One fateful day in 1st grade, Mr. Grove made a crucial mistake: sitting Emily and Marissa together in class. From that moment on, they were inseparable. They played make-believe in their backyards and watched Disney Channel Original Movies (and learned all the dance moves). They idolized boy bands and Taylor Swift, whispered secrets at sleepovers and ran barefoot in their yards while their moms talked for hours. Two decades later, Emily will stand beside Marissa on her wedding day as her Maid of Honor. Six-year-old Marissa wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.

York College swimming legend, gallon of milk a day drinker, paddle boarding junkie. Tyler and I met in Germantown, where we attended Ronald McNair Elementary School together. We lost touch when I moved to Damascus in 3rd grade. Oddly enough, Tyler moved there in 4th grade, but we attended different elementary schools. We became friends again in middle school, and soon realized we had already been friends previously! Talk about brothas from another mother. Post college, we would both move to North Carolina where we became work colleagues and sports teammates, intruding on each other’s lives however possible! He even got me taking the gym and exercise seriously! Shoutout for always being supportive, whether it's being my #2 in a wedding videography gig or long drive hiking trips!

Volleyball has always brought some of the best things into Marissa’s life (i.e. her fiancé), and it did not fail to disappoint at Susquehanna University. The unstoppable, infamous, and inseparable setter-libero team was known on campus as LeighRissa. LeighAnn and Marissa spent countless hours giggling in their dorm rooms, watching anything from Penny Dreadful to One Tree Hill, and practicing their French accents. College would have been nothing without their adventures — both grand and small.

Phenomenal artist, clothes designer (check out Oparrel), and the man who got me into collecting Marvel memorabilia. I met Graham freshman year at Auburn, where he lived 2 dorm rooms down the hall. Graham and I lived together for several years at Auburn consisting of many hours of basketball at the rec center, hiking trips, and late night bonfires. Graham and his parents were my family away from home and we had great times playing board games and doing plenty of yard work projects. Thanks to Mr. Nahikian for teaching me how to use a chainsaw and Mrs. Nahikian for getting me to like grits!

Angela and Marissa grew up less than 10 minutes apart. They spent their elementary years playing Polly Pockets and eating Cowtails at the community pool. Through cringey middle school years and new high school adventures, they stayed friends. They went to different colleges, but after Angela got married, she and her husband moved to North Carolina. Now the girls are back to living less than 10 minutes apart. How lucky are they to be able to watch the Bachelor together every Monday?

Astrology enthusiast, pro FIFA Soccer player, and the man who introduced me to photography. Kurt and I met in middle school and we became closer towards the end of high school. I developed my strong passion for hiking while visiting Kurt in Colorado when he was at CU Boulder! He planned a great trip and blew my mind showing me around the Sand Dunes and Rocky Mountains. Although we did get lost on a trail... on a cliff... in a thunderstorm, my love for nature was forever cemented. Kurt has provided me with many new concepts, such as photography, speaking Russian, and EDM music! I would not have started videography if it wasn't for Kurt getting me interested!

MUÑECA! The best little sister I could have asked for! While I would have been cool with a brother, Caitlin’s competitiveness and athleticism made growing up the best experience. Obviously I won Mario Kart, Guitar Hero, and backyard basketball every time... but Caitlin gave me a run for my money! I’ve always had respect for Caitlin’s ability to speak her mind and keep it real, never leaving me second guessing about how she’s feeling. Her ability to keep it real delivers the best, when she humbles me with top tier trash talk in an unidentifiable accent that we have always spoken to each other in. Jokes aside, I can’t imagine not having Caitlin in my corner. It’s awesome seeing her grow into a strong and independent teacher and lacrosse coach. She’s always been a great sense of stability in my life and will always be my first/best friend. Thank you for introducing me to Dance Moms, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and so many other great “reality shows”!

