I wanted to have a creative way of "Popping the Question" to each girl and decided on making each of them their own Ring (Pop!) boxes. I was excited with how they turned out and loved getting down on my knee each time I presented the box to the girls. So cheesy but so fun!
And Now for the Big Announcement. Drum Roll Please...
Meet Rachel, Matron of Honor-
Where to begin when describing Rachel? She is my sister and
has been my best friend from the time I was born. Rachel has always been one of
my greatest encouragers and has been such a sweet source of wisdom over the
years. I am so thankful to have a sister that serves, leads, and loves in such
a sacrificial and graceful way. I love you the most, Rach. Fraid so dearie!
Thank you for being the best big sister a girl could dream of! I love all of
the memories we have shared and am excited to make many more in the years to
come!
Meet Lydia, Bridesmaid-
Goodness gracious, I LOVE this girl. Lydia has been one of
my sweetest friends for years now and was my roommate at UK for two years. I
hardly have a memory from UK without Lydia. Lydia and my friendship is defined
by late night conversations, a lot of singing, interpretive dancing, bed post
balancing, a whole lot of laughter, sharing the same brain, and so. many.
memories. Lydia was the first person I ever told about Darin and was the one
who saw me cry many nights in frustration. Lydia has been a prayer warrior,
encourager, accountability partner, and my best friend for years. I love this
girl's heart and cannot wait to sing and dance with her at the wedding!
Meet Sami, Bridesmaid-
Sami Sweeney. This girl is my longest lasting childhood
friend and one of my sweetest current friends. She is amazing and has always
been such a source of joy in my life! Sami (and her precious sister Abby) holds
so many of my sweetest childhood memories. The Sweeney Italian Restaurant,
Bomb, Dings, Grandma Names, lemonade stands, Barbie Cash Register, sleepovers,
late night talks, whirlpool, water bed, and so many other sweet times define
our childhood together. Sami has such a "sweet and spunky" heart and
always makes me laugh. I saw Sami just the day after we got back from South
Carolina and I couldn't NOT ask her to be in the wedding. I was just too
excited! On the same day, she asked me to be in HER wedding. I am so honored
and excited to celebrate and be celebrated by this precious sister!
Meet Torie, Bridesmaid-
Oh my precious kindred spirit, Torie. Words cannot do this
girl justice. We have been friends for years and I absolutely treasure the
encouragement, laughter, and love she brings to my life. When I text Tor asking
for prayer, I know without a doubt that in the moment, she stops and prays.
That is so powerful! Torie has the most contagious laugh and the BEST corny
jokes. She makes me happy! Torie and I pride ourselves in our ability to
talk for hours at Panera (or McAlisters) and cover any and all topics. I love
Torie and am so thankful for her precious friendship!
Meet Jen, Bridesmaid-
Jen-Bear Larsen. Love this girl so much! Jen and I really aren't sure where our friendship started, but we managed to become best friends who act like we've known each other for a lifetime. Jen seriously was a Godsend my sophomore year at UK. Every Wednesday night we hung out and often cried, laughed, and shopped at Target. Our weekly "date nights" were the boost of encouragement I needed to make it to the weekend and always left me so thankful that God had blessed me with such a precious friend. Jen makes me laugh so hard it hurts and has the best facial expressions and sound effects. She also has rocking dance moves. Seriously, this girl makes everything look cool. Ha! I love that our friendship has continued to grow and can't wait for the sweet times ahead of us. So thankful for you, sweet girl!
Meet Jess, Bridesmaid-
Jess MACDONALD. Oh yeahhhh, she's a married woman. Jess is
one of my newest and sweetest friends. We became friends about a year ago when
Darin became the campus pastor at Union Campus and started working with Jess'
now husband, Eric. Our first conversation was about the joys and struggles
of being minister "wives." Ha! God totally knew I needed Jess in my
life! I immediately fell in love with Jess' sweet and sassy spirit and
gentle and honest heart. Jen, Jess, and I are the three musketeers these days
and love getting breakfast before church and spending lots of time talking
about life and what God is doing in our hearts. Jess is such a precious friend
and I am so thankful to keep making memories with her in the years to come!
Meet Page, Bridesmaid-
Future Sister-In-Law, beautiful role-model, sweet friend,
and amazingly Godly woman are just a few words to describe Page. For nearly 6
years, I have admired Page and have been encouraged by her love for the Lord. I
first "met" Page through her blog (which is awesome!) and thought the
world of her. I remember thinking, "Wow, Darin has such a cool sister. It
would be so awesome to have her for a sister." Ha! Well, my dream came
true! How funny is that? Page is crafty, creative, honest, nurturing, passionate,
sacrificial, and wise. I love the way she loves her husband and two PRECIOUS
girls. Goodness, I love those girls. Page loves and leads well and is a great
source for Godly advice, laughter, and love. I can't imagine having a better
sister-in-law!
Meet Selah, Flower Girl-
Selah is my future niece and I just love her to pieces!
Selah has such a sweet and spunky personality and loves being the center of
attention...it's awesome! Darin and I have joked and said she will be the showstopper
at the wedding. Selah brings so much joy to our family and keeps us laughing.
Her sweet sister, Zoe and she are too cute for words and have Darin and I
wrapped around their little fingers. Kevin and Page (their parents) are raising
their girls to be God-fearing, grace-filled, and loving little girls. I
love watching Selah grow and cannot wait to see what God has in store for her!
Look out everyone, there is going to be a whole lot of cuteness at the wedding!
