Jessica Monteith and Rizki Sirois exchanged vows and captured wedding photos in front of Dillon Hall. (Photos courtesy of Jacob Medler Photography)
By John-Paul Bonadonna
For Jessica Monteith (BA 2015) and Rizki Sirois (BComm 2015), the University of Windsor is more than just where they earned their degrees.
Campus is the place where their lives became deeply intertwined.
So much so, that the couple returned to campus on July 31 to exchange vows in front of Dillon Hall, honouring the place where their relationship first blossomed.
The choice to mark such an important milestone at UWindsor was intentional and symbolic.
“We came from different cities and might never have met if it weren’t for Windsor,” said Jessica, a graduate of Women’s Studies.
Rizki, who graduated from the Odette School of Business, echoed the sentiment.
“So much of us getting to know each other was just being together and sharing time on-campus,” said Rizki.
“Whether it was studying, grabbing lunch or walking here and there, once we met, we did everything together.”
“You really get to know a person based on how they study,” added Jessica.
Their story began not in a classroom but at a chance meeting at a local hangout.
Upon learning they were both UWindsor students, studying at Leddy Library together grew to sharing an elective — held in Dillon Hall — building the foundation for a life together.
In choosing Dillon Hall as their backdrop, Jessica reflected on what drew her to choose UWindsor initially.
“The campus is beautiful and that’s why I picked UWindsor in the first place,” said Jessica.
“Now it’s part of our forever memories.”
A wedding photo of Jessica and Rizki from inside Leddy Library served to celebrate their countless hours spent studying there together. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Medler Photography)
The ceremony brought together about two dozen family members and close friends.
In a semicircle framed by Dillon Hall’s stone façade, Jessica and Rizki read their vows not only to each other, but also to their three-year-old daughter.
“Including her in the ceremony made it deeply personal,” Jessica said.
“We wanted it to reflect who we are. Simple, meaningful and unique to us.”
The couple’s wedding party also reflected their UWindsor connections. Many of Jessica’s closest friends, several of them fellow Social Work students, stood by her side as bridesmaids. Rizki’s lifelong friend and UWindsor roommate served as the MC.
Since graduating together in 2015, Jessica and Rizki lives have been rooted in Windsor through their careers, volunteerism and involvement in the community.
Rizki runs his own consulting business specializing in analytics and operations, while Jessica works in financial services, supported by the confidence and resilience she credits to her university years.
Both point to Windsor’s strong community, affordable lifestyle, and diverse food and culture scene as reasons they chose to settle permanently in the city.
For the couple, returning to UWindsor to celebrate their marriage wasn’t just about nostalgia. It was about acknowledging how the University shaped their lives, friendships and future.
“Windsor gave us each other, and it gave us our people,” Jessica reflected.
“That will always be worth celebrating.”
This profile is part of a special series celebrating Alumni Week 2025. Discover events and more at uwindsor.ca/alumniweek.
