Wedding Party

Kaitlyn

Bride

Kaeden

Groom

Emma

Matron of Honor

Emma and I met at age 3 in a dance class at the local rec center, and the rest was history. We have been friends for just over 22 years and have have experienced every season of life together. We have so many memories together that it is hard to pick a favorite, so I will give you a few from each season. When we were young, we loved jumping on the trampoline, making music videos with choreographed dancing/ singing, and playing with barbies. Emma was the first person I was allowed to have a sleep overs with and we enjoyed baking treats in the middle of the night. As we got older and into high school, Emma was by my side on the most important day of my life- the day I got baptized. She also supported me through my first couple boyfriends and break ups. We enjoyed church summer camps and small group activities together. Emma and I never went to the same school, but was always supportive/ present at each others activities. Eventually we watched each other walk at high school graduation. More recently, my favorite memories include (virtually) watching Emma graduate, visiting Missouri and seeing her life there, and standing by her side at her wedding. Although we don't get to see each other often, when we are together, it is if no time has passed. Emma is the sister I never had and I am so grateful to have her my life all these years. I am so appreciative of her gentle kindness, wisdom, and encouragement and our friendship will always be a light in my life.

Justin

Best Man

Justin and I officially met and got to know each other in August of 2022. He had just gotten back to Tucson from Georgia after doing some international missions work. He was the only person at our church, at the time, who was pretty close to my age so I definitely wanted to reach out to him and pursue a friendship. The first time we hung out, we went out to coffee to get to know each other and ended up doing a Bible study. From there on, for the next five months, we would get together three times a week to hang out, play call of duty, and have deep conversations about God/ relationships/ our pasts. By the time February of 2023 rolled around, I was looking for a new roommate and asked him if he would like to move in and he said yes. It was just him and I in the house, so we spent a lot of time together and really formed a strong brother-like friendship. Some of my favorite times with Justin include playing/ recording a cover of Everlong, taking him to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon for the first time, seeing Greta Van Fleet in concert, and building Star Wars Legos. Justin has been a big influence on my walk with God and my faith the last two years. He has inspired me to embrace silence/ solitude regularly, enjoy God‘s presence, and live in a way where I can really be present in every moment. He is an amazing friend and I am thankful to God for allowing us to meet.

Carsen

Bridesmaid

Carsen and I initially met in cross country at our middle school in Tucson, but our friendship really began when I ironically selected her as my "little" in Kayettes, a college service club. Our friendship developed as we volunteered many hours and served on the executive board together. As I was graduating undergrad and starting my masters, my roommate decided to drop last minute and I was frantically trying to find someone to replace her. Over a cup of coffee, I asked Carsen if she had secured housing and she had, but said that she could potentially get out of her lease. Carsen and I lived together for two years and made many amazing memories together. During school we spent a lot of time together - studying, eating, binging Dance Moms, and talking about life/ our futures. Our shared love for National Parks has lead us to conquer two bucket-list road trips together, which included visiting 8 states and Canada. Carsen has truly seen and supported me through my lowest and highest moments and I am so grateful for her. I will always cherish our friendship and the balance between adventure and genuine love/ care.

John

Groomsman

John and I first met in April 2022 when we were invited to a formal, by our ladies, for their club they were involved in at NAU. We’d see each other occasionally when I’d visit Flagstaff because Kaitlyn and John’s girlfriend were roommates, however we finally started to hang out/ get to know one another when I moved to Flagstaff. We love to explore around Flag (the lakes, lava tubes, and forrest roads) and we go into the woods to hammock, hike, and camp together. Some of our best conversations about theology, philosophy, and relationships have been out in nature. I moved in with John in July of 2024 and since then we have had some great times together. We often throw on some tunes/ colorful lights and have living room dance parties, make dinner together, and grab coffee/ donuts to chat over. One of my favorite memories with John was going to a Led Zeppelin tribute concert and playing pool afterwards. He is the goofiest guy I know and we always have a fun time. I’ve been lucky to live with John and experience a little bit of life with him.

Faith

Bridesmaid

Faith and I met through Kayettes, our college service club, after I selected her as my "little". The first time we hung out was on a coffee date just hours before I was to reveal that I was her "big". I was so excited and knew that I had picked a very special gal. Early on, I specifically remember Faith's gentle demeanor. We spent a lot of time together, as we served on executive board of the club together. I learned that Faith is hardworking, strong, kind, and has a great sense of humor. Faith was always willing to help out, even if was being my practice "client" for my social work class. As time went on, Faith and I have gotten very close and we are able to have deep conversations at any given moment. Some of my favorite moments with Faith are our late night conversations when she lets me crash at her house while driving through Phoenix and weekly texting/ vlogs. Faith is a great listener and always ready to encourage/ speak truth into others lives. I'm so grateful to call her one of my closest friends and to have someone who thinks/ responds to things in such a similar way.

