Wedding Party
Kristen Hallagan
Maid of Honor
Friend of the Bride
Kristen and Kelly have known each other since their freshman year in college at Clarion and met through the Honors program. They were roommates for a semester during senior year, during which time Kelly witnessed Kristen sticking chocolate chips up her nose, Kristen witnessed Kelly eating a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich, and they both collaborated on freaking out their other roommate by sticking weird monkey pictures under her bedroom door and trapping her in her room overnight. Additionally, Kristen got in trouble with her mom once because Kelly made her go outside and dance in the rain during a tornado watch. Devious plotting and randomness is their game indeed... what will the wedding bring???
Amber Guyton
Bridesmaid
Friend of the Bride
Kelly and Amber have known each other since freshman year at Clarion, when they were both in the Honors program. Amber is just one of those people who are really great to have around. When things go missing, just invent imaginary animals who steal them-- or even more mysteriously, put new things there that weren't there before. Amber is also nice to have around because her life sometimes mysteriously mirrors Kelly's. They were in grad school at the same time for a couple of years, which was great for moral support purposes. And a few months after Kelly and Luke started dating, Amber started dating a physicist of her own, and now Kelly and Amber have even more in common to talk (and most often giggle) about!
Niki Funk
Bridesmaid
Friend of the Bride
Kelly and Niki have known each other since the good old days of freshman year in Clarion, and met through the Honors program. Since then, they have traveled to China and back together, served on the First Baptist praise team together, lived on the same dorm floor... and Kelly was honored to be a bridesmaid when Niki got married to the love of her life! Now the story continues, as Niki has graciously accepted the position of bridesmaid in Kelly's wedding. :)
Amber Thompson
Bridesmaid
Friend of the Bride
Kelly and Amber have known each other since they both were in college in Clarion. Kelly doesn't actually remember exactly how she and Amber met... Amber claims it was in Bible study, and Kelly believes her. ;) But they have certainly been close ever since... Kelly quickly learned how to drive across Pittsburgh to get to Amber's family's house, and Amber became a regular at Kelly's breaktime and summertime dinner parties in Pittsburgh. And then, of course, there were the Clarion days... late night Sheetz runs, girls group, random nights involving prank phone calls...
Crystal Abts
Bridesmaid
Sister of the Groom
Luke and Crystal have known each other since they were quite young... suppose that's what happens when you are siblings! ;) Kelly was really excited to meet Crystal for the first time in fall 2008 and is quite excited to have her as her bridesmaid and future sister-in-law... sister-in-law, now that sounds weird! :D
Gary Nielsen
Best Man
Gary and Luke have known each other since Luke started graduate school at Ohio State in the Summer of 2003. Gary was a staff member with the InterVarsity graduate student chapter at OSU, which is known as the Christian Graduate Student Alliance (CGSA). Gary remembers well Luke cutting firewood and tending the fire on the CGSA camping trip that summer.
Gary is one of several leaders and friends in that group with whom Luke has been able to wrestle with profound questions, have fascinating discussions, and see how his faith impacts his life, research, and the world around him. Luke was a leader in CGSA and worked with Gary extensively. Gary was also a great encourager and wise counselor when Luke was thinking about romance in general and one young woman in particular, who is also a member of CGSA.
Gary is currently still a volunteer with CGSA and Executive Director of Second Fiddle Ministries; his wife Peggy is Treasurer. They keep in contact with their seven children around the world and with many of the graduate students whose faith has been immeasurably strengthened and matured in CGSA.
Jonathan Teichroew
Groomsman
Of all the groomsmen, Jonathan has known Luke the longest. They met in the Autumn of 2001; Luke had returned from studying abroad in Australia in July. Both were students and members of Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) at the University of Minnesota, which was a singularly important group in Luke's spiritual growth. When they met, Jonathan did not yet have the beard or mustache.
Jonathan and Luke became friends in CSF. They have much in common, including their faith and a desire to wrestle with difficult and important questions. On issues ranging from childbearing to global warming to the interpretation of Genesis to cosmology, they often have strongly divergent views; however, and they also share a mutual respect and durable friendship even when their answers sharply differ. They have both grown and learned much through their friendship.
Jonathan recently received his MBA from the Carlson School of Management; he works at Syngenta as a NAFTA Business Development Analyst. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife Christina, who is a professional photographer and took the photograph above. They have welcomed into their home a black Labrador Retriever named Dietriech and their daughter Luciana Shalom, who was born on Sep. 3, 2009.
Markus Dickinson
Groomsman
Markus is a proud alumnus of the University of Illinois. He and Luke met in CGSA shortly after Luke began his graduate studies at Ohio State. Markus was President of CGSA. Markus and his wife Stephanie were generous hosts of bible studies and other events at their home; they were also great supplies of utensils, cookware, and other useful items for the CGSA camping trips. They were also wonderful friends will to provide a laugh, a ride or a listening ear as needed. Lessons about linguistics, statistics, and The Who in casual conversation were an added bonus.
Markus graduated with his Ph.D. in Linguistics and is now a professor at Indiana University. So, when Luke accepted a job there as a postdoc in the Physics department, it was an opportunity to be reunited with these wonderful friends. As Luke progressed in his romance and engagement with Kelly, he came to realize another benefit of their friendship: they are a real and great example of how to be a married Christian couple.
Paul Rimmer
Groomsman
Through a warp in the space-time continuum, the TARDIS has brought Doctor Who to be a groomsman in Luke and Kelly's wedding! Actually, this is Paul dressed as The Doctor at the CGSA end-of-year party from the Spring of 2008.
Paul and Luke met when Luke returned from California at the beginning of 2007. He and Luke met in CGSA, and Paul has served as its co-president.
Both were graduate students in the Physics Department, and this created many opportunities for profound discussions about the relationship between faith and physics. Paul also has a deep interest in church traditions and history, which has been the source of more great conversations and opportunities to learn. Paul is a man of profound thoughts and deep dedication to truth.
Paul is currently a graduate student seeking is Ph.D. in Theoretical Astrophysics and Astrochemistry at Ohio State. He lives in Columbus with his wife Arwen and their two cats Mab and Merlin.
John Yackovich
Groomsman
John and Kelly have known each other for all of his life and most of hers. In other words, he is Kelly's brother.
John and Luke met for the first time when Kelly's family hosted Luke for Thanksgiving in 2008. He accuses Kelly of "stealing his major" because they both have undergraduate degrees (and are pursuing Ph.Ds) in Computer Science. He lives with his girlfriend, who is also named Kelly, which creates an understandable amount of confusion and humor. John is pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh.
