My Stand By Me Girls
- CHAN•pagne
- Jun 1, 2018
- 9 min read
I have always been a girl of meaning. I believe in the power of words, the power of actions, & the power of relationships. Most people would probably agree that I am a firm believer in "quality over quantity." I love most people & love having lots of friends, however, I would say I only have a handful of strong, nourishing, & loyal relationships in my life.
After the sudden loss of my dad in March of 2017, my eyes were opened. My eyes were opened to the people who will stand by me through the worst of times. During this time of tragedy in my life, I had plenty of friends reach out to me & pray for me, and for that I am forever grateful. However, when choosing my "stand by me girls" I had to think of the girls who know me forwards & backwards & celebrate with me on my best days & love me on my worst days. The girls that I chose to be a part of my bridal party have experienced some of the best & worst times with me. After a year of grief & lessons learned in 2017, I knew these girls would be more than thrilled to have a year & a half of celebration & happiness.
Taylor Tillman aka MOH
When thinking about who would be my maid of honor, the answer was clear as day. My sister, Taylor, is my #1 cheerleader in life & always has been. She loves me through it all. Together, we've experienced life as we know it. She truly knows every dark secret there is to know about me (if there is any? lol). I can truly say that she would give me the shirt off her back if I needed it, but then she would expect me to give it back to her washed & folded when I was done with it (; ! Taylor understands me. She has my best interest at heart & always has. She wants the best for me & will do everything in her power to help make me happy. Taylor & I have always been close as sisters & even closer as best friends. I know she will be the best maid of honor a girl could ever have.
Mickenzie Seely
Mickenzie is Hopper's oldest sister & current roommate (; Mickenzie & I bonded most on the Seely family Europe trip in the summer of 2015. We were roommates throughout the trip & even plane buddies on the 8 hour flight back to the states. Mickenzie has a very dry sense of humor, therefore, when Hopper & I first started dating, I thought she hated me. After years of sticking around, I came to the conclusion that she DOES like me. We have definitely grown closer as friends & future sister-in-laws as the years have progressed. Mickenzie has a heart of gold. I cannot wait for her to stand up there with me as I marry her younger brother.
McKenna Ballinger
McKenna is Hopper's other older sister. She falls in between Hopper & Mickenzie. McKenna & I had the pleasure of cheering together for 2 years at Briarcrest Christian High School under the reign of the famous Heather Seely (Hopper's mom). McKenna & I have always connected very easily because she is one of the warmest people I know. I was honored to have the opportunity to stand by McKenna's side as she married her husband, Hall, in May of 2018. I can't imagine not having McKenna stand up there with me as I marry her younger brother.
Kaitlyn Conley
Kaitlyn is one of my best cousins. She reminds me of my sister, Taylor, but nicer! ha ha ha. Kaitlyn has one of the softest hearts. If Kaitlyn loves you, then she REALLY loves you. She's the kind of girl that wants you to be happy & hates when you're not. She loves family & will stick by you through the good times & the bad times. I've always been able to have fun & laugh while hanging out with Kaitlyn. Those who know her love her. She can brighten up anyone's day. I cannot imagine getting married without Kaitlyn by my side.
Scarlett Conley
Scarlett is another one of my best cousins. She & I have been besties since the day she was born. While growing up, we were always super close. We were both the babies of our family & got away with everything. We were the best partners in crime & still are to this day. Scarlett & I both share the middle name "Grace" & if I had to choose one word to describe Scarlett, it would be grace. She is elegant & thoughtful & genuinely loves wholeheartedly. She is one of the kindest people I know & I cannot imagine not having her stand by me as I say "I do!"
Theresa Conley
Theresa is another one of my best cousins. Theresa married into the family, but could not fit in any better. She is full of love & kindness. She truly looks out for everyone in every situation. She is one of the best listeners I know & will listen to all of your stories with intent to give back to the conversation. Theresa is very family oriented, which has allowed us to become so close since her wedding in 2013. I have loved having Theresa be a part of our family & I can't imagine not having her stand by me on my big day!
Emma Mitchell
Emma aka "hott&&&spicyyy" (her name in mine & my mom's phone since the 6th grade) has been one of my best friends since the second grade. Our families carpooled to school for years while screaming yellow car & hitting the roof every time we saw a Nissan Xterra. We lived in the same neighborhood throughout elementary school & middle school. We spent most of our afternoons rollerblading throughout each others homes & the stretch of pavement in between our houses. We have always been nearly inseparable. Mine & Emma's relationship is one that started out as best friends & then evolved into cousins as our families began to spend holidays together (& because everyone at Ole Miss thought we were related). We think of each other as family. When Emma heard the news about my dad she spent her whole day jumping on different planes to get back to me & my family in Memphis since we were all supposed to be on spring break. Emma has laughed with me & cried with me through every phase of life. I cannot imagine getting married without her by my side.
