Emma and I trauma bonded through our first year of teaching together, heavy on the trauma bonding. Little did we know as we carpooled to our first new teacher training together that we would become so close. Emma's friendship was the best thing that came from that experience, she saw me at some of the lowest points and we spent a lot of time having debrief sessions. Emma perfectly described our friendship very early on, "we are the same person, just different font". From concerts, thrifting, vinyl collecting, and mutual love for Disney Channel, she's the bestest of friends. She loves hard and fierce and knows the perfect way to keep people smiling!

Jenny is my photographer bestie! We quickly bonded over our passion and business and she easily became a life long bestie! What originally started as a photographer friendship eventual turned into something so much more. Jaycee Hill Photography would quite literally not be here if it wasn't for Jenny. While working many hours at weddings together we quickly realized we have so much in common and got to know each other so well. Jenny is the best gal to have in your corner; she's the biggest hype woman and the best cheerleader! We have seen so many weddings together as photographers and I can't wait to have her by my side!

Kim was my ride or die through my years at Hobby Lobby, the constant rock and go to for anything during the day. While our time together at Hobby Lobby didn't last very long we have still been the closest of friends. Kim's friendship is so easy, we can go months without talking or seeing each other but we always pick back up from where we left off. Our schedules never line up and our lives are always crazy but I am glad that we have continued to cheer each other on in life. She's the best encourager, listening ear, and hype woman and the day would not be complete without her.

Morgan (Paden's cousin) is such a wonderful addition to my life! Early on in Paden and I's relationship Morgan was so welcoming and created such a beautiful space to be completely myself in the family. She's always down for a good adventure and will always do all of the stupid things with me. From the crazy Nashville trip, to the Glass Animals concert, to all the partying at the lake she is so much fun to be with! We have created so many fun memories and having her by my side will be the best one yet!

Josie (Paden's sister) is the perfect addition to my long list of siblings. I could not ask for a better sister in law; there never once was any weirdness or awkwardness, it was like we had been friends our whole lives. From getting wine drunk at the lake to jamming during blind karaoke we've had so many fun times together. She is always encouraging, always supportive, and always in your corner. I am so glad that I can add her to my list of sisters and I am so glad that she will be there hyping everyone up on our wedding day!

Nick and I met my sophomore year of college when we both pledged the same fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi. Going to events together and always managing to finish a bottle of whatever liquor was on hand, the both of us made the most of the college experience. We became much closer after college, hanging very frequently and talking to each other daily while gaming or hitting Howl at the Moon at Power & Light. Now, we are neighbors, always bothering each other anytime we're bored and looking for a little mischief. 10/10 Best Man, no notes.

Daric and I met during swim lessons the summer before fourth grade, and have been great friends ever since. Even though we ended up at different schools with me being a K-State Wildcat and Daric an Oklahoma State Cowboy, we always managed to hang like no time has passed at all. As one of my best friends for the majority of my life, it was a no-brainer that Daric would be a perfect Groomsmen selection - even if he likes to wear that ugly Oklahoma State orange.

Branden (better known as Bearden) and I also met my sophomore year of college while pledging Alpha Sigma Phi. Bearden was always a friendly face in a sea of overworked and overtired college students, and always managed to make anything we were doing together more fun than it should be. Going from being neighbors downtown to living 20 minutes away hasn't been an issue - we still party hard like we were 21 again.

Matt and I trauma-bonded while working together as servers and bartenders at Powercat Grill while at K-State. Getting off work at 11 PM and ending up at Hot Latin Nights in Aggieville by 11:30 with Matt was one of the highlights of my collegiate career (other than the degrees, of course). Now, we both live in the KC area, still finding time to drink a Vegas Bomb now and then while cheering on the Cats. Life with Matt involved has certainly been a treat. No cap.

Henry is the best brother-in-law you could ask for. We started as fraternity brothers, and one fateful day Henry came to me and told me about his crush on my sister (ew), and now look at them being all married and everything. Henry is always down to play a video game with me that involves some kind of violence, whether it be Marvel Rivals or Overcooked 2 as chefs in a hectic kitchen (the latter being the most violent, believe it or not). Whether it be at the lake, online gaming, or just hanging out, life with Henry has definitely been exciting.

Emma and I met the day she was hatched from her egg at the hospital. Growing up, the two would always hang out at grandma's house, and Emma was always wanting to play teacher, assigning everyone homework. Look at her now, gonna be a teacher! Now that we're all grown up, we're very big fans of drinking beers on a boat, or screaming at each other during a heated Skip-Bo match. Whether it's watching dumb movies in the middle of the night or always annoying Jaycee with our dumb impressions, Emma is the perfect choice to give away free beers at the wedding. Just chat with her for 30 seconds and you'd agree.

Kylie has been my number one gal since day one! Kylie and I went to high school together in the good ole 060 lol. From swim meets, to Divergent movie premiers, to talking smack about fellow classmates, to Greys Anatomy reruns! We even convinced both of our moms to call us out of school to get a gold fish for an art project HAHA! Kylie was there for me through the toughest time in my life and has been nothing but a rock since. We can go months without updates and yet we pick right back up where we left off. Kylie is the life of the party, the PERFECT hype woman, and the best supporter which makes her quite perfect for a beer babe!

Aidan (better known as Pace) and I also met my sophomore year of college. One night, I was the designated driver and took Pace back to his dorm room. During that car ride, Pace told me all about how excited he was for college, squeezing the life out of a febreze can with one hand in the meantime. I knew right then that this guy would be in my life for a long time. Since then, both of us were two peas in a pod, living together for a year and tearing it down in Aggieville every night. Although he now is going to be a Navy Seal all the way in California, we still act as if we saw each other yesterday anytime he gets to call and catch up. Although he won't be able to make it to the wedding, he is still an honorary groomsmen in our hearts.