Jessica & Russell
Wedding Party
Matthew Miller
Best Man
Matthew is Russell's older brother and lifelong best friend. They enjoy getting all the siblings together to go see every Star Wars and Marvel movie premiere, and going to battle with each other in Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros. Matthew currently lives in Independence, MO., working as a personal trainer all around the Kansas City area. He enjoys living a nonstop, active lifestyle and watching the Raiders every chance he gets.
Amanda McKiernan
Maid of Honor
Amanda and Jessica met in early elementary school and have been inseparable ever since! They first bonded in second grade over Bratz dolls and spray cheese, then went on to play basketball and volleyball together as they got older. They attended college together in Springfield, MO., and now like to spend their time shopping, laughing at their inside jokes that nobody else thinks are funny, and reminiscing about the good old days. Amanda lives in Clinton, MO., and works as a Physical Therapy Assistant. She loves gardening, discovering obscure bands to listen to, and her many fur babies.
Sam Slayton
Groomsman
Sam is Russell's younger brother. They like to spend their time together nerding out over anything and everything video game, movie, and book related. When he is not at home raiding the parents' fridge, Sam lives in Rolla, MO., and is enrolled at Missouri S&T as an engineering student. In his free time, Sam likes to read sci-fi and fantasy fiction, and getting together with his best friends to stir up whatever trouble they can find.
Kelsey Hatz
Bridesmaid
Kelsey and Jessica met in Springfield, MO. when they began working together at Bed Bath and Beyond. They enjoy gorging themselves on junk food, dumpster diving, and being crafty together. Kelsey is mother to Bliss, the flower girl. She currently lives in Springfield, MO., and enjoys working part time at Bliss's preschool. Kelsey loves classic rock, flipping furniture, and is always ready to have a spontaneous adventure.
Jake Lockridge
Groomsman
Jake and Russ met through mutual friend Jordan Kaster, another groomsman. Jake and Russ like to travel together on spontaneous camping trips, spend the entire day outside playing frisbee or baseball, and talking way more about sports than anyone should. Jake currently lives in Kansas City, MO., and splits his time as both a firefighter and bartender in the Kansas City area. He spends his free time getting friends together, and being the life of whatever party he's at.
Kyra Sameshima
Bridesmaid
Kyra and Jessica met through mutual friends in Springfield, MO. They instantly hit it off when they discovered their shared love for alternative music and Harry Potter. They enjoy long, deep conversations about life and the universe, traveling together, and rocking out as often as possible. Kyra resides in Prairie Grove, AR, where she works as a Physical Therapy Assistant and is enrolled at Arkansas State University. She loves trivia nights and spending time with her family, friends, and dog Skye.
Hunter Elliott
Groomsman
Hunter and Russ met through high school band, where they spent way too many hours each summer on the hot asphalt parking lot they called a football field, and playing hostage every late summer night. Today they like to see movies, play board games, and help each other grow in their walks with Christ. Hunter is a Kansas State University alumni, lives in Blue Springs, MO., and works as an Estimator for J.E. Dunn construction. When he gets any free time, Hunter enjoys travelling to any part of the country he can, discovering new music, and loves talking all about Lord of the Rings and his other favorite movies.
Amie Case
Bridesmaid
Amie and Jessica met at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO., and first became friends when Jessica bugged Amie between classes until she would talk to her. They earned their degrees in Technical Writing and Creative Writing together. They enjoy writing collaboratively, sharing stories and ideas, and shopping. Amie lives in Springfield, MO, and works in MSU's Career Center. She is married to Christopher Case, and loves spending time outdoors, reading medieval fiction, and is passionate about horses.
Jordan Kaster
Groomsman
Jordan and Russ also met in high school band, where they each played saxophone. Together they like to watch movies, play baseball and frisbee, help each other grow in their faith, and eat Chick-Fil-A as often as possible. Jordan currently lives in Independence, MO with his wife Brooke and their son Harrison. He is currently working towards becoming a certified lineman. If he manages to get any free time, he is usually spending it with his family, being involved at his church, or watching a variety of kung fu movies.
Michaela Taber
Bridesmaid
Michaela and Jessica have known each other since elementary school; they attended Sherwood together and were both raised in the Creighton community. They became close while playing basketball in high school, and bonded over their shared dislike of wind sprints and early morning practices. Their friendship grew further when Michaela began dating, and later became engaged and married to Jessica's younger brother Wes. Michaela lives in Creighton, MO and currently teaches second grade. She enjoys working on her and Wes's farm, being crafty, and collecting as many pets as she possibly can.
James Hawk
Groomsman
Jim and Russ also met in high school band, where Jim played saxophone as well. Although he leads a busy life, any time he and Russ get together they pick up right where they left off, introducing each other to whatever music they have been listening to, making fun of the music their women listen to, and reminiscing on how much they got away with in their time in high school. Jim currently lives in Garden City, MO. with his fiancee Sarah Corwin, who is also in the bridal party. He works for OSHA as a safety inspector, and in his free time enjoys reading up on both past and current events, and finding new music to listen to.
Sarah Corwin
Bridesmaid
Sarah introduced Jessica and Russell, though initially she and Jessica first met in Kindergarten. They grew up close, spending their time reading anything they could get their hands on and listening to Green Day as loudly as they could. Their shared love for rock music and pop culture has kept them close, while Sarah and Russ became friends while attending the University of Central Missouri together. Sarah currently lives in Garden City, MO., and works as a Behavioral Therapist. Her fiance, James, is also in the wedding party. She enjoys watching anime, reading, and spending time with her family.
Matt Trader
Honor Attendant
Matt and Russ go as far back as day one of first grade, where they met at Cordill-Mason Elementary School. Growing up they spent the majority of their time outside playing sports and games with whoever else was outside that day, playing music, and beating each other up in Madden. Matt currently lives in Plano, Texas with his wife Izzie, and has worked as a wine manager for several different restaurants and wine retailers in the Dallas area.
Bliss Hodge
Flower Girl
Bliss is five years old. She is the daughter of Kelsey Hatz, a bridesmaid. She loves Shimmer and Shine, unicorns, and playing dress up. Her favorite color is currently pink, her favorite food is a corndog, and she enjoys being spoiled every time Aunt Jess and Uncle Russ come to visit. This is her third time as a flower girl.