Hannah Mitchell
Hannah has always been like another older sister to me. As our families grew up together, she was sure to hangout with BOTH the older girls (Tay & Liv) & the younger girls (me & Emma). Hannah was a key member in CHE CHE, a clique of me, her, & Emma! Our clique hung out after school in the coves of our neighborhood. We would use the tree at the bottom of my parent's driveway as our "club house." Hannah did everything to make mine & Emma's transition from high school to college as smooth as possible. She has always had my back & I cannot imagine not having her stand by my side on my BIG day!
Olivia Jamison
Olivia is also like another older sister to me. She has had the privilege of watching me & Emma blossom from our early elementary "onion head" school days all the way through our college days while teasing us both with Taylor by her side. Livi helped pave the path for me at Ole Miss & now she is helping me with my wedding as she just recently got married in July of 2017. Livi also works with Memphis's White Door Events & will be my right hand as I pick out all of my rental needs throughout the wedding planning process. I stood by Livi's side as she married the man of her dreams & I cannot wait for her to stand by me as I marry mine!
Mary Kate Baker
Mary Kate & I lived parallel lives growing up in Memphis & Birmingham. God was purposely creating the perfect college best friend for me & I had no idea. I met Mary Kate my freshman year of college & we have been inseparable ever since. She was my roommate sophomore year, junior year, and now senior year. Mary Kate lived with me & helped me during the hardest time in my life. She and her mom were actually with me & my mom when we received the news of my dad's passing. She helped me survive the remainder of my sophomore year & I am forever grateful for her grace & understanding that she showed me during that time. Mary Kate & I have a friendship that will last forever. She stood by me during my worst time... I can't imagine her not standing by me for my best time!
Kelly LaBudde
Kelly has been Taylor's best friend since kindergarten & she has played the role of my second older sis since then. Some of my favorite memories with Kelly involve the lake. She was my go to tube partner (ride or die baby) & my favorite late night snacker. We always found a way to sneak down late at night & eat all of the food in the fridge. Growing up, Kelly could dare me to do anything... "I LOVE USA BABY!" Kelly & I got super close because on family trips we both stayed up until the break of dawn while Taylor fell asleep at 9:00 pm. She's loved me through the best and worst times & I cannot imagine not having my second older sister stand by my side as I get married.
Hillary Wofford
Hillary & I went to middle school & high school together, but did not have the chance to really become friends until junior year of high school. After serving as co-editors of the Briarcrest yearbook together, we were more than thrilled to both be attending Ole Miss together. Hillary & I both lived in Crosby Hall at Ole Miss our freshman year. While living in Crosby, mine & Hillary's friendship blossomed. We served as each others "saving grace" freshman year. While spending the first year away from home, it was nice to have a solid friend to talk to & listen to while we were finding our way through freshman year of college. I distinctly remember telling Hillary in my dorm room freshman year that she would most definitely be in my wedding someday. She has a heart of gold & I would not have survived freshman year of college without her. I cannot wait to have Hillary stand by my side as I marry Hopper.
Madison Gentry
Madison is literally the little sister I never had. She & I cheered together for two years while I was in high school & created such a special relationship. When I first left for college, Madison would occasionally come over & have dinner & hangout with my parents because she knew they were sad to be "empty-nesters." Madison was on a mission trip in Brazil when she heard about my dad passing away. As soon as her plane landed back in Memphis, she made my house her first stop while she brought me & my family a happy from Brazil. After my dad passed away, Madison knew I hated going back to school & leaving my mom, therefore, she would come & have dinner, bake cookies, & just hangout with my mom. She is one of my biggest blessings in my life. I am so grateful for her loving heart. I am absolutely ecstatic to have my "little sister" stand by side as I say my vows!
Madi Claire Brock
Madi Claire has been my friend since I was 5 years old. While growing up together, we got to experience all of the craziness that life had to offer us from 5 years old - 21 years old. Let me just say, together, we have seen "fire & rain." Through the good, bad, & ugly, we have remained friends. Our friendship is a blessing, because there are very few people in my life that have known me for this long. Madi Claire is the type of friend in that we can go months without talking & then pick up talking again without skipping a beat. I am so excited to have her stand by my side on my big day!
Mariel Oyuela
Mariel came into my life about two years ago when she & my older brother, Todd, were set up on a blind date. Mariel was super quiet when I first met her, however, as the years have passed we have grown to become good friends. One of my favorite memories with Mariel is when Todd invited her to the beach with my family (cousins included) just a few weeks shy of their first date. While on the trip, Todd went deep sea fishing with my dad & his cousins leaving Mariel at the beach house with all of the women in our family. I didn't know this at the time, but apparently Todd had told Mariel before leaving to go fishing to "stick with Chandler, she'll take care of you." That day we started off with a trip to Starbucks & ended laying in the sand getting our tan on & have been friends ever since! I am so excited to have Mariel be a part of my big day!
My bridesmaids mean the world to me & hold such a special place in my heart. Each girl has played such an important role in my life & I am truly excited to have this group be my "stand by me girls."
xoxo
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