SAMIA SHAMROUKH | MAID OF HONOR

IT IS CRAZY TO ME THAT THERE WAS A TIME IN MY LIFE WHEN I DID NOT KNOW SAMIA. SAMIA SPEAKS MY LANGUAGE, ALWAYS SEES THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL FOR ME WHEN I AM UNABLE TO, AND BOY DOES SHE MAKE ME LAUGH HARDER THAN ANYONE ELSE CAN. FROM CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS IN PARIS, TO SOUVLA ON OUR COUCH, SAMIA IS TRULY A SISTER TO ME. SHE HAS BEEN THERE FOR ALL OF THE IMPORTANT MOMENTS IN MY ADULT LIFE, AND NOW IS THERE FOR ALL OF THOSE IN MY LIFE WITH JOEY. WE ARE SO HONORED TO HAVE HER STAND BY OUR SIDE AS MY MAID OF HONOR.

BLAKELEY KOROL

WHILE BLAKELEY IS MY “COUSIN-IN-LAW” THROUGH MARRIAGE, IT DOESN’T FEEL THAT WAY. I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE BLAKELEY’S FRIENDSHIP, SUPPORT, AND LOVE IN MY LIFE; SHE TRULY IS FAMILY TO ME, AND OF COURSE ONE OF POPPI’S GIRLS. NOT TO MENTION WHAT A FREAKING HOOT WE HAVE EVERY TIME WE ARE TOGETHER. THANK YOU BETHANY BEACH.  

CHLOE POTASH

JOEY HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT CHLOE IS “OUR BRIDESMAID” FIRST AND FOREMOST. WHILE MOST OF THE TIME CHLOE LIKES TO REMIND ME THAT WE WEREN’T FRIENDS UNTIL THE END OF COLLEGE, I FEEL SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE BUILT OUR LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP DURING OUR MOST FORMATIVE AND “GROWING UP” YEARS. SHE NEVER STOPS MAKING ME SMILE AND LAUGH, AND I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON HER FOR THE 3 PM DAILY TEXTS WITH TODAY’S RENDITION OF OUR NEXT EXISTENTIAL CRISIS.

CLARE GLEESON

CLARE IS THE DEFINITION OF RIDE OR DIE. SHE IS THE ULTIMATE YES WOMAN AND BIGGEST CHEERLEADER. CLARE AND I MET IN OUR YOUTHFUL YEARS IN SF, SO FROM THE RATTY NIGHTS ON CHESTNUT, WAKING UP TO GET BREAKFAST SAMMIES FROM SAFEWAY AND THEN GROWING UP TO HAVING OUR BOUGIE DATE NIGHTS; IT'S AN HONOR TO TAKE THESE NEXT BIG STEPS TOGETHER. 

ELIZA FIRN 

WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK TWO GREMLIN GIRLS ON THE FOURTH FLOOR OF A SMELLY DORM WOULD END UP HERE. ELIZA AND I MET AT WAKE OUR FRESHMAN YEAR, AND THEN LIVED TOGETHER FOR ALL FOUR YEARS OF COLLEGE (GOD BLESS HER FOR DEALING WITH THIS CRAZY GAL). ELIZA IS STEADFAST IN HER LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE AROUND HER AND EVEN WHEN LIFE GETS SO INTENSELY BUSY, SHE ALWAYS MAKES THE TIME TO BE THERE FOR ME AND REMIND ME OF MY STRENGTH. 

JENNA MASON

FORMALLY KNOWN AS JENTINI SNORKELINI. JENNA AND I MET OUR FRESHMAN YEAR OF COLLEGE IN OUR 2ND FLOOR HALLWAY. THROUGH THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF THIS LIFE SHE HAS ALWAYS SHOWN ME THE BRIGHT SIDE AND HOW TO PULL MYSELF UP. AND WHEN I DON’T SEEM TO HAVE THE STRENGTH OR COURAGE TO DO SO, SHE PICKS ME UP FOR ME. I AM SO PROUD OF THE WOMAN SHE HAS BECOME, AND NOW THE NEWEST TITLE OF MAMA TO MY PERFECT NIECE.  

KATHERINE KOROL

I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE GROWN UP WITH A BABY COUSIN, AND NOW MORE LIKE A YOUNGER SISTER, TO NAVIGATE LIFE WITH. WE WILL FOREVER BE BOUND AS POPPI’S GIRLS. SHE HAS ALWAYS TAUGHT ME TO KEEP IT REAL AND IN THE MOST RANDOM OF TIMES SHE MANAGES TO THROW DOWN MUCH NEEDED ADVICE, WISE BEYOND HER YEARS. 

