Laura & Devon
Wedding Party
Natalie Garvin
Maid of Honor
A superstar of epic proportions. Nat is Laura's best friend in all the universe. They met on their residential advisory staff Laura's senior year of college, but often report that it feels like they've been together since grade school. They grew up in the same hometown and were in all the same places for years; little did they know, the Lord would take His time with them, knitting the two together in an unbreakable bond at the perfect time. Since then, their adventures have been limitless from Tahoe to Dana Point to Carlsbad (some of their favorite spots). & Laura quickly learned that Nat is without a doubt the right balance of sweet and spicy to be Laura's girlfriend soulmate. Together, they are a powerhouse of ambition and adventure. They both love the Lord, serving in church community, traveling, all things Maverick (Nat's dog), and sweet, sweet music (there's quite a repertoire of genres here). Natalie is a biomedical engineer (pretty & smart, we know!) and loves the beach almost as much as Laura does. She loves going out and enjoying a coffee (Laura's love language) and has a heart for gathering people together. Her parties are epic and a lot of fun, just like she is. Natalie is encouraging and hard-working, a true gem. She's seen Laura through the good and bad times; the proof is in the pudding. Laura is truly blessed to have a maid of honor that prays for her and with her, someone that will help take care of and enjoy life with her on her wedding day & beyond.
Sabrina Wallace
Matron of Honor
Sabrini! as she is belovedly called is one of Laura's best friends. She is someone that inspires, loves, and leads with beauty and grace. The two were assigned roommates their freshmen year of college. Now whereas this normally wouldn't go so well, Laura and Sabrina became insanely close friends instantly. Laura would often and still does refer to her as "the sister that she's never had, but has always wanted." The memories that Laura and Sabrina have made together over the past decade are truly timeless. From colliding on their skateboards the same day they met to hiking and camping with some of their bestest buds and everything in between, Laura's life would not be the same without Sabrina. She truly believes that Sabrini's love for her, her devoted prayers, and their time spent together has saved her life multiple times. And yes, Laura is getting emotional while writing this. Laura knows that Sabrina was the only right choice for this position of honor as she is wise beyond her years and has really lit the path forward for her close friends when it comes to married life and what it means to truly love and live well, putting God above all else. We love our Sabrini and her incredible husband, Wyatt too. P.S. Together, Sabrina and Wyatt would host Laura every Thursday night for dinner for a season and they got to hear all about Devon over tables of delicious meals. Laura is definitely excited to bring those dinners back soon with the added bonus of being a true party of 4!
Asia James
Bridesmaid
Asia is simply an exceptional human being and easily one of Laura's favorite people on this interestingly fun planet that we all inhabit. The bride and groom are so grateful to know her and to have the continued opportunity to get to know her in deeper and more meaningful ways. Laura & Asia first met upon becoming roommates, as they were literally signing the lease. Their friendship took off from there. Asia has been a constant support and hype woman for Laura and Devon's relationship and their consistent pursuit of Christ individually and collectively. She makes her support known and Laura & Devon have never doubted her deep and intentional love for them. Laura and Asia's memories, adventures, shared experiences, prayers, conversations, and moments of pure spontaneity have brought literal life and pure joy to Laura's soul. Asia is one-of-a-kind, a beautiful friend, inside and out. If you know Asia, you know she asks the best questions & that she is objectively hilarious. Laura knows that the Lord has knitted and grafted their hearts together in friendship for such a time as these last 4+ years have been. Their friendship has been constant in the moments of celebration and sorrow and for this, Laura will be forever thankful. It's no shock that Asia has a special place in D & Lo's life and therefore in their bridal party as well. She is going to bring down the house with her dancing, and the newlyweds can't wait to celebrate with her on wedding day and every day after!
Tatiana Kuon
Bridesmaid
T, Tots, Tati! Dependent upon their season of life together, Laura has loved and continues to love calling T by these sweet nicknames. Tati is the ultimate friend. She's incredibly special to Laura & Devon. We say this for a number of reasons. She has been Laura's friend through many seasons since the early 2010's in high school and has been Devon's friend since 2018-2019 as well! Tati and Laura have grown up together through the years and have seen each other through the best and worst of times. The love they have for one another is incredibly fierce and strong. FUN FACT: Devon & Laura would not know one another, let alone be preparing to get married and share their lives with one another forever, without Tati. Both Tati and her fiance, Joey, were crucial and incredibly patient in Laura and Devon getting together. They basically kick-started D & Lo's relationship and they would not have been possible without Joey and T. This would be reason enough for her position in the bridal party, but Tati is known, loved, and appreciated for so much more, for who she is. Tati is indescribably beautiful, inside and out. She works hard at her nursing jobs & beyond and she loves hard too. Laura and T love going on adventures together (their favorites probably being weeks in Kauai & the great HSLOT run of 2022-2023. They were at 3 Harry Styles concerts in the span of 3 mos. and Laura wouldn't have it any other way. T, WE LOVE YOU. FOREVER & ALWAYS.
