VIPs
Theo Denlinger
Groom
"If you would’ve told me in the summer of 2020 that I was going to meet my future wife, while playing baseball through Covid craziness, I would’ve thought you were insane! Now looking back at all of the countless travels and baseball games Jess has been a part of, and looking forward to the many more to come, you can clearly see just how much she really loves me and I couldn’t have found a more perfect woman to accompany me on my crazy journey! Having a loving and supportive woman like Jess in my life has made all the difference in the world! Jess is the love of my life and my best friend and I can’t wait to marry her!"
Jess Boerner
Bride
"My favorite part about Theo and my story is the amount of too good to be true coincidences and acts of God that brought us to each other. Neither of us ever imagined we would meet where we did and when we did but immediately, we fell. I have been so in love with Theo since the day I drunkenly blurted out to him those three little words. He is so caring, so kind, so smart, and so strong. Not to mention he makes me smile more than anything. I am so unbelievably proud of Theo for the man he is and the man he is becoming in this baseball life of ours. There is nobody I would rather travel the world with and be with every step of the way. I can not wait to be home to Celebrate Theo and myself with all of you. I hope you get the chance to witness the true love that Theo and I have for each other. Theo, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you."
Amanda Peterson
Maid of Honor
"I'm Jess's big sister and the one who will be carrying a box of Kleenex around as her baby sister says her "I do's". Our running joke as kids is that no one would be able to understand my speech because I wouldn't be able to stop tearing up! Our family is extremely proud of Jess and Theo and so excited to spend their wedding with them!"
Norah Boerner
Bridesmaid
"I'm Norah, Jess' cousin, otherwise known as Jess' "mini-me". I have always looked up to Jess as a role model and thought of her as the sister I never had. I'm so excited and honored to stand by my "sister's" side and be a part of her special day with Theo!"
Lexi Anderson
Bridesmaid
"Hey everyone, I'm Lexi! I met Jess at St. Norbert and lived with her sophomore through senior year. We met through Mary, another one of the bridesmaids. :) Some of my favorite memories with Jess are from our last semester at SNC. I'd say my all time favorite would be the night we got wine drunk together and made some funny videos of us singing and dancing in our living room at Gries. After graduating from SNC with Jess, I moved down to Milwaukee. I am currently working at Rogers Behavioral Health and going to UW-Milwaukee for my masters in clinical mental health counseling. I am so excited and happy for Jess and Theo, and I can't wait to be standing by them on their big day!! <3"
Mary Cravillion
Bridesmaid
"Hi, my name is Mary! I met Jess my freshman year at St. Norbert. We both played on the basketball team and have been partners in crime ever since. Some of my favorite memories with Jess include the summer she moved in with me and officially became a Cravillion, sharing a Bang before every basketball game, jamming out to anything country, and getting our "for good" tattoo together. Currently I am living in Milwaukee and going to Marquette for my master in Nursing / RN. If all goes right, I will graduate a week after this special day. I am so grateful to have found such a down to earth person and life long friend in Jess. I cannot wait to stand by her side on her and Theo's special day! :)"
Rachael Reader
Bridesmaid
"Hi I'm Rachael! I was actually one of Theo's roommates at Bradley University when I first met Jess. He was not only bringing home his future wife, but he was also bringing me home a lifelong friend :) My favorite memories from college involve Jess and Theo, specifically sitting on that old porch listening to music and talking all night. I'm currently living in Illinois and I am studying to become a maternal and childhood nutritionist!"
