Even though I do not have any biological sisters, Amy has fulfilled that close knit relationship to me since the day I met her.  Anyone that knows Amy would describe her as the sweetest person they know.  We first met back in high school when we attended a "smart camp" (don't ask).  We attended the camp and then parted ways to finish out our high school years.  We both ended up attending Penn State in the fall of 2003.  One of the first weekends at Penn State, we ended up going to the same frat house for a party and our friends that we were with ended up being mutual friends of each other.  I still remember the night, we were all standing in a circle on the dance floor with all of our girlfriends and I thought to myself, "that girl looks so familiar!"  In the end with both looked at each other and it clicked that we met a couple years back at the RYLA camp.  We have been best friends ever since!  Out of all the places and all the people at State College, we were at the same place at the same time.  It was fate!  We remained friends and ended up being roommates during our Junior and Senior year of college.  Some of my best memories were spent with Miss Amy Hoffman including tailgating and attending every single Penn State football game.  She has been there for me through EVERYTHING and has supported me no matter what I have gone through in the past 9 years, and we all know that I have been through a lot ;-)  With the birth of Olivia, she has been so involved and such a great support.  Amy is the proudest aunt Olivia could have!  She is my sister, my best friend, and the best maid of honor a girl could ask for!

Out of all the girls in my bridal party, I have known Megan the longest.  She and I have been friends since we were in 1st grade.  If you know how girls operate, she and I have moved to different groups of friends, but we always ended up being there for each other for the past 20 years (we sound SO old!!!!).  I still remember running around Megan's back yard during our summer breaks from elementary school in our bathing suits and jumping on her trampoline.  Some of my greatest childhood and high school memories were with Megan.  I am so lucky to have had such a great friend all these years. I also remember Megan having the prettiest long blonde hair and I wanted my hair to be just like hers...haha.  We grew up and remained friends throughout the years, but became really close again during our senior year.  Megan and I went through some really hard times with our family members passing, and I feel that we were both there for each other during those very emotional and trying times.  She was there when I needed her the most!  I am honored to have Megan as my friend and bridesmaid because she is such a warm hearted and loving person.  She is the friend that always makes you laugh and smile!  We also love her for her blonde moments and sense of humor ;-)  I am excited to share our experiences together with our growing families and to have her in my bridal party to be by my side for our special day!  

I have also known Sarah since elementary school, back in the small town of good 'ole Latrobe, PA.  Sarah started going to the same school as me back in 4th grade.  Sarah and I have always had the same group of girlfriends, but the memory that stands out the most is being in Advanced gym with her.  Yes, in our high school, we had a class called "Advanced" gym.  It was one of the classes that only seniors could sign up for and you had to be selected based on an application that you submitted (ONLY Latrobe High school, lol!).  Sarah and I got placed in the same class, and of course our luck had it, we were the ONLY athletic girls in our class.  That was the point of the class was to actually have people in the class that wanted to be there.  As you can imagine, we bonded...especially during our all-star mud football team!  Sarah and I also shared homeroom with each other every morning because we were in student council together.  After high school, we lost touch a little, but she ended up living in the DC area around the same time I moved down and we bonded once again.  She and I have been through very similar situations throughout our lives "after Latrobe" which we just get each other.  She was the one that when Olivia was born, I received multiple cards, texts, and phone calls, just to say congratulations and to see how I was doing.  Sarah also spent a whole weekend helping take care of little Miss Olivia.  It was her first experience with "baby duty." It meant a lot to have her there, especially with everything I was going through.  She has supported me through everything and has been there no matter what!  I am so honored to have Sarah as one of my bridesmaids <3

Kisha and I met our senior year of college at PSU at a tailgate that Amy's family was hosting.  She had come with some mutual friends of ours.  She was so quiet so I really didn't get the chance to talk to her.  I love to dance, even since I was little.  I did ballet and some tap, but didn't continue during my high school years.  In college, I ended taking hip hop dance classes to fill up my schedule and joined a hip-hop dance group downtown.  I also found out that there were free salsa lessons up on campus.  I have always wanted to learn salsa, so I decided to try it!  During my first class, I noticed that the quiet little Kisha that I met at the tailgate was this vibrant, very confident salsa instructor!! Every Monday after class, we would all go to "all-you-can-eat" burrito night at Mad Mex.  I finally found someone that was as small as me that could eat as much as me! haha.  We also spent every Wednesday night at the Tony's Big Easy for salsa dance nights.  Needless to say, Kisha and I were attached at the hip our senior year :-)  We also spent many nights at the library pulling all nighters studying for finals (or at least we tried!)  After most nights out in State College, we had a ritual that the 5'2" Katie Kimmel would give 4'11" Kisha Alvarez a piggy back ride back to her house!  It was a funny sight to see!  Kisha is one of those friends you can go months without talking to because of our busy schedules, and then be able to pick up right where you left off and act like you had talked every day.  Kisha would do anything for everyone and she has of those contagious laughs that everyone loves to be around.  She is a beautiful person inside and out, and I can't wait for her to be by my side when I say “I do!”

