Wedding Party Introductions
Rachel Lytle
Bride
Welcome Everyone! I want to introduce myself for the people who may not know me. My journey starts in a land far away, Orenburg, Russia where I was adopted by my wonderful and beautiful mother, Dawn. I was raised in Ponte Vedra, Florida and lived there for 20 years before moving to Spartanburg, South Carolina. I work for my local Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram as the Recall Coordinator. I met Logan online in December of 2019 as every new couple does these days and from day one, I knew he was the one I wanted to be with forever. He truly is my soulmate. As soon as I learned he was from Michigan, I knew our families would have a great connection. In May of 2020 we adopted an orange tabby cat named Simba. When we aren’t working we love to hike, shop, visit with my mom. I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for the love and support we have received. We can’t wait to enjoy this special day together surrounded by our family and dear friends. See you all very soon Love always, Rachel
Logan Smalley
Groom
I was born and raised in Big Rapids Michigan , where I graduated from Big Rapids High School and later Ferris State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Welding Engineering Technology. I moved down to Spartanburg, South Carolina shortly after college to start my career as a Welding Engineer at a company called Gestamp which is a parts supplier to BMW and Volvo. I have since changed jobs twice and I am now working as a Senior Welding Engineer to build the new upcoming USPS trucks. When I’m not working I love to golf, woodworking, and motorcycle riding in the Appalachian Mountains. I am so happy that I get to spend the rest of my life with such a wonderful person as Rachel. She’s truly my best friend. Rachel and I look forward to seeing everyone at the wedding.
Dawn Lytle
Mother of the Bride
Greetings and Welcome from the Mother of the Bride! I was born in Michigan and moved with my family to Iowa when I was 10. I have always been a bit of a wanderer , I have also resided in California, Florida and now am blessed to be retired in North Carolina. I spent most of my career as an executive in the mortgage banking industry. I travelled extensively for both business and pleasure. When I was approaching 40, I looked back upon my life, pondered what I had missed in my past four decades and what I wanted to be my legacy. After spending some time volunteering with foster children, I decided to adopt a child from Russia and make a difference in the life of one child. My little blonde haired blue eyed Russian was placed in my arms in June, 1999 and tears of joy flowed down my face. I realized the challenges of single parenting were great but so was my resolve. I have never regretted that decision. Born Maria Ivanova Turlova and as you know her, Rachel Maria, has brought both challenges and joy I would have never known. She is an old soul with a big heart and talented in art and music. I was excited when I heard she had met Logan,a fellow Midwesterner. Once I was introduced to him and saw their interaction, it was difficult to contain my enthusiasm, but I did. As any good parent knows, the less you say the better ! We are truly blessed that Logan has come into our family and look forward to watching their love grow and mature in the years to come.
LaDeanna Smalley
Mother of the Groom
Hello! I am LaDeanna, Logan’s mother and step mother to his older brother Chris. My name is very unique in that my own mother created it. It is pronounced Luh-Deena. I grew up in the tiny town of Six Lakes,MI in a family of four. A fun fact about our family is that when I was at the age of 8, our family moved into our forever family home that was built by my paternal Great Grandfather in the early 1900s. I attended the local community college, it led me to taking an Advanced First Aid class. This led me to ride along with the local ambulance service where I met Chuck in the early 1986 and married June of 1988. A few years later, Logan was born into our family. We were very excited to add to our family. I was a stay at home Mom, with a couple of part times jobs after Logan was in school. I worked mostly in the food service at the local high school. We were so happy when we found out when Logan said he met a young lady named Rachel. We made a trip down to South Carolina and spent time with both of them. We wish Logan and Rachel a journey through life and marriage, that continues to bring out the best in each of them and that their love gets sweeter and deeper each year.
Chuck Smalley
Father of the Groom
Father to Logan, and Father to Logan’s older Brother Chris. I grew up in Belding, Michigan, a small town in western Michigan. My parents had 5 children ( 3 sisters and a brother). As a youth, I enjoyed camping with our family. In high school, I enjoyed marching band, where I played drums and percussion. I also ran Cross Country and Track in high school. After high school, I became a Paramedic, and 40 years later I am still working as a Licensed Paramedic. I am also a Firefighter, and currently a Fire Chief for my local Fire Department. I was proud of Logan when he joined my Fire Department and became a Firefighter. I was especially proud of him when he graduated from Ferris State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Welding Engineering. Logan is more adventurous than I ever thought he would be, because he was always quiet and reserved growing up. He has grown into a confident young man and now on the path to being a husband in the near future. I look forward to celebrating the marriage of Logan and Rachel, and having lots of family come together to celebrate with us.
