‘Roommate’ Gets Married

I feel like I need to emphasize how SPECIAL this post is to me. Like really, really, special. While I love all weddings (clearly, since I chose a profession in the wedding industry), I extra super LOVE x 105 when it’s one of my best friends who is getting married. Let me give you the back story of how ‘Roommate’ and I became friends.

8 years ago (almost to the day actually), I flew out to Arizona with my parents. I was leaving the life I knew in Wisconsin behind and I was starting completely anew as a freshman at Arizona State University. I was terrified to say the least. My childhood best friend Steph and I had big plans of moving to AZ together, being roommates and attending ASU. Well as often times happens, things don’t always go according to the way we plan them. Steph did not end up coming with me to AZ. So there I was, 18 years old, the youngest of 6 kids from rural Wisconsin moving out to AZ…alone! One of my biggest fears was getting paired up with a bad roommate and having to deal with all the drama that comes along with that. Praise the Lord, I ended up with ‘Roommate’! Okay, to be fair, she does have a real name. It’s Alicia. Others know her as Lacy. Or Best. And others I’m sure. She’s a woman of many names, what can I say! From the moment Alicia and I met, we knew it was the start of a pretty awesome relationship. It didn’t take long for us to become super close friends. We spend our Friday nights doing laundry and making up goofy dances in our dorm room. We took many a trip to Whole Foods (in a cab I might add) and late night runs to Safeway (one in which I’m pretty sure we almost got kidnapped!). We borrowed each other’s clothes and even got on the same ‘nap schedule’. Oh yes, we took naps quite often! We even started going to church together. Coming home to my dorm became a source of comfort because I knew I had a constant friend.

We stayed friends through college even as our lives went in different directions at times. She was there for me in some of my most difficult times, a voice of reason and encouragement. Senior year she told me about this new church she had heard of, Praxis, and she suggested that I go. The very first night that I went with her, I met Joe. That church is now the place Joe + I call home. There is not a doubt in my mind that Alicia has been one of the most important people that God placed in my life! I was honored to have her as one of my bridesmaids in my wedding, and thrilled when she asked me to be a bridesmaid in hers. I remember freshman year when Alicia first started hanging out with Stephen. It was the first time I had seen her smitten over a guy. Now this girl had guys lining up, but it was Stephen who stole her heart. It was so amazing to see them, all of these years later commit their lives to one another as husband and wife. It was such a special milestone and I was beyond honored that God allowed me to be part of it. Of course I couldn’t contain myself, I had to take some pictures at my best friend’s wedding!

Roommate, you truly are one of my best friends. Just reflecting on all the ways that you have impacted my life and all the laughs we’ve shared, makes my heart smile. God is so good. I know that He hand picked you to be my Roommate 8 years ago because He knew how we would touch each other’s lives. I love you so so much and I am so honored to call you my friend! xoxo

Our very 1st photo together

Did we know how to decorate or what? ;)

We were always doing something goofy + childlike. Like showing our food to the camera. LOL

We were always laughing when we were together!

My beautiful friend on my wedding day

My beautiful friend the night before HER wedding! Yea for bowling!!!

One thing is for sure: Roommate is always entertaining!

Nikki, Alicia’s childhood best friend, was rockin’ the girl’s makeup

I stole her GORGE shoes before the photographer got there. I mean LOOK at them!

I just LOVE this girl!

Cutest chica EVER!

While the actual photog was inside shooting details, the girls suggested I take some pics of Alicia getting out of the limo. I did these in about 5 minutes.

Look at what she gave me to work with….DANG!

Check out all these cutie kiddos (notice how I put Josh in that category even though he’s 20-something). He was young when I first met him, so I still think of him that way!