Emily Johnson
Bridesmaid
"Hi there! My name is Emily. I was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin and am a big Packer fan! I "met" Jess over Facebook when we were each looking for a roommate before college. Jess quickly became one of my absolute best friends. We lived together the first two years of college and stayed close through the rest of our time at St. Norbert. I have too many fun memories with Jess, but one that sticks out is Jess singing "bohemian Rhapsody" in bed late at night, taking snapchat videos to capture her beautiful voice and hilarious facial expressions. There are countless more times where Jess made me cry laughing that I wish I could share. We also enjoyed going to parties and hanging out with friends. During our junior year of college, Jess invited me to go to a baseball game in For Du Lac to watch a guy she had been talking to. Little did I know, I was about to meet my best friend's forever. Jess and Theo were made for one another; their chemistry is unmatched. I could not have picked a better man to receive Jess' love, friendship, and incredible sense of humor. I can't wait to be with them on their special day and watch their love grow <3"
Trent Denlinger
Best Man
"I'm Trent, Theo's older brother. Theo and I have spent many summers wading through the Platte River, fishing, and chasing critters. We have also watched countless hours of Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit movies . . . I just haven't gotten the tattoo to prove it. I now live in Platteville with my wife Sam and dog, Cooper."
Zach Boerner
Groomsman
"I met Theo when Jess brought him to our parents house for the first time. I really got to know him through our love for nerdy things and playing Dungeons and Dragons together. Throughout the school year, Theo would come over to play D&D so often that I started to see him more than Jess. I am currently attending UW-Platteville for a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. I can't wait to watch my sister and new brother get married."
Drew Richard
Groomsman
"Theo and I grew up together. We hung out, messed around, and played baseball together all the way until we graduated high school at Cuba City. If you see us around each other we are probably giggling like 7 year olds about something one of us just said. Baseball is a big part of why Theo & I are so close and have kept up with each other through the years. I have a .500 batting average against him(he loves it when I bring it up). We are two goofy childish grown ups at heart, hopefully you can catch a glimpse of that at the wedding. Currently, I am a hitting coach at Sluggers Baseball in Cuba City. I teach the game of baseball while trying to keep it fun. I spend most of my time making hitting tip videos on TikTok. I am getting married in December to my lovely fiance Amanda."
Troy Hickey
Groomsman
"I am Troy Hickey. I met Theo at my first year at Madison College. He was a third year at the time and we became close rather instantly. It was awesome to have someone that I could trust starting out in college. My whole first year he was my go to upperclassmen about anything baseball or life related. One of my favorite memories of Theo and Jess came when rooming together at Bradley. Theo would constantly mess with me about being short and not being able to reach the top shelf in the kitchen. One day, Jess was with Theo and I in the kitchen and I asked her to grab a pan off the top shelf. I have never heard the end of it from Theo to this day."
Matt Hamilton
Groomsman
"Theo and I met on the first day of practice at Madison in 2016. Although I may not have given the best first impression, Theo embraced me as a friend from the start and we have created a lifelong friendship ever since. My favorite memory with Theo and Jess has to be the nights out on the porch of 1028 with all the roomies laughing, talking, and creating lifelong memories. Also grinding GTA 5 and hearing Theo yell at me from downstairs is a priceless memory. I am currently working in sales in Plainfield, IL."
Jake Jansen
Groomsman
"Theo and I met in high school. Fun memories include football bus rides, bridge jumping, Theo accidentally saying "no big deal', playing piano together, and ice skating on the Mississippi. A fun fact about me is that I race motorcycles. I live in Platteville with my wife of three years, Kayla, and I work for John Deere."
Derek Heffel
Usher
"Theo and I met each other at MATC Madison on the baseball team in 2015. Although we were great teammates, we really got to know each other in my apartment kitchen. Theo would constantly come over and we would eat any food that was in sight. We would talk the outdoors, girls, and conspiracy theories."
Austin Hill
Usher
"Theo and I met at Cuba City and spent time together doing skits for forensics, playing football, and nerding out over LOTR. I currently live in Washington state and work as a Financial Advisor. Fun Fact: I can fit 6 Jet Puffed marshmallows in my mouth at once."
Nathaniel Peterson
Ring Bearer
"I'm Nathaniel! Auntie (Jess) and Weeo (Theo) are some of my favorite people! I'm Jess's favorite nephew who will be meandering down the aisle as the ring bearer... our goal is to make it to Uncle Theo! A bit shy at first, I will be busting a move in no time celebrating Auntie and Weeo!"