Trey

Groomsman

I had the privilege of meeting Trey in summer of 2015, when he was a leader for our church camp in California. I remember at one point during camp, I approached him and asked him if we could talk privately. I shared some things I was going through that aligned with things in his testimony that he had gone through in the past. I confided in him and he prayed over me and showed me a lot of empathy. From then on, we have had a special friendship. He is ten years older than me, so I have always considered him a mentor. He moved away to Dallas in 2017 and since then we have maintained contact and call each other every so often to catch up/ pray. Trey visits Tucson about twice a year, and every time we go out to Eegees, our favorite place to meet up and update each other on our lives. He has invested a lot of time in helping me grow in wisdom/ discernment, guiding me to be a better follower of Christ, and a better partner to Kaitlyn. He is a man of strong faith and has a heart dedicated to furthering the kingdom of God. He’s a big inspiration in my walk and I’m very lucky to call him a friend.

Mary

Bridesmaid

I will forever be grateful for my senior year, social work internship that brought Mary and I together. My junior year of college was in the thick of Covid-19, so all of my core social work classes were over zoom. I clearly remember that there were a couple girls who would attend zoom calls from the classroom, in which one was a tall, outgoing, friendly girl named Mary. She seemed like such a fun person to be friends with because everyone loved her. When I walked into my first day interning at Cancer Support Community, I was surprised to see that Mary was the other intern for the year. Mary and I quickly became close, as we spent many hours traveling to present on the Northern AZ office. We worked very hard as interns, as we were the only two people working there, other than the executive director. Since then, Mary and I have not only grown into full-blown social workers, our friendship has grown exponentially. I am so thankful to have Mary in my life as a fun, insightful, empathetic friend. Mary has been a voice of reason and encouragement when I needed it the most. I am so grateful for the memories we created through weekly coffee dates, One Direction jam sessions, and deep conversations. Although we don't live in the same city anymore, when we do get time together, it is always refreshing for the soul.

Ajay

Groomsman

Ajay and I met at the beginning of 2024, a couple weeks after I moved to Flagstaff. He was part of a young adult’s Bible study that Kaitlyn brought me to. He mentioned something about a men’s retreat that next weekend and encouraged me to sign up for it. I did, although I didn't know anyone going but was excited to make new connections and get to know some guys involved in the college ministry. I had a great weekend getting to know Ajay and some of the other guys. We played/ sang worship songs, read/ discussed the Word, hiked in the mud/ rain, drove in off-roading vehicles, and shot huge guns. We instantly connected when I found out he was a drummer and he showed me a video of him playing with a killer drum mix. Soon after, we started to meet at our church regularly and practice drumming. We have also enjoyed hiking together/ enjoying nature, but my favorite memory is when Ajay, Justin, Kaitlyn, and I had a camp out in the woods and sang worship songs around the fire. Ajay and I's love for God have made for some very deep conversations in our little time knowing each other. I’m so grateful for Ajay and his desire to speak truth over my life and my relationship with Kaitlyn. Ajay is a special friend and I miss having him around in Flagstaff, but I am thankful that we can continue our friendship.

Kate

Bridesmaid

Kate and I met in Kayettes, our service club, after I selected her to be my "little". The first time Kate and I hung out, I picked her up from her dorm and we walked around downtown Flagstaff, enjoying the unique shops. I remember instantly feeling connected to Kate, as she is very friendly and easy to talk to. Kate and I spent a lot of time together between volunteering and serving on the executive board for the club. Since then we have shared many fun memories together including making crafts, taking walks/ hikes, and just talking about life. Kate and I bonded over the struggles of post-graduate life together, as we were both graduated and working full time, while many of our friends were still in school. I have always admired Kate for her hard work, integrity, thoughtfulness, and listening ear. I know that Kate is always a friend I can go to for encouragement and inspiration. I was very sad when Kate moved back to Oregon and I miss her dearly, however our friendship remains strong despite the distance between us.

Jacob

Groomsman

Jacob and I met thanks to Kaitlyn, who helped John and I find a roommate in the summer of 2024. Jacob came over to tour the house and as we were chatting in our kitchen, answering questions about the place, I knew that we had to go through with having Jacob sign the lease. I got a great vibe from Jacob and getting to know a little about him in that short time made me want to be roommates with him so we could get to know each other much more. Jacob and I soon realized that we are both Tucson natives and have bonded over our appreciation for the culture, food, and great coffee down south. Being room neighbors has been nice and I’m so lucky that our paths have crossed. We enjoy having deep conversations, getting coffee, and listening to fun music. He’s got me into house music and we love sharing new music with each other. My favorite memory with Jacob is when John, Jacob, Maddie(Jacob's girlfriend), and I went downtown to see True Loves and had a great night dancing and even playing pinball. I am very grateful for our newer friendship; it’s been wonderful getting to know Jacob and I admire his zeal for life.