Karen was one of the FIRST people I met down in Maryland, Even before physically moving here.  Bob Wells, my first cousin once removed (haha...inside joke), introduced me to Karen when I had my first interview for a job at the Department of Energy (DOE).  After my interview, he had taken me to lunch and we met up with Karen.  When first moving down to Rockville, MD, I really looked up to Karen and saw her as my big sis when we first started hanging out.  Karen is a very successful young woman that has taught me a lot, especially about surviving down in DC!!  As we spent more time together, our relationship migrated from the big sis to her being one of my best friends.  We definitely have to thank Bob for introducing us, and I hate to admit it, we owe it all to him! haha.  When I worked in Germantown as a contractor, I spent pretty much 12 hours a day with Miss Karen.  It ended up that we had offices RIGHT next to each other when working at the DOE.  We got lunch together every day and some great times during happy hours.  We have had some great times and I look forward to continuing our great friendship!!!  I am so excited to have my "big sis" and my best friend next to me on my wedding day :-)

When you're looking for a job, or a better job...and you constantly hear people telling you, "It's not what you know but WHO you know!"...well Joe is that guy! He is the guy that you want to know and have in your corner.  I will give him credit NOW...before he tells everybody the stories at the wedding!  Yes, he has helped me to get a job at ASP, the YMCA, Bennigans, and part time work at Fat Tuesday's as a bartender.  That's a total of 4 Joe...don't fabricate any more stories!  LOL!  Joe is the social network extraordinaire!  I'm shocked that somebody invented Facebook before he got a chance to!  LOL!  All jokes aside, Joe is just a great guy...one of the best you'll ever meet.  It was so hard picking a best man because I feel like I'm leaving out my brothers and my other best friends.  But Joe and I go back the longest as far as my friends are concerned.  We first met in 11th grade, which means I have known Joe for about 12 years.  He has been the kind of best friend that you would expect to be selected for the role of best man.  We have been through a lot together over the last 12 years, and have just been lucky enough to watch each other grow up and do pretty well for ourselves in life.  Joe and I both graduated from the same high school (Douglas) and college (University of Florida), and although we didn't always share the same exact experiences, we still remained close.  Somehow, we have always had that type of bond that just couldn't be broken.  Our friendship has certainly stood the test of time.  Joe has been one of my major supporters throughout my young and current adult life.  There isn't thing Joe wouldn't do for me and I know it.  I am more than honored to have him right next to me to support such a memorable and momentous occasion. 

Josh is simply "The Man!"  He isn't just faking with this picture you see...he CAN actually play the guitar and he sings pretty damn well.  I was actually shocked when I first heard him perform.  I will never forget when evening he invited me and a bunch of co-workers out to see him perform at a bar.  I was thinking in my head...There's NO WAY this little white dude sings and plays the guitar!!  LOL!!  I mean, he was telling me some of songs he sings and I was like NO WAY!  Well, he definitely surprised me.  I certainly hope he can play and sing the song that Katie and I will select for our wedding!  Josh and I met at TGI Fridays, where we both worked for a period of time.  We were both servers, and started around the same time.  Once I went to one of his shows, and he bought me the Jagermeister shots that were promised, we became best friends overnight.  I can remember so many of my great experiences in college with josh...at parties, bars, performances, tailgates, etc...  I don't know if I ever met a guy as good to people as Josh is.  He is the most patient and kind guy that I know.  He was so level headed and has actually helped me through some of the biggest hurdles I faced in life.  I like to think that I learn from everybody...and I've learned so much from Josh.  One thing he said to me that sticks with me is, "I work to LIVE, not live to WORK!"  As simple as that sounds, it explains his personality, and it has made me think about LIVING a little more.  Josh is one of those friends that I know I will never lose.  And if it were not for him, I may not even be the same guy I am today.  We share the same interests in golf, fishing, music, food, and most of all in GATOR sports!!  Go Gators!!  I thank him for always being there for me, and for supporting me on the day of my wedding!

