Samantha & Kyle
Wedding Party
Meaghan Payne
Maid of Honor
Meaghan is my opposite in most ways, but in one way we never fail to be the same is in our unwavering loyalty to each other. Passionate about promoting equity and goodness in the world, she inspires me on a daily basis to think differently and strive to be a better person. I also love how much she loves Kyle. Meaghan is never afraid to speak her mind, so knowing that she chooses to spend time with him and enjoys it means the world to me. One day when she figures out what she wants to do in life, she’s going to change the world. But for now, I’m just thankful she’s here for me on my big day.
Kate Almarode
Bridesmaid
When I think of the words courageous and strong, I immediately think of my best friend, Kate. Since we met, she has been a constant in all aspects of my life, supporting me through everything under the sun and being by my side throughout all of college and each day as we take on adulthood. No one else understands my moods, emotions, and perspectives on life like my soul sister does. Loyal to her core, I am so excited and proud to have her by my side on my wedding day.
Madi Edgar
Bridesmaid
Madi and I met her freshmen year of college when she joined our sorority and ended up becoming my sorority little! I can't imagine how different my college experience would have been without her. When I think of Madi, I immediately think of the word "good" and immediately picture Jesus. She always leads me toward the cross, never fails to comfort me in hard times, and challenges me to be better every day. We never run out of things to talk about and tend to end up talking on the phone or eating dinner together for hours. Having someone like Madi standing by my side on my wedding day is one of the biggest honors!
Mackenzie Hunter
Bridesmaid
Sometimes I feel like Mack and I were meant to be real life sisters. She reads my mind before I do sometimes, always picks up on my cues and moods, and is probably the only person I don’t get frustrated with when it comes to stressful situations. She knows my love of having alone time and truly gets the need for it and understands how good traveling makes the soul feel. I’m praying she’ll never live too far away from me for too long despite her travel bug because her friendship is unmatched.
Taylor Verne
Bridesmaid
When I describe Tay to people that don’t know her I always use the word compassionate. I look up to her so much. She has persevered through so many hardships in her life and is still one of the kindest people I know. She is also one of the best listeners. She could have a million things on her list to do that day, but she will take any time you need just to be there for you. She constantly makes me laugh and I am so proud to call her a friend and so honored to have her with me on my wedding day.
Justin White
Best Man
Despite texting every day, I don't think we ever exchange more than four or five actual sentences a week, because we're just constantly barraging each other with niche memes and links to funny videos. Justin's helped me through some of the hardest times of my life, like when my laundry would pile up on a weekly basis in my sophomore year of college and he let me bring it to his apartment so I didn't have to pay to use the hall machines in my dorm. Or when I was so fed up with classes and he'd let me drive us home while blasting classical music in the Honda Pilot (which became a hallowed relic amongst my friends after he passed it down to me). So glad I have a person as grossly incandescent as Justin to call my brother and support me on our big day!
Wil Payne
Groomsman
Getting to know Sam while we were dating meant getting to know her family too. She spends a lot of time with them and basically just threw me into the mix the first time I met them and told me "you better think quick or you will not be able to get a thought or sentence in around them." The first thing I noticed about Wil was his witty sense of humor. He doesn't talk when he has nothing to say, but when he does it's usually hilarious or an opinion I know Sam and I really value. We both look up to his intelligence and the depth of empathy he possesses. We are both proud and honored to have him with us on our wedding day.
Kylon Callaway
Groomsman
Since meeting him through my fraternity in college, Kylon has always had my and Sam's backs. Sam actually knew him before I did, and that's one of the reasons she pushed me to join Lambda Chi in the first place. He shares my passion for creating memes and excessively quoting the movie Hot Rod, and pushes me along my fitness journey. Although this little Sailor can't attend our big day, I couldn't imagine not including him as a groomsman!
Cole Huffman
Groomsman
Cole 'Huff' Huffman never fails to make me laugh - whether it's late at night blasting Big Bootie Mix 16 or a random Snapchat of him offroading his jeep while blasting Pirates of the Carribean, I can always count on him to cheer me up. Pre-COVID, I had to travel to Lexington for work and wasn't expecting to have any amount of fun, but Huff pulled up to my hotel and took me around town, showed me the sights, and gave me a history lesson. Now anytime I have to go out that way, I can always count on a visit to Devil's Backbone to catch up, and whenever he randomly pulls up to Richmond we're sure to head over to this neat little place called Scott's Addition. I'm proud to have Huff by my side on my wedding day!
Michael Shirley
Groomsman
I met Shirley through Huff and Kylon, but over the last year and a half, I've really gotten to know him and am so glad I have. You can always count on Shirley to keep up with anything important you've got going on and to throw in some random pictures of his horses or pygmy goats while he's at it. You can also always count on him to fall asleep at 9pm on a Friday night and start snoring while on a call, only to randomly half-wake up to input some delirious murmurings to the conversation. I'm excited to have him by my side on my wedding day!