Franklin Park Conservatory

rehersal

Rehearsal Dinner

Franklin Park Conservatory - Palm House

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Fall

Our Wedding

Maddie: This beat up looking note is what started it all. The end of my sophomore year of college I was at a career fair put on by my university and I had already visited all the booths I had planned to, but with a few more resumes in hand I decided to wonder the grounds and see if I missed any interesting companies. I was then called over to a booth run by Kratos. I hadn't heard of the company, which makes sense since they aren't local to Ohio, but I stopped by to chat. They asked me back for a interview the next day and I agreed. I wasn't thrilled when I woke up the next morning and had to walk 40 minutes in sub freezing temps to get to my interview in my only nice interview clothes (which was of course a skirt), but I made the trek. They gave me this note so I knew which exact job to apply for on LinkedIn. I applied and waited. A little over two weeks later they called to tell me they were offering me the job. I was so excited then and yet I had no idea that at this job is where I would meet and fall in love with Jake. Jakob: As a freshman in college I was under the assumption i was not going to get an internship, however it was mandatory to go to the fair. However, I visited the booth of my dads company and chatted with the men who ran it. They told me to apply, maybe its because I'm a nepo baby or maybe its because they liked my resume but they decided to hire me. That has to be the best turn of events, as without this internship I never would have met the love of my life.

How we met

Maddie: Before we were dating I invited Jake to go to the Pikes Peak hill climb festival in the springs with me. It was entirely an excuse to spend time with him as I had (and still have) no interest in cars outside of my beloved Honda Fit. Jake: I had just gotten off of a flight from Hawaii and had not slept in over 36 hours. I was going to go straight to bed until I got a text from Maddie asking if I was going. Wanting to sound cool, I said "Absolutely!" even though I knew (and still know) nothing about cars (Sorry Dad). I then downed two large energy drinks and had the time of my life at a car show I had no interest in. Maddie: This particular picture was taken when Jake and I separated from the group of other interns we were with to go look at a church with big stained glass windows, as I love to look at old churches. We took this picture in the reflection of one of the normal windows on said church. Jake: I tried to make a joke about this being the prettiest stained glass there was. She did not get it. Maddie: I don't even remember hearing him say that.

The first photo we ever took together

Maddie: As most of you know, I'm a big fan of opossums, so when I heard the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo had an opossum encounter I booked it. The catch was, it was for two people. A leap of faith had me invite Jake to come see Hubble the opossum with me, risking him thinking I'm a lunatic. Jake: At first we thought I needed a ticket into the zoo so I asked my mom if we had the zoo pass still. She laughed and said "Why, are you going with a girl?". To which I replied with a sheepish "maybe". Then Maddie put sunscreen on my face as we were waiting to get into the zoo. Which was an obvious sign she liked me that I could not read. As cool as Hubble was, I was simply looking at Maddie the whole time. My contact photo of her is still from this day. Maddie: Skin cancer stops at no one, he was getting sunscreened whether he liked it or not.

The Day the Relationship Started

Jakob: I'm pretty sure it was Maddie's idea to go white water rafting, and man what a fun trip it was. I created a special road trip playlist for the drive based off of songs she and I both really liked. We listened to it and talked about our future the whole way (even when we got stuck in I-70 traffic). We spent the morning hiking St. Mary's Glacier, and then got to go on a great white water rafting trip. I still remember Maddie's shouts of glee and excitement as we hit our first set of rapids, and her smile as she got whipped around and almost thrown out of the boat is a visual I'll never forget. I still remember the bus ride back to the car too, she fell asleep on my shoulder about 5 minutes into the ride.Maddie: It was an absolute blast. I had been white water rafting in the midwest (at least I think it was the midwest, feel free to ask my dad about the paddle - fish incident), and so I thought it would be a perfect fun activity for Jake and I to do together at the start of our budding relationship. We took a trip out to Idaho springs and appreciated the beautiful scenery of a real glacier (don't have those in Ohio), the cute street and stores of this little mountain town, and the stunning and strong river we rafted through. To this day I love the picture we have here, where you can see a nervous Jake trying to keep me from falling into the river while I just laugh at almost going under.Jakob: I couldn't have you drowning on my watch. I was just trying to ensure my wife to be was having fun and breathing air.