When you ever go somewhere...and there may be trouble...Corry is the guy you want with you on the front lines!!  LOL!!  He has to be the most overprotective friend I have ever had in my life!  I can remember one time when we took A trip to New Orleans to watch TEBOW take on LSU, and an idiot LSU fan spilled my drink over on purpose.  Of course we exchanged words because I was 21 years old and drinking...but the guy was making gestures as if he wanted to fight.  Well, before I knew it, Corry almost went diving over my head trying to get to the guy in a very crowded bar!  I had to use all of my strength to hold him back.  When the other guy saw Corry's reaction, he just started to back off.  I never had any intention on fighting the guy, but I don't think I would of had the chance to even if I wanted to.  That's the guy Corry is...the type of best friend that would break his back to help you out.  He treats his close friends like he treats his own family.  I can remember having some of the most heartbreaking conversations with Corry, as he has been through some tough times in his life.  But through it all, he still managed to be the leader of his house, a father to two handsome sons, a great husband, but also an OUTSTANDING friend.  I don't quite know how he balances the things he does, but he just makes things happen.  I actually met Corry through Josh...so it conveniently worked out for me to have them BOTH as best friends!  I'm incredibly lucky that I met this man, and that he is truly on my side.  One thing Corry taught me through sharing his experiences with me...is to spend more quality time with my fathers.  Corry unfortunately lost his father at a young age, and still struggles with it today...as I think anybody would.  Because of him, I go more out of my way to make sure that I share time, and create memories with my father and step-father that will last a lifetime.  I know this will make him emotional because he is just like me in that respect, but thank you Corry.  You were truly sent here for a purpose...and God wouldn't give you anything you can't handle!

FOR NOEL, I will go ahead and address the elephant in the cyber room by stating that he is a new addition to the wedding party!  Lol!  My younger brother Terence will not be able to make it so Noel so graciously stepped in to fill his place.  That is a perfect segue to describe the type of man and friend Noel Charles is!  I met Noel at one of my first jobs in Gainesville, FL when I was just a young college freshman and 18 years old.  So if you don't know my age, that makes our friendship 10 years strong!  We met at good ol' Bennigans, where we were both servers.  Noel started our relationship by warning me about this witch of a girl that I was just starting to date, and I didn't listen to him...and I paid the price...dealing with her craziness!!  Lol!  Thank god that nightmare is over.  However, the point is that he was looking out for me since day one...and nothing has changed.  He agreed to be on stand-by as a groomsman for me because of the uncertainty of some of the guys making the trip.  He jokes with me about it out loud, but deep down it takes a real friend to do what he did and I'm sure he knows how much I truly appreciate it.  My best memories with Noel are definitely FLORIDA GAMEDAY'S where the "pre-drinking"(some may call it pre-gaming...which sounds dumb) was WAY out of control!  We certainly drank enough Jager to keep the economy in Germany stabilized!  Lol!  We watched Florida beat Florida State at the swamp, and we witnessed the 2006 Florida Gator National Championship victory together at a football party in the student ghetto!  By the way Tebow was a freshman then and we witnessed his rise to stardom and greatness that night.  Had to throw some Tebow in there!  Anyhow, Noel is a part of my wedding party because of the funny, intelligent, charismatic and caring guy that he is.  He is often the life of the party with his outgoing and unique personality.  But above all, he's been a guy that I've enjoyed to be around for the last decade and I look forward to partying with him yet again in Antigua to celebrate a momentous occasion in my life!

If you can't tell from the photo...Alex is a US Marine!  This young man is a motivated hard charger!  Alex had the honor of carrying on the tradition of service in the Marine Corps.  He followed in my father's footsteps and graduated boot camp in Paris Island...from the same company my father did almost 30 years before him.  What an honor to be his brother and to watch him succeed in the Corps.  Alex not only made it into the Intelligence field, but he successfully completed Intel school in VA and then took his knowledge overseas.  Alex was sent to Afghanistan on a tour and attached to a unit as an Intel Specialist.  Fortunately for all of us, Alex was able to come home unharmed.  If anybody has the mentality to withstand being in a combat zone...it's Alex.  This is a mentally tough guy!  Alex wasn't done with just being an Intel Marine and doing a deployment for his country...but he kept the ball rolling.  He applied for and was accepted into the US Marine Corps Security Guard School.  For those who don't know, those are those sharp devil dogs that protect US Embassy's overseas.  These guys compete hard just to get into the school, and go through a few grueling months of training which they are required to graduate from in order to be shipped off to another country.  Alex is now a young Sgt. in the Marine Corps and is well on pace to becoming the next great Sgt. Major representing the Hollings family.  I can just tell you that I am so proud that he has done what he has done so far, but also that he has the drive to continue!  If all of the drinks weren't free...I would say this is the man you need to buy a drink for!  This man is a true hero...and having him there would just mean the world.  When i first told him the news about the wedding, he just immediately expressed how he was going to do everything to get there, no matter the time it took or cost.  For those who think they will be traveling far...just think...he wishes he had the commute from the US!! LOL!!  I'm looking forward to him taking a break from his important mission, and coming to stand next to me on the altar.