THE MAEWOOD JOURNAL

Jen and Tara

Real Weddings

June 24, 2021

This year’s love had better last…

We’re pretty sure that in 2021, truer words have not yet been spoken. After a year of postponed celebrations, global pandemic lockdowns, widespread human rights demonstrations, swarms of murder hornets, etc., we all need a little more love in our lives right now.

Though many things were canceled over the past year, love was not one of them! And lucky for us, we got to witness one of the most heart-lifting, soul-nourishing, make-you-believe-in-miracles unions of all time over the weekend, and we gotta tell you…It. Was. EVERYTHING!!!!!

Jen, a school psychologist originally from Rochester, NY, and Tara, a Montessori teacher born and bred in Arizona, met on OK Cupid the better part of a decade ago. They had an instant connection. Immediately bonding over their love of working with kids and their desire to have a positive impact on the world around them.

In addition to falling head over heels in love with Tara, Jen also absolutely adored Tara’s son, Jace. Jace was just three years old when they met. He accepted Jen into their lives with open arms and vice versa. As Tara once noted,

“She was never an addition to us…she was always the missing piece.”

With all the puzzle pieces in place, the three were ready to start their lives together, which is where we came in!

Love Wins

Jen & Tara’s day, though celebrated months after they had originally planned due to the pandemic that shall not be named, was absolute perfection. From the rainbow arch balloon installation on the dance floor to their custom bridal Chuck Taylors to the personalized sunglasses given to guests as they arrived to the competitive game of musical chairs at the reception, every detail of their day was a reflection of Jen & Tara’s personalities and the life they share together!

But go back to the lyrics from James Gray for a second:

“This year’s love had better last. Heaven knows it’s high time. I’ve been waiting on my own too long.”

In case you didn’t know, June is Pride month. It has been a long time spent for many of the LGTBQ+ community. They have patiently waited to be recognized as equals in the eyes of the law. On June 26th, 2015 the United States Supreme Court ruled that the 14th amendment requires that same-sex marriages be granted and recognized in all states.

The ruling is a landmark in the pursuit of equality in this country and, as it pertains to this wedding, holds a special place in the hearts of the brides and their families. So much so that Grady, Jen’s brother, read a portion of the ruling as a part of the ceremony. The same words that were read at his own wedding to his partner, Jake, years earlier.

Grady’s cadenced voice carried the words of the court ruling throughout the ceremony site,

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it. Respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed. It

is so ordered.”

With those glorious words, the love that has lasted for so long, overcome so much to be stronger than ever before, sealed the forever union of two people who, as the ruling echoes, “joined to become something greater than they once were.”

This sentiment is evident in any of the words spoken about Tara & Jen as well. In any rendition, the message is always the same – these two women bring out the absolute best in one another. They are each other’s rock. Lending support where needed, giving space to grow and flourish while celebrating all the wins along the way, big and small! They are the good that we all want to see in the world. Their love is the light our hearts search for when the darkness of the world seems to be closing in.

And so, on June 19th, 2021, the story became a legend. Jen and Tara immortalized their everlasting devotion to one another and the

McCrackens were RELEASED

To our lovely McCracken ladies, we love you to the moon & back & are so honored to have been a part of your beautiful day!!! You made us feel like family from day one, and we will forever cherish the lifelong bond this has forged between us all (don’t forget to let us know when the next family vacay is, we’re totally in)!! Not only that but to witness the commitment & devotion you have to each other, in addition to the unconditional love & support from both of your families first-hand was, well, as we said in the beginning…