Gwendolyn Ramirez
Bridesmaid
Gwen or G (as Laura calls her!) is seriously the best friend Laura could ask for. (Devon, too.) Laura and Devon love Gwen SO. MUCH. and cherish the time that they get to spend with her. Gwen is a beautiful, strong, wise, kind, brave, compassionate, and fierce friend, who to Laura, has become much more like a sister. G is simply one of the most beautiful and brave humans that Laura has ever known & she is so eternally grateful to know her. The LORD knits hearts and souls together and He has been so kind and gracious to do so with Laura and Gwen. In His appointed timing, they have grown together through both adverse and beautiful times. G has taught Laura more in the way that she lives than she will ever know. She doesn't just speak; she follows through with action. Gwen inspires people to be better, listens to Taylor Swift with Laura, indulges in DF sweet treats with her, empowers fellow women, and laughs at increasingly funny memes and videos with D and Lo too. Who could ask for anything more? Even so, the list doesn’t stop there. Gwen has prayed for and with Laura, has stuck by her side through the unpredictable craziness that has been the last 5+ years and has loved Laura & Devon so well; she is an incredible gift of a person. Gwen is one of Laura's current roommates and she has been present with Laura throughout the wedding planning process. The newlywed couple can't wait to celebrate with her on wedding day and to continue living life with her beyond the wedding as well.
Danielle Nelson
Bridesmaid
My Dan! (as Laura calls her) is an incredible friend to both Laura and Devon. Through conversations and prayers, Danielle has been apart of all of the preparation leading up to and through Laura and Devon's marriage. She asks incredible questions and loves D and Lo so well! Laura and Danielle have been friends for 8+ years now, meeting at CBU through Sabrina. Their relationship definitely started off on the right foot. They had one strong thing in common as sophomores; they had signed up for way too much! So together, they each said "no" to something and took something off of their overfilled plates. Since then, they have been on countless adventures together and have become roommates. They've laughed and cried, celebrated and grieved, through the most fun and most difficult parts of life. Danielle and Laura have encouraged one another through and through with letters and notes around the house. They have the same humor when it comes to memes and a shared appreciation for lyrical worship music. Dan is strong, truly beautiful, kind, brilliant, brave, adventurous, wise, and fun. Her love for Jesus is infectious and her heart for all people is inspiring. The bride and groom's friendship with Danielle is invaluable. Dan, we can't wait to celebrate with you all that the Lord has done and will continue to do on wedding day and beyond! We love you more than you love enchilada casseroles. :)
Katherine Poole
Bridesmaid
KT! or Katie as she is known is one of Laura's closest friends, confidants, and adventure partners. She loves the Lord, her family, and her friends (including Lo or Laur as she lovingly calls her); there is plain evidence and fruit of this everywhere you look. She, like Laura, works in education and has a strong desire to live a vibrant and adventurous life. The two bond over their love for Christ, cooking, country music, and almost any adventure inside and outside of the house. Katie is one of Laura's current roommates and is an incredible blessing in more ways than one. The two have real conversations almost on the daily and do their best to encourage each other, knowing how specifically demanding their respective jobs can be. Katie is most definitely the cool aunt of our sweet friend group and will be the one that hosts our future family at her ranch:) ; she takes care of Laura in such special ways, models a God-centered life, and inspires everyone that she meets. Her joy is infectious and her light is undeniable. Laura and Devon are so incredibly grateful for KT and the irreplaceable role that she plays in their lives.
Amelia Epps
Flower Girl
Amelia or Mia is our precious, incredibly kind, and beyond intelligent flower girl. This sweet 5 year old is Laura's favorite; they were best friends for at least a year. Every day for 8 months, Laura and Mia had a routine together with Mia's mom, Nicole, grandmother, Deana, and brother, James. They would have breakfast, go on walks, read books, watch ocean docuseries & documentaries, have swimming lessons, bubble parties, dance off's, and would take trips to the local arboretum. From morning to evening, Mia taught Laura so much about what it means to love, serve, and care for a small human. She would also make Laura laugh and the adventures that they would all go on were always so sweet. Laura also had the privilege of being her Sunday school teacher when she was old enough to be in the 2 year old's class. Getting to be a part of Mia's prayer life and her processing when it comes to what it means to love Jesus and live like Him was so incredibly special. It was such a sweet time and Laura will cherish it in her heart forever. The future is bright and Devon & Laura can't wait to see who Mia will grow up to be and all that she will do and accomplish for the Lord's Kingdom and beyond in the future. We love you, Mia!
James Epps
Ring Bearer
James! Our bubba/bubbasito. We love you so! James is Amelia's younger brother and Nicole and Isaac's second child. He was 4 months when Laura had the opportunity to meet him and have fun with him on a daily basis too! He is now 4 which is JUST INSANE. He is the first baby that Laura has consistently held and rocked to sleep. She remembers singing Jesus loves you and almost any worship song that would pop into her head to help him fall and stay asleep. She remembers praying over him each and every day and even getting to take him into the pool for the first time too! Water safety and the ability to swim are both very important to her. James was the sweetest infant and now he is the most fun, energetic, and incredibly sweet toddler. We are honored to have him as our ring bearer, and like Mia, we're so excited to continue to love and support him throughout his growing life, looking forward to all that is to come!
Pastor Kenny Perdue
Officiant
Pastor Kenny is the best officiant and counselor that Laura and Devon could've prayed, hoped, and asked for. His love for the Lord and for Laura & Devon is evident in how he has lead them through this season of preparation so far. His authenticity and joy are infectious! We are so excited and are looking forward to him being the one to facilitate our wedding ceremonies and continuing our relationship with him at our home fellowship, Patria church, afterwards.