Our flower girl is the bride’s first cousin once removed. Fun fact: her mother was the flower girl at the bride’s mother’s wedding!

My younger brother was really more than a brother. He was an employee for my business ideas, a player for my coaching ideas, and a sidekick for any of the main roles that I wanted to star in. I have always had a really vivid imagination when it comes to certain things, and every scheme I ever imagined that would be fun for me became more fun because of my younger brother. In every season, I would design a game in our yard to play wiffle ball, basketball, or football. I would be the general manager, coach, commissioner, tournament director, referee, and we would play. Occasionally, I might have missed a call, but my brother would always play. One game I would play left-handed to be like Manu Ginóbili, then the next I would shoot fadeaways to be like Kobe, and so on and so forth. No matter who he played, the same game would unfold. He would get within two baskets of winning, and then no matter what team he was playing he would have to score two of the hardest baskets of his life at the end to win. Suffice it to say, he lost thousands of close games by design. I distinctly remember the day I went for a steal and didn't get it, and later the day that I tried to block his shot and didn't get it. He was getting bigger and better with every year that our age gap became less important. Today he has more important things to do with a wife and a baby on the way, but I still talk shit about some of the epic games in my childhood memories. I am proud of my younger brother.

Kelly and I weren't that close in high school. He says that I was too cool for him, but that's not really true. Kelly was in a couple more AP classes than me, so we didn't see each other all that often. However, that changed when we both studied engineering at UA. I knew instantly that Kelly was special. He could do things that most other engineers couldn't, but his book smarts didn't really translate into common sense. He is missing a lot of teeth for a reason. In all seriousness, I could tell he was different, and he had an infectious personality. I knew it was just a matter of time before someone else saw in him what I saw in him. Therefore, I wasn't surprised when he found someone amazing like Sellers. I was pretty surprised when he said, “Sellers has a friend that I think you should meet.” That friend ended up being Shelby. I owe him, no doubt. The neat thing about Kelly is that he is so authentically himself. His looks can be a little deceiving, but when you get to know him, you find that he is one unfiltered, shit-talking country boy. He himself has said that he lives to beat me at any game he can challenge me to. After the game, both right after and even years after, he analyzes his losses with the detail of an analytical engineer, as if they were Game Seven of the World Series. Over the years, I’ve found myself in worse shape, and I can honestly say he is the only person I sometimes root for to win against me just so I can take a break. If he wins, he has to earn it, though, because he already talks enough trash when he loses.

I met Stuart in college. He’s from Birmingham, Alabama. To be honest, I never thought I would be friends with this guy. He was my neighbor and kept me up most of my junior year because they had parties next door. But one day he introduced himself to me in the library, true story. Eventually, I spent some time with him, and he told me he wanted to play me in an “Olympic game” he created. In the game, you compete in ten different sports ranging from a home run derby to pickup basketball to a football accuracy throwing contest. We bet something like $15, which felt like a lot back then. I do know that the winnings didn't cover my losses, because we broke a window with the football toss. I knew Stu and I would be friends for life after those Olympic games though.

