J. Rieger & Co.

Celebratory Reception

Ceremony

Our Wedding

As Jess always tells people, "When you're a lesbian, there are two ways to meet people who you want to date. You either apply online or you get referred by a friend." Thanks to Bumble and the online dating world, you're all here reading this today and gearing up to celebrate with us in December!Really though, that's about the gist of our story! We met online, hit it off, and the rest is history! We could type out pages after pages of stories and experiences together, but our engagement story really does take the cake. In December of 2023, Jess and I (Rebecca :) ) planned a trip to New York City. It was her first time visiting the city, and it was my first time to visit during the holiday season. Since I'm a planner, I had planned our our ENTIRE week. I'm talking dinner reservations, show tickets, lists of must-see places in the city, and everything in between. I even had a shared Google Doc with a schedule for each day of the trip. I had left Friday open (our last full day of the trip) for what I told Jess would be "last minute items." I framed it as a time to stop by any stores we were still wanting to go to, check out areas of the city we hadn't gotten to explore yet, and other little tasks to round out the week. Secretly, I had kept Friday free of plans hoping that she would propose to me that day, then we could frolic around the city while we felt giddy and drunk in love. Turns out that sneaky little rascal knows me better than I thought! She knows I'm a planner, so she knew that I was expecting a "surprise" (*wink wink*) Friday proposal. So we went through our Thursday plans, got ready for dinner, then she suggested we go hang out on the rooftop bar at our hotel. The bar was closed for the winter, but the space remained open, the weather was nice for December, and the rooftop had an awesome view of the Empire State Building! Right before we walk out of our hotel room, Jess pulls a beautiful photo album out of her suitcase where she had thoughtfully designed a scrapbook-style album using every little note that I had ever left for her during the time that we had been dating. Cue the waterworks! We went up to the rooftop bar where we had the whole place to ourselves, Jess got down on one knee, and I said YES! She even organized for one of the hotel managers to be hidden up on the roof and take photos while she popped the question! It was such a magical moment and truly something you hear about in a RomCom! We both truly feel like we've been growing into the best versions of ourselves since we've met each other, and we can't wait to see where our journey takes us together next. We have a beautiful family and are truly living in a reality that both of us only dreamed would be possible. Cheers to turning the page into the next chapter of our story!

Our Story

Photos

Just two gals and all their pals!

Are these two a couple? No! But they might as well be. Caroline is my (Rebecca's) childhood best friend, and yet, we've only hugged a total of 5 times and bully each other incessantly when we spend time together. Kassandra, Caroline, and I all became close our senior year of high school when we were all in the same physics class together. The most notable memory from physics that sealed our friendship was when Kassandra reported that her plans after high school were, "to find the cure for cancer and work at Taco Bell." We then all went to college together at Mizzou, and we've been inseperable ever since. Caroline and I enjoy spending time with Kassandra in the rare occurrence that she's actually in the continental United States, and always pick up right where we left off! I truly couldn't ask for better friends to share a bowl of French onion soup with!

Caroline & Kassandra

Lauren and Cody are cool and we like them well enough as friends, but we really just keep them around because they're the parents of our goddaughter, Elli. She is the light of our life! Lauren and Cody are fine too, we suppose. Somehow we've all become Friday night regulars at our local Mexican restaurant, Dos Reales, because none of us can turn down a frozen margarita or an ice cold Pacifico! Our friendship memories include: KC Current games, checking out local restaurants and speakeasies, and teaching Elli how to use power tools (okay, maybe this is just Jess and I...but what else do you expect when you have two lesbian godmothers?!).

Lauren & Cody

Our midwestern lesbian friends. People who just GET US. We may not get to see each other often, but when we do, it's like all is right with the world! Jess and Kate's friendship kicked off during the time that Jess was in law school, and they've been inseparable pals ever since. It's not often that you find a person who you just click with, and Kate and Jess's friendship is a perfect example of a loving, raw, genuine bond. Life is good when you have people in your circle who can bond with you over their love of dogs, good music, and lesbian pop culture. Our midwestern princesses!!!