Acrobatic dunker, Call of Duty quick scoping montage maker, and certified backflipper. Chris and I met in middle school and have played on the same soccer, basketball, and volleyball teams. He has always been my favorite teammate (or competition) in any gaming or sports setting. We are the same height, but he can dunk a basketball and it’s still on my bucket list. Always enjoyable making Always Sunny in Philadelphia references with Chris and creating the Nightcrawlers Council. He’s a big Baltimore Ravens’ fan so he clearly has good taste. Chris is the BEST person you can count on for a late night session of sting pong and basketball til the lights go out!

Marissa has always looked up to her cousin Rachel. Some of her favorite days growing up were spent running around their grandparents’ house, dressing up and putting on silly, but well-planned performances. Or making friendship bracelets and sandcastles and riding waves. As the girls grew up, they bonded over books and traveling and speaking Spanish. Marissa is so grateful that she has a cousin who calls to her inner child, while also caring so dearly for who she has grown into as an adult.

Rap/trap beat lover, superb fire builder, fellow tree-hugger. Cris was my first friend at Auburn. We met on a free trip to the US Virgin Islands right before entering our freshman year. Whether it was us coming face to face with a barracuda while snorkeling, jumping off rocky cliffs into crystal clear water, or hearing each other blast Kid Cudi in the dorms at night... a friendship was born! Cris and I share a similar love for hiking, appreciating nature, and caring for the environment. I’ve had a lot of hiking buddies, and Cris’ fire-making is second to none. He’s one of my first draft pics in a zombie apocalypse. He’s also second to none when it comes to going with the flow. I’ve always admired his ability to stay mellow and rolling with the punches when the situation is out of his control!

Lauren has always appreciated Marissa for exactly who she is. Around Lauren, she never felt silly for what she named her stuffed animals, or the posters on her wall, or her obsession with American Idol. She always seemed to love her all the more for it. Marissa feels so incredibly lucky to have a cousin who she can also call a true friend, who’s vibrancy and sassy comebacks never fail to bring a smile to her face. Besides, who else wouldn’t hesitate to do High School Musical karaoke with her?

Professional wakeboarder, Marvel superfan, and the life of any party! Aaron and I met at work, training in the same group. I have never related to someone so quickly. Aaron and I both quickly discovered we share a mutual love for the artist NF and are obsessed with Marvel. Our friendship was set in stone after that, and we now have a guaranteed plus one for concerts going forward! Aaron has led by example and taught be all about being resilient, recovering from a “career-ending” wakeboarding injury and returning to high level competition. That 1% chance of coming back didn’t account for Aaron’s tenacity. Aaron is also a glass half full kind of guy and always reminds me of “Yin-yang” and the balance between all things in life!

What a good brother Connor is for bringing home a girl that would become one of Marissa’s closest friends! They can talk for hours (and do it in Spanish when they don’t want the boys to understand), and Marissa finally has someone to team up with when Connor and Brendan tease her. Gwyneth is also the ultimate hype woman, not only cheering on Connor during ultra marathons, but also cheering on Marissa for a sick dunk in pool basketball even though she’s on the opposite team. Now Marissa can’t imagine a life (or a wedding!) without Gwyneth in it!

When Marissa was little, everytime she fought with her brother, her mom would say, “When you grow up, your brother is going to be your very best friend.” And she was right. No one else could better understand exactly where she came from and how she came to be who she is. What would she do without all the inside jokes, heartfelt letters, Peppa Pig memorabilia, and music exchanges? Marissa is constantly amazed and inspired by who her little brother has grown up to be. Though if she may say so herself, she’s pretty sure the country hits CD she gave him for his First Communion had a strong influence.

Emily was Marissa’s rock during graduate school at Auburn University (Shh! Don’t tell Brendan!) She remembers meeting Emily on that very first day. Her smile was infectious and she was spouting off tips and advice as she gave her a tour of all the important locations for Dr. Barry’s Foreign Language Education Program (the coffee machine being the most important of course). Right then, Marissa’s nerves about being at a new school in a new state fizzled because she knew she’d made a great new friend.