Wedding Party
Jenna Kalthoff
Maid of Honor
Back in the fall of 2016, I met Leslie in Calculus 3. Yes, Leslie was WAY ahead of the game and in the class as a baby Freshman. We endured many study sessions full of headaches and computer struggles. Later in the spring of 2017, we took Financial Mathematics together and the study sessions started up again. At one study session, I was particularly uninterested in the math formulas on my paper and decided it was best to act like I had never seen a chair on wheels before (sorry for the Doctor’s bill, Mama and Papa Miller). Although Leslie broke her thumb that day, that was the start of our friendship. Our friendship continued to grow throughout college and Mark soon joined the crew. While Leslie did not disclose too many details about this mystery man, their support of each other’s goals was easily seen. Anyone could see how strong their relationship was. Since college, study sessions have turned into phone calls, and I have been very privileged to hear about Leslie and Mark’s many adventures together. I am very honored to stand up on their special day and celebrate the start of their bright future together. Many congratulations to the new couple!
Trevor Lueders
Best Man
Mark’s second oldest and self-proclaimed favorite brother. Currently reside in Bloomington MN and working as an environmental compliance consultant. I’ve known Mark his entire life and enjoy talking in his scholastic and nerdy pastimes.
Macy Mack
Bridesmaid
I met Leslie back in 2015 when we were roommates at North Dakota Governor’s School. I still have Leslie saved in my phone as “Leslie (roomie) Miller.” She went for Engineering and I went for Visual Arts. Fast forward to 2018 we were both attending MSUM and I started working as a Resident Assistant in housing and she was my boss, working as a desk manager. As Mark was becoming a bigger part of Leslie’s life, I remember eating meals with the two of them in Kise, drinking friendship tea together, going on double dates to plays, and bonding with Mark over his love of arts and crafts. (My mom only refers to him as Craft Boy Mark.) Towards the start of spring in 2019 Mark, Leslie, and I went for a walk and it was slushy out. Mark didn’t have the right shoes and Leslie was showing off her new winter boots. Leslie swept Mark off his feet and gave him a piggyback ride back to campus. They continue to lift each other up and it really shows. I’m grateful to be a part of the day that celebrates two amazing people and their love for each other.
Gavin Miller
Groomsman
Hey everyone! I’m Gavin (aka Leslie’s little brother). I am proud to say that I am the 2nd victim of Leslie's "in charge" personality that our cousin Nicole pointed out, only behind our wonderful parents. I don’t know what number Mark is but I am glad he is joining the club (we meet on Tuesdays). I am a musician like my sister and play trumpet and some guitar. I enjoy watching movies and TV shows, listening to music, and working out. I feel like I’ve known Leslie all my life (because I have). Our main connection is music. We've had a lot of time making music together in concert, marching, community, jazz, and pit orchestra bands. As we’ve been apart recently, I have become more and more proud of what she has accomplished and who she’s become. For Mark, I think the first time I met him was when Dale, Val, and I visited Leslie at MSUM. All I remember is there was: a band concert (of course), tight ballet pants, free hot chocolate, a metal dragon spewing fire, and some of Leslie’s friends, of which I think one was Mark. From then we got to know him through family events, playing games, and having an overall good time. Believe it or not, it turns out he and Leslie are pretty similar. They both are: from farming families, smarter than the average bear, going into fields that no one understands, and have pretty cool siblings. After seeing them together for so long I am glad to see Mark is joining the family and bringing up our average IQ. Welcome to the family Mark, cheers!
Nicole Renner
Bridesmaid
I am lucky to say I am one of the few who has known Leslie since the day she was born. We didn’t always get along, mainly when we were little because we both wanted to be the one in charge. It’s safe to say we both have good leadership qualities. As we got older and more distance grew between our locations we got closer and closer, thank you technology. I have gotten to watch Leslie grow and become the amazing woman that she is today. Now for Mark, I swear I was the last one in the family to meet him. Not sure if he was trying to avoid me or we just had bad timing and never were in the same place at the same time. However, I do remember the first time I met Mark. It was the first time I had brought my boyfriend (now husband) Lee, around the family. Mark and Lee instantly hit it off and ended up playing one of the most intense games of badminton I have ever witnessed. Both of them tag-teamed against Leslie and me and that is when I knew Mark would make a great addition to our family. To this day I have enjoyed watching Mark and Leslie’s relationship and all of their grand adventures that they have taken. I can’t wait to continue to watch Leslie and Mark grow together in their next adventure of life.
Aaron Lueders
Groomsman
I met Mark on a crisp, sunny day in February. I was in kindergarten and he ruined everything. First, we had to stay overnight with family friends who already had six kids of their own. Couldn’t tell you where we all slept. Second, he was supposed to be a girl; Jasmine I believe. And lastly, he was a liability playing sports. Being the oldest brother, I was often paired up with Mark to make the teams “fair.” Not so. Congrats anyways and good thing you’re smart! I live in Minneapolis with my wife Kelli, kids Max and Kenady, and two dogs Ruby and Watson.