Kate & Rachael

Rachel &amp; Colin- where do we begin? Our biggest cheerleaders, loving friends, and incredible new parents. Where would we be without them?! (No offense to our pals listed above...we like you guys, too). Rachel and Jess have supported each other through some pretty tumultuous times (AKA- the practice of law as their chosen profession), but have stayed friends and confidants through the ups and downs (downs and downs?) of their nightmare of a profession. All the while, Colin and I (Rebecca) enjoy our double dates of arts and crafts, where the two of us can discuss fun current events and future date ideas while the girls discuss their existential dread. We love walking through our adulthood journey with you!

Rachel & Colin

Wedding Party

Q + A

Travel

Coming into town for the weekend? Here are some of our recommendations for places to stay, things to do, and our favorite places to eat and drink!

Hotels

The Loews is such a fun place to stay if you want an upscale downtown experience! Exceptional bars and restaurants throughout the hotel pair perfectly with incredible city views from the rooms. Many of our favorite downtown coffee shops, restaurants, and bars are within a short walking distance since the hotel is centrally located!

Loews Kansas City Hotel

If you're looking for the quintessential Country Club Plaza experience, The Fontaine is for you! We love this hotel and everything it has to offer. There is a gorgeous rooftop bar that's open throughout the seasons, and the upscale shopping and dining on The Plaza are just right outside of your front door!

The Fontaine

Things To Do

One of our go-to recommendations for folks who visit KC and ask about things to do! We love wandering through the museum and getting ourselves lost in the beauty of all of the art. If you plan to visit the Nelson, make sure you carve out enough time in your trip agenda to take in the incredible art both inside and outside of the museum!

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Looking for some physical activity and friendly competition? Enjoy pickleball, yard games, and an awesome restaurant and bar at Chicken N Pickle! This is a fun activity for a couple, a large group, and any size of party in between! If you definitely want to play pickleball during your visit, make sure to visit their website and reserve a court ahead of time. The indoor courts book up fast!

Chicken N Pickle - North Kansas City

If you want to experience true Kansas City jazz, the Green Lady Lounge is THE place to do it! The minute you walk inside, you're transported to the 1940's with incredible decor and a cozy atmosphere. Their drink menu is fantastic and it's easy to sit and listen to the live jazz as you sip on some cocktails! Our piece of advice is to look at the show schedule ahead of time, and try to arrive between show times to snag a seat. Otherwise, you might get stuck with standing room only!

Green Lady Lounge

The City Market is such a fun place to explore on a Saturday or Sunday morning! The perimeter of the market is made up of brick and mortar shops with the middle of the market being filled with vendors selling their fresh produce, jewelry, and locally-made goods. Be sure to explore the surrounding blocks for some of our favorites: Betty Rae's, Il Lazzarone, and Harry's Country Club!

City Market

coffee shops, restaurants, & bars

We have A LOT of favorites when it comes to this category! These su﻿ggestions are just the tip of the iceberg, so please reach out to us if you're needing more recommendations because we have PLENTY!

Crows Coffee | Waldo

The Rockhill Grille

PotPie

Mean Mule Distilling Co.

Messenger Coffee Co. + Ibis Bakery

Beer Kitchen

Dodson's Bar & Commons

McLain's Bakery

Noka

Green Dirt on Oak

Things to Do

Registry

GOTCHA! ;) We don't have a registry! We are so lucky to have each other, our home, and our three pups. It's truly all we could ever ask for. In lieu of gifts, we kindly ask that any monetary gifts are in the form of a direct donation to one of the organizations listed below: Kansas City Center for Inclusion<a href="https://www.inclusivekc.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.inclusivekc.org/</a> KC Pet Project<a href="https://kcpetproject.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://kcpetproject.org/</a> SAVE, Inc.<a href="https://saveinckc.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://saveinckc.org/</a> Operation Breakthrough<a href="https://operationbreakthrough.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://operationbreakthrough.org/</a> BlaqOut<a href="https://blaqout.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://blaqout.org/</a> MOSCA<a href="https://mocsa.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://mocsa.org/</a> Planned Parenthood<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.plannedparenthood.org/</a> Legal Aid of Western Missouri<a href="https://lawmo.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lawmo.org/</a>

Rebecca and Jess

Rebecca and Jess

Registry & Wish List