{Kelly & MJ | 9.5.15} – Maggie Stoup

I met Kelly a few years ago (her sister Laura is one of my best friends and I think I’ve unofficially been adopted as a McCarthy sister!) and I was SO excited when I found out she was getting married to MJ! I met MJ when Kelly graduated from CNU (Go, Captains!) and we did some graduation pictures on campus. Of course we had to include MJ in on the photo action too. He was quiet (and probably though we were nuts) but you could see the sweet little smiles he would give her and the cute way they’d hold hands, arms swinging, while we walked around campus. Young love!!! So sweet!!!

MJ plays in a band and, word on the street is he doesn’t sing but love makes you do all sorts of crazy things!! But one evening he took Kelly to City Center in Newport News where they’d gone on many dates and made their relationship status official. MJ surprised Kelly with a kelly green (for real, people! how cute!?) ukulele that he’d taught himself to play just for the occasion. He sang “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story. The last line of the song (“You’ve got a friend in me…”) became “Kelly, will you marry me?” Seriously still makes me tear up!!! How stinking sweet is that!??! And guess what their first dance song was!!! (*insert golf clap for MJ*) And the rest is history. We went back last year, ukulele and matching converse in hand for engagement pictures. So sweet!!

Kelly and MJ had the most perfect day for a wedding. The last weekend of summer (unofficially) and the weather was perfect!! It sprinkled that morning so they got their dose of good luck I suppose but the rest of the day was perfect. A breezy and not too hot and perfect evening light for portraits after the ceremony. Before the ceremony, they opted for a first look (YAY!!!) at Windsor Castle Park and exchanged notes before walking down the aisle. MJ told us that when they worked together at a local restaurant, they would leave notes on each other’s cars for when they got off work. Again, so sweet!!! The look on MJ’s face when he saw his beautiful bride was priceless!!! These two are just so sweet and their love is just too precious. We got this fun loving bridal party together for pictures and then it was time to lace up their matching converse (!!!) and walk down the aisle at the Smithfield Center!

The ceremony over looked the Pagan River and was super sweet also. Kelly and MJ wrote their own vows and, not gonna lie, I cried. And then it was time for rings!! When MJ’s brother opened the ring box, Kelly’s ring came flying out and wedged between the deck boards. After a few seconds of panic, Pastor Jay pulled out his keys and they managed to fish it out. YAY!! We did some more family pictures (11 kiddos in the wedding party, people!!) then stole the happy couple away for a few more pictures as husband and wife. These guys danced the night away with friends and family then headed off to Mexico for the week!!!

I think we can all learn from Kelly and MJ how to love in the small, simple things of life and to always share the everyday joys with one another. Thank you so much, guys, for allowing us to be a part of you super special and OH SO sweet day!!!

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