Andrea and I met at a pool party back in high school and it seemed like we had known each other forever.  We connected instantly and became the best of friends in the coming years.  We really became more like family as I remember staying over her house for weeks during the summer time.  My mom would call and say, "Hey daughter, it would be nice to see you sometimes."  Yes, it was that bad.  We were living the life off of those infamous peanut butter and apple jelly sandwiches.  And when we were tired of the sandwiches, I remember Andrea having some Olive Garden gift cards and we would go there and share the Tour of Italy.  Man oh man- those were the days that we both weighed 120 or less and the bread sticks wouldn't stick to our bones.  Wow - so many memories arise when I think of our 20+ year friendship.  It has been full of love, laughter, fun times, great memories, helping each other through the ups and downs in life, always being considerate of each others feelings, various trips, celebrating our successes and wins, praying for each other, numerous conversations about everything, being each others confidant and the list can go on for days.  Andrea is my bestie and she will never understand how much she means to me.  

Thank you for being my MATRON OF HONOR.  She was just as excited as I was to start the planning.  

Chastity Copelin - my beautiful sister, my first best friend.  She has loved me (and probably hated me at times) for 34 years.  She always tells me to go after my dreams, supports me in every aspect of life and lets me know that I am the PRIZE.  So many thoughts and memories come to mind when I think of my sister.  Like our childhood - "rolling the egg across the floor" (inside joke-SMILE), going to Alabama each summer to stay with our grandmother, our various Florida trips, sitting in the bed all night just talking, playing all the girly games, making up dance routines, creating tapes to play in the car and the list could go on for days.  I thank her for loving me no matter what, for being so supportive of everything that involved me:  any program I was a part of-she was there, any modeling gig or pageant I was in-she was there, all of my Georgia State events (becoming a Delta, Miss Black and Gold pageant, various  other programs/events)- she was there, birthday celebrations - she was there.  I could never repay her for being right by my side or for wiping each tear away but I hope she knows that I am GRATEFUL for it all.  I will always be there to support her/love on her and help her with my handsome and smart nephew, Josiah. 

My dear sister Chastity, thank you for being my Maid of Honor. 

Tikia has had an impact on my life since 2003.  This is the year I became a DELTA at Georgia State University.  She was only my prophyte at first, but through the years, she has become one of my closest friends.  She has taught me to never give up on things, to strive for the greatest version of myself and gave me the honor of being her son Tyson's godmom - it has been a joy seeing Tyson grow into the handsome young man he is today.  From the many days at her mom/dads house (my other family) to our infamous sleep overs to our TI jam sessions in the car to numerous concerts to our 2016 Jamaica trip and more - I just want to say thank you for being my ride or die boo.  Love you beyond measure girlie!  

Thank you for joining the I DO crew and being my Maid of Honor.  

Since 2003, this crazy girl has been a part of my life.  Delta Sigma Theta brought us together as line sisters, but Tara is my true friend.  We talk on the phone for hours, we hang out and lose track of time and when either of us are weak, the other is there to be our strength.  She never seems to amaze me with her accomplishments and determination to be great.  There are so many things I can say about our friendship and who Tara is as a person, but one thing that sticks out to me is her LOVE for God.  Tara and her friend Tiki started a bible study (She Who Walks) that meets at her house every other Thursday - how awesome is that? Don't get it twisted though because as the saying goes, "Tara loves GOD and TRAP MUSIC".  She has the best house parties ever.  

Tara, thank you again for accepting my invitation to be a bridesmaid!

Crystal is one of a kind.  We always call each other "the on-time line sister" as we never want to be late or miss anything.  We will show up 15 minutes early and usually pull in right behind each other.  Over the years, she has truly shown me what a genuine friendship looks like.  She is kind-hearted, thoughtful, full of wisdom, caring and willing to give of herself in any situation.  From the various brunches/happy hours, the deep-thought provoking conversations about life to the random gifts/acts of kindness and the little nuggets she has passed to me along the way - I am so grateful that Crystal is there for me to lean on.  I want to be like her when I grow up (smile).  

Crystal, thank you for saying YES to being one of my bridesmaids!

Tyshawn is my beyond smart, lawyer by day, motocycle enthusiast by night, business owner/fruit hustler (@fruitytreatz- delicious chocolate covered strawberries and other infused fruits) and fitness addict line sister.  When she puts her mind to it, you better get out the way.  She sets goals and crushes them.  She motivates me to work harder, live life to the fullest and encourages me to take chances/risks.  Many memories come to mind when I think of this awesome chick - from our Georgia State University days, our talks and check ins while she was in law school, tailgating fun, her funny interactions with my mom & dad, the 2018 Peachtree Road Race to celebrating her recent successes/promotions.  Thank you for always being YOU and thank you for being there for me. 

