The Wedding Party: Lillian Willis

The next bridesmaid I am going to tell y'all about is one of the most loving and beautiful people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Lillian Willis is truly an angel from Heaven, and I know anyone who has spent any amount of time with her would agree with me. Lilly and I met freshman year of high school at the prayer circle. We would see each other every morning, and even when I didn't know her that well, I felt like I did because she is that kind of person. Our friendship really developed over the four year span of high school through our mutual friend Lexi. We spent many weekends at her dad's beach house, went to prom together both years, hung out a couple semesters in journalism, and talked as much as possible with our different schedules. After high school was over, Lilly went to UNC-Charlotte and I came to UNC-Wilmington, and we remained just as close even with all the miles between us. In these four years of college, we have made it a point to see each other whenever possible on holiday breaks. Distance has become a normal part of our friendship, but when we are reunited, we easily pick up right where we left off. I think that is the measure of a true friendship.

There are two things that I absolutely adore about Lilly: her love for Jesus and her talent for dance. Lilly is a beautiful, tangible reflection of Christ's love in my life. She is someone that has always prayed for me and loved me in a way that no friend ever has. She exudes joy and peace in every situation, and every time I am with her, she sparks a fire in my heart to love Christ and people more. I think having a friend that encourages you to stand strong in your faith just by the life they live is a blessing, and it is one of my greatest joys to have that blessing in Lilly. Lilly is also the most beautiful dancer, and I am so proud of her accomplishments throughout the last four years of her dance career at UNCC. Watching her dance inspires me - not to become a dancer (because let's be real... ya girl can't dance 😂), but to do what I love with intent and a purpose. Everything Lilly does is intentional and purposeful, and those actions alone make her the most unique and special person.

It would be nearly impossible to name just one favorite memory with Lilly, simply because we have too many to name. Our friendship in high school was so carefree and youthful. We shared so many silly moments that really set the tone of happiness in our friendship. As we have gotten older, we have continued to have those silly moments, but we have also shared some of the most serious conversations I've ever had. We have seen each other through some of the toughest times, and our friendship has evolved into this unbreakable bond because of that. Every time I am with Lilly, we make a new memory that reminds me why we became friends in the first place: Lilly makes me a better person. She has the ability to make everyone want to do and be better for the people around them. What a gift she is.

Lilly wears her heart on her sleeve. She allows people to know the real her. She is a perfect example of every fruit of the spirit. She is constantly loving, continuously joyful, noticeably peaceful, endlessly patient, authentically kind, invariably good, consistently faithful, sincerely gentle, and unfailingly self-controlled. Every single thing Christ asks of us as His children, Lilly strives to do in her every day life. What a beautiful testament that is to how much she loves her Father and how much she loves the people around her! It makes my heart swell that I am able to call her one of my very best friends!

The most special thing about Lilly being a part of our wedding is that she and Al were actually best friends before Lilly and I even knew each other. The two of them together makes my heart so happy because I have gotten to see their friendship so clearly from both sides, and man do they love each other! Over the past four years especially, the three of us have become the three best friends you could ever have. Lilly is the biggest supporter of our relationship because she has heard every detail from both sides for the past six years. She has been a friend to both of us when we were struggling and has always encouraged us to seek God's will in our relationship. I don't have this fact confirmed, but I'm pretty sure Lilly was one of the first people Al called when he finally had my ring in his possession. They FaceTimed so Lilly could see it, and Lilly told me that the look on Al's face was perfect joy. So while Lilly will be standing on my side of the church when we're saying our vows, I know if she could, she would split herself in two so she could be on both sides. Her friendship is precious and priceless to us both, and we are a better couple because Lilly has loved us!

Lilly, you are one of the most important people in my life. I would not be half the person I am today if it weren't for you. Thank you for always encouraging me and loving me. I am honored to have you as a part of our wedding day. We have been talking about this time for so many years, and I can't believe it's finally here. Even when Al and I are old and married, the three of us will still be having Eno dates and talking about life for as long as we live. I love you so much, and I can't wait to share this time with you!

The Wedding Party: Abigail Bentley

I am so excited to tell y'all about my sweet friend, Abigail Bentley. Abigail and I met at Jennies Branch Baptist Church in youth group. I started attending Jennies Branch in June of 2010, and Abigail was basically born on one of the pews there. I knew of Abigail before we were in youth group together, but it wasn't until the summer before my sophomore year of high school that I truly got to know her heart. I was a little afraid of her at first because I felt like an outsider coming into this super close and tight-knit youth group. It didn't take long for us to forge a friendship though. We were usually the last two to leave from church on Sunday and Wednesday nights, and it was through many long talks on the swings and boisterous laughs on the Whirly Bird that I found one of the truest friends I've ever known. I was so sad to graduate high school because I thought my time with her was coming to a close - we didn't usually hang out outside of church and we wouldn't really have a "youth group" anymore as we were all going our separate ways in college. However, God saw fit to make Abigail and I even closer in these years after high school was finished, and I thank Him every day for her sweet spirit in my life.

Abigail and I have become each others' partners-in-crime over the last few years (and by "crime" I mean, we plan events together 😂). Our first summer after high school, Abigail and I got paired to help lead the youth during Vacation Bible School. We call the last week of July our "best friend week" because we are literally attached at the hip for a solid week straight. This was the start of the greatest dynamic duo of all time. Since that summer, we have helped lead three more youth VBS's and organized several holiday church functions together. Each time, our friendship grows more and more, and I honestly believe there is no better friend that you can have than Abigail Bentley.

One of my favorite memories with Abigail happened during one of these Vacation Bible School weeks. We had been going nonstop for a week straight, and commencement was the following night. We had so much to do to prepare for that, so we planned to stay for a little while after everyone had gone home to work out any of the kinks that might come up in the skit we were doing. We figured out how to work the sound system by ourselves (still proud of that), and we ran through the skit several times working out blocking and light cues. After all the work was done, we decided to just lay on the floor of the sanctuary and listen to the song that would be playing during the skit. We just laid there, side-by-side, listening to the music and taking in the beauty of this church we both love so much. I think it was in that moment that I knew Abigail and I would be friends forever because God had always been the very center of our friendship. Moments like these and so many more are what make Abigail so special to me.

Abigail is the strongest person I have ever met. She has taken on a life that she didn't plan for, but she has handled it with so much grace and love. She is equally beautiful on the outside and inside, and she always chooses to see the good in everyone. Her view of the world is one that is unlike anyone I have ever met. God has given her such a fresh perspective of the people and world around her, and it is so refreshing to me to listen to her take on life. She is one of my greatest encouragers, and I know whatever plans God has for Abigail Bentley, she will face them with courage, kindness, and humility. I can only imagine how proud her grandma is of her, and so am I! I am just honored to be a small part of her journey.

Abigail has seen almost every aspect of mine and Al's relationship. She has been there since the very beginning and has watched us grow together as a couple. I laughed out loud when Abigail told me she had known Al was going to propose to me since March (he proposed in October). Best secret keeper goes to her! The three of us have grown into young adults together, and it makes me so happy to know that Abigail loves Al just as much as she loves me. She is so supportive and is going to make the most beautiful and perfect bridesmaid.

 

Abba, in case you didn't know, you are one-of-a-kind to me. You will never know the impact you have on my life. Just yesterday, you called to check on me and asked how my heart and soul are doing, and all I could think was, "What did I do to deserve a friend like her?" You reflect Jesus in all you do, even when you don't realize it. I am so excited to have you stand by my side as I start this new journey in life. I will always love you more than you know!

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!