Karen Westfahl
Flower Grandma
"Hello, I'm Jess's maternal grandmother. Everyone calls me Oma (German for Grandma). I have fond memories of being part of Jess's life since birth. She was an adorable little girl. She was active in school and loved sports. I was privileged to attend her softball games and basketball games. She is a gifted athlete! She is also a gifted violinist, I remember many beautiful concerts. When Jess met Theo and she introduced him into our family, I remember how they just lit up when they were together. It was great to watch as they fell in love. I am so happy for them to have found each other and are being married soon! May God bless them with love and happiness forever!"
Jason Standridge
Officiant
"My wife and I, Joy, have been married for 20 years. We live in Birmingham, Alabama with our 3 kids, Cash 15- Cayne 10- Harlow 8. I played 21 seasons of professional baseball with 10 of those years playing overseas in Japan. I currently serve as chaplain of the Birmingham Barons AA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox where I first met Theo. Theo is the type of person you meet and feel like you’ve known him for 20 years. He has a great way of making you feel comfortable and being authentic. God has given him a heart to be a warrior and friend. I met Jess and realized immediately that she had so many comparisons to my wife. We have enjoyed getting to know the both of them and spend time with them. As I have the honor and privilege to marry these two friends, I look forward to what God has in store for their future."
Cyndi Boerner
Mother of the Bride
"We are excited to welcome Theo into our family! It’s not a surprise to me that these two fell in love. They have a lot in common. Some of my favorite memories with Jess are when we got to travel with her for fast pitch softball throughout WI and then her change over to basketball gave us more traveling to many states with her club team. We have great memories of car rides, fun hotel stays, singing loud to stay awake and meeting great friends! Now she met her best lifelong friend in Theo! It’s funny they are still traveling for sports, making great car ride memories and singing loud to stay awake. I knew Theo was the right guy for Jess. When he was going to ask Jess to marry him, I was feeling a little nervous so I sent Theo a text saying “She is very special to me.” Immediately Theo texted me back saying “she is very special to me too!” Jess has always loved music & singing & art & sports. We have many videos of her singing & dancing in her princess dresses when she was little. We are happy she found herprince to dance with! We love having Jess & Theo visit in the off season at our home in Menomonee Falls. When our whole family gets together there is laughter and fun and a whole lot of love! Jess encouraged me to change her childhood bedroom into a guest room, so I did. The light is always on for you two whenever you want to come home!"
Eric Boerner
Father of the Bride
"The first day I met Jess… 23 years ago is, of course, a day I will never forget. My life would never be the same. In every stage of her life, I grow to love her more. I've had the privilege of watching and helping her become the creative, smart, beautiful, and witty young women everyone loves. The first day I met Theo, I am sorry to say was not as memorable. Not to take anything away from him, but COVID and his being at Bradley forced us to meet over Face Time. Technology is great, but some things are best done in person. Over the past three years we have met Theo face to face and spent much time with him. We have come to love him and know that he is committed, loyal, straightforward, funny… and he eats a lot. The day Theo asked for permission to propose to Jess is a day that I will remember for a long time. We were at one of Jess’ basketball games at St. Norbert. Theo and Zach and I were in line at the concession stand…like I said, Theo eats a lot. Thru small talk, I could tell Theo was nervous. Right in the midst of the small talk, he just came straight out and said, “Well there’s no better time than the present. I love Jess and I want to marry her.” Watching Jess and Theo spend that last three years together, I can see how good they are for each other. Supporting one another, encouraging each other, and loving each other. I know that they will have a long, loving life together full of adventure and opportunity. Their wedding day promises to be a day I will never forget."
Tom & Tina Denlinger
Parents of the Groom
"We are Tom and Tina, parents of Theo. We have been married for 31 years. We first met Jess the summer that Theo pitched for the Dock Spiders. We have enjoyed traveling and following Theo's baseball career!"
Frank & Sharon Boerner
Grandparents of the Bride
"Since you came into this world, Jess, you filled our lives with so much joy and love. It has been a true gift to follow you on your journey to this wonderful day. We treasure all the memories we have from all things we were able to be a part of and we look forward to what the future holds for you and Theo. We wish you and Theo true love for each other as you travel through life, hand-in-hand, together forever."