The Wedding Party: Courtney Ligon

Last but certainly not least, I will be telling y'all about my beautiful matron of honor, my sister Courtney. Courtney is nine years older than me, which used to seem like so much when we were growing up. She went from being the only child for almost eight years to gaining two little sisters in less than two years. I know that was a big adjustment for her, and I am positive Kayla and I didn't make it easy on her. When I was little, I thought Courtney was the coolest person alive. Anyone who knows me knows that I have trouble remembering a lot of things from when I was little, but one thing I definitely remember was how much I wanted to be just like Courtney. She was my role model growing up, and she was always such a great example for Kayla and me. Courtney left for college when I was in fourth grade, so sadly a lot of my memories from then until I was probably in high school don't really include Courtney. With our age difference, we lived on different planets for a long time, but fortunately we have made up for that especially in the last few years. To this day, I still think Courtney is pretty cool (sometimes 😎), and she is definitely still one of my role models. She is so driven, so classy, and so generous. She is one of the best wives and mothers I know, and I am honored to have her by my side on my own journey to becoming a wife.

Because of our age difference and very similar personalities, Courtney and I have butted heads a lot throughout the years. Our mom says that trying to argue with either one of us is like arguing with a wall. Courtney and I simply believe that we should share what is right with people instead of letting them just be wrong. Courtney is very headstrong and has very strong opinions about most things. When I was younger, that really bothered me because I didn't want to hear her opinions if they weren't similar to mine. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate her opinions more because I know we can disagree and still get along. Courtney has "mothered" me most of my life, and I know that is out of genuine love and concern for my best interest. One of my biggest worries as I got older was that Courtney and I would never develop the kind of sister relationship that Kayla and I share. I always wanted to be closer to her, but we never really shared any common ground. I distinctly remember the day Courtney and I began to have the relationship I had been wanting for so many years. Over the last three years especially, Courtney has become one of my best friends. While we still disagree and our personalities are as similar as ever, I adore the relationship we have now. The funny thing is it is  nothing like the relationship Kayla and I share, but it is equally as special and strong. I wouldn't trade our years of differences for anything in the world because they helped me to better understand Courtney and made our relationship what it is today.

My very favorite memories with Courtney started on June 22, 2014. Courtney called me about a week prior to that date and told me she was coming into town to surprise our mom for her birthday. It had been a couple months since we'd seen her, so I knew mom would be so excited and surprised. I was going to be the only one home around the time she was getting into town, so I was there waiting for her when she got there. We sat and talked for a little bit, and then she got up to go to the bathroom. When she came back, she had an envelope in her hand. I thought she was handing me an invitation to her best friend's baby shower. I started opening it, not really paying attention to what I was doing. When I opened the card, the top portion was an ultrasound, and the bottom portion said, "Will you be my Aunt Moe? Love Baby Ligon." My heart could have exploded. I dreamed of becoming an aunt for so long, and she made that dream come true. I was so eager to share in her joy with her, and I am so thankful she allowed me to do that. We have talked more in the last two and a half years than we ever have in our lives, and our relationship has blossomed because of that. I am amazed at the mother she is - she was honestly made to be a mom. Being an aunt is one of my all-time favorite things, and it has given me so many sweet memories with my sissy. My only hope is that one day I can be half the mom that my mom and Courtney are; if I can do that, I feel like I'll be doing something right.

Courtney is the most generous person I know. She would give someone her last dollar if they needed it. She is always willing to go above and beyond for the people she loves. She gives her time and energy so freely to making sure those she loves are taken care of. She is also unapologetically who she is, and I don't know many people like that. She is confident in the person God made her to be and doesn't really care about what other people think of her. That is a quality I admire so much in her. She takes pride in her job as a wife and mother. Even when she doesn't feel like she's doing enough, the fruits of her labor can be seen in the happiness of her hubs and sweet girl and the quality of life she has made for herself. I could go on and on about the impact her dedication to her family has made on me. I am so proud of her and want her to know that her hard work doesn't go unnoticed. She is something truly special, and I am honored to call her my sister.

  

Courtney hasn't been able to spend as much time with Al as the rest of my family has. Their relationship is still growing, and that is really important to me. Al knew Courtney wouldn't be able to physically be there on the day he proposed, so one day he FaceTimed her while he was at the park so she could see where it would be taking place. Courtney told me that it was pouring rain that day, but he still wanted to show her, which is so precious to me. Courtney was able to be there through FaceTime that afternoon, and it made me smile so big to see her sweet face through the phone. Throughout the planning process so far, Courtney has been my biggest help. She has given me the best ideas and really taken into consideration what I want. She is very practical, which is exactly what I need because I can be a little impractical from time to time. I have loved every minute of getting to plan our big day with her, and it means so much to me that she wants to be so involved. I really hit the jackpot in the maid/matron of honor department. I am so excited to see all that they have planned for me during this special time in my life. I couldn't ask for a better sister or matron of honor than Court.

Courtney, you are so many things that I hope to be someday. I genuinely think you are one-of-a-kind, and you offer the world so much of what it needs to be a better place. You carry yourself with so much grace and class, and anyone who knows you is a better person because of it. I admire who you are as a wife and a mother, and I could never thank you enough for the influence you have on my life. I love that our relationship is always evolving, and I know without a doubt that you are one person I can always count on. Thank you for always being my big sister, second mom, and sweet friend all in one. Your title in my wedding might have the word "honor" in it, but I am truly the one who is honored to have you by my side. I love you more than I will ever be able to tell you.

The Wedding Party: Kayla Wade

It is finally time for me to tell y'all about my perfect maid of honor, my sister Kayla. Kayla and I are 16 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days apart. We are as close to twins as any sisters who aren't twins can get. As small children, I was her real-life baby doll. I would follow her anywhere, say anything she told me to, and do anything she instructed (I still do...). We have home videos of someone asking me what I got for Christmas, and I started to tell them and Kayla put her hand up and said, "Hush Morgan, let me tell it." That is an accurate depiction of my life with Kayla Wade as my sister. We shared a room until our oldest sister went to college when Kayla was 10 and I was 9, so we have spent a good deal of our lives being attached at the hip. Growing up, we fought like cats and dogs. I have a vivid memory of Kayla and me rolling around on the floor fighting, and she stuck her big toe in my eye and almost blinded me. I'm sure she has equally embarrassing fight stories she could tell you about me. There is no one on the planet who can get on my nerves like Kayla can. However, as we've gotten older, we have become best friends, and I can say wholeheartedly that there is nothing more special than having a sister who is your best friend. She thinks she loves me more because she has loved me as long as I've lived, but really I love her more because I've loved her my whole life. There is no one in the world like Kayla to me, and I can't even begin to explain what it means to me to have her as my maid of honor.

There are two stories that I knew I wanted to share in Kayla's post because they are both so dear to my heart. Some background for the first story: One of the only things I had ever really done without Kayla was join a youth group. It was so different for me to be somewhere she wasn't, but I desperately wanted her to be. For almost two years straight, any time any of the youth leaders would ask for prayer requests, I asked if we could pray that my sister would come to know Jesus. I consistently prayed that prayer until one day Kayla came to an event a local ministry was having in Ocean Isle Beach. She was waiting for some of her friends to get to the beach, but she didn't know how long it would be before they got there. Looking back now, it was definitely God's hand at work. Kayla and I sat and listened to the speaker talk and at the end of his message, he asked if there was anyone who hadn't accepted Christ as their Savior that felt the pull on their heart to do so. I look over, and Kayla was raising her hand. There are few words that could describe that moment for me and I know even more so for her. Kayla accepted Christ that day, and to this day, it is one of the biggest milestones in my walk with Jesus because He showed how faithful He is to answer prayers in His perfect time. So not only is Kayla my sister by blood, she is also my sister in Christ, and I am overjoyed to know that even when our time on Earth is done, we get to spend an eternity walking the streets of gold and sitting at the feet of Jesus together. Her faith is a blessing to me, and I am so proud of the Godly woman that she has become.

This second story is a testament to my statement in the first story about us never really doing things separately growing up. That was still the case when it came time for college. Kayla is a grade ahead of me, so she moved to Wilmington to attend UNCW when I was a senior in high school. My first choice school was Campbell University, and I just knew I was definitely going to end up there. Through God's providence once again, I ended up having to go to my second choice school... none other than UNCW. Kayla and I decided it would be nice to save some money and move into an apartment together when I came to Wilmington, and that is exactly what we did. It was almost like we were little girls again because we had to share a room that first year. For the remainder of Kayla's time in college we lived together (but not in the same room because we almost killed each other... lesson learned). I do not regret a second of the time Kayla and I got to spend living together outside of our parents' home. College has been a life-changing experience for me, and it makes it even more worthwhile that I got to share that experience with my sister across the "hall." This is the second year in my whole life that I've ever lived without her, and I miss her OCD, sassy behind every day. Of all the things I am most thankful for, the thing that tops the list is that Kayla has lead the way for me most of my life but always knows the perfect time to step aside and let me soar on my own.

Kayla has a true servant's heart. If you couldn't tell from some of my descriptions of her already, she has a few OCD tendencies. Things have to be perfectly clean and straight and organized all the time. It's really an endearing quality 😉. It's through these habits that I see her service the most. She is always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. Kayla is a kindergarten teacher, and she is a beloved part of her school family. I have met several of her co-workers who all just sing her praises when they find out I'm her sister. She displays the truest form of love and passion in her classroom, and I am so proud of the hard work and dedication she has put in this first year. It takes a person with a servant's heart to work in the teaching field, and Kayla genuinely excels at it. She is outspoken and fiercely protective of the people she loves (especially me). She has a kind heart and is always forgiving of others. She is the person I look up to the most in my life, and she has always been a good role model for me. I admire her goodness, her strength, and her goofiness, and I will always want to be just like her.

As my sister, Kayla has known all of my crushes, my "puppy loves," and my two boyfriends. She has heard all the late-night phone calls that Al and I have shared and has really had a front-row seat to our relationship all these years. She and Al love each other just like brothers and sisters do, and it makes me so happy to see their relationship. Kayla is always brutally honest with Al, which we both expect nothing less from her. She wants the very best for both of us and is always the first to say how much she believes in us. I know she and Al talked a lot while he was planning the proposal, and she played a huge role in making the surprise a success. She is always willing to listen to any ideas I have and wants me to have anything I want for our big day. She is the best maid of honor there is, and I am so lucky to have her as one of my right-hand girls during this time. This will be the first thing in our lives that I'll get to lead the way for her instead of the other way around, and I cannot wait for that time to come one day. I couldn't ask for a better maid of honor, friend, or sister than her.

Kayla, you are the biggest piece of my soul. I owe so much of what I know to you - my talking skills, my social skills, my life skills - it's all because of you. You impact my life in ways you don't even know. It is the greatest honor of my life to have you stand by my side as my maid of honor. You and Courtney are two of the best parts of my life, and I wouldn't trade either of you for anything in the world. I hope you always have the courage to go where life leads you, as long as it isn't too far from me. My favorite compliment is when people tell me I look, act, or sound like you... I don't think there's a better compliment in the world. Thank you for always being my eyes and holding my hand when I am too scared to walk alone. Because of you, I will always have a friend and for that I am eternally grateful. I love you to the ends of the earth, my sweet sissy!