Carrie, also known as Carole King, is my little sister, my built-in best friend, and my favorite person to ever be born. She showed up only 22 months after I did, so I have no real memory of life before her, which feels exactly right because Carrie has always been part of my world. From sharing bunk beds and making up songs to playing hours of Sims, scootering home from baseball games, pulling pranks on Dad, taking road trips to Florida, and inventing whatever ridiculous tradition comes next, she has been my partner in everything. Carrie is thoughtful, insightful, sweet, and so funny that she can make our entire family lose it with one perfectly timed sentence. She is the person I love to harass most, the person who knows me in a way no one else ever could, and the person who makes life feel lighter just by being herself. Nick already loves her like his own little sister, and so do all of my friends, which says everything about how easy Carrie is to love. After everything we have grown through together, I am so grateful that we get to keep building our own traditions as adults. She is the sunshine of my life, and I cannot imagine this day without her by my side.

Monica has been one of my best friends since middle school, and there is truly no one else like her. She is the person who can make me laugh with her quick-witted replies, talk me through any crisis, and make even the most ordinary day feel like a story we will still be laughing about years later. She is mischievous in the best way, fiercely loyal, deeply wise, and somehow always knows exactly what to say. We grew up together through school dances, sleepovers, pranks, poker games with ridiculous consequences, California trips, and endless hours of catching up about everything and nothing. One of my favorite chapters was living with her and Jamaal, who patiently listened to all of my dating stories and encouraged me to go on another date with Nick, which turned out to be pretty solid advice. Monica is now an incredible child therapist and the most loving mom to our beautiful godson, KJ. Watching her build the life she has today has made me so proud. She is my comfort person, my forever ride or die, and one of the greatest gifts of my life.

Sarah and I met in college through Jesse, another bestie brought into my life by Chloe’s now-husband, after several people insisted we needed to meet. They were, of course, absolutely right. Sarah is one of the funniest, most creative, and most wonderfully unhinged people I have ever known. She is a brilliant writer, has a singing voice that I can only assume is what sirens sounded like, and is someone I could listen to talk or sing for hours without ever getting bored. Some of my favorite memories with Sarah include throwing surprise birthday parties for each other in college, taking spring break trips where no one wanted to be in the car with us, surviving our Thailand adventures that people were not convinced we would make it back from, and driving home from Colorado while talking for twelve straight hours without running out of things to say. More than anything, I love how deeply Sarah cares for the people and communities around her. She makes the world better wherever she goes, and I am endlessly proud of the work she has done, the person she is, and the friend I am lucky enough to have as one of my maids of honor.

Emma and I first met in high school, where we spent years singing in choir together and bonding over our shared love of creativity, math, and science. She is, without a doubt, one of the most adventurous and courageous people I know. Emma is the kind of person who puts herself out there, takes risks, and ends up living the coolest stories because of it. She has an infectious personality, the best smile in the world, and is always down for an adventure. I loved growing up with her, but I have loved even more getting to watch her become the incredible person she is today. She makes me so proud through her work in engineering and her commitment to making the world a better place. Some of my favorite memories with Emma include our choir shenanigans, our trip through Europe (having the time of our lives in Berlin, England, France, & Scotland!!). She makes every trip, every adventure, and every memory better just by being there.

I met Chloe in college through Jesse, her now-husband, and it was truly love at first sight for me too. She instantly filled my life with more adventure, joy, and ridiculous nights with our college family than I could ever count. Some of my favorite memories with Chloe include playing True American with the gang, laughing until we could barely function, ABBA dance parties, theme nights she was always fully committed to, and getting piggy-back rides home from our beloved college stomping grounds, McNally’s Pub. College would not have been the same without Chloe, and I have loved getting to grow from college chaos into adulthood with her. Since then, I have especially loved our Les Misérables singing nights at the lake house and the fact that Chloe can always be trusted to help me find the best mac and cheese in town. She is now a bonafide lawyer and heading to Laredo for her clerkship, and I am so insanely proud of her. I love how much she cares about making the world a better place, and I genuinely think it is better with her in the field of law. I am so grateful for our annual reunions and Beer Olympics that keep our college family together, and even more grateful to have Chloe by my side on my wedding day.

Lizzie, lovingly known as Dr. Lizzo, is the kind of person who can somehow give life-changing advice, make you laugh until you cry, and give you an unsolicited wedgie all in the same night. We met through Chloe back in college, and over the years she has become one of the people I look up to most. She is a brilliant physician, a trusted mentor, and the first person I called when I got my MCAT score back. Her pep talks are legendary, the kind that leave you feeling like you just walked out of a football locker room ready to win the whole game. Whether we are drinking Naturdays by the water, playing True American, taking old-fashioned family photos, or getting ramen with her amazing family on a snowy St. Louis night, Lizzie makes every moment better. I am so grateful to have Dr. Lizzo by my side on my wedding day.