I appreciate you for accepting the invitation to be one of my bridesmaids!

Oh Tenielle - where do I began?  Tenielle and I have known each other since we were at least 5 years old.  Our parents were heavy in the church and attending Central Baptist Church.  Every Sunday, we would have to attend Sunday School and then we usually would get in trouble during the service because we were talking, eating candy, etc.  As we grew up and into middle school, Tenielle and I became really close.  I remember spending the night at her house some Saturdays, staying up late talking about any and everything then ending up making her family late for church.  Over the years, we have supported each other in various things, went on a cruise, caught up on life over hundreds of brunches, had girls night in,  attended each others big events (including her wedding and the birth of her beautiful baby girl) and so much more.  I appreciate her and her family for loving me beyond measure.  

Thank you for everything and for accepting my invitation to be one of my bridesmaids!

My Nika Boo!  This girl has truly been my sounding board since 2005.  At first, I wasn't sure if she liked me because she is from Jersey and Jersey people can throw you off sometimes with their facial expressions (lol - you guys know I am telling the truth).  After some time, she did let me in and we have been rocking ever since.  I look up to her in so many ways and always call her "Super Woman".  I dont know how she gets everything done with her beautiful family of 5, but she does it with grace and a smile on her face.  Nika is so loyal and loves with every inch of her heart.  Thank you Nika for the long talks that nourish my soul, for the prayers throughout my rough moments, for the memories of my trips up to NJ/PA to your trips down to Atlanta, for my handsome nephews and for still loving me all these years later.  You will forever be my boo!

Thank you for being one of my bridesmaids!

My sweet Jen!  I met Jen through my brother Greg back in 2011 and she has been my sister ever since. I remember first meeting Jen and saying to myself, "Wow, she is a pretty chocolate sister and she seems very nice".  Well, I was right - her spirit is so pure and she has a heart of gold.  She loves really hard and will always make sure you are taken care of.  She is my dancing partner, my happy hour buddy, my random day party chick (this is the Jen that was with me when I met Caiseen and she also went to Clark Atlanta University with him), my church pew friend (shout out to The Ray of Hope Christian Church) and so much more.  I can't tell you how much you have blessed my life over the last 8 years - my sister from another mister. 

Love you Jen and thank you for accepting the invitation to be one of my bridesmaids.   

PS- Watch out for this pretty face as she will be on the tv/movie screens in 2019.  Claiming it for you Jen - Amen!

I met Marla back in 2000 through my God brother and I havent been able to get rid of her since (lol).  Just kidding - I have been really right by her side.  Throughout the years, we have created so many memories from our club days with amaretto sours (definitely a baby drink but we thought we were doing something back then) to our various trips to different area codes to our long talks to make sure each other were ok.  I was so honored 2 years ago when she asked me to be the godmother of her youngest daughter, Dallas.  Just warms my heart that she thinks that much of me.  Her 3 precious girls and husband are her world.  She is a jewel and is always down for a quick girls trip or a shopping trip.

Marla, thank you for being one of my bridesmaids.

Lil Weezy, my younger brother. I am extremely proud of this dude. He has become a really great young man. When I look at my younger brother, I see myself when I was younger. He is always someone I can count on and talk to. He is an phenomenal father to my niece. One of the biggest reasons why I am beyond proud of "Lil Weezy" is that he listens to advice, but more importantly he applies advice to his life. Super intelligent, loves to travel and have a great time.

When David and I met, we were no older than 12 years old. He was great friends with my cousin, Rasheen Ward. Early on, David and I connected through the game of basketball. On the basketball court, he was the only person who figured out my strategy, which was to get my opponent angry, take them out of their game and then use their vulnerability to score. Lol....after a pickup game, he and I would sit around and laugh about the game. Over the years and as adults, our friendship has grown tremendously. Through rough times, David and I have been there to support each other.

Will has always been a standup guy. When I was a freshman in high school and Will was the senior starting pointguard for our varsity basketball team. He was the man...Lol!  I made the varsity basketball team as a freshmen, so originally, Will and I connected thru the game basketball. I am also cool with his younger brother Darien. In high school, Will and Darien named me "King Beef", the character from the Martin Lawrence show, because I had a leather jacket with a huge fur collar.  Over the years,  Will and I have grown closer. Super good dude, never confrontational and always supportive. 

Ku and I connected during our sophmore year at Clark Atlanta University. We both were in the honors program. I recall driving back to campus and Ku introduced me to the musical genius sounds of Outkast. We have always connected as we both majored in the sciences, him in medicine and for me engineering. I think our funniest memory was when Alfago Davis, another friend of ours, did 500 setups poolside up at UIUC. It's always been love, we motivate each other to be great and to be phenomenal leaders.