Christina Smith
Matron of Honor
Hello, I’m Christina ! I am a stay at home mom / Substitute teacher in Spartanburg SC. I am married to Leonard Smith ( Best Man) and we have two sons Ethan and Thomas. I enjoy hiking, cooking, reading and gardening. I was born in Cherrypointe , NC but grew up in White Cloud MI. I spent a year living in Leesville,LA with my husband while he was in the Army before we moved back home to Michigan so we could finish our degrees at Ferris State University. We moved from Michigan to South Carolina seven years ago for Leonard’s job and he introduced me to Logan who quickly became part of our family. Logan is reliable , patient, trustworthy, and someone that my sons definitely look up to. Logan later introduced us to Rachel who would become the love of his life. Soon Rachel was a steadfast part of our lives as well. She brought warmth, love, cheerfulness and fun. Logan and Rachel are the family that we didn’t know we needed but so happy to have.
Leonard Smith
Best Man
Hello! For those who don’t know me I am Leonard, the Best Man. I am originally from White Cloud, MI. Shortly after graduating high school, I enlisted in the Army as an MP, (Military Police). My wife Christina and I ended up living in various different states while I was in the Army. After I got out, we moved back to Michigan where I got my college degree from Ferris State University. That is where I met Logan in the Welding Technology program. In 2017, we moved our family down to South Carolina, where I worked with Logan at Gestamp and eventually also worked together at AWL. He introduced me and my family to Rachel shortly after they started dating. We have been on many camping trips together and have fun and joyous memories with them both. By the way, ask Rachel about her cigarette flavored eggs while we were camping. They were delicious. I am so happy for both Logan and Rachel and the future they will have together.
Jenny Lappegard
Bridesmaid
Hello, I'm Rachel's cousin/ sister Jenn. I went to live with Dawn and Rachel many years ago as a teenager; we became very close. Rachel was the sister I never had. I will forever cherish all our good times in Florida. I was born in Des Moines, Iowa and currently reside in Spencer IA with my husband, our two children, two dogs, one cat and one fish. I work at Community State Bank and Snook's of Okoboji. When I'm not working, I love to spend time with my family, be outside or watch a good movie. I am honored to be a bridesmaid for this special day, celebrating Rachel and Logan. Wishing these two all the best and much happiness
Katlyn Pumphrey
Bridesmaid
Rachel and I have known each other since we were babies. My mother Martha adopted me and my sister Zhanna from Kazakhstan and she was in the local newspaper for accomplishing such a heroic mission. Rachel’s mother , Dawn had read that article after adopting Rachel and she wanted to connect with Martha. The two mothers ended up raising their daughters together and now we are forever sisters. I currently live in Orlando ,Florida and I am head of a corporate marketing and branding for a real estate developer. When I’m not working, I love to salsa dance, be creative in my graphic design and get outside and enjoy the Florida sun. I can’t wait to dance the night away and celebrate this magical day for Rachel and Logan. See you soon, Katlyn
Zhanna Pumphrey
Bridesmaid
Hi I’m Zhanna ! I’m Katlyn’s younger sister and one of Rachel’s very close friends and forever sister. We were adopted around the same time and we all lived in Jacksonville, Florida. We all grew up together since we were just babies. We have so many fun memories together. I still currently reside in Jacksonville, FL. I am a manager at a local restaurant. On my days off of work I love to watch the beautiful sunrise on the beach. I have a dog named Buddy who is my faithful companion who I love to play with. I also enjoy hanging out with my friends. I am so excited for Rachel and Logan and to be with them on this joyous occasion.
Quintin Buss
Groomsman
I first met Logan when I started working at McDonald’s in 2011. Over my next couple years of employment there, I really got to know Logan. Not only did we work together, we built a lasting friendship that has now continued over a decade. He was even a test instructor for me when I got my firefighting certification. I currently live in Big Rapids, MI with my wife and three kids. I work at West Michigan International as a Body Shop Technician. Logan truly is a wonderful person and I’m sure he’ll make a great husband for Rachel. I wish you and Rachel nothing but eternal love and happiness in your marriage, you both deserve it.
Michael Martin
Groomsman
Hi my name is Michael Martin and before we get into the good stuff here is a little intro about me. I currently live in Chicago, IL and I am studying to become a Physician Assistant. Logan and I met during our time in high school but eventually became close friends while attending Ferris State University. While attending college we worked together for 3-4 years at the local McDonald’s and if that wasn’t enough we even became roommates for the Senior Year of College. During this time hanging out together I learned a lot about him. We inevitably took part in many of the same crazy adventures, which later developed into many memorable stories. Im honored to have the opportunity to be a part of his big day and wish him and Rachel all the best.
Jason Raines
Groomsman
Hi I’m Jason. I live in Hamburg,MI and I work as a Project Engineer for Liebherr Aerospace Saline. I met Logan freshman year in the welding lab. Our welding booths were right next to one another. We would compare welds and talk tips and pointers and that moved on to working on many projects / assignments together and I remember asking Logan aka “Smalley” many questions about CAD during our time at Ferris State University.