The Wedding Party: Brittany Colagerakis

The next bridesmaid I will be telling y'all about is my dear friend and forever roomie, Brittany Rue! Britt and I met through my sister Kayla before we came to college. They worked together at Beck's, and I woke up one summer morning to find a stranger sitting at my kitchen table - so of course her first impression of me was that I am flawless first thing in the morning 😉. Right off the bat, she was one of the nicest people I had ever met. We talked about moving to Wilmington and starting school, and we knew we'd probably be seeing each other around. What we didn't know is that God had much bigger plans for us than just occasional visits. One of my first weeks of college, Brittany, Kayla, and I went to a college ministry in town called Overflow. The night we went just so happened to be the night students were signing up for small groups. Brittany convinced me to join one with her, and that became the foundation of one of the most beautiful friendships of my life. Brittany moved in with Kayla and me second semester freshman year, and to say it was life-changing for me would be an understatement. Here we are, three and a half years later, and all I can think is, "If these walls could talk, oh what stories they would tell..."

My first year of college I really struggled to adjust to the huge transition that just took place. I had lost friends and all sense of the normalcy I was so used to for my whole life. Just when I thought I would never find my place again or find a best friend who could love me for me, Brittany came into my life. She filled so many empty spaces in my heart that I didn't even know existed. I think about our friendship and just cry tears of happiness because I know God gave her to me when I needed her most, and for that I will be forever thankful. 

Brittany and I have shared a room for the past two years, and what I thought was going to be a disaster turned into one of the best experiences of my life. How many people can say they have had a sleepover with their best friend every night for two years and still love them by the end of it? The correct answer? Not many. While she isn't always the cleanest person on the planet (amiright?), she is the easiest person to get along with. We have shared secrets, food, beds, late-night talks, and so much more inside the four walls of our little corner of the world, and that is something I am going to miss more than anything when our journey in the beloved Clear Run is over. 

Brittany is the most peace-filled person I know. She is full of grace and kindness and confidence in who God made her to be. As I have told her many times, she is the biggest example of God's grace in my life. There are very few people on the planet who can meet a stranger for the first time and make them feel like a friend, but Britt is one of those people. I genuinely admire her goodness and patience, and I am the luckiest girl alive to call her my friend.

Brittany has been so encouraging during our engagement season and is always the first to let me know she is here if I need any help. She is basically a pro at being a bridesmaid, so I am very excited to have her opinions and suggestions during this process. She is also one of the most easy-going people in the world, which makes her an awesome bridesmaid in itself. She constantly reminds me that this time is about me and Al and to do what makes us happy, and that is the kind of friend and bridesmaid everyone needs!

Britt, I love you more than any blog post could ever say. If I sat down and wrote every single reason why I am thankful for you, it would go on forever. You rescued me when I didn't even realize I needed to be rescued. You were a missing piece in my life that now fits so perfectly, and I am honored to have you as one of my bridesmaids. I hope you will always know how valuable and precious your friendship is to me and how much Al and I adore you. Thank you for everything, moo. I love you past the stars!

P.S. I'm not getting this sappy again until graduation because I cried TOO much writing this... 😢

The Wedding Party: Sydney Langley

Over the holidays, Al and I had the sweet honor of asking our closest friends and family to be members of our wedding party. We are so thankful for the 17 people who said yes to standing by our sides as we make the biggest commitment of our lives! For the next several blog posts, I will be telling y'all about each one of my dear bridesmaids and what they mean to my life. I hope y'all enjoy getting to know the blessings that are these sweet girls. They truly are treasure to me!



Sydney Langley is my "newest" friend of all my bridesmaids. We met freshman year of college when we joined the same small group. While we didn't click right away, it was always nice to hear about her life from a distance each week at small group. Toward the end of sophomore year, Syd and I starting talking more and spending more time together. She quickly became a person I knew I wanted to be around. Luckily for us both, she needed somewhere to live junior year and we were looking for another roommate. I really believe God ordained that circumstance because my life has changed so much by having Sydney in it.

In our two years of living together, Sydney has rubbed off a lot of her quirks and knowledge on me. She is one of the smartest people I have ever met. As a nursing student, she is so dedicated to learning as much about the human body as she can. Fortunately for her, I am her number one hypochondriac... err, I  mean patient 😉. She constantly reminds me that I am, in fact, not dying despite what WebMD says. She is the next best thing to having your mama around when you're sick because she genuinely cares about you feeling better. 

She is also a great listener. One of my favorite things about our relationship is that I can plop down on her bed while she's in the middle of working on something, and she lets me spill my soul to her without getting mad that I interrupted her study time. She desires to get to know who people are on the inside, not just who they portray themselves to be on the surface. She is one of the easiest people to talk to, and I have been so blessed to have that kind of friend live 10 steps away from me for the past two years.

Sydney is passionate, caring, attentive, driven, and just an all-around brilliant human being. Anyone who spends any amount of time with her will leave a little smarter, kinder, and happier. I have shared some of the deepest parts of my heart with Sydney Langley, and she still loves me the same. That is a true keeper.

Sydney was very involved in the months leading up to mine and Al's engagement. She helped him decide on the ring and was very in the loop the entire time. She was there to celebrate with us after he proposed and has been so supportive in these first couple of months of us being engaged. I could not imagine my wedding day without her by my side. She is one of the most organized people in the world, so having her as a part of my bride tribe is the BEST! I am so thankful she said yes to being one of my bridesmaids, and I can't wait for this next year with her!

Sydney, I love you to pieces, and I am so excited to have you as one of my bridesmaids. The honor is truly all mine to have you by my side! Thank you for everything you continuously do for me. Your friendship is one-in-a-million to me! I'm sending you a hug from a distance (since those are the only kind of hugs you like 😘). Love you so much, friend!