My oldest friend, Allison, and I met before I can even remember. Our moms were church friends and I don't know the exact age we were when we met but I've never not known Allison. In kindergarten, I instantly connected with a girl named Lauren, who sadly moved back to Minnesota with her family after 3rd grade. Through letters and phone calls and occasional visits, Lauren and I stayed close as kids even though we were living in separate states. Once Facebook and text messaging were invented, well, it became even easier to stay close. My friend Emily and I went to the same middle school but didn't become friends until we were in band together my freshman (her sophomore) year of high school. Elizabeth and I also met freshman year. She and Allison were in the clarinet section together at band camp and Allison invited her to eat lunch with our group of friends because she came from a different middle school and didn't know anyone. I think we were inseparable from that day forward. And then I have my sisters- Laura who I've known since birth because she's 3 years older than me, and my little sis Sami who I've known since HER birth which I remember like it was yesterday.
These are my girls. Choosing bridesmaids was extremely easy for me and I was so glad they agreed to be in my wedding. These girls did so much for me leading up to the wedding and on the wedding day. They helped plan and set up for a wedding shower and a bachelorette party, my sister made our save the dates and programs, my other sister helped me make decisions and set up appointments for me... For the most part, these girls acted as my army. But what they really did for me that I appreciated the most were the things I don't think they realized they were doing: just being themselves. From Lauren texting me non-stop the week before the wedding, getting me excited about everything, to Emily yelling profanities on our deck the morning of the wedding after I popped champagne for our mimosas, to Elizabeth crying when a dozen red roses were delivered to me the morning of the wedding from Chuck, to Allison paying close attention to details and making sure my dress got on the bus to the church, to Laura making phone calls to vendors the day before the wedding to make sure they were all ready to go while she was getting a pedicure, to Sami getting SO excited when I reminded her she would get to sign our marriage license. I could name 100 more little things like this that I took a mental note of which just goes to show how amazing these girls all are.
The night of the rehearsal dinner, all 6 of the bridesmaids spent the night in my parents' basement with me. It was the sleepover of all sleepovers. Mattresses sprawled out across the room, pillows and blankets everywhere. I fell asleep laughing and listening to my friends tell hilarious stories that can never be shared outside of the 7 of us. It was perfect. The morning of the wedding, we all woke up and slowly started chatting about the day. Lauren was sleeping with me on the futon and hadn't said a word yet, when all of a sudden she starts playing Party Rock on her phone. Without questioning it, we all just started dancing while still lying down and singing. She played several more songs including some old school NSYNC and we stayed there in the dark singing for probably 20 minutes. It was the perfect way to start off the perfect day.
I know everyone says they have the best friends and family in the world, but I really, REALLY do.
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