KELSEY WESSELS 

KELSEY AND I MET DURING OUR FRESHMAN YEAR OF COLLEGE AND JOINED THE SAME SORORITY. IT WAS CLEAR SHE WAS GOING TO BE A LIFELONG FRIEND TO ME SIMPLY BY HOW EASY IT WAS TO BE HER FRIEND. FROM THE GAB SESSIONS IN HER DORM ROOM, THE CARTONS OF INDIAN FOOD IN OUR LONDON FLAT, TO SOMEHOW STILL FINDING THE WILD NIGHTS IN OUR ADULTHOOD, SHE HAS BEEN THERE FOR ME THROUGH THICK AND THIN AND CAN’T IMAGINE THIS DAY WITHOUT HER. 

LEXI GOLLINKOFF

AKA SHMEXALA. TO HAVE LEXI STANDING NEXT TO ME ON MY WEDDING DAY IS PRETTY SURREAL, OUR FRESHMAN YEAR OF COLLEGE WE WOULD TALK AND DREAM ABOUT OUR WEDDING DAYS TOGETHER. WE ALWAYS JOKE THAT WE ARE “PARALLEL LIFE PARTNERS” BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR BIG LIFE MOMENTS, TRANSITIONS, CELEBRATIONS, AND CHALLENGES HAVE ALL BEEN ON THE SAME TIMELINE (LITERALLY SOMETIMES EVEN IN THE SAME MONTH ). SHE IS MY PERSON, ROCK, AND STONE COLD WEIRDO AND SO EXCITED TO SHARE THE BEGINNING OF OUR MARRIAGES TOGETHER. 

MADELINE BUSH 

MY OTHER HALF OF THE BABY COUSIN-SISTER-BEST FRIEND ALONG WITH SHARING BEING A POPPI’S GIRL. EVEN THOUGH SHE IS YOUNGER THAN ME, SHE SOMEHOW HAS ACTED LIKE AN OLDER SISTER TO ME. THE WAY SHE SHOWS UP FOR HER PARTNER AND FAMILY, THE WAY SHE LOVES SO STRONGLY, AND THE WAY THAT SHE CAN THROW HER HEAD BACK AND LAUGH AT IT ALL. I AM LUCKY TO FOLLOW IN ANY OF THE FOOTSTEPS YOU CREATE. 

NAVINA GRIEVE (THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS BERNARDI) 

IT IS AN HONOR TO HAVE JOEY’S LITTLE SISTER STAND NEXT TO US ON OUR BIG DAY. WE ALL KNOW THAT JOEY AND NAVINA ARE EXTREMELY CLOSE, SO IT WAS ONLY FITTING THAT SHE WAS THE FIRST ONE I MET FROM THE BERNARDI FAMILY WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DATING. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, WE WERE BENT OVER LAUGHING AND GOSSIPING ABOUT WHO KNOWS WHAT. SHE HAS SHOWN ME HOW TO BE CAREFREE WHILE ALSO STEADFASTLY SUPPORTING EVERYONE IN HER CORNER. IT HAS BEEN SO MUCH FUN BECOMING FAMILY OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS AND I AM SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS WILD LIFE WITH NAVS.  

OLIVIA BAUER 

I DON’T KNOW WHAT COSMIC OR KARMIC FORCE OUT THERE LANDED THE TWO OF US TO BE STANDING NEXT TO EACH OTHER ON THE FIRST DAY OF OUR FIRST JOBS, BUT I THANK MY LUCKY STARS THAT IT HAPPENED. WE MOVED INTO OUR FIRST SAN FRANCISCO APARTMENT TOGETHER AND NEVER LOOKED BACK. NO MATTER THE ZIP CODE, SHE WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY CORNER AND I WILL BE IN HERS. OLIVIA IS THE GREATEST FRIEND A GAL COULD ASK FOR.

SANDY SHRIVER

SANDY AND I MET OUR FRESHMAN YEAR OF COLLEGE, BUT REALLY BECAME THE BEST FRIENDS WE ARE TODAY WHEN WE LIVED TOGETHER POST GRAD. SANDY LOVES SO DEEPLY, SUPPORTS SO STRONGLY, AND ALWAYS HAS THE RIGHT WORDS TO SAY. NO MATTER THE TIME OR SPACE, SANDY I KNOW IS ALWAYS JUST A CALL AWAY AND I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE SOMEONE LIKE HER IN MY LIFE. 

SOPHIE CAIN 

SOPHIE AND I MET WHEN WE WERE 13 AS TWO FRIZZY HAIRED SOCCER PLAYERS. WHILE WE DID NOT GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL GROWING UP, SOPHIE IS WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE HOME. SHE HELPED ME FIND MY PLACE ON THAT SCRAPPY SOCCER TEAM, SUPPORTED ME FROM AFAR IN COLLEGE, SCOOPED ME UP DURING A SCARY TIME IN MY LIFE AND EMBRACED ME WITH HER FRIENDS IN A NEW CITY. AND WHILE COOPED UP IN OUR APARTMENT DURING COVID, WE HAPPENED TO FIND LOVE AT THE SAME TIME. I AM THRILLED THAT SHE IS STANDING NEXT TO JOEY AND I, AND I CAN’T WAIT TO STAND NEXT TO HER IN OCTOBER.