Maid of Honor
Marissa has been there since the very beginning. As she likes to say, "We are sisters by birth, but we are best friends by choice." As an older sister, she has always made that choice easy. She has taught me trust, loyalty and compassion by being there when I need to laugh or talk about life. Her genuine kindness and loving heart make me so proud to have her as my sister. I'm stoked that she accepted the invitation to be my maid of honor.
Best Man
Alex has been my best friend ever since we met on the second floor of our dorm, Xavier, during my sophomore year at Seattle University. Oddly enough, our shared love for German industrial music and a desire to learn the language brought us together quickly. The following year, we decided to study abroad together in Graz, Austria, and our lifelong bond was officially formed. Life has put us a long way apart. He's living in Denver now. However, it only takes a couple of beers and tales of great times to make the distance disappear, like it was never there.
Bridesmaid
I had the pleasure of meeting Bree on New Year's Eve in 2013. Nervous as ever to meet Clay's only sibling, I didn't want to make the wrong impression at her house at such a special time. It didn't take more than ten minutes for me to feel right at home. Bree made me feel like family, which is something she continues to do to this day. I'm so excited to be able to share this moment with my soon to be sister-in-law.
Groomsman
Ted's my brother-in-law. I figured that anyone who could make my sister happy and be her lifelong partner would be a great guy, and I wasn't wrong. We've grown close over the past few years and I'm excited to share this special day with him.
Bridesmaid
I've known Stephanie since the first grade. I honestly don't even know where to begin with the memories I have shared with her. One of my favorites is from high school. We were never known as "bad kids," but we still wanted to be cool. Collectively, we came up with the idea to skip class. I told her that I'd do all of the talking. When a security guard approached us and asked where we were supposed to be, Stephanie replied, "Class!" before I could even take a breath. Even though we ended up in suspension, I was thankful to have such a great friend to be there with. That's the great thing about our stories: we can look back at them and laugh. Thank you, Stephanie, for always helping me through troubled times and for being there for my wedding.
Groomsman
Shane, or as I call him, "Magik," met playing Gears of War on Xbox Live. I regularly played with a group of guys and, luckily, they invited him to join. I remember the first few matches with him: he was quiet, but he always knew when to speak up and everything he said made me appreciate having him with us. It didn't take long for us to start playing mostly exclusively together, both of us enjoying the easy-going company after long days at work and school. That was three years ago. Still, to this very moment, we hardly miss a day playing together. I feel very fortunate to have found such a great friend through unusual means and I'm pumped to have him in the wedding. Video games or not, he will be one of my best friends for life. He drove up to visit us from Atlanta, Georgia, in 2017.
Bridesmaid
Ashley and I met at nurse orientation for St. Louis University Hospital. Although we didn't sit together, she overheard me talking to someone about New Mexico and was eager, as I was, to connect with a fellow New Mexican. After that, her mannerisms made complete sense- "A, la!" and "I know, huh?" We quickly became best friends. Thanks to Ashley and John, her husband, we have had some great memories exploring the Midwest together. They are our St. Louis family!
Groomsman
Nathan actually first met my sister, Bree, and her husband, Ted, during their annual vacation to Couples Negril in Jamaica. He came to visit Bree and Ted for Ted's 40th birthday in Durango, Colorado, and that's when I first met him. We hit it off right away and, as luck would have it, we were blessed enough to share the Jamaican vacation with him, his girlfriend, Bree, and Ted in 2017. After that trip, I had no doubt that I wanted him to be in my wedding party. He's one of the most genuine people I know, one who is willing to travel across the globe to be with friends.
Officiant
Steve, or I as I call him, "Big Cat," is a six-foot-six mountain who has the one of the kindest hearts and best personalities I've ever known. I worked with him for seven years in Albuquerque and he taught me everything I know, eventually leading me to a promotion in St. Louis. Steve, his wife and four children reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Life gets in the way sometimes and, sadly, we aren't able to see each other as often as we'd like. Still, each time we hang out, we don't skip a beat. Having Big Cat marry us will make our wedding great and I can't wait!