The maid of honor is Amanda Boland, one my best friends.

We met when we were 10 years old, when the my family moved in around the corner from her family in the Holme Circle neighborhood of Northeast Philly.

Playing with American Girl dolls turned into dancing around the house getting ready for high school dances, which became taking day trips down the shore in the summers, and then living together in college.

Now we both live in Fishtown and work at Temple, and I was in Amanda’s wedding in July 2014. So pretty much nothing has changed over the last 17 years. I’m so happy to have such an amazing friend stand next to me on my wedding day.

-Shannon