When our family moved to Vestavia, Ryan was the first friend I ever had. I know that because my dad tells Ryan that every time he sees him, and Ryan has now started telling me that every time I see him, which is often since we both live in Texas. When you look up fun in the dictionary, you will see a picture of Ryan. Ryan doesn’t go to the party, he is the party. I have had more fun sitting in a hotel lobby listening to Ryan tell stories than I have doing plenty of other things with just about anybody else. Everybody who knows him knows this, and everybody knows him. When we were in sixth grade at a church camp for grades six through twelve, he walked up on stage for a mic night and told a great fishing story that related back to his faith in a way that had not only everyone in the audience, especially all the girls, glued to him. He has always been the most confident friend that I have ever had, and with that confidence and his ability to dance a little bit, it's no surprise that Ryan has more game than not only me, but just about all of my other friends too. Later on that same church trip, Ryan threatened to fight a kid who tried to bully me. He helped me make a hole in our hotel room trying to escort him out, provided endless comedic relief for everyone on the back of the bus, and starred in the main role in our final church night skit, where he performed “Livin’ on a Prayer” in front of over 500 people as one of the youngest kids at camp. Yes, all of that happened in four days’ time. If you knew him now, you would still be amazed at the stories that he can create in a relatively short amount of time. The truth is, from sixth grade until now, some of my favorite memories, or the times that I have laughed the hardest, have been because of Ryan. However, what some people may not know is just how loyal and selfless Ryan is when it comes to his friends. I do not have a friend who puts in more work when it comes to relationships than Ryan, and I do not have a friend who has more friends who would be there for him than Ryan. I know as well as anyone that I would be there for him. Therefore, it is no surprise to me that Ryan is so successful as a developer and broker. The fact that Ryan is so likable, has the ability to connect with anyone, and has a great personality is why I have no doubt he will be a partner in his firm one day if he chooses to be. Ryan isn't just my first friend, but some twenty years later, he is still one of my best friends, and I am really grateful for that.

It would have been hard not to be friends with Patrick, even if I had not wanted to be. We spent so much time together in high school because we both played three sports, so we were together the entire year. Even when school was out, Patrick had a pool at his house which meant we could spend some time together during the summer. Patrick is reasonably intelligent, but I still remember the summer he filled up his car with diesel gas. I still don't know how you do that. Patrick has always been there and has been a good friend who probably helped keep me out of trouble. The only time I really ever saw Patrick get in trouble was when I was watching the SEC baseball tournament at the Hoover met. It was middle school and I was having a great time listen to a heckler give the third base coach a hard time and comedic show for all of us. Patrick's mom wasn't having it and had already told him that he needed to go. I just remember Patrick's mother escorted him out of the stand by his ears. Anyways, Patrick's dad was a teacher and coach so we were all probably a little afraid of him growing up and that might have helped us stay out of trouble as well.

Jacob was one of my first friends when I moved to Vestavia Hills. Our dads were friends going back to college. I happen to work in the same profession as his dad, and I have a lot of respect for Jeff and all the Browns. I roomed with Jacob as a freshman, but I am sure we drifted at times due to engineering and football schedules combined with my tendency to be a reclusive introvert. However, Jacob does a really good job with relationships and always has. He manages to keep up with people well, and even if he does not have cell phone service, he somehow finds a way to get it. "What, who, where, how, when."

Wynston and my friendship came on strong in middle school. I don't know why, but it's just so easy being friends with him. He is one of the most lovable friends that I have ever had, and I know he comes by it honestly because his parents are that way too. From the time I entered middle school until I graduated high school, I spent more free time with Wynston than anyone else. I had chocolate chip pancakes with him on Saturday mornings. To his father's great displeasure, I parked in the grass at their house on weekday afternoons. I watched him play video games at night, and I spent the summers at his lake and beach houses. I was blessed to be friends with him, to say the least, but the thing that stands out the most is how many of those memories involve laughing about the dumbest things. We couldn't go for a car ride without the right song playing, which I never seemed to remember later, nor could we go out for a night on the town without just the right shoes. And certainly, you couldn't step on his shoes, but somehow it all worked out. I wonder how much our mothers had to do with that, because between their copious prayers and the fact that no matter how much fun we had or how highly we thought of a night out and our plans, we were always humbled by our mothers when we got home, as they reminded us of who was in charge, what we were doing, and what we shouldn't be doing. I will always be grateful for the Gully family, really my second family, and for Wynston's friendship.

