Brandt is the guy who arguably knows me and Ariel best as a couple. He’s been many things to me including my first encounter at Colgate, the first Yinzer I ever met, teammate, president, confidant, comedian, and pace-car on the slopes. When Brandt moved to Colorado I was just hoping he and Ariel would get along, but within the first 24 hours I realized that expectation would be blown out of the water. Since then, he has been a staple of our Denver lives in every aspect and has continued to wear even more hats during our engagement season. He’s been a photographer, cake tester, bachelor party planner extraordinaire, and will soon serve as my best man and our officiant. Brandt knows how much he means to us, but I encourage you to have a conversation with him during our wedding weekend and you’ll see why we consider him a brother.

My favorite sister. My longest companion in life. The one who has humbled me yet has been my biggest fan, and now Matthew’s biggest fan. I owe her for every (good) stylistic choice, my impeccable sense of humor, and keeping my general medical knowledge updated with her never ending list of complaints. Humor aside, I'm truly lucky and honored to have my sister stand beside me and support me through my entire life. No matter the time of day, she is available to cheer me on in my victories and cheer me up in my days of despair. We've grown closer and closer throughout the years and there is no one I would rather be next to me on August 11th.

Duncan and I met at Colgate back in 2012 and I’ve always appreciated his approachability and laid back style. Some of my favorite memories with Dunc are from when we would drive up and down the East coast to go to school for preseason camp or to return home for summer break. In May 2014, after a successful finals week, Me, Duncan, Zac, and Chase all piled into Chase’s Honda Pilot and drove down to Raleigh to stay with Mom. The misery of the 12+ hours in the car was far better among friends and we had a blast seeing Dierks Bentley, Chris Young, and Chase Rice at Walnut Creek Amphitheater the next evening. Dunc continues to be first on my speed dial if I’m ever in the Cash Cab or on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with a sports question I’m unsure about.

Holly is the epitome of the yin to my yang. We met in undergrad at UNC and we quickly became best friends. She is known to many as a aesthetic "insta queen" who can find a way to make everything look cute. Her and Jack paved the way for us in Denver and taught us all the tricks to navigate all that this city has to offer. Sadly, she now lives in Atlanta so please take every opportunity to convince her to move back to Mountain Time. She is the friend that keeps me up to date with the trends, hypes up the smallest accomplishments and encourages spending money on memories because that's why we work.

Well, I’ve already written an entire speech about this guy, as I had the privilege of delivering a few words on his wedding day. In an effort to try and distill it down into a few sentences, Garrett is one of the very best humans I know. We’ve been friends since our wonderful mothers thought we’d be a good match back in 2007 after we both moved down from Massachusetts to North Carolina. I was a bit unsure at first, but soon after meeting, we could reliably be found at either our house or “the nest,” as we called the Bird residence, playing Fusion Frenzy, frustrating his brothers with our mean pick-and-roll in the gym, or watching Boston sports. I’m not sure I know anyone who’s more similar to me in the way we approach life, but Garrett is a jack-of-all-trades, someone I trust wholeheartedly, and a guy I feel immensely lucky to call a best friend.

Jenny was one of our best friends in PA school who became our roommate and watched us fall in love. You could find us blasting music while cleaning our respective rooms or binging a silly TV show to decompress after exams. Jenny has continued to be a friend for us individually and as a couple through the years. She is one of the most genuine humans in my life and she provides me with the support of unconditional love. As beautiful on the inside as she is out, she has always put her people ahead of her own needs and has truly made the biggest impact on our relationship from the beginning. Though she isn't as competitive as Matt, me or Everett, she has learned to be sneaky during games to come out on top. She is my sister wife always.

This is a friendship that began in ‘08 with us racking up video game stat lines during recess football. Brad has been a consistent golf partner, fantasy football advisor, and Borat impersonator since I’ve known him. He’s also been a lover of Pernicious since I introduced him to beer without a “Lite” at the end of it. Brad is the friend you can call for anything whether it’s pick up basketball at Chatsworth, an international FIFA friendly, or driving the Highlander across the country to avoid having to ship it. Not only is he one of my oldest friends, he’s also one of the most reliable. Maybe most importantly, we’re pretty sure he’s Mako’s favorite.

In order to understand the relationship between Amanda and I, you must first know we shared a bunk bed in 2015. There’s truly no coming back from that type of bonding experience. We haven't lived in the same city since graduating from UNC in 2017 however we have constantly made the effort to keep the adventures going. Amanda is the friend I lean on when I'm struggling and she always makes time for me. She has the same sense of humor as me as well which makes it a nonstop laugh track when we are together. We can talk for hours and it feels like minutes. She reminds me to take time for myself and that slowing down is okay once in awhile which sometimes I need to do.

