Joy and Greg are married… A Very Special Story

Joy and Greg contacted me a little while ago to talk about their wedding. We talked about a few ideas and decided after the wedding and family pictures we would drop the 4 kids off at Grand Old House (not because the kids were ‘wifi deprived’ at all) and head off with the bride and groom for some great shots. I was very excited about meeting them and being part of telling their story…. I just didn’t know how amazing their story was. I met them at Smiths Cove and it was a gorgeous day. Everything started as normal and Joy waked down the aisle and vows were exchanged. Then Greg got on his knee and started to talk to John the little guy. Within 20 seconds I (along with all the other girls) were in tears. But I had to wait until I had Joy alone to ask what Greg meant.

Here’ their story…..

I’ve been a single mom for a while. My husband (John) passed away when our son (John Jr.) was 22 months old.  John Sr. was diagnosed with the brain tumor before John Jr. was born, and John Jr. is our only child.  We both knew I would end up being a single mom, as there was no cure.  We prepared by taking a lot of video and pictures (pictures are very important to us). John Sr. couldn’t work after his diagnosis, so he spent all his time at home with John Jr. His love for John Jr. was amazing.  He adored him, and took him everywhere with him – grocery store, golf course…everywhere. He was always holding him and didn’t want to put him down.  When John Sr passed away, John Jr was 22 months old and has vague memories of his dad, but I play video and show him pictures of his dad playing with him and reading to him. John Jr. loves it when I tell him he’s just like his dad.  He is a carbon copy – he loves the same food and his mannerisms are the same. It’s amazing! John Jr. was born with a severe birth defect (facial), for which we had to fly to NYC and Boston once a week for his first year of life.  It took a toll on John Sr, as he insisted on joining me for the trips, even though the chemo was making him severely ill. I remember he would just hold his head in his hands on those flights, trying to make it through and support John Jr.  The multiple surgeries for John Jr. were successful, and no one can tell that John Jr. had the facial defects. We were grateful that it turned out well.  Four weeks after John Jr.s last surgery, the brain tumor took a turn for the worst, and John Sr. was immediately hospitalized, and he passed away three months later.  I was grateful that he was able to see that his son would be OK before he passed away. He worried a lot about our son, and it was a blessing that he could pass away knowing that John Jr. would be OK. He was a special person and a wonderful father.
Greg and I met when John Jr. was five years old. John Jr. loves having Greg as a father figure, and he tells Greg he loves him all the time.  John Jr. has craved a family for a long time, and he loves the big family and his new brothers and sisters.  My mom was amazed at how happy my son is with the new family. He is literally skipping and dancing all the time. Greg is a very special person. He is divorced and had previously endured betrayal, loss and complete and utter despair.  He is a very strong person. His dad passed away two days before our wedding cruise, and Greg had to weather his grief, while keeping our wedding plans on track. Greg was sustained by the fact that his dad was happy for us, and he was grateful to see Greg happy before he died.  Greg is calm and very caring (especially with the kids)…and very funny. Blending the family isn’t easy all the time, but there are many fun moments and some very special moments. We are both looking forward to the second chapter of our lives.  Neither one of us expected to be happy again, and it’s terrific! We are so glad you were able to take our wedding pictures. We both understand the importance of capturing memories in pictures – it’s something to hold on to, and you captured the spirit of everyone so well. Everyone is amazed at the wonderful photos. We are grateful to you, Rebecca.  Thanks again!  Joy (and Greg)

So I asked Joy what Greg said to John when he kneeled down during the vows and this is what she said he said…. “Greg told John that he he doesn’t want John to feel that he is replacing his father. He wants John to hold his father’s memory close to his heart. Greg said that he wants to be like a father to John and enjoy all the things that fathers and sons do together.  He told John that he loves him just like a father would, and that he is looking forward to all of us being a family together.  He said that there is a lot for John to look forward to, with his new brothers and sister, and he is excited about our new bigger family, and all the fun years that are ahead of us.”

Okay I love these guys!!!!!!! What a journey they have ALL traveled. I just wanted to say how amazing the 3 kids of Greg were on this day, really incredible kids! What a great family!

With Great Appreciation: