wedding party

Our wedding party is rather large...

When people ask you who your closest friends are, it isn't usual to have 10 people to pick from, but I am blessed to be a part of such an awesome group of girls! I feel so blessed to know each of them and to have each of them witness my marriage to Ryan!

Unfortunately, Ryan could only think of 8 men to chose as groomsmen, so I had to narrow down the list. Worst decisions ever! So I now have 8 bridesmaids and 2 personal attendants. :)

And they are....

Emily Balch: Maid of Honor
Emily and I have been sisters and friends for 22 years. We are complete opposites in many ways, but that never stops us from having a great time together! Emily is going to be starting Law School next year, which is very exciting!

Dana Morris
Dana and I went to high school together. She is now a band teacher in Mount Ayr, Iowa and we sadly only see each other every once and a while, but we always pick up where we left off. In more embarrassing memories, we used to be in a "band" called the Pink Cheetos. So cool!

Kimberly Kem
Kim and I lived together for 2.5 years. We went through nursing school together (but at separate schools) and traveled to India together, where I could not save her from being bitten by a monkey. She has inspired me in many ways but especially to make my own wedding cake after I watched her make and decorate 400 cupcakes for her own wedding!

Ruth Ann Pometto
Ruth Ann is my inspiration for life (besides my Grandma). She is an amazing friend, wife, mother, and Christian. I was touched by her generous spirit and kindness to strangers when we first met. Hopefully I can be a good wife to Ryan by following her example!

Christina Fath (soon to be Weber!)
Christina is another inspiration to me. I would have made some pretty bad decisions in life without her influence. She has such a generous heart for her friends. I remember Christina told us once that she felt like she needed to be single until we were all with the person we were going to marry. And true to her word, she met Jon after we all met our future spouses and they will be married July 4, 2009!

Kimberley Taylor
Kim is the girlfriend of Ryan's brother Adam (and hopefully my future sister!). She always surprises me by her sauciness and whit, definitely a good match for Adam. Kim and I have been able to spend a lot of time together at the boys' house or at their shows and I have really treasured our friendship!

Michelle Wirth (soon to be Werner!)
Chelle came to live with Kim K and I after Meggan moved out. She works as the DRE in Elkart, Iowa and is getting married to Brian in November! Chelle is an artist and an athlete. I have fond memories of visiting her family's sheep farm and bike riding around Ames last year!

Meggan Young
Meggan lived with Kim K and I until she married James in December 2008. She was a big part of my learning to become an adult and would patiently listen to me for hours as she was trying to get ready for bed. She was very helpful as Kim and I prepared to go to India, as she had been there twice.

Monica Clinesmith: Personal Attendant
Dr. Monica is a wealth of knowledge and fun. One thing I love about her is that she loves to invite people to go on walks or go out to eat, which are some of my favorite past times. She is great at keeping us on task in Bible study and as making Roman laugh, which entertains us all! Some fond memories with Monica are the ice cream social we had when the power went out, her Jamaican birthday, and of course the many walks we've taken together.

Suzee Stone: Personal Attendant
Suzee is a kind and wonderful friend. I met her in high school and was instantly drawn to her. We used to pray together at retreats and I always looked forward to seeing her every summer. A fun fact about Suzee and I is that she married my prom date, Phil, and I am going to marry her prom date! Suzee has a long history in dance, which came in useful when I needed help trying on so many dresses!

Cecilia Smith: Flower Girl
Cecie is my Goddaughter. She will be 5 years old in October. I have been babysitting for their family since I was 11 years old and their 13-year old was an infant. Cecie is the 5th of their 6 children. I love to babysit for the Smiths, it is so much fun because they are all such good kids. Cecie's parents are also our sponsor couple for marriage prep!

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Kim K got married last year (see old posts) with 9 bridesmaids. I love what she would say when people would question her having so many bridesmaids:

"When people only have 1 bridesmaid, no one says 'So I see you have no friends!' So why does everyone find it strange that I have so many friends!"

It's remarks like that that make me love these girls even more!