Our First Whitewater Rafting Trip

Maddie: This Christmas is a memory I reminisce on when I need a boost to get through the week. Whether its hiking up South Table in Golden, CO, making a mess when decorating cookies, or staring at the lights at the Denver Botanical Gardens, the memory of this Christmas always brings me Joy.Jakob: This Christmas was so much fun. I have been to the Denver Botanical Gardens 2 or 3 times before but the lights have never looked quite so extravagant as when I was with you! I can't believe that this photo was taken by 2 ladies who saw us and thought we looked great together and wanted to capture the moment for us. And staring at the musical lights with our glasses off, what a blast, you were still always in focus.Maddie: The shark sweaters were certainly a hit too, got us 2 free walnut brownies from Dee's Deli

Our First Christmas

Maddie: Not a typical 21st birthday celebration, instead it was filled with snowboarding/skiing (poorly at least for me), Jake's first time trying Chicago style pizza, and a trip to Ikea for the purchase of a djungelskog!Jakob: Babe you're forgetting about the trip to Dave N Busters, where you absolutely smoked everyone at the claw machine, you got like 5000 tickets in 30 minutes! I can't wait to take you down the slopes in Colorado (you're totally gonna "shred some gnar").Maddie: I'm simply a claw machine master, Dave N Busters trembles before me

Maddie's 21st Birthday

Jakob: This was our first major vacation to a state other than Ohio or Colorado. My family went down to the Gulf of Mexico and invited Maddie to come (because she's part of the family too!) I have never had more fun at the beach, we built sandcastles, dug a human sized hole (for no reason in particular), had long romantic walks on the beach, and fought the waves like crabs do. Not only was the beach trip itself fun, but the entire trip was also a blast, being able to take a road trip where in the end one of us didn't have to stay was so incredible, and I cannot wait to do it more often when we're married.Maddie: This vacation was a wonderful time for me to not only meet more of Jake's lovely family but to bond with the family as a whole. Jake and I enjoyed plenty of time walking on the beach and fist fighting the waves. I am very fortunate to have been able to spend this time with the family and am incredibly grateful for the trip with them!Jakob: They all love you and your constant jokes. They told me afterwards that they never expected anyone to fight the waves with me, but they're so happy that you found me.

Our First Beach Trip

Jakob: I knew I was going to propose and I was so so so so so so so so so nervous you were going to find out.Maddie: I was simply having a good time doing fun Christmas things like Ice Castles and Christmas light trains, the perfect diversion.

Our Second Christmas

Jakob: Originally I was going to propose in July to mark our two year anniversary, but I (as always) am impatient, and I may or may not have accidentally spoiled the original proposal plan. I planned the entire proposal while sitting in a hospital bed getting treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. On the actual day, I was so nervous, so so nervous, and for a while I felt like I was going to throw up. Then, I told one of the best lies I've ever come up with, I asked Maddie if she wanted to come identify what type of tree was outside of the cabin we and her family were staying at. She was so focused on the tree, and looked so beautiful, that I completely forgot the speech I was going to give. It was good too, a real tear jerker, but I simply couldn't remember. So instead, I stumbled through a silly song and dance about how perfect it would be if I proposed, and then I did. Maddie: It was the perfect proposal, I wouldn't have changed a thing. His nerves to the point of forgetting his speech and changing his elaborate plans just to pop the question early was perfectly on brand for Jake, and absolutely adorable.

The Day She Said Yes

Our Story

Photos

Engagement Photos

Please click the following link to view a preview of wedding photos to come!

If you are going to post photos, please do not post any photos of the young children.

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Wedding Photos

Adam and Jakob have been friends since the 6th grade. He and Jakob have shared countless laughs together, and their shared love of absurdist humor lets their creative talents run wild. Whether it's a PSA on why not to steal from the bathroom or simply talking about the newest season of I Think You Should Leave, these two always find the best out of every situtation.

Adam Carlson

Kait's title alone says it all, as she has a place of honor in the bride's party and in her heart. Kait is the bride's big sister, greatest supporter, and most beloved friend. Kait and the bride have been inseparable since the bride was born, and the wedding will be no different. Kait is lucky the bride's bouquet will be made of metal after the "incident" with Kait's bouquet at her own wedding to Grant.

Kaitlyn Kiefer

Xander and Jakob were roommates freshmen year of college, and a bond like that cannot be lost. Even though they're no longer roomates, they still find time to hang out and talk about the newest games and anything related to pop culture, whether that be over a nice hot cup of Pho or just wandering the aisles of the supermarket, Xander and Jakob truly have a brotherly connection.

Xander Fermier

Grant is the bride's long term brother in law. Knowing each other since before Maddie was a teenager, they are nothing less than siblings by now and sure act it. Grant had been Maddie's engineering mentor through school, being the one to convince her into engineering from the start. Chaos reins with this dynamic duo, whether its at their joint old fashioned RuneScape birthday party or snowboarding down the slopes, the bride wouldn't want anything less than having him on her side.

