Wedding Party Bios: The Bridesmaids

Elizabeth "Liz" Huckleby (Matron of Honor/Matchmaker) is the bride's baby sister. She's also the one who is ultimately responsible for this whole thing, since it was she who first browbeat the happy couple into letting her introduce them to each other. Her own wedding to husband Brandon took place in June, 2000, and a few years after that son Ashton Scott joined the world and made it a much more interesting place to be. Liz works at RCB in Claremore and runs her own photography business on the side, and hopes that this will eventually be turned the other way around.

Although Stephanie "Tessy" Smith (Maid of Honor) has known Jeanie since first grade, they didn't officially start to hang out until sixth grade. But once they did, it didn't take long for them to become BFF (that's "Best Friends Forever" for those of you who don't speak junior high). Unlike lesser BFF bonds that didn't even last through high school, theirs has withstood the test of time, geography, and busy grown-up lives. It has even withstood the test of long and hairy roadtrips, forced bad movie screenings, and the occasional pawning off of pets. Tess has stood unflinchingly by Jeanie through her toughest times and most embarrasingly geeky fangirl endeavors, so it's only fitting that she stand next to her for this, the most important moment in Jeanie's life.

Jeanie & Matt: How We Got Here

Jeanie didn't want to be set up. She was too busy trying to write a novel to have time for dating, and besides, she simply didn't do blind dates. Ever. But when her sister's persistence in trying to convince her to take a chance on this "cool" guy she knew from work got on Jeanie's last nerve, she began to cave--but only just barely. She passed along the URL to her online journal with the instructions that if Matt was still interested after reading it, he could e-mail her, and they'd take it from there.

And take it they did. From Matt's first e-mail, Jeanie could tell that he was something special. Soon e-mails turned into phone conversations during which he was entranced by her "sexy voice" and she was charmed by his sense of humor (and his voice wasn't bad, either). Finally, after a month of e-mailing and phoning, they agreed to an honest-to-goodness date, albeit a chaperoned one in the company of Jeanie's sister and brother-in-law. The initial group date ended with hugs and promises to do it again ASAP "without the training wheels." The next date (Thai food and Spider-man 2) ended with the certainty of many more to come. The third (a picnic under the stars) ended with "I love you"s and a kiss that made Jeanie's toes curl up. Before they knew it they were discussing honeymoon destinations and how long to wait before starting a family. Planning their lives together came as naturally as breathing. They go together like Elvis and Vegas--one without the other feels strange and incomplete.

And so they're getting married, and--although they were tempted--are managing to do so without involving either Elvis or Vegas. It might be small, but this wedding will be a class act. But whatever unexpected chaos might arrive on the big day, this bride and groom both know that in the end, the only thing that truly matters is that from this day forward, they'll each be in the other's corner, holding each other up through life, for the rest of their lives; and that no man--no thing -- will ever put asunder the love with which they have been blessed.