The Art Factory, Paterson, NJ Wedding

Their Wedding: Christy and Kelly's wedding at The Art Factory in Paterson, NJ was on a cool and rainy day in autumn. Having known Christy since MIDDLE SCHOOL, this was the biggest deal for me! With all of the rustic vibes, thoughtful details, and overflowing love, it was a memorable and emotional day for so many! I can't wait to share this fun-filled day, but first, a little bit about their love story!

How They Met: Christy and Kelly met while working together at Starbucks! Christy thought Kelly was pretty goofy and described her as, “an enigma.” She didn’t understand how someone could be so silly but so smart at the same time! They worked together three times a week. From that, they developed a super fast and fierce friendship. Christy met Kelly’s kids and felt like her whole world just changed! “The sun came out, the grass was green and I couldn’t get enough.” Their friendship eventually became a beautiful romance and the rest is history!

Having been best friends since the beginning, Christy thinks they have a super strong foundation. They mutually respect one another and definitely enjoy each other’s company! The first thing Christy noticed about Kelly was her laugh! Kelly’s laugh was an infectious and unique laugh that startled her. The first thing Kelly noticed about Christy was her lips! Both having an awesome sense of humor, that’s what made them start to fall in love with each other!

The Proposal: I’ll never be able to forget the story Christy told me about Kelly’s proposal! “It was Halloween, which was our favorite holiday together. Our first time hanging out was on Halloween 2012 when I went trick or treating with the girls. So I had given Kelly a deadline of November 1st, 2018. We had been together for YEARS and I told her if she didn’t propose by then, I was moving out.

So, on October 31st, I was extremely pissed off because tomorrow was her deadline and there was no ring in sight. I had the day off and so did she, so we spent all day together. No ring. By the time the kids got home from school I gave up and Hannah went trick or treating with her friends and Kelly and Zoe and I got pizza and stayed home until it was time to pick her up. So a few hours later, we picked her up, and we had this ritual where everyone has to dump their candy on the table. So Hannah dumped her candy and I took my favorite and ran away so she couldn’t take it back. Very mature of me. Kelly called me back and said “Hey what about this one?!” so I’m looking through the candy and there’s a box, with a ring, and she’s playing one of our songs (Fashion of His Love by Lady Gaga) and she goes, “Will you be my boo forever?” and Zoe was filming it, and I had creepy clown makeup on and it was just pouring down my face and I hugged the girls and told them I loved them and Kelly was like, “Yes or no?!” and I said “OH Yes yes yes!” MY BOO FOREVER, PLS, I- 😭❤️

Their Love: Christy loves how Kelly seems amused by everything. She enjoys watching her laugh and crack up over the dumbest stuff! Kelly adores how Christy loves her children like they are her own. “I had no idea I could love her more, but when I see her with them it’s beautiful.” She said being with Christy brings her comfort and peace; beautiful contentment. While Christy jokes about how having a joint back account is her favorite part of being together, she truly just loves that she never has to worry about being without Kelly. She gets to come home to her for the rest of her life and says it’s the best feeling!

When asking Christy if adding Kelly’s kiddos to her life has changed to way she looks at life itself, she replied, “YES. The most exhausting thing for me was always the burden of constantly worrying about myself and how I exist in the world. But with the kids, I don’t worry about me anymore. My focus is on what their needs are and how I can help them exist in the world. It sounds weird but it’s almost like I need them, like even with the chaos that having kids brings to your life, I need that chaos so I can feel like I’m doing something right in the world. They make me feel important and the unconditional love that the girls have offered me is truly the biggest blessing I can imagine.”

Christy & Kelly: Thank you both and your kiddos for allowing me in your lives. Thank you for letting me capture your wedding day. There was so much beauty and love poured out from your friends and family. This was one of the best days of my life and it meant the world that I was privileged to capture your love! ❤️❤️❤️ Wishing you all the best and sending my love forever!!!

Vendor Team:

Venue | The Art Factory

Florist | Allendale Flowers

Makeup | Pauline Rowbelle

Hair | Painted By A Pixie

Kelly's & Bridesmaids' Dresses | David's Bridal

Christy’s dress | Cherished Bridals

Second Photographer | Brian Burak

Photography Assistant | Nathalia