If you don’t know Chad yet, then I encourage you to strike up a conversation with him during the wedding weekend. We go back to the Ravenscroft days and became close friends at the nest after Friday night lights. Chad gets along with anyone and is one of the most personable guys you’ll meet. He’s eager to help, no matter the problem, unless of course you’re asking him to block on a bubble screen. Chad arranged some clutch bachelor party plans in Dallas, as he used to live in the area, including the most hype school bus ride I’ve ever been a part of. Whether you’re looking to play some pickup basketball, talk about retiring by age 35, or buy/sell real estate, he’s your guy.

Probably the person who is most like myself, Rachel has been a part of highlight reel for my travel history. She came into my life while I was awaiting my acceptance to PA school. I was her assistant in the Neuro ICU where we entertained each other while trying to provide adequate care. We maximized our time together between trips, family events, and always joking with one another. Rachel has also been in the engagement season of life which has at least provided me with the reassurance that no one knows how to plan a wedding. She keeps the positivity flowing, is a HUGE Camila Cabello fan, and is a passionate dog mother.

Zac is a man of many nicknames and many talents who recently joined the Denver crew with his fiancée Claire. We’ve spent many hours together in the film room at Colgate breaking down blocking schemes, pass protections, and game film in an effort to preserve our legacy as the best right guards Colgate football has ever seen. More seriously, Zac has been a great friend for many years now and is always a good candidate for an existential conversation, an intellectual debate, or a cyber security question. He’s an excellent skier, has top-notch beard game, and would be happy to share tasting notes on a bourbon or an hors d'oeuvre at the wedding with you.

Meg is a friend from PA school that honestly CARRIED me to the finish line. Meg kept me focused on school while I really only wanted to focus on Matt at times. She is one of the few people in the world that I could be trapped in a small room in a library with for hours on end. Meg is the most loyal friend I have ever had in my life and someone I know would do absolutely anything for me at any time. We have so many overlapping loves including travel, google docs, Mako, themed parties, and Survivor.

Walt is the oldest friend that I have. We originally met when he was assigned to be my “buddy” upon coming to Ravenscroft from Massachusetts in the 7th grade. I joined his trio of friends, including Trey and Edwin, and seamlessly integrated into their crew who enjoyed playing airsoft, longboarding, and video games. Walt went to boarding school for high school but we kept in touch and maintained our friendship from a distance. The next time we were in the same city, beautiful Greenville, NC, we had the chance to live together. We picked right up where we left off and made a great roommate duo while I was working hard in PA school and Walt was establishing himself as an ortho medical device sales rep. Ariel had the opportunity to get to know Walt well during our time in G-Vegas, which was a treat for me to have yet another one of my best friends really learn how great Ariel is and how cohesive we are as a couple.

Lindsey is the ~queen~ of Charlotte and subsequently became the president of AXO where I pushed her limits nearly daily. Her biggest claim to fame is helping me find and adopt Mako. Though we didn't go to PA school together, we provided each other support from afar and now share the passion together. Lindsey always brings the excitement to every group event and I know she will bring that energy for wedding day. She is hard working and dedicated to everything she sets her mind to and I'm constantly impressed by her ability to juggle everything that comes her way.

Ty technically joined the family in October 2021 after his and Emily’s wedding was delayed due to COVID, but Ty and I became quick friends after meeting in Boston several years prior. It’s always cool when you have a lot in common with your brother in law, as we both played football and remain avid fans, we both love good food (especially a quality steak), and we each love Em. One of the best silver linings of COVID was getting to live with Ty, Em, Mom, and Ariel in Raleigh during PA school and I feel like we all bonded quite a bit during that time. Ty and I thoroughly enjoy hitting the slopes when we can these days, whether it’s in Denver or Salt Lake City, as our football careers are very much over at this point.

My new sister!!! When COVID hit in 2020, Matt and I moved in with Mindy, Emily and Ty. During this time, we got to know each other so well and I've always been thankful for this relationship. Matt and Emily share a lot of the same qualities which makes it easy for me to love them both. Emily is incredibly considerate of others. She works hard at everything she does from her job to planning fun for the family. I watched her plan her own wedding and she has provided a lot of support and advise throughout this season of life we are in. I cannot brag about her enough and I constantly am reminded of how lucky I am to have her as a sister the rest of my life.

Reese is Ariel’s younger brother and the 3rd and final Griffin sibling. He’s a great guy that I’ve had the pleasure to get to know better and better as the past few years have gone by. I feel like I got lucky in that we have a lot of mutual interests and Reese even picked up golf to prepare for my bachelor party in Dallas. All jokes aside, Reese was a fantastic addition to the bachelor crew and he’s the best person to consult regarding your NFL and NBA sports predictions. It’ll be an honor to call him my brother moving forward and I look forward to many holidays, travels, and family time in the future.

Aside from Rocci, Grace has been around the longest. We actually went to high school together and I got to know her through YoungLife. Grace is a staple in the Griffin household. She has fit into our lives so seamlessly and has made Reese the happiest I have ever known him to be. Though Grace doesn't always love my obsession with games, she is a good sport and plays along with our shenanigans. Her being a part of our family is a huge blessing and I am so thankful she is part of our day as well.