Kayla Zander
Bridesmaid
Leslie and I go way back to the year 1998! I consider myself to be one of her older and wiser cousins. However, if we are being honest we all know she has more brains and musical talent than me! While I run from numbers and hate math, she’s over there crunching numbers daily. One thing I’ve learned recently is she doesn’t like large numbers…while doing puzzles. Our go-to hang time has been puzzle time, but when I whip out the 1,000-piece puzzles she runs away. In fact, she ran 1,225 miles away! Another piece of Leslie’s life equation is the love of her life, Mark. I first met Mark a few years back when she brought him to the farm so everyone in her life could meet him. If anyone didn’t know before, they knew then that Mark was forever a part of Leslie’s life. I am super excited for the two of them to begin their life as a married couple and to be a part of their big day.
Colton Lueders
Groomsman
I’m Colton, Mark's third oldest brother. I’m just gonna put this out there right away, if it wasn’t for me, ALL of his vehicles would be seeing a dealership followed by a pricey bill! I am a Ford Technician at Jay Malone Motors in Hutchinson, MN. I live in a small town, Biscay, with my wife Breana and daughter Mya, who will be 14 months old for the wedding. In my spare time, you will see me working on vehicles in my shop or spending time with my family and friends.
Akua Biaa Adu
Bridesmaid
I first met Leslie in 2020 when I joined her at State Farm. You know the drill – I was the newbie, feeling lost and confused, trying to lay low. As introverted as I am, I didn't think I had much in common with Leslie, who was outgoing, overly welcoming, unbelievably enthusiastic, and perpetually high-spirited. With her around, 'laying low' wasn't really an option. Over the course of about 30 workdays (thanks to COVID, we started working from home), Leslie not only became my favorite coworker but also a cherished friend. We shared gossip, confided in each other, and exchanged frequent snaps. We bonded over battling phishing emails, our mutual dislike for pineapples on pizza, and our friendly disagreement about her knack for acquiring free food and items from anywhere. Above all, I'm immensely grateful to have a friend like Leslie. She constantly inspires and motivates me to improve myself. I became familiar with Mark primarily through the numerous photos of him in Leslie's cube and the snaps we exchanged whenever she visited him. She always spoke of him with great fondness and recounted the countless times he had been there for her. This made me eager to meet him. Eventually, I had the pleasure of connecting with him over a video call, and more recently, met him in person during a visit to Waco. Mark is remarkable, and together with Leslie, they make an incredible couple. I'm absolutely thrilled to be part of the celebration of their beautiful union. Wishing them all the best!
Timothy Schmiesing
Groomsman
Mark and I, known as the mailmen, have gone through a lot in the five years we have known each other. I got to know Mark during our first day of Resident Assistant training, where he invited me over to Josh and his dorm room to play Smash Bros. We almost instantly became best friends, in which we combined ate over 120 pizza rolls in one night while finishing a whole video game in one weekend. During our undergrad, Mark convinced me to go to Coast Rica so I convinced him to go to Italy, I think a fair trade. Leslie and I have almost known each other as I have known Mark. She had been the voice of reason in many conversations during our undergrad. Leslie served as my predecessor as the Snarr Desk Manager where her amazing organizational skills made my job so much easier. I have been fortunate enough to see Mark and Leslie's relationship grow. I am so excited to be able to share in their special day.
Sarah Derango
Bridesmaid
I knew that Leslie and I would be friends before I ever met her, when she introduced herself over email as someone who likes “popcorn, pasta, snickers, lemonade, and the 4th of July.” Leslie suspected we would be friends the first day we studied together after work when we took a commemorative photo ‘just in case’ that became day 1 of our friendship. Our friendship grew 15 minutes (or, one study break) at a time, and four years later, and we are still study buddies, friends, and partners in crime. Leslie’s the first person I turn to when I want to scavenge the office for free food, when I need help setting up my many, many boxes of decorations, or when I just need to vent about the SOA (of which she will one day be president). In turn, I helped her pack and didn’t try too hard to sabotage her move from Bloomington to Waco. I met Mark when he was visiting Leslie, and from just that quick conversation I knew there was no winning the fight to keep her in Bloomington. Mark and Leslie are meant to be together always, and I’m thrilled and honored to be there to hear their “I do’s.”
