Meet Mary Kate and Justin. Their shared interest in track and field has led them to a beautiful relationship. They met in December 2018 at a track and field coaching conference in Atlantic City. During that time, Justin was a collegiate track coach and MK was coaching at the high school level.

They became acquainted through a mutual friend and quickly initiated a meaningful conversation. That evening, they headed to the A.C. club Boogie Nights and danced the night away; and the rest was history.

What’s not to love about this couple?

They have many of the same interests, plus, they each rescued a dog before they met and now their dogs are siblings. Moreover, they both prefer warm weather, traveling, and going out to dinner. It was clear that this couple respected each other deeply; they had an excellent communication dynamic. Because of this, they both support and encourage each other to grow into the most confident versions of themselves. 

Seeing Justin’s passion for his career and helping people become the best versions of themselves has helped MK fall in love with him. In addition, the effort he put into building their relationship in the early stages, and their conversations about the future, made her sure that he was the man she wanted to share the rest of her life with.

For Justin, their conversations and ability to be around each other without having to do anything, plus their shared passion for traveling, made him sure that she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

The Proposal:

Mary Kate and Justin took a long weekend trip to Washington DC over her birthday weekend. On their second day, they spent the entire day walking around DC and visiting all the monuments. Towards the end of the day, they caught an Uber to The Yards in Washington, DC.

They were walking over a cool-looking pedestrian bridge and Justin stopped to grab water out of his bag. As he bent down to get water, he pulled a ring box out of his bag. Then, on one knee, he proposed. She, of course, said, “Yes!”

Justin arranged for some of their friends to attend the proposal, which was even more surprising. They came from all over (NJ, TX, VA). They were all waiting at the end of the bridge and started cheering after Mary Kate said “Yes”, which was a huge surprise. Then they all went out to dinner afterwards.

Mary Kate looked forward to seeing Justin for the first time that day, the ceremony, and then finally partying and dancing with all of their closest family and friends. On the other hand, Justin is looked forward to saying “I do” to her.

Here are some favorites from their classic Center City wedding at Cescaphe Ballroom beautifully captured by Ralph Deal Photography.

• Getting Ready

• Bride/Groom

• Ceremony

• Reception

Getting Ready

Bride and Groom

Center City Wedding at Cescaphe Ballroom

The Wedding Party

Classic Center City Cescaphe Ballroom Wedding Reception

MK and Justin chose the Cescaphe Ballroom because they loved its look and feel. They were not disappointed! The venue was beautifully decorated for their special day. The bride and groom had a blast and danced the night away with their friends and family.

Reception: Cescaphe Ballroom┃Dress: The Bridal Manor┃Grooms Suit: Suit Shop┃Music: EBE Talent┃Hair: Philly Hair & Makeup Co┃Make-up:  Nicole Patrick┃Florist: Beautiful Blooms┃Videographer: Josh Case┃Wedding Planner: Bella DiSilvestro

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“We are so beyond happy we had Ralph as our wedding photographer! Since the day we met Ralph we felt like we had a good connection with him and loved how he always made us feel so comfortable. He was so easy and helpful to work with through the whole process from engagement to wedding day. Our pictures turned out absolutely beautiful and the wedding album from Italy is STUNNING!! The photo reveal party in Ralph’s studio made me cry and was such an awesome added bonus. We truly had an amazing experience and would recommend Ralph and his team to anyone looking for a wedding photographer. We can’t thank them enough!”

-Love Anna & Jimmy

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