#(ft. sanem)

I want to start by thanking everyone for joining us tonight, and thanking Sanem for choosing me to stand by her side on this special day as her maid of honor. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Lily and I’ve been best friends with Sanem since we were teenagers. She had just moved to Crescent Harbor with her family and she have been the new girl in school, but she took me under her wing and was basically there for me even after we went our own ways after graduation. She’s someone you always want to have in your corner, and someone who lets no amount of time or distance stop her from being there for her loved ones. From staying up all night at sleepovers in high school, to booking trips and starting our own businesses, and finally at this beautiful wedding tonight; Sanem has been there for both the ebb and flow of life. I’ve seen her go from a starry-eyed teenager to the successful and exuberant woman sitting here tonight, and I couldn’t be prouder of the person she is today.

I’ve also known Allison for almost all my life, but we reconnected as adults due to a misunderstanding that resulted in us believing we were each other’s clients. Instead of setting the record straight, Allison played along and kept the joke going. We realized the error rather quickly and laugh about it now, but that showed me that Allison was not only intelligent and quick on the draw, but that she had a sense of humor as well. I’ve seen this come through in her relationship with Sanem. She has never failed to put a smile on my best friend’s face, or mine for that matter. A jovial energy that’s equally as contagious, you’ll never be bored around her. She may also have a power of manifesting realities, as I actually have ended up planning her wedding. 

I first heard about Sanem’s connection with Allison after a Valentine’s Day charity gala which we had both attended together, and it was hard to deny the connection the pair shared. Even as I left Crescent Harbor briefly and pursued some projects around the country, Sanem and I kept in touch and I heard the story of how her love story with Allison developed. What surprised me was when it was Allison who reached out to me about the latest developments: her intention to propose to Sanem and asking me to help with the occasion. There was no doubt in my mind that Allison is Sanem’s soulmate, and that they are each other’s missing puzzle piece. 

We know how the story tends to go: one friend finds a partner and ends up spending all the time with said partner, and none with their friend. But the opposite happened here - not only did Sanem devote as much time and energy to our friendship as she did in the past, but I have also become incredibly close to Allison. I am so happy for both my old friend and my new friend today, and I know that they both have bright futures ahead of them. I hope that you never stop growing together, and celebrating each other’s accomplishments while supporting each other in times of need. 

May you have love, health, and wealth; but most importantly, may you have the time to enjoy them all together. With all the happiness in my heart, here’s to the lovely brides!

🎀  :   your  muse  brushes  my  muse’s  hair .

Time: Summer 2009

"In about a month, I’ll be living all on my own in another state. How am I expected to function as an adult?” Lily asked as her best friend passed the brush through her dark tresses. Nights like these were going to be extremely limited once the women went their own ways after the summer, with Sanem pursuing her dreams of dancing and travelling and Lily joining the ranks of the Vanderbilt Class of 2013. Was she ready for them to end? “Then again, Bash Landry is legally an adult now so I guess age doesn’t indicate anything. I won’t miss him, I guess you’re stuck with him being annoying while I’m in another time zone. Sorry,” the girl giggled, apologizing when she realized that her laughter was interfering with Sanem’s ability to style her hair. “How’s Landon been lately? I have to remember to invite him to my going away party, it’ll be a small thing. My dad will be there for a bit of it, if we need a bargaining chip to get Landon to RSVP yes.” The relationship between Sanem’s brother and Lily’s father was a strange one, but maybe it was what they both needed in some bizarre way. 

“We’re gonna be friends forever, aren’t we? You and me.” It was wishful thinking, as everyone knew that friendships after high school were unpredictable; while it was possible that she and Sanem would remain close, it was also a possibility that life would take them down different paths that would diverge from each other’s. She hadn’t known Sanem her whole life, but it certainly felt that way. But like the style the dancer had currently done Lily’s hair in, there were two braids that came together eventually after making their way to the middle. Maybe that was what their friendship would be like. 

lily whittaker + social media