Jake and Emilie

I met Kelsey freshman year of high school at volleyball. Shes acts offended that I say our moms forced us to be friends, but she knows we were both too awkward to become friends on our own. It worked out pretty well for me because it turns out Kelsey is awesome. She's been there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on and someone to feed me chicken fingers and she's been there to help me celebrate my successes (sometimes a bit too much celebration). She was even there to remind me that Jake was pretty cute and nice the night I decided I should put some moves on him. I'm so thankful for all her support over the last 14 years and I'm honored to have her by my side on the big day!

When Chelsea was born she was the only cousin I had on either side of my family, and admittedly I thought she was a doll at first (I was 4 ok). From playing with American Girl Dolls to planning our weddings together, we've always been close. She's always been wise beyond her years and been a voice of reason when I've needed it. It's been awesome having her with me in Des Moines for the past few years, and I'm so happy to have her as a bridesmaid!

Anna is Jake's little sister. He's still pretty bitter about the time she accidentally stepped on his Super Nintendo when she was 2, even though he got his revenge by telling her she would go to hell if she didn't eat some dog food. Surprisingly, despite Jake's childhood shenanigans, Anna grew up relatively unscathed and agreed to be a bridesmaid. I'm super excited to have her in our wedding party and even more excited to have her as a sister!

Karly and I were in AXiD together, and she was the VP when I was the president, so we went through some STUFF together. Most of my more ~wild~ college stories involve Karly in some way. She's watched me be a true garbage monster of a person and somehow still likes me. She really upped my crafting game and I have her to thank for my addiction to colored pens. She continues to be my partner in crime and will no doubt be an asset at the reception.

I also met Grace when we joined AXiD. We lived together in room 304 during the time when saying "go HAM" was cool, and let me tell you, 304 WENT HAM. We realized we might have had a problem with our obsession with cats when we were told we should probably hide some of our cat decorations for recruitment and when the freshman class didn't know which one of us was which and just knew us as "the ones that like cats". Grace also made me read beyond a middle school reading level in my free time and continues to help me with grammar conundrums (please don't judge my run-on sentences). Can't wait for 304 to go HAM at the second 304 wedding!

Rebi is yet another AXiD pal, and we studied abroad in Spain together. When I first met her, I suggested we bond by getting dermal piercings. We did not go through with this, which continues to be one of the better choices either of us has ever made. I realized Rebi would be my friend for life somewhere between avoiding a rowdy French rugby team in a sketchy hostel and skinny dipping in the Mediterranean Sea. Rebi encourages adventure in everyone around her, so I'm happy to have her with me as I start my next life adventure (ugh, yes, I am aware of how cheesy that sounds).

Brianna AKA Roone (not sure if my parents even know her first name) is another of my AXiD buds. Roone has been with me for a lot of shenanigans from befriending stray dogs and sneaking into hot tubs in the Dominican Republic to exploring the bars in multiple cities together. She's also answered about a billion of my questions regarding public health and still likes me, so that's got to be a good sign. I can't wait to have Roone up there with me on the big day!