Joshua Cervenka
Groomsman
I am Mark’s only undergraduate roommate and by far the most interesting roommate Mark has ever had. We have had our fair share of abnormal encounters, from Mark finding myself collapsed under a tree due to a Jamba Juice™ poisoning, to me tucking him into bed while sleepwalking the first week of Freshman year. These events became the baseline of our long-standing friendship. After bonding over shared interests, attending mass together, and building new relationships with others through him, I am truly lucky to have met Mark and call him one of my best friends. I am incredibly proud of the accomplishments Mark has achieved and am excited for what the future has in store for him. Speaking of the future, whatever Mark decides to pursue, Leslie will be there alongside him. I honestly cannot imagine a stronger power couple than Mark and Leslie. I hope our friendship continues to foster and grow with you as a married man!
McKenzie Zacha
Personal Attendant
School is what brought me together with Leslie and Mark. For Leslie, we met in Middle School. We played volleyball and were a part of the same choir. Throughout high school, we took summer English classes together and a speech class that I honestly probably wouldn’t have made it out of sane without her. Then, we followed each other to the same college, MSUM. That’s where our friendship really started to grow. We worked out together where Leslie broke one of their fans, and I dragged her to events like sports games and parties hosted by the Resident Hall. I tried bringing her to actual parties too, but she was too busy studying Calculus. The second year of college is when I got to know Mark. We were partners as Resident Assistants (RAs), so we were Co’s which is now our name for each other… Co! Being RAs with Leslie and Mark was one of my most fun years in college. Being a part of events and working together in the halls was always an… interesting time. It’s been amazing to see the two of them grow in their relationship since that second year even though we were all in separate states at the time. I now live in Indianapolis and try to see Leslie whenever we are both back in Mandan at the same time, or in Bloomington when I’m passing through. I love that I’m still able to be connected with both of them, and I can’t wait to celebrate their special day with everyone.
Cole McElwain
Usher
Hello everyone! My name is Cole McElwain and I grew up in Central Minnesota. When I was in college, Tim, one of my best friends from high school, went to Minnesota State University Moorhead. I went to Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, but I went up to visit a few times during our college career. Through Tim, I met Mark. The first time we hung out, I immediately enjoyed his dry sense of humor and was blessed with his, "Surprise, you have flower now!" story which I still reference to this day. Mark is an incredibly genuine and honest person who I always know I can trust. Through the years we've spent more time together and he has cemented himself as one of my closest friends.
Matalyn Lund
Personal Attendant
Leslie, Mark & I were all a part of MSUM Housing. Mark was the desk manager of my complex & Leslie was the desk manager of a different one. If you would have told me at the beginning of RA training that fall that I would become good friends with these two amazing people, I 100% would have believed you! Between the hometown connections that Leslie & I have & the way Mark welcomed me into the housing community like we didn't just meet a few weeks prior, I knew the rest of that year was going to be so good. Flash forward through a year of music concerts, game nights, long talks at the desk, breakfast dates, bar crawls & Mark giving me the absolute coolest nickname ever, I'm so grateful for the friendship I still have with these two. Post graduation, I've always looked forward to the summer when Leslie (& sometimes Mark!) would come back to North Dakota & we would catch up over hot games of footgolf, pizza & arcade games, or snow cones as big as our faces & we pick up where we left off. I am so thankful for this rewarding friendship we have & even more honored to play a role in this extremely special moment in their lives!
Brendon McElwain
Usher
I'm not sure what to write for this so here is a description of me: imagine an individual with a terribly dry sarcastic sense of humor, occasionally too much energy, and a dash of constant confusion. As far as how I met Mark, well, it all started many summers ago, when Mark's oaken, sultry voice crossed into my ears. Mellifluous and refined. As true gentleman, we met playing video games. Since then we have spoken many times and sent forth on many misadventures. Mark is a fairly grounded, focused, and driven individual. Over our misadventures, We have gotten to know each other and have become close friends. I'm happy to have had the chance to know him. I'm ecstatic to be a part of and see this next chapter for Mark and Leslie. Best wishes :).
Kenady Lueders
Flower Girl
I am the first little lady Lueders of the family, followed closely by my cute cousin Mya. Mya and I can’t wait to gather our uncles to play dress up and tea party. Don’t you think Uncle Mark would look adorable in a princess crown? I can’t wait to dance at the wedding. My favorite song is “Lil Boo Thang.” See you on the dance floor!!
Max Lueders
Ring Bearer
Roar! I am Max Lueders, the first grandchild. Although I do not look like my uncles, I do have blue eyes like my Uncle Mark. My favorite toys include my dinosaurs, cars, and trains. I love going to my grandma and grandpa Lueders' house because I get to play with all the tractors! I typically control the music in the car and I like a variety of music, so you’ll be able to find me on the dance floor alllllll night long!!
Mya Lueders
Flower Girl
I’m Mya, my Uncle Mark and soon-to-be Aunt Leslie think I like them a lot, but I am just a social butterfly and tend to talk and smile at everyone! When they get married, I will be 14 months old! Things I have done are camping, and TONS of shopping at my favorite store.. TARGET(they have so many cute clothes)!!