My man Jab! I met Jab my freshmen year after a Philly Club meeting at Clark Atlanta University. When I was a freshmen, Jab was in graduate school at Clark. We connected immediately.  Jab majored in mathematics and during my freshmen year, calculus was my most challenging course...lol.  So, I would run into Jab alot in the math department.   Jab and I were also in the honor's program together. He definitely took me under his wing.  During my freshmen, I lived off campus and Jabari would come pick me and my little freshmen girlfriend up and drive us back to my room. I will forever be greatful to him for that.

"Ron-Boy" "Ron for President". Outside of being my line brother, Ron and I have always connected because we are both from rough cities, Chicago and Philly. I believe he just stop putting creases in his jeans last year.....lol. But his neatness represents so much more than you would understand. Ron is extremely strategic, intelligent and one of the best multi-taskers I know. Most importantly, he is my friend for life.

Jimbo is my line brother and good friend. You know you have a friend for life when they would rather fight you themselves instead of allowing you to ruin your life. Always willing to lend a helping hand, Jimbo is a standup guy and I am proud to have him as one of my groomsmen. I think our funniest moment was when Jimmy and I were in speech class freshmen year - Jimmy got up in front of the entire class and recited Tupac lyrics for his speech and the teacher gave him an "A" for his speech...freaking hilarious.

When I was only 7 years old, I had my first job sweeping hair up in the neighborhood barbershop. Ced was the young, cool barber in the barbershop. Everyday after school, I would come work at the barbershop then do my homework. Ced has always been like a role model and we have become extremely close friends. Through all of the trials and tribulations, Ced has always been there to listen and provide advice. I cannot explain my appreciation for what he has done for me in my life.

My Fitfam, righthand man. Jafar and I have always connected. When I would come in town from school or work, he would always make it a point to link up.  Both of us have always shared the same passion for fitness. I am extremely proud of him for following his heart - sometimes it is not easy.

My cousin Marvin! Marvin has a heart of gold. Marvin moved from Atlanta to Philly to live with my parents and I to attend Penn State University. During his freshmen year at Penn, he majored in Computer Engineering and at the same time, I was a senior in high school. Marvin is partially the reason I am an engineer today. Whenever I had hard times, Marvin was always there for me. Our funniest moment was when we were all teenagers coming from the skating rink. It was about 6 of us and we decided to stop by a near by carnival.  Unfortunately, we spent all of our money at the skating rink, so we decided to hop the gate and sneak in. Well, Marvin was from Jonesboro, GA and the rest of us young city slickers were from Philly.  So, of course, he was not as familiar with hopping gates as we were. Marvin reached the top of the gate and you will never guess- yes, the zip of his pants gets stuck on the gate. Everyone had made it over the gate except Marvin.  In the end, we had to leave the carnival and head home as we all got caught trying to help Marvin get down off the gate lol. Glad he was ok, but I was laughing so hard tears came down my face. 

Rasheen and I have always been like brothers. I remember when we thought we were WWF Wrestlers. We would dress up like Hulk Hogan and wrestle each other in the basement at Rising Sun Ave in Philly. During my senior year in high school, he let me move in with him. We had an entire house to himself. When he went to work everyday, he would give me his car keys and house keys. As long as I kept the house clean and I was there to pick him up, I was good lol. That was the type of person he was to me - truly special. Just a great dude, man! He has a great heart, he is a great husband and a phenomenal father!!!

My Cousin "Pout"!!! James has always been my support system. James paid for my entire trip to Cancun back when I was still in college - so I could have a little getaway from school. But, the most important moment that stands out to me was when I was just about to get on the road with a packed car and drive from Philly to Atlanta to attend Clark.  I did not have money for my apartment. I pulled up on Pout and I told him, "Man, I need $1000 so that I can pay my first month rent and security deposit". He gave me the money on the spot. Without him, I do not know how I would have made it. I will forever be grateful & loyal to my big cousin. Love you MAN! Pout is the type that also has all the low key jokes. Great dude.

Mr. Shiz is what we call him. I think he talks the most trash out of all the groomsmen. Shawn has always been gainfully employed-lol. Shawn has also done a great job sending his oldest daughter off to college.  Man, what an accomplishment. Father of three, devoted husband, licensed child care provider, licensed foster care provider.The funniest moment with my cousin Shawn was during a family vacation in Cancun- we were on a booze cruise and Shawn got so "saucy" until he almost fell over board on the boat. But we held him down.