I became close friends with Harrison in middle school. One of the neat things about Harrison is he is always himself. He has this unique ability to be himself, and he is more comfortable in his skin than just about any of my friends. It seems like every week and weekend in middle school, I would find myself constantly spending time with Harrison. Despite that, I would catch myself hoping that Harrison would invite me to spend time with him again the next week. The Hills have a big family, so you have to make the cut, but fortunately for me, quite often Harrison helped me make the cut and kept inviting me. Most of those weekends included time at the Hill family’s lake house at Lake Martin and in Auburn watching the local college football game. Does it get better than that? I didn’t think so, and even now, looking back, I consider this perhaps the most joyful time of my life. I felt like Huck and Finn getting into mischief, and Harrison was all about it. We would stay up late, ride the Sea-Doo, jump off cliffs, and take the canoe out further than we were supposed to go, and on New Year’s, we would even set things on fire, not just s’mores and fireworks. I don’t have any sort of pyromania, so I would mostly just watch that, but it was still fun. Mostly, though, we would spend the whole weekend playing games up until it was time to leave, when we could no longer avoid our chores, or at least his mother wasn’t in the mood for us to push them back any further. So we would complete our chores in record time, load up, and hope to come back and do it again the next weekend. To this day, like Disney World, I consider the time I spent with Harrison in middle school some of the happiest times in my life, and their lake house one of the happiest places on earth. Harrison and I eventually started playing different sports and attended different universities, so as our paths diverged, we started to spend less time together, but it has still been important to be there for some of Harrison’s biggest moments and accomplishments, such as graduating medical school and getting married, because his friendship means a great deal to me, and I am so grateful for him and the entire Hill family. After all, his mom used to tell me she was my second mother.

My friendship with my older sister has evolved over the years, most recently strengthened through going through medical school and now residency together. Hayden took 2 gap years after college and I took 0 so for the first time in our lives, we were on an even playing field when starting med school. I didn't know what to expect, but I was absolutely astonished by her support, kindness, and quiet strength. She's shared advice, resources, and encouragement exactly when I needed it. She visited me in Houston on her vacation and we got to explore the city and visit Wimberley, TX, together. We've been through just about everything together and I can't imagine going through life without her by my side.

As a child I wanted to be a math teacher when I grew up, and I somehow convinced Kat to be my first pupil and take my math tests after school. I also remember thinking it was a good idea to put her in a cardboard box and push her down the stairs. For some reason my little sister went along with my ideas and put up with me. We also affectionately called each other "fristers" because we were more than sisters, we were friends. As we've grown older, it has been beautiful to watch her mature and now become a role model I look up to. She has supported me in ways I can't full describe and didn't always deserve. Likewise; we've been through just about everything together and I can't imagine going through life without her by my side.

I met Ash dawg during our sophomore year in college and was lucky enough to be roommates with her junior and senior year! She has always been down for anything, from a girl's night in to a night out on the town. She quickly became my ride or die and has performed some of the most heroic acts of friendship to date. What I love most about her goes beyond the fun though. She has been a constant throughout the chaos of life; she is genuine, grounded, and real. She is resilient and fearless, moving through life with a confidence and "can-do attitude" I deeply admire. I know I can count on her as a shoulder to cry on, friend to vent to, or buddy to laugh with.

Shelby: Since the first time I met her Cayman has always made me feel welcome, like I was already part of the family. Some of my favorite moments with her have been laughing at family game nights, stealing Paden's password so she could play him at online chess with an alias name, and snow-skiing in Telluride. She is spunky and so fun to be around! I feel so lucky to have her as a future sister-in-law. Paden: In many ways my sister and I are opposites. My sister is adventurous and spontaneous. After all, you do need an adventurous spirt to move across the country to California. I, on the other hand, typically prefer more plans and predictability. My sister is extremely extraverted and will have a drink. I am quieter and prefer water. In our younger days, I tried not to let our opposite personalities lead to any opposition. However, it's true that from time to time we argued as any siblings, but I confess that whether I was right or wrong made little importance, because one way or another I always lost the argument. For that, I would like to formally and publicly thank her for my education. I have been told that this world class education which has been provided to me by my sister would come in handy in marriage. In all seriousness, I too am proud of my little sister and what she has and will accomplish. I believe in her and I am excited to see how the next steps of her adventure unfold in California and elsewhere.

