♥ local love
KELLY and JON
May 26, 2017 // Mackenzie B Photography
“ W
ith this wing, i thee
wed.” No, that isn’t a typo; it’s a
direct quote from none other than
the groom, Jon, during his and
Kelly’s Newport nuptials. Kelly may have picked
the theme (nautical, naturally), the flower palette
(her favorite color: pink) and some photo ops (see:
cheerleading stunt in an Allure gown), but she’s
the first to say that her husband took point during
the planning process. How ironic that Jon — the
guy who had every single vendor and detail for
the day outlined in various excel sheets — was the
one who screwed up. “We both just stared at each
other for a second and then we burst out laughing,”
says Kelly. “I just kept saying, ‘It wasn’t me!’” But
don’t worry, Kelly still got hers when her father
later delivered his reception toast. “I always get
myself into crazy situations, so I knew he was going
to roast me,” she says. “He literally told the most
embarrassing stories, but it was wicked funny.”
So just how did this good-humored romance
begin? Well, with a well-placed poke. “We were in
the same tenth grade biology class and I knew Jon
was super shy so I had another kid tap his back to
annoy him and get his attention,” Kelly explains.
High school shenanigans ensued (think late night
AIM messages and asking out other people) but
they finally made things official at the sophomore
semi-formal.
The next eight years together were then dotted by
fun family gatherings, college and police academy
graduations and annual vacations to New Hampshire.
“For our eighth anniversary I surprised her with a
stay at the Mount Washington resort,” Jon recalls,
“and while we were checking in she said something
like, ‘Wow, imagine what you’re going to do when
you finally propose.’ Little did she know...” Not long
after, Jon took Kelly up onto the resort’s balcony
overlooking the base of the mountain. “He began
with, ‘You know you’re my best friend…’ and I don’t
remember the rest because I just started crying,”
Kelly laughs.
And with so much history between them,
naturally a few equally sentimental moments made
their way into their big day as well, such as gifting
each other with a video of all their relationship
highlights and a book filled with family-favorite
recipes. “The best moments, though,” Kelly reflects,
“were the ones where you realized everyone that
ever meant something to you is there, and that
they’re there for you.”
112 | RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY'S ENGAGED 2018