The Wedding Party: Alex Wickel

This next bridesmaid y'all are going to be reading about is one of my lifelong friends, the beautiful Alex Wickel. Alex and I became friends in second grade, and my very first memory I have of her is from when we both went to Project Fitness that year... (can we take a moment to LAUGH OUT LOUD that I made it to Project Fitness to run the mile? In case you were wondering how that turned out, I came in dead last and almost passed out 😂). From that moment forward, Alex and I spent almost every single weekend of our elementary and middle school years together. She was the first true best friend I ever had. Everyone knew that we were each other's best friends, and we were always a duo anytime anyone talked about us. Her family became my second family and vice versa. We have shared so many laughs, tears, fights, and secrets throughout the years, and I am so thankful we have stayed as close as we have even through many years of distance between us. Alex's friendship is what I compared all my other friendships to growing up, and there were some big shoes to fill because of that. She has always been such a loyal and constant part of my life. Things are always the same every time we're together, and it makes me so happy to know that our 15-year friendship is just as special today as it was when we were seven-years-old.

My favorite memories with Alex come from the many weekends we spent at my house chasing  bees on the golf cart, driving cars around the yard, playing hide-and-seek in the corn field, and so much more. She was the perfect childhood best friend for me. Basically all the memories I have from childhood include Alex. We both were obsessed with baby dolls when we were younger, so we would pretend to be moms and drop our babies off at different "daycares" (aka in the woods by a tree) and then we'd run our errands and come back to get them. The problem was that we would sometimes forget where in the woods we made the daycares, so some of our babies probably got eaten by bears. We would also pretend that my mom's greenhouse was McDonald's, and we would drive up on the golf cart to one side and place our order, and then drive around to the other side to "pick it up." She and I really let our imaginations run wild in the Green Swamp. There were so many nights that my mom and dad would have to yell for us to come inside because it was after dark and we might run into something. Those are times everyone should have with a childhood best friend, and Alex and I have been fortunate that our friendship has continue to grow as we have over the years.

One thing many people might not know about Alex and me is that we went our separate ways for much of our high school years. Alex has always been very athletic, so when we got to high school, she pursued her love of volleyball and softball and became friends with the members of those teams. I, on the other hand, don't have an athletic bone in my body, so I pursued clubs and academics and became friends with people in that circle. We rarely hung out during those four years, but it was an unspoken truth that we always had each other's backs. Because Alex and I are more like sisters than friends, it didn't matter how long we went without speaking to each other. We have always loved each other the same. Luckily, once high school was over, we started spending more time together and even now, as busy as our lives are, we make time to see each other as often as we can. We share an unbreakable bond, one that I will always cherish.

Alex is the purest and most genuine soul I know. She is a ray of sunshine in the lives of so many people, including mine. Her heart is golden, and she goes out of her way to make people laugh and smile every chance she gets. She could be friends with anyone because she is so bubbly and full of life. She has a magnetic personality that draws people to her, and that is one of the many reasons why I love being her friend. Alex is as honest as a person can get, and there is no one I trust more to tell me like it is. She has all the characteristics a person thinks of when they think of a great best friend, and I have had that friendship for my whole life. How lucky am I?

The day Al and I got engaged, I called Alex to tell her, and she reacted with as much as excitement as I expected. She literally flipped out and was so eager to hear every detail of the day. She and Al sort of ran in the same circle in high school, just because they both were so heavily involved in athletics and weight lifting. The three of us haven't had as many opportunities to hang out, but it makes me so happy to know that Alex is so supportive of our relationship. Every time we're together, she wants to hear every detail of what we have planned since the last time we talked, and it means so much to me that she wants to stay involved. I could not imagine my wedding day without Alex as one of my bridesmaids. She has been there for almost all the big moments of my life, and it would not be right without her there for the biggest moment! She is going to be a stunning bridesmaid, and I know she will walk away from my wedding day having made friends with every person in our wedding party because that's who she is.

Alexandra Jordan, you will always be my first "Al." I am so grateful for all the years of friendship we have shared. Thank you for always being so good to me and showing me as a child what the meaning of true friendship is. I owe everything I know about being a good friend to you. I am so excited to have you standing with us on our wedding day. You will always be family to me - my sister at heart. I hope you've enjoyed reading this trip down memory lane as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love you past the moon!