Meier Long Wedding
Meet the Bridesmaids
Kayla is my cousin, but cousin doesn’t come close enough to explain our relationship. Kayla is more of the little sister that I never had. I was “forced” to play Barbie’s, paint nails, do makeup and do hair (even when I didn’t want to). I watched her grow up through cheer competitions, volleyball games, and softball games. During all of this she has grown into an amazing, hilarious, beautiful and confident woman! As we both have gotten older we have found many other things that we enjoy doing together. Usually, Kayla, myself, and a few close friends get together and do some fun (and crazy!) things. We have had so much fun going to Kings Island, going shopping, and scaring ourselves at haunted houses. She is also my book buddy. We find and read books that both of us will enjoy and then if they make a movie, we go watch it together. Kayla is my go-to girl for movie nights and marathons. She is always there and willing to hang out, watch movies, or just talk. I love this girl so much! She is the BEST!
Kristen is my sister-in-law. She married one of my older brothers, Jeremy. I was the flower girl in their wedding, along with my younger brother Josh, who was their ring bearer. I can’t tell you if there was ever a time when Kristen wasn’t a part of my family. Every family memory I have has her included. She is much more than an in-law to me, she IS my sister. Even though she lives in Missouri she said yes to be my bridesmaid right away. It made me so happy to get that text. I can’t describe how awesome it is to have your brother marry someone who you get along with so well. I can go to Kristen (and Jeremy) for anything! She has always had my back and been there through absolutely everything. We have gone on road trips together, tried to get my belly button pierced together (when I was 16), are raising kids that are close to the same age and much more. I would never imagine getting married without Kristen being a part of it.
Brooke is my best friend. She has been ever since I can remember. We grew up together at East Main Church of Christ. Our lives together consisted of birthday parties, youth group, church camp, lock-ins, haunted housing, and Kings Island. This girl is not only my sister in Christ, she’s my honorary sister. We went through many life stages together; becoming teenagers, getting baptized, high school, and becoming adults. I don’t think there is any other girl who knows so much about me (which is a little bit scary). My parents and brothers all consider her as much a part of our family as is I do. And I feel just as close with her family. Brooke and I get along so well because we love to laugh and make jokes. Also, we don’t have any issues with laughing at ourselves (which is mainly what we do). Her sense of humor and personality is spectacular and just adds to how gorgeous she is. As we have gotten older our lives have taken us further apart (geographically speaking) but when we get together, it’s as though nothing has changed. She is always there for a talk and/or a good laugh.
Leann (or Miss Leann as I call her) is my future sister-in-law. She is married to Rob’s brother, Edward (Eddie). The first time I met Leann, we hit it off immediately. Turns out that I already knew her brother from school. This lady and I have so much in common (it’s almost scary). We both did this crazy thing in high school called choir. She was a Wavaire and I was in Girl’s Glee (she was crazier than I). I love musicals and, much to my happiness, she love musicals too! She took me to see RENT live! It was so much fun to go and watch a musical with someone who sings the songs along with me. We love to get together and watch musicals on DVD or Blu-ray. Then, to top it all off, I found out that Leann loves shoes just as much as I do. Between the two of us our shoes could fill an entire room (or 2)! I finally found someone else (besides my mother) who loves shoes as much as me. And, last but certainly not least, we both love our goofy Meier boys. Rob and Eddie and so alike in a lot of ways and now both of their wives will be too. I am so excited to be able to call her my sister!
This beautiful young lady is going to be my cousin. When Rob and I first started dating, he told me that he was very close with Chels. But, after seeing them together, anyone could figure that out without being told. She is the little sister that he never had. When I first met Chelsea she acted like I used to act when my older brothers would bring girlfriends home. It’s like putting your claim on him and making it known to this stranger how important he is to you and you are to him (if that makes sense). It was actually comforting. It definitely made it easier for me to trust Rob (with mine and Isabell’s hearts). Because here is this 13 year old girl (at that time) that loves him enough to be defensive and protective, just like I was with my own brothers. Chelsea’s personality and sense of humor is awesome (and reminds me of her cousins). Her faith is so strong and undoubting. I can only hope to raise my children as well as she has been raised.
This beautiful firecracker is my future (and first!) niece. It was at her 11th birthday party that I met most of Rob’s family for the first time. Before going to this party I had asked Rob numerous times if I should take Isabell. It’s one thing for me to meet them for the first time but it’s a whole other thing for them to meet my daughter. Even though I was still unsure, I brought Izzy with us anyway. Thanks to Kirsten, my doubts and fears were quickly put to rest. She immediately took Izzy under her wing and introduced her to the other kids and had her involved with everything. Kirsten is Robs only niece and she will always hold a special place in his heart. And I completely understand. She has had a firm grasp on my heart as well ever since the first time she accidently called me Aunt Rachel. Kirsten is such an outgoing, talkative, and happy girl. I can’t wait to watch her grow into the amazing woman she will be.
