Savannah is my little sister, but these days, I feel like I get to look up to her. She’s been my built-in best friend, my biggest supporter, and the person who knows me better than anyone. We’ve shared a lifetime of memories, laughter, and late-night talks, and I honestly couldn’t imagine doing life without her. This year has been extra special, with both of us planning our weddings at the same time. She’s been my sounding board, my style consultant, and my personal wedding guru... always one step ahead and happy to share the inside scoop. Having her stand by my side as my matron of honor means the world to me, and I’m so grateful to have her with me on one of the most important days of my life.

Chris moved to Plano in the fifth grade and wound up going to the same church and school as Ben. Quickly becoming friends, they somehow managed not to get arrested (only detained twice by Plano PD) through high school and during college would meet up to go skiing and backpacking. Their mutual friend group from high school somehow still makes annual trips together. After graduating from Baylor, Chris moved to Colorado for marketing and never looked back. They've been friends a long time and the shenanigans are too long to list. More skiing and backpacking trips, New Zealand, Colombia, England, Belgium, Mexico, a solar eclipse, always offering a couch in Denver at any time on short notice. Chris prefers higher elevations and income tax to Texas, but the DFW pull has reclaimed most of the friend group, so time will tell.

Linsie and I go way back to our teaching days, where we bonded over lesson plans, high school science classes, and the occasional “wait, we’re teaching what now?” moment. Even after moving on from the classroom, our friendship stuck, and I’ve been so grateful for her constant support and laughter through the years. She's the kind of friend who shows up no matter what, whether it's life advice, a spontaneous tattoo, or "I gotta guy for that". I had the absolute honor of standing by her side at her wedding last year, and I’m beyond thrilled to have her by mine!

The start of sophomore year at USAFA, a young cadet was surreptitiously told to leave his assigned dorm room so that Morgan and Ben could be roommates. Morgan and Ben became fast friends; learning to skydive together, killing lots of mice, playing a LOT of counterstrike/ unreal tournament and making funny videos for Campus Crusade. Morgan went on to serve at the highest level of special operations with the world's most elite teams. Despite living far apart, they've always managed to meet up over the years, including crossing paths in special operations 10 years after they shared a dorm. Most recently he let Ben tag along on a sailboat passage through the Gulf of America. Ben barely survived all the nautical jargon and bruised ribs falling into the forward 'hatch' while trying to 'furl' a 'spinnaker' at night in 'rough' seas.

Bekah and I met while bartending together at Texas Ale Project, and what started as a work friendship quickly turned into something much deeper. She's my most adventurous friend, the one who’s always encouraging me (or dragging me!) out of my comfort zone. From hiking and camping to joining run clubs and crossing the finish line of a half-marathon together, she’s been by my side through it all. Her faith, encouragement, and endless energy have shaped so many important seasons of my life. I’m so grateful to have her with me on this one, too.

Jim 'Rex' Baker has consistently been a terrible aviation influence on Ben, going all the way back to 2005 when he let Ben jump out of his airplane. Both Engineering majors at USAFA, they were roommates at pilot training in Del Rio where Jim let him jump out of another airplane. He got Ben into flying tailwheel experimental aircraft, and helped him get hired on at Southwest Airlines. Jim and his wife Sarah throw amazing halloween parties at their hanger home in Denver, and have always offered Ben a place to stay without hesitation. He also likes to work in Oklahoma sometimes to be closer to Ben.

Katy and I first met back in 2017 when we lived in the same apartment complex. She came over to help “fill out” my 27th birthday party, and somewhere along the way, I introduced her to her now-husband, so I’ll be taking full credit for that! From countless wine nights to working side-by-side at Texas Ale Project, our friendship quickly became one of the most meaningful parts of my life. We’ve shared a lot, laughs, tears, silly group texts, and she’s been with me through every up and down. I couldn’t be more excited to have her stand by my side.

Shaun 'Coltrane' Carroll, the Iceman, Shaunsey, AFSOC pilot of the year, these are just some of the names he's been known by. Shaun and Ben spent an unprecedented 10 years flying in the same squadrons on the same airframes. From rowdy, explosive NYE parties at his house in Germany to rowdy, explosive July 4th parties at his house in New Mexico... to posh upscale dinners at his house in the English countryside, Shaun has always been a huge support personally and professionally. After Ben couldn't take it anymore and left the military, Shaun moved to Oklahoma to pull G's and be closer to Ben in Dallas. As a fightin' Texas Aggie he will probably be Alex's favorite.

Sarah and I met when she took a big leap of faith and moved to Dallas for work, and became roommates with Katy. Since we were all neighbors, it didn’t take long for us to become close, and eventually, we ended up as roommates ourselves. We lived through the uncertainty (and chaos) of COVID and lockdown together, bartended side-by-side at Texas Ale Project, and shared countless moments, big and small, that brought us closer than I could’ve imagined. Sarah is someone I can always count on for strength, perspective, and unwavering support. I’m so grateful to have her by my side on this day and in life.

Michael and Ben got hired on the same day at a dallas brewery in Oct 2020, and nothing has been the same since. From riding (and sometimes crashing) bikes through Dallas to hitting up breweries and taco joints, Michael has been a huge support in Ben's life after the move back to Texas. They can usually be found hanging out in Deep Ellum, where Alex and Michael's wife, Maegan, patiently put up with them still complaining about their former bosses even though they haven't worked there in 5 years.