know we instantly bonded over being from the Midwest, fun college stories, and the fact that her apartment had a pool! We spent a lot of time the past two years playing flag football, beach volleyball, and drinking bottomless mimosas! The past two years have been filled with so many laughs but my favorite memory is helping Dylan surprise Gwen with a sunset proposal. It was so fun to be a part of that day and I can't wait to watch her marry the love of her life!
Ian Karr
Groomsman
Dylan and Ian became friends in elementary school when Ian moved to the neighborhood. You could always find them running the streets or playing basketball. Ian and Dylan liked living near each other so much that they moved in together for 2 years in Iowa city. Some of their favorite memories together include when Ian came to visit Dylan in California and all the nights spent together playing video games.
Celia Morado-Santana
Bridesmaid
My favorite memory with Dylan and Gwen, has to be of that day the Iowa vs Iowa State game kept getting delayed. We started off at Sharkees with good food and mimosas. Then a few hours later we migrated to a different bar in an attempt to continue to watch the game that wouldn't end! Lastly, leaving Dylan at the bar to continue his wait for the same game, us girls headed over to Gwen's heated pool where we enjoyed good drinks and gossip;) After 8 HOURS the game was finally finished and Dylan joined us for some awesome pizza!
Jake VanOort
Groomsman
Jake and Dylan became friends in middle school when they both went out for the basketball team and later the golf team. Dylan, Jake, and Marcus would always take lunch together in high school and made some memorable inside jokes during that time. If the weathers nice you can find the two of them out playing golf and trying to stay out of trouble.
Kaylee Fisher
Bridesmaid
My favorite memories with Gwen have to be on the beach volleyball courts in California. We immediately respected her as "coach" and she whipped our team into shape. It was so fun to have our feet in the sand and the wind in our hair. Gwen is always extra good at what she does, whether it's beach volleyball or O&P and she is constantly teaching me how to be better. Matched with Dylan's intense passion about almost everything, they are going to be unstoppable. I'm so excited to stand next to them as they say I do!
Garrison Fisher
Groomsman
My favorite memories with Dylan are playing flag football together. Dylan is a fierce competitor, and I knew we could always count on him to come up with a big stop on defense or to stand up for his teammates if the other team wanted to fight (which happened surprisingly often.) Then we would all head to PJ's to celebrate and watch college football with 2 for 1 drinks and giant fish taco platters. It's so exciting to see Gwen and Dylan starting this new chapter together, and I'm so honored to be a part of it.
Kelsey Lawall
Bridesmaid
Two of my favorite memories with Gwen are having our Jeanies Dirty Martini days with all of the crazy regulars in the dive bar, and also walking down to the beach in the rain to get graduation photos.
Layne Sullivan
Groomsman
Layne and Dylan became friends through their sisters and they really connected after their trip to France together in high school. Dylan and Layne have always supported each other, like when Dylan drove out to Wanye State to watch Layne play football or Layne coming into town for Dylan’s going away party.
Alyssa Harms
Bridesmaid
Dylan and I grew up forcible (and lovingly) as Iowa football fans. On game days, Frozen Lemonade was our highlight. As we grew older, we paid more attention to the field than the lemonade. Fast forward to 2015, we're full-fledged, die-heart Hawkeye fans on our way to L.A. to see the Hawks win the Rose Bowl. This unforgettable family trip is when I got to know Gwen, and she got to REALLY know our family. During this trip, we drove four hours across the desert from Vegas, slept in a semi-shady hotel, and slept on the Vegas airport floor. Then we witnessed the most disappointing Iowa Hawkeye loss of our lifetime. Somehow Gwen was unfazed by our craziness and handled our grieving of a Hawks loss like a pro. During that trip I knew Dylan and Gwen would balance each other out perfectly.
David Gardner
Groomsman
Gwen and I used to play 4-square on the driveway. We made up lots of new rules, like making gaps between our squares. A favorite was to hit the ball off the house, which we couldn't do with the parents home. She was so good because she is great at applying new rules, it's why she'll be great in O&P, and the reason I think she goes well with Dylan. One of the first times I met Dylan was making Christmas cookies. Gwen's dough had neatly arranged T-Rex and Xmas cookie cutters, and then Dylan stamped a Santa right in the middle, breaking the arrangement, throwing out the rules, and bringing a bit of fun disorder in. (This works both ways: last year, his dough was planned out) I know that Dylan will treat Gwen well and I wish them a happy marriage, mixing up rules when they need to!
Brady
Ring Dog
Brady boy is the lucky doggo Dylan and Gwen adopted in summer of 2019 when living in California. He is a very good boy who enjoys taking naps, chewing on his bones, and zooming around the house with Dylan. He has even learned to love the snow, although he hasn’t quite figured out ice. Brady won’t be able to be at the wedding but he’s just happy his mom and dad are getting hitched.