Grant (Ferd) Kiefer

Andrew and Jakob were dormmates both freshman and sophomore years of college, and are still close friends to this day. They bond over their love of sports and history, and have had some of the best "physics power hours" and late night philosophical chats known to man. They also have a shared passion for the mountains, and enjoy skiing and snowboarding together, even if the roads to get there may be treacherous.

Andrew Nester

Elizabeth is the eldest of the groom's sisters. She has been warm and welcoming to the bride from the beginning, and her vivacious personality will bring plenty of fun to the bridal party.

Elizabeth Walker

Bella and Jakob were also dormmates freshmen year of college, and have continued growing their friendship through coffee and game nights. They both enjoy good music, and have attended many concerts together, where Bella discovered the magic that is "white boy rapping". Although they may use their "cloaking device" to get there, Bella is always down for any hangout or meet up that is offered.

Bella Larson

Susie is the second oldest of the groom's sisters. Her bright and witty personality makes any occasion a party, and the couple is thrilled to have her as a part of the wedding festivities.

Susie Wade

Matthew and Jakob met the first time Jakob traveled to Ohio. Matt is the brother of the bride, and as such, Jakob had to make a good first impression. Although he may have startled Matt at first with his magic, his jokes seemed to create the impression that Jakob was going for. Although he hasn't spent a lot of time with Matt, Jakob enjoys the games and laughs they shared.

Matthew Wiley

Shellie is the groom's youngest sister. The similarities are evident when it comes to humor, as Shellie always has a hilarious joke or quip up her sleeve. The day will certainly have plenty of fun and laughs with Shellie in the bridal party.

Shellie Wade

Wedding Party

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Located close to the Columbus airport and conservatory, this hotel is just a quick uber ride away from every destination! The knot will not let us add the link to the site, instead, please copy and paste the following link into your browser to book a room: <a href="https://www.theknot.com/us/jakob-walker-and-maddie-wiley-oct-2025/travel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/rooms/?ctyhocn=LCKCOHT&amp;arrivalDate=2025-10-17&amp;departureDate=2025-10-20&amp;groupCode=CHTMWW&amp;room1NumAdults=1</a><a href="https://www.theknot.com/us/jakob-walker-and-maddie-wiley-oct-2025/travel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&amp;cid=OM%2CWW%2CHILTONLINK%2CEN%2CDirectLink</a>

Home2 Suites by Hilton Columbus Downtown

This hotel is in Marion, Ohio. It is about an hour and a half away from the airport and the wedding venue. This hotel is about 20 minutes away from Maddie's Parent's home for those who wish to be housed near Maddie's family.

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Marion, OH

Travel

This Ohio classic is the real reason most people make the trip out to Ohio. Whether it be to take "the long run" and tag every cob within the acre or simply pose with one of the cobs, this place creates once in a lifetime opportunities for all that visit.

Corn Acre

The best science museum in Columbus, if you want something fun for the whole family this is the place to visit.

Center of Science and Industry (COSI)

While we've never been here specifically, axe throwing is a ton of fun and a great way to bond and learn a new skill. Just don't get hurt before the wedding.

Columbus Axe Throwing

If exploring different dimensions and solving puzzles sounds like a good time, this is your one stop shop. A little farther on the outskirts of Columbus, this Meow Wolf like experience is absolutely worth a visit.

Otherworld

A great way to challenge your problem solving skills, completing an escape room is a fun activity that everyone can participate in. There are countless escape rooms in Columbus, but we are huge fans of the Escape Artists.

Escape Artists

Everyone has to try Condado's at least once. This taco restaurant is a great place to get some out of this world food. The customizability of these tacos ensure that everyone has a great time.

Condado Tacos

Visit capybaras, possums, orangutans, and more at this one of a kind zoo. Located close to Dublin (Ohio, not Ireland), this zoo is a one of a kind experience that everyone will love.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Ever wanted to wander aimlessly around underground caverns, well now you can! Olentangy caverns is a self guided tour of ancient caverns near Delaware (Ohio, not the state). Make sure to visit their gift shop after to lick all the cool rocks.

Olentangy Caverns | Rock & Gem Gift Shop

Why do they call it that? Take a trip and ask them yourself.

Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles

If you made it this far, then you truly have run out of things to do. Want to really impress the wedding party, visit the Franklin Conservatory before the wedding and case the joint. Figure out where all the exits are, be ready to make a hasty escape after you steal all the butterflies from the pavilion.

Jakob & Maddie

Jakob & Maddie

Travel

Home2 Suites by Hilton Columbus Downtown

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Marion, OH