*The note doesn't allow for paragraphs...* As we begin our journey in life together this fund will help move us toward our ultimate goal: Finding our dream home. In lieu of gifts, we ask for any and all help you can give with making up for the massive financial hole that is our wedding day. Erm uh, what we mean to say is: Instead of asking for a million gifts, some new expensive dishes or some home appliance we might never use, we ask that you help us reach our next destination in life. A forever home in which we could continue to grow and to one day raise a family. As we look forward to spending our lives together we also look forward to our families becoming one. For both of us family is very important and the merging of these two great houses will form a powerful alliance (Ash doesn’t want me to keep this but I’m going to). You all mean the world to both of us and we couldn’t have picked a better family for each other to be married into. As we grow together we know our new (much larger) family will too. We can’t wait for the many cookouts, birthdays, and holidays all spent together as our family. Not just his or hers but ours. You helped lay the foundation of who we are and we love you for it. On a related note, we will very much enjoy watching as our friends from different groups are forced to interact uncomfortably with each other at our wedding and way off into the future. Deal with it guys. Friends are the family you pick and you dum-dums picked us. Can’t back out now. We’ve all laughed, traveled, learned with, cried to, discovered about, talked, drank, and shared more with you than either Ashley or I thought was possible and that’s because of the friendship you’ve given us. If our family helped lay the foundation then you all are the home. The safe place to help us be our truest selves. Thank you all for being a part of our lives, having helped make so many great memories with us over the years. You all have changed our lives in so many ways large and small. We can never fully express how much you mean. We love you all and we can't wait to spend the happiest day of our lives with you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!