It has been such a joy getting to know Courtney since we first met a few years ago! When I started my first year of residency she was starting out as an emergency room PA, and we quickly bonded over shared experiences and all of the learning inherent to the early stages in our careers. It was equally nice to get to know her fun and competitive side at family game board nights. Paden & I are so excited to support her and Landon as they are currently expecting. We know they will be the best parents!

I met Catey during our freshman year of college through our sorority and we grew closer together as roommates senior year. Within five minutes of meeting Catey you soon realize how kind, bubbly, and energetic she is. Give it some more time and you will also notice her intentionality and grounded faith in Jesus. Because of her I have become more reflective, more present, and more hopeful. I am especially impressed with the way she navigated her long-distance relationship with Simon (her now husband) whom she met in college while studying abroad in Sweden. Only these two would be able to make global long-distance work for multiple years. I am proud of her adaptability and comfortability with the unknown, and am happy she found her lifelong person.

Emily and I also go all the way back to high school art class (with Sar), where we talked so much that our teacher eventually put cardboard barricades between our desks to try to keep us quiet (It did not work). Since then, we’ve collected many memories together, from fun weekends in Auburn to ringing in New Year’s in Atlanta. She’s been a steady, loyal friend through every season of life, and she also happens to be hilarious. Emily can deliver a genuinely good joke, and she can also deliver the world’s worst dad joke — the kind that’s so bad you can’t help but laugh anyway. She also made one of the smartest career decisions of anyone I know: working at Delta and racking up the best travel perks.

Genevieve — better known as Homie G — was the very first friend I made when I transferred high schools in 10th grade, and she’s been there through absolutely everything ever since. If I had a dollar for every late-night talk we’ve had, I’d probably be able to pay off this wedding… and honestly, that might not be an exaggeration. If you need the definition of loyalty and true grit, it’s this girl. We have countless memories and moments together, and back in high school we were practically attached at the hip. These days we can go months without talking, but whenever we reconnect, it feels like not a single second has passed. One of my favorite memories is how we managed to fill an entire page in each other’s yearbooks during signing day — we always had that much to say.

I met Samantha in college Biology class, just two pre-med girls studying one plant species at a time. Something beautiful about her is how steady and intentional she is to her friends. She was there for me in college but continues to be just as present through every chapter since, including sending thoughtful Easter baskets and traveling to my medical school birthday party. What impresses me most about her, though, is that she has been through more in her life than most people could imagine and yet still approaches the world with strength, grace, and a drive to grow. I am so proud of her and cannot wait to see all she will accomplish in life.

I've known Sar since high school, where we spent more time getting in trouble for talking in class than actually paying attention. We made it through every bit of high school chaos together and kept collecting memories over the past decade — my first Mardi Gras in New Orleans, an unplanned extra spring break beach trip during COVID, and nights out in Auburn and New Orleans that still make me smile. Through every phase of life, she has been one of the most steadfast, loyal people in my world. She’s also incredibly artistic and thoughtful — a truly amazing graphic designer who is so talented and successful at what she does. One of my favorite gifts is her acrylic portrait of my prom hairstyle back in high school. It meant so much to me then and still does now.

I first met Sellers in orientation week of medical school and quickly realized she is the most down-to-earth and humble gal around, as well as wickedly intelligent. Throughout the chaos of medical school she was a constant. She was there for me in the hardest moments. And then I met Kelly (her now husband) who said he had a best friend (Paden) who also liked physics that he thought I should meet. Paden will tell you he owes Kelly for life, but really we owe Sellers because she's the one who convinced him that a football game was a good first date. :) And when Kelly talks smack about how awesome the Crowders are at sports, I can always count on Sellers to quip "you don't know 'bout them WALCOTTS!!"

I met Yuri in medical school. Of course we trauma-bonded over never-ending exams, anatomy practicals, and clerkship rotations. But we also enjoyed moments outside of school like nights out and spending Christmas together. She made med school so much more fun! She has this way of lighting up every room she walks into, and she reminds me to live the little moments, to take a breath, and to laugh. And laugh and laugh and laugh. No matter the time apart, I know we can always pick up right where we left off!