Amber & Caroline
Bridal Party
Jasmine Bradford
Bridesmaid
Amber has this habit of catching her friends in the wild and collecting them like Pokémon, and I was no exception. Circa 2021, while working at Total Access Urgent Care, Amber glanced over at me and decided I looked too lonely and needed a friend. What started as a casual work friendship quickly escalated into me moving in, and us becoming roommates. Throughout our time living together, we formed an amazing friendship that has only gotten better with time. My favorite memories are when we’re hanging out, being our most authentic selves, and anyone looking at us might think we’re both crazy. Beyond looking crazy, we always motivated each other to do better and want better for ourselves because we recognized each other’s billion-dollar worth. Somewhere between all the late-night pep talks, Amber met Caroline, and the rest is history. Now I get to watch my best friend live the life we always talked about, and I gained another bestie in the process. Amber and Caroline, I love you both so much! It’s an honor to be a part of your lives, and I can’t wait for your big day. Congratulations, you two!
Gina Brennan
Bridesmaid
The term “coach” refers to someone who understands people’s strengths and weaknesses and inspires motivation in others. Throughout this wedding, you might hear one of the brides and me refer to each other as “Coach.” I should clarify that we are not certified coaches; rather, we’re metaphorical ones. I met Caroline in high school in 2013, and we instantly clicked, quickly becoming cafeteria buddies who bonded over waiting in line for chocolate chip cookies. As our friendship grew, Caroline became one of my closest friends. Few people can match the joy of hours filled with laughter or the comfort of sharing tears. Caroline was always there for spontaneous long drives to talk about life, late-night snack runs, and even moments of silliness, like putting grapes up her nose just to make me laugh. She is genuinely one of the kindest and most genuine people I know. Together, we have weathered various challenges—heartbreaks, shifting friend groups, moving to different cities, and other life changes. Early on, we leaned on one another so much that we started referring to ourselves as “life coaches.” Even now, eleven years later, we still call each other Coach; I honestly can’t remember the last time she referred to me as Gina. Coach, I feel incredibly blessed to be part of your life, and it’s an honor to stand by you on your wedding day. Congratulations on your upgrade from Caroline Schmidt, Life Coach, to Caroline Schmidt, Life Coach and Most Amazing Wife!
Grace Jennings
Bridesmaid
When Grace first met Caroline, she was her “competition” as they fought for the same summer camp counselor spot back in 2015 as Counselors-in-Training. Once they got to know each other though, they were inseparable. They became known as the “duo” and you could expect one to show up only if the other was invited too. This also translated to the first time they moved to Chicago & decided to become roommates. After many years of early morning drives to camp from Champaign, late night Pretty Little Liars marathons, spring breaks in “Green Bay”, and Quincy/Oreo cuddles, their time together was never dull. Grace now lives in Beverly Hills, California where she works in Healthcare Administration at UCLA. After years of talking about their future weddings & bridesmaids, the day is finally here. Grace is so thankful to be standing by Caroline on this day & to celebrate her & Amber’s future together!
Katie Kramer
Bridesmaid
On this episode of Keeping Up with 208, we take a walk down memory lane back all the way to the very beginning. Phineas (Katie) and Ferb (Caroline) started talking on 4/20/17, just when Caroline got her wisdom teeth out and decided that pictures were needed. It was that moment when Katie was in lab that she decided that Caroline was to be her college roommate. This sparked a revolution where the two of them learned that getting your mouth washed out with soap builds character, speaking to God will make Katie eat bananas, the beginning of Hercules will be watched at least 10 times more often than the end, pink hats are iconic, hand hugs are just as important as real hugs, and William Francis will forever be the strongest beta fish around. Now, Phineas is living it up in Green Bay with her husband, Marcus, that Ferb had thought kidnapped Phineas on the first date (I mean who goes to dinner for over three hours for a first date, right?!) and their son, Oliver. Over time, buddies became forever buddies and I will forever be grateful that we took a chance on one another and won the roommate lottery. Congratulations Buddy, I’m so proud of you! You are going to make an amazing wife!
Veronica Madell
Bridesmaid
I am proud to say I knew Caroline before she started wearing that pink hat. We met back in 2014 at Camp MacLean when we both did the Leader in Training program. Caroline was the best friend to have at Camp because she always brought an entire suitcase of snacks. Being friends with Caroline always meant a handful of cheese puffs, uncontrollable laughter, and a hug when you needed it. One of my favorite memories with Caroline at camp is not being able to look at her face on any last day– it only takes one note of “Jet Plane” (the last day song at Camp) to make Caroline tear up. Don’t be mistaken– she is a softy. Can’t wait to be part of her big day and watch all the tears that come with this happy ending and exciting beginning.