Mags and I first met in seventh grade, and she instantly made me feel welcomed and loved. I had recently transferred from private school to public school and was still finding my people, and Mags was one of the first friends who truly brought me in. We had so much fun together from the very beginning, from sleepovers and watching Howl’s Moving Castle to playing Rock Band with her sisters, taking trips to the cabin with her dad, and getting into all of our many shenanigans. I have loved getting to call Mags my best friend through middle school, high school, college, and every chapter since. Our friendship has only grown stronger over the years. She is a fantastic mama to her two babies, one of the best nurses you will ever meet, and the kind of friend who will offer to do absolutely anything she can to help you. She is smart, hilarious, loyal, my favorite person to drink tequila with, and truly a ride or die. She will always be my Mags.

Libby, also known as Donnie or Dibby, has been my best friend since sixth grade. We first met in English class, where I tried to impress her by writing poems about pie, and somehow it worked. I was immediately drawn to her hilarious sense of humor, quick wit, and the way she loves to laugh. It is hard to imagine any version of my life without Libs in it. I have loved growing up alongside her through middle school, high school, college, and now adulthood. She has the best taste in music, effortless style, and endless creativity. She is an amazing artist, has the greenest thumb of anyone I know, and cares so deeply about the environment in a way that inspires everyone around her. Some of my favorite memories with Libby are our bike rides, concerts, visits to see each other, camping trips, and goofy conversations that always leave me feeling recharged. I am so excited to have one of my oldest and closest friends by my side on this special day.

JP, also known as Jessica, has been one of my soulmates since high school. We bonded instantly over our shared sense of humor, and she has been making me laugh ever since. Jessica is one of the most creative people I know, with a beautiful eye for film and a vision that is completely her own. Some of my favorite memories with JP include deciding to form a high school band that only played the first verse of “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve, wine nights that somehow turned into cutting and exchanging pieces of our hair with light chanting involved, meeting up in Berlin, and the year she dressed up as my dad for Halloween. She is an incredible dancer, a wildly talented artist, and is currently working on her master’s in film in LA, which makes us all so insanely proud of her. I can never predict what will happen when I am with JP, which is exactly what makes life with her so fun. She was there the night I first met Nick, and I am so excited she will be there when I say I do.

Morgan, also known as Morg-Dorg, and I became friends our freshman year of college, later became roommates, and life was instantly more fun with her in it. From slip-and-slide flip cup parties to working together at BreadCo, I have always loved the way Morgan turns ordinary moments into the best memories. She is intelligent, creative, hilarious, and always down to build something, try something, or turn any day into a full-blown adventure. We had the best time with our many shenanigans, taking spring break trips together, and playing beer pong as one giant person morphed together with her on my shoulders. She even turned Halloween into one of my favorite holidays. I love visiting her now in Madison and seeing all the amazing things she is doing in food science. Morgan is wildly talented, has the best taste, and I am so proud of everything she has accomplished and continues to accomplish.

I met Erin aka Er-Bud (read: Airbud) in college through her now-husband, Jacob, and I have loved every second of getting to know her over the years and how effortlessly fun and wildly creative she is. Some of my favorite memories with her are late-night talks at the lake house, thrifting and shopping together on trips, playing bocce ball, listening to Meow Mix while tanning on a boat, or simply sitting on a porch while she shares her endless wisdom. Er-bud has the best style of anyone I know, makes the most beautiful jewelry, and is truly a ride-or-die friend. I feel so lucky to have met her and even luckier to have her by my side.

I first heard about Simone when my sister was in third grade and could not stop talking about this awesome girl she had met. Once Simone started coming around, I immediately understood the hype. She has always been the funniest person in the room, the kind of person who keeps everyone on their toes in the best possible way. Over the years, Simone became so much more than my sister’s friend. She became part of our family and truly feels like another little sister to me. I cannot remember a time when she was not one of the main characters in our lives. I am so proud of everything she has accomplished, from all the work she has done since graduating to raising her sweet baby boy. I love our little sister dates, random evenings taking shots at Weber’s, and the fact that I can never predict what she is going to say next. Simone brings so much laughter, love, and chaos into our family, and I am so excited to have my little sister by my side on my wedding day.

Chloie is my sister-in-law and one of the funniest people in the family. She always says exactly what’s on her mind and keeps everyone laughing. Some of my favorite memories with Chloie include drinking dirty Shirleys together and, of course, teaming up to gang up on the brothers. We are so excited to have Chloie by our side on the wedding day!

Lis is one of the sweetest people I have had the joy of getting to know through Nick’s family. From the very beginning, she has always made me feel so welcomed and included. I love talking with her about her favorite hobbies, DnD, and the incredible art and crafts she somehow makes look effortless. Some of my favorite memories with Lis include attending the Renaissance fair together and getting to bond over all the wonderfully creative things she loves. I am so grateful to have her standing beside me on our wedding day.

Caitlin is Nick’s cousin and has been part of our story from the very beginning. She is creative, expressive, and has such a special way of bringing life and personality to every family gathering. Whether she is sharing a story, capturing a photo, or getting everyone involved in a creative project, Caitlin always adds something memorable to the room. I have loved getting to know her over the years and the memories we have shared, from getting Crumbl Cookies together to visiting Jo Ann’s house to interview her for her cookie cookbook. I am so grateful to officially become part of the same family and feel so lucky to have Caitlin standing beside me on our wedding day.