Danika

Bridesmaid

Danika, Kaeden, and I go way back. Danika went to early elementary school with Kaeden and eventually transferred to my elementary school. Danika and I had mutual friends throughout middle and high school, but we really got to know each other my junior/ senior year of high school. We spent time together through bible club activities, school dances, and mutual friends. We eventually both came to NAU in Flagstaff and had lost contact for a few years. In summer of 2023, Danika and I reconnected after she asked for church recommendations. We started to hang out regularly and quickly got close, as we were supporting each other through difficult seasons. We joined the same small group and I had the honor of witnessing Danika get baptized. Last summer, I needed to find a new roommate and Danika happily accepted. Some of our more recent favorite memories include hiking Mt Elden, Chipotle dinner dates, and discussing the bible. I am so appreciative of the light and joy that Danika brings to my life. She always knows just the right words to encourage my faith and help spur me on. I am so grateful that our paths crossed again later in life and the friendship that we have now.

Simeon

Groomsman

Simeon is one of my newer friends. We actually met two weeks before I moved to Flagstaff. Our mutual friend, Adam, was moving into the room I was moving out of, so I got to meet/ get to know Simeon in a very quick manner. He is a phenomenal musician and I’ve had the opportunity to see him play live 4-5 times. We bonded over our love of Star Wars Legos, hard-core/ shoegaze music, and our relationship with Christ. Since I have left Tucson, he’s come to visit Flagstaff thrice and I’ve got to show him around town, he introduced me to espresso lemonade, and we have enjoyed the outdoors/ some neat hikes. One of my favorite memories with Simeon is when his friend Logan, him, and I went to Lake Mary, caught a ton of crawfish, and boiled them/ ate them right on the lake shore. But, I think one of our favorite things to do together is show each other new music. We call occasionally and voice note even more. We get to pray and share our struggles and hopes with each other. I am very happy to have met Simeon and I hope to stay friends for a long time.

Megan

Bridesmaid

I credit many of my best friends to Kayettes, my service club from NAU. As you can see, many of my bridesmaids are my "littles" from the group, but there is someone who came before them and is immensely important to me, my "big", Megan. As a fearful freshman, who didn't have any friends, I was very lonely and when I started college. My mom encouraged me to join a group to make friends and sent me a link to Kayettes. I decided to interview for the group and a couple weeks later received a mysterious and sweet letter signed from my "big". I attended the welcome breakfast and Megan welcomed me into the club with open arms and a warm smile. Megan was my first real friend at NAU and has been such an important influence in my life since then. The first time that Megan and I hung out was at the NAU dining hall and I remember instantly feeling safe with her. Conversation was so easy and natural. As we got to know each other, a sweet friendship formed. Other girls in the club said that our big/ little combo was a "match made in Heaven". Megan has always been a beautiful role model of hard work, determination, compassion, and humility. I am so grateful for her guidance and encouragement as I was working on my degrees. I was so happy when Megan announced that she was moving back to Flagstaff. I have the honor of seeing her regularly and enjoying quality conversations over coffee or dinner.

Parker

Groomsman

I was introduced to Parker by my cousin, over Instagram DM, who was friends with him from church. She told me Parker was going to start at my high school that fall and figured that we could get to know each other and become friends. We officially met in August 2016, when we started our sophomore year and over the next three years we hung out very often. We would play basketball, start bon fires, and explore Mount Lemmon. In 2017, I had the opportunity to go to Oceanside and Disneyland with Parker’s family. I think we could say that that is one of our favorite memories together. After we graduated, we really got into mountain biking and working out. We’d occasionally go on 20+ mile bike rides and explore the far east side of Tucson. Parker and I had the opportunity to live together for about two years and grew close because of that. We would often enjoy going to U of A basketball/ football games and going out to eat after. Since I’ve moved, we’ve been able to keep in contact, call every couple weeks, and read/ discuss books together. I’m very grateful to have kept this friendship alive for nine years now. We both have been through a lot of change since we met, but our friendship remains the same.

Aveen

Flower Girl

Kaeden’s cousin

Sarah

Flower Girl

Kaeden’s cousin

Grayson

Ring Bearer

Kaeden’s nephew