Wedding Party
Anna Long
Officiant
Meet Anna! Carly and Anna's love blossomed at Wild Love Bakehouse where they bonded over asking (forcing) their coworkers to take "What Animal Are You" quizzes in between putting croissants in the oven at 4 a.m. At Carly's graduation party, Anna met Roy and another friendship bond was forged. Their friendship show was taken on the road when Carly and Roy visited Anna in South Carolina and time was spent cracking up, making fun of Roy and watching old seasons of Survivor. When thinking about who to talk us through our 'I do's,’ Anna was an obvious choice. Anna holds the ability to see a person fully and be delighted in their evolution. Anna's joy is palpable and we can't wait for you to experience it! Talk to Anna if: you love animals with unique names; you grew up watching Disney Channel original movies; you have too many beads in your craft drawers.
Kaylyn Landry
Best Woman
Meet my best woman, Kaylyn! While it's impossible to know if past lives exist, I do know that in every lifetime that I’ve been on this earth, I’ve found Kaylyn and we’ve been in cahoots. Though Kaylyn and I technically went to the same college, Lee University, we didn’t officially meet until we both found ourselves in the purgatory that is our early twenties. Longing for the familiarity of college while vehemently avoiding the responsibilities of adulthood, we went to work at a place that is a beacon for such lost and floppy souls: Starbucks. After our shifts we stayed up too late, drank too many ocean waters from Sonic and bonded over a shared sense of curiosity for our inner and outer worlds. In short, Kaylyn and I recognized that we spoke the same language; that of eagerness and paying attention and laughing and sneezing a bit too loudly. While most friendships are seasonal, my friendship with Kaylyn is eternal. Talk to Kaylyn if: you’ve perfected your homemade popcorn recipe and have a seasoning you think she should try or want an enthusiastic reaction to a picture of your pet.
Sarah Kerley
Bridesmaid
Meet Sarah! The story of how I met Sarah is one of my most silly and most treasured. We both found ourselves at the wedding of my coworker Greg that was endearing and a bit thrown together; thirty minutes in and both the cheese platters and guests were sweating. Between swatting away bugs and hoping the pit sweat wasn’t too visible, vows and bits of cake were exchanged and the dance floor opened. I remember watching Sarah flock to the dance floor and thinking “she must be some sort of professional dancer” to which I approached her and said, “are you some sort of professional dancer?” We’ve been laughing and confessing strange things ever sense. Sarah is my benevolent historian, safe harbor and one whose utterance of “don’t worry, me too” has been a balm more times than I can count. Having Sarah as a friend is like having a deep-sea diver, archologist, comedian and poet at your fingertips. Our ability to traverse deep and murky waters is one of my favorite ways to pass time. Sarah could never be accused of being a fair-weather fan as I always see her in my stands as I evolve, shed, lean in and learn to take up space. My prayer for everyone is that they 1) find a Sarah and 2) when they do, tell her the truth and hold onto her for dear life. Talk to Sarah if: you change your mind about your hair every few weeks, ever made up a language when you were little or enjoy talking to the trees.
Angie Ricci
Bridesmaid
Meet Angie! Exactly how and when I met Angie is a bit like spam—mysterious yet undeniably delightful (go ahead, admit it). Somewhere in the overlap of church gatherings and mutual friends, we both found ourselves seven hours away from home and living across the hall. As an overwhelmed freshman, Angie’s humor, wisdom, and ability to bring lightness proved the the perfect antidote to my homesickness. Angie feels more like a sister than a friend—because only a sister would still walk with me to the dining hall while I ‘rocked’ a braided headband across my forehead and baby bangs. Angie knew me before Instagram filtered our lives and faces and I hold onto her tightly for this reason. One of the many things I cherish about Angie, other than our ability to yap for hours, is her inner sense of self. To know Angie is to know she’s up for anything and travels light—bringing only herself. Talk to Angie if: you’ve sent a voice memo over 20 minutes, love scouring the innerwebs for cheap plane tickets or know all the cats in your neighborhood.
Cassie Padilla
Bridesmaid
Meet Cass! Cassie and I met through our mutual friend and all-around great gal, Hannah. Newly moved back from Northern Ireland I was hungry for the type of friendship where a span of an evening could entail rotting on the couch watching Love Island to dancing in a club playing only vinyl records- Cass is that such pal. Cassie possesses the ability ‘yes-and’ her life and the lives of those in her orbit. To be around Cassie is to feel that the paywall to the world’s possibilities has somehow been removed. One of the most remarkable things about Cassie is that she doesn’t need to be doing the most interesting thing to be having the most fun- in any room, Cassie usually just IS the most fun thing that could be happening. You may be wondering what happens when there is no fun left to be had- and while I’ll admit these moments are rare- when they have happened, something even softer takes over the space of our friendship because in addition to being full of joy, Cassie is also full of depth. I have learned so much through Cassie’s ability to listen fully without filling in the blanks and to empathize without being taken under. My mind can bring to mine many instances where I have been served by Cassie’s ability to pause, hold nuance and stay above water. Talk to Cassie if: You’re hosting a house show with experimental music, have a delicious recipe that can be accomplished in just a few steps, or have a new yoga pose you think she should try!
Hannah Ware
Bridesmaid
Meet Hannah! Hannah and I met in high school, you know, that fun place where everyone is fully formed and feels good about themselves! While roaming the halls of Tree of Life, we only crossed path a few times as Hannah was a few years younger and (funnily enough) in class with my brother, Connor! After moving home from my year abroad I remember feeling itchy and unsure about what direction my life would now take. One of the best things I did during this time was reconnect with Hannah Ware. Initially this reconnection was built upon Hannah’s social work background as I was considering pursuing my MSW and wanted to pick her brain. After several porch hangouts we moved indoors and made deeper imprints into the couch and each other’s hearts (say cheese!). To be in Hannah’s presence is to feel your shoulders move from your ears to their rightful place under your neck. Hannah contains several superpowers: 1) she can disarm even the most salty sea urchin through her ease and humor 2) while having 24 hours a day like the rest of us, Han will often perform miracles with this allotment in the form of connecting with friends in and out of state, dropping off meals to those who need it, and chairing committees that are making the world a safer place 3) Hannah is one of my favorite story tellers and as Ira Glass says “great stories happen to those who can tell them.” Talk to Hannah if: you have a piece of gossip, lore, or work drama that’s burning a hole in your pocket.
Trisha Landis
Bridesmaid
Meet Trish! Meeting Trisha for the first time remains central in my brain because of how quintessentially ‘Trisha’ it remains. While Hannah and I were making imprints in the couch Trisha strolled in with blundstone boots, a forest green beanie and a piece of fabulous, thrifted artwork, “Hey, I’m Trish! I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a sauna appointment that I can’t cancel again but it was great meeting you!” Trisha is coziness encapsulated and why she continues to be one of my most treasured people to invite over and hang with no strings attached. Trisha possesses a magical balance of being someone you can hammock and read with for hours and someone who knows about every indie house show, vintage clothing pop up, or plant sale happening at any given time. In addition to caring deeply about her community and friends Trisha is also someone who continues to lean into her own understanding of herself and I have many a time been a benefactor of her wisdom and kindness in this area. As if being cozy, a lifelong learner and community insider wasn’t enough, Trisha is a master crafter and garden enthusiast (just peek in my closet and find my homemade purse, hat and gloves all from Trish!). To know Trish is to know ease, playfulness and loyalty and I can’t wait for you to meet her. Talk to Trisha if: you are currently reading a book that you can’t put down, know about an underground festival or want to show her your most recent renaissance fits