Wedding Party

Lucy McLaughlin

Bridesmaid

As Emily’s younger sister, Lucy has spent years perfecting the role of “professional younger sister”  - borrowing Emily’s clothes (without asking), inserting herself into Emily’s plans, and offering unsolicited commentary on Emily’s life choices. Nearly a decade behind but always trying to keep up, Lucy grew up watching Emily do everything first and do it well (most of the time). Somewhere along the way, the age gap stopped feeling like a divide and became something they barely noticed. What used to be two totally separate worlds — one filled with driver’s tests and curfews, the other with spelling quizzes and early bedtimes — slowly blended into the same stage of life. And in that overlap, they found that their purpose was to not only be sisters but great friends. To Lucy, Emily has always been the blueprint: kind, confident, generous, and the built-in role model she never had to search for. Standing beside her as a bridesmaid feels like the natural next step in her long, illustrious career as Emily’s little sister - and easily the best and most meaningful promotion she’s been given. She couldn’t be more excited to stand beside Emily as she marries Greg and they begin their next chapter together!

Erica Axtell

Bridesmaid

Erica is Emily’s youngest sister, and has spent her whole life looking up to Emily in admiration and boundless love. Though Erica was only going into kindergarten when Emily was starting college at JMU, she still felt so connected to her oldest sister, bonding over things like Harry Potter and Taylor Swift. Erica vividly remembers sitting in front of the computer on Emily’s lap, watching the “Love Story” music video and singing along with Taylor like it was yesterday.  She can’t help but laugh when she reminisces about going to the store with Emily as a toddler and having Emily be mistaken for her teen mom, or getting jealous when Emily would receive super awesome care packages in college (your time will come, six-year-old Erica!) Erica, along with her older sister, Lucy, would sit outside of Emily’s door at four and eight years old, trying to get in on the secrets of being a teenage girl. They just wanted to be half as cool as their oldest sister!  Emily’s confidence, intelligence, selflessness, and apparent inability to get embarrassed have been a monumental inspiration to Erica as she has grown into a young adult herself. She has always carried one wish with her - to be Emily when she grows up. Now, as Emily begins a new chapter of her life with her wonderful fiancé, Greg, Erica cannot wait to see the family continue to grow, but hopes that Emily doesn’t forget about her littlest sister (hehe)!

Aaron Marshall

Groomsman