Dear Rachael and Salem,

I saw a tweet that said “my problem is I think about my friends more than I text them” and fuck does it apply to both of you. Not even just thinking though, I talk about you both and your wedding constantly despite having not seen or spoken to you lately.

So I thought this was the perfect opportunity to share with you guys what I have expressed to everyone else.

Whenever I mentioned your wedding, I contextualized my excitement for it by exclaiming, “this is the first time two people I love are getting married.”

I didn’t understand at first why this mattered so much to me. Rachael and Salem, your wedding is the first wedding where I know and love both the bride and the groom. It is an epiphany. After years of viewing weddings with skepticism and cynicism, I finally get it.

I have adored you both from the moment I meant you. You effortlessly radiate coolness. And I don’t mean the bullshit version of “cool” defined by superficiality and perfection and apathy. I mean you’re both cool in that you are always completely yourselves. You do not stifle your passions or mask your trauma. You are unafraid to show people who you are in a way that is natural and gentle and contagious. By doing so, you both make people feel seen.

In addition to this coolness, you both simultaneously radiate warmth, a feat that I will never stop admiring. Not only do you make people feel seen, you make them feel accepted and appreciated and loved. Your wedding holds a special place in my heart because I know it will embody and celebrate all of these things.

Rachael and Salem, my secondhand happiness for you both is indistinguishable from my own happiness. To celebrate the love of two people I love is such a privilege. Thank you for the girls nights and the midnight strolls and the late night couch conversations. Thank you for always making me feel so seen and so loved. Finally, thank you for the hope your wedding has instilled in me. It has been a long time since I’ve been excited for the future, but I am excited for yours and ours and even mine. I am excited to watch you grow as both spouses and as people. I am excited for all the future moments our busy lives get to overlap. Most importantly, I am excited about love, in all of its forms, and my newfound certainty that if you choose the right people, it lasts forever.

Congratulations my dear friends!

Love,
Grace