Bridesmaid
Emily is Rodney's oldest sister and my (Dawn's) best "mom friend". She is the mother of most of the kiddos who are also a part of our wedding. She has been such a wonderful mentor to Rodney and I as we have learned to blend our family and parent Charlotte together. She has been a consistent person of support for me, as a mother who is always offering a listening ear without judgement. She has helped me so much as I have transitioned from "sole parent" to "coparent" and I truly feel like I have grown so much as a mother because of the gentle and meaningful advice she has provided. And I feel blessed to be able to parent beside her as an aunt for the rest of my life.
Bridesmaid
Zoey is Rodney's middle sister and my (Dawn's) source of both reliability and fun. She is unbelievably bright and witty- and has been my style go-to throughout the entire wedding process. I can always rely on her to help me with anything that needs done. Need help finishing a wedding task? Ask Zoey. Need a babysitter? Ask Zoey. Need someone to come play board games with Rodney and I, who will tolerate Charlotte messing with the pieces the entire time? Ask Zoey (and her boyfriend, Thomas). I feel so very blessed that I get to marry her brother, but I feel just as blessed that I am also gaining a sister who I know will *always* be there when I need her, for the rest of my life.
Bridesmaid
Journey is Rodney's youngest sister, and probably the one most like me (Dawn). Journey, quite simply, is just a younger Dawn- and because our brains work the same, I find myself going to Journey when I really need someone to listen to me. She is my go-to when I'm stressed out and just need someone to help me feel better. She is my go-to when I want to watch horror movies, or eat ridiculous food, or simply sit quietly- but not alone. Journey is becoming my little sister through marriage, but she has been my very true friend long before that.
Groomsman
Case is my warm-blooded friend from Florida. He is also the solo sibling to the bride loving uncle to our child. Had this wedding not involved his family, we would have had a hard time convincing him to travel to Illinois. With the wedding being in October, the pure chance of temperatures below 80 would have easily deterred him from attending. Where some people choose to waste time studying frivolous degrees such as gender studies or accounting, Case took the smart man's route to pursue computer science. As such, he is the families go to man when we need help with complicated computer task like connecting to the internet or setting up the new remote control. Case is a great friend and is sure to light up your day when you meet him.
Groomsman
Michael is the cousin to the groom. Having only sisters growing up, he has served much more in the capacity of a brother. Having been raised by my mother, most of what I know about being a man was learned from Michael. His generally carefree and happy demeanor is contagious to anyone that knows him. He has three children of his own and is a wonderful role model as to what a father should look like. If you can't find him working or spending time with his family, you might want to look around siloam springs. He may be out chasing whitetails or wrestling with catfish. Michael has been one of my greatest role models, and I can't wait for you to meet him.
Groomsman
Noreak is the grooms best friend. Him and his wife Rachel recently had their first child Lena. Noreak is my longest held friend. I met Noreak at my first duty station at Fort Campbell Ky in 2012. After serving a tour in Afghanistan together, we both moved to Fairbanks, Alaska to continue to serve. Noreak has taught me everything I know about friendship. Our memories are filled with adventures of slaying salmon together, cooking great food together, and nearly freezing to death in the wilderness of Alaska. We weren't always prepared for the adventures we got ourselves into, but we always had fun. I'm excited to introduce, Noreak.