Meet the Groomsmen
Matt has been in my life for a long time. We became friends in elementary school. Matt and I have helped each other through rough times and have always been there for each other. We spent many nights together playing video games. He used to stay over at my house and, late at night, we would sneak into my mother’s room while she was at work so we could play ‘Command and Conquer: Renegade’ until the sun came up. My grandmother would sometimes wake up and come to see if we were playing. When she would make her way to my mother’s room she would turn on the bathroom light so she could see. Matt and I would see the light turn on and we would immediately get very quiet and hide behind the bed or under the desk until my grandma checked the room and then went back to bed.I have tons of stories like this with Matt. He is my best friend and I couldn’t imagine my wedding without him in it.
Ed is my older brother. We were only two grades apart in school which means that he and I had some of the same teachers and even shared a few classes together. He is that big brother that everyone should have. He can pick on me and give me a compliment all in the same sentence. Ed always tried to include me instead of brushing me off as his annoying younger brother. He would invite me to hang out with him and his friends and I would invite him to hang out with me and mine. Even after high school, Ed and I lived together in Ada while he was attending college. We didn’t fight like most siblings, we actually had a blast together! Ed and I still have a lot of the same friends and we all still get together. We have spent many hours together playing games and hanging out. He has always been and always will be there for me when I need him. Ed has been a major influence in my life. Although we don’t always get along, I know that deep down Ed always cares about me. I am so lucky and happy to have him as a brother.
Josh is Rachel’s younger brother. Just looking at those two, you know they are related. I met Josh the same time I met Rachel, at EMCC. But, because he is 5 years younger than I, we never really had a chance to be in the same church activities or even in the same school. I kind of always knew him as Rachel’s little brother (I’m sure he just loves that). Now that we are all a little older, it’s easier for us to get together and hang out. There have been several occasions where Josh, Rachel, and I go out to dinner and a movie. Josh, like the rest of his family, is a huge movie buff. So, we like to get groups of people together and make a night of movie marathons. This young man is your average 23 year old. He likes to go out and have a good time. He refuses to have any less. Josh will be sure to make a good time out of any situation. I’m fortunate to have him as a groomsmen and look forward to having him (and Rachel’s 4 older brothers) as a brother-in-law.
Wow! What can I say about Tony? Tony is one of those guys that everybody likes. I can’t think of anyone that knows Tony and doesn’t like him. Tony and I have been friends for a long time. We were in the same grade throughout school but we really didn’t hang out that much. It was difficult with him being a Wavaire and me being in Marching Band. So, it wasn’t until these last few years that Tony and I really started to get together on a semi-regular basis. We both like to host gaming parties and play RPGs (role-playing games). Tony has an amazing sense of humor and is always a blast to hang out with. I remember calling Tony one time to ask him a question on morals. He answered and said, “Rob? Can I call you back? I, I’m on the toilet.” He’s just that kind of guy where he is always willing to take a call from you, even if he’s on the toilet.
It was during one of those times where Ed included me that I first met John. John, Ed, and some of their other friends had invited me to eat and play some paintball out at John’s girlfriend’s house. However, when I arrived all the guys were hiding in a bush and ambushed my car with pink paintballs. Now, my cars title says that it is Boysenberry Blue, so naturally, it looks purple. Put two and two together and you have a purple car with pink polka dots. The fact that I drive a purple car in the first place has made me immune to ridicule, so I didn’t care much about the pink polka dots. I just waited for nature to remove them. About 8 years later, John and I both began the electrical engineering program at Wright State University. It wasn’t until our second year that we finally met up in a class together. Since then, we've had many classes together. I was excited to be able to go through school with someone from my hometown. He made the hour long drive to and from school bearable. John is a great guy, and I am proud to call him my friend.
Chuck and I met in high school. We were both in the NJROTC program along with Ed. For some unknown reason, Ed nicknamed Chuck as Newbie and it kind of stuck. That is just one of the many reasons why we love Ed! Aside from NJROTC, Chuck and I didn’t hang out a lot in high school. It wasn’t until after his 4 year term with the US Navy that he and I actually got closer. A few months after his military term ended, we decided to become roommates. We would often call up a few of our buddies and we would just chill out and party at our apartment. When we weren’t in the mood to have friends over, he and I would have TV show marathons. At one point, we watched ‘The Office’: Seasons 1-5 in a week’s time. Those were the good old days; just wasting time in front of the TV with a great friend. Chuck is an awesome guy and I’m glad he is a part of my life.
