take my hand – millett/mccarthy wedding

november 2031
previous update

Julia Millett (28 years), Elias McCarthy (25 years), Grady McCarthy (1 month)

Leah is upstairs, helping her daughter prepare for her wedding. This is her first time seeing her daughter’s living quarters in this whirlwind engagement, and she’s holding her tongue on the very “Nicole-ness” quality of their bedroom. She can’t see her daughter’s personality anywhere in the decor. She wishes her daughter would find a home of her own to have a family.

Leah knows personally the struggles of living with inlaws and raising a family, as she continued to live that nightmare. It wasn’t until recent years where she got to actually pick and purchase her first home, bringing along her father-in-law. But she’s spoken to Julia, genuinely and from her heart, many times in recent months, and it hadn’t made any difference.

Nicole is in the barn, checking on all the finishing touches, and leaving Leah alone with her daughter. It’s not a secret that the Mom’s of the happy couple aren’t fans of one another.

Nolan is outside, not sure where he’s supposed to go, or what he’s supposed to do. He tried claiming to be sick, but Leah knew it was a lie. She insists he will be happier being here for his Birth Mom than if he stayed at home, allowing his imagination to run wild. It’s sort of running wild now, watching a skunk lurk about the property. It’d be fantastic, he thinks, if it sprayed the entire wedding party.

Grant is occupied caring for Grady; he’s only one month old, and Grant forgot how tiny and helpless they truly are. He’s happy Julia is settling in to parenthood this time, she seems to be connected to Grady in ways she never was with Nolan, as sad Grant is to admit it. It’s complicated being Julia’s Father, but also raising Nolan as his own son. Where are the allegiances and how to be delicate to all the emotions?

The bridal party and groom relax outside, laughing and goofing around, full of nerves. Elias chose his twin brother, Julius and his older brother, Oliver for his groomsmen.

While Julia chose her sister, Hadley and childhood friend Alice. At first, Alice was anxious to walk down the aisle with all the brothers and family ties, but she quickly warms up to Oliver. She’s happy with Martin, but a piece of her wonders why Julia didn’t introduce them sooner.

It’s supposed to be an intimate wedding, both Julia and Elias were attached to the ideals around it, but it was terribly complicated to implement.

In the end, the McCarthy clan was much too large for anything entertaining the word ‘intimate’ and as such, they banned children from the wedding, except their son, Grady. Naturally, this upset some people (Grace), but it didn’t change their decree.

Brooklyn was happy for the break from her daughter, to dance with her husband, Oliver and to relax. She knew her daughter was having a blast at her parents house too, which made it easy.

Emma always enjoyed time away from her children, this was like a mini vacation without the added costs.

Leah came downstairs, announcing the bride was ready, and found Nolan lingering outside the barn. She’d spent months talking to Nolan about the baby and his feelings over it all. It wasn’t easy being discarded and having a new baby brother take his place, and it was happening on both sides, his Mom had Grady and earlier in the year, his Dad had Cade.

He missed when he was ignorant to his parentage.

Leah gave him a pep talk though, pulling him out of his head. He did love Julia, like a sister, and he would feel bad if he ruined her day. He wouldn’t feel bad if a skunk did though.

Nolan immediately rallied when he saw the huge cake, and he felt extra special being allowed to attend, since he was technically a minor.

Leah settled in her seat, snuggling with Grady while they waited for the ceremony to begin. Julia’s brother, Simon was meeting Grady for the first time, as he was still attending university. Their family was quite small, and the new bundle was a welcome addition, to everyone but Nolan. Julia’s boss, Eva came, and she was on-duty but also a guest as she was the party planner for the event.

They decided to not invite Elias’ aunts and families, but they did invite his Grandma Mandy. When Elias had been nervous about the exclusion, Finn was quick to remind him how none of them had been invited to Violet-Adele’s excursion wedding. This didn’t exactly appease Elias’ concerns, but he really needed less people coming.

Mandy was upset when she arrived, especially since she lived with Hazel; it made it awkward to get ready when Hazel wasn’t invited.

Finn tried to calm his Mother down, insisting it wasn’t personal.

While Emma eaves dropped in the back row. She understood her brother only had so much space, and so he kept the wedding to his siblings and his wife’s small family. She didn’t see why everyone else had to be upset, especially since they hadn’t been invited to anything with Hazel nor Violet-Adele in decades.

Mandy continued to bust Finn on his exclusion until the ceremony began. Finn didn’t exactly feel bad, it was more logistics than personal, but the personal bit hadn’t phased him either.

Oliver and Alice walked down the aisle with Alice looking radiant. Newly engaged, she couldn’t wait for her own special day.

Hadley and Julius followed, both the oddballs in their own families, they hit it off quickly. Oliver used to hang out at their house when they were in high school, playing video games; they all lost touch as they graduated, so it’s ironic to be here, watching her sister marry his younger brother.

Then it was Julia’s time, escorted by her Father, marrying off his first child, exactly the daughter he thought he’d give away first.

Elias didn’t expect to fall in love so hard with Julia, mashing up so completely and perfectly. He can’t imagine spending his life with anyone else.

Both felt incredibly blessed to have found one another.

The guests disappeared from Julia and Elias’ mind as the floated through their vows.

The ceremony went beautifully, not even Grady fussed.

Immediately following the ceremony, they decided to cut the cake.

Elias carefully fed Julia the cake, and she felt safe in his love.

Everyone wore smiles, happy to have cake and join in on the festivities.

Alice cared for Grady while the grandparents got their cake, happy to spoil the tiny baby who took away her roommate.

Julius asked Hadley to dance, and she declined his offer; he was the type of boy who was trouble, and she didn’t need any of that nonsense in her life. Especially since she only had five months left of her residency, then she’d be a licensed surgeon.

Leah and Grandpa Merrill toast the happy couple, and only share minimal embarrassing stories from childhood.

Grace missed her kids, but she ended up having a wonderful time with her siblings. It made her wish they’d all get away from their families more to catch up.

The McCarthy siblings stepped up for toasts and chiming on their glasses for the bride and groom to kiss.

Merrill went back up for another, feeling warm having his first grandchild married. He missed his late wife, Norma as he usually did, but the ceremony made him miss company. It’d been four years since Norma passed, and Merrill felt like he might be interested in finding someone to spend time with romantically.

The bridal party jumped when they heard a familiar song from their childhood on the mixed cd. However, they executed it terribly, having forgotten the moves almost entirely.

While the adults had their fun in the barn, Nolan stepped out, needing fresh air. He immediately found the dogs on the farm, and he felt happy for the first time.

First dance for the newlyweds.

The Mother’s finally ended up talking, playing nice as was expected of them.

Finally, Alice sits down eat, feeling a bit lonely when Julia and Hadley are occupied. She isn’t exactly friends with Hadley anymore, although they were good friends in elementary school. She wishes Martin could have come, but Alice realizes it would have caused extra drama with the extended McCarthy family.

Stepping outside, Emma and Julius catch up; they’d always been the outcasts in the family, and she’s happy to see him looking so good and tall. She’s not surprised his girlfriend, Perla broke up with him after he lost his job. Emma insists he can do better, and that he needs to come around more, which Julius doesn’t exactly agree to do.

All the guests, including Nolan in the end, had a wonderful time at the wedding, wishing the newlyweds many blessings and good fortunes.

After all the guests leave, the newlyweds head upstairs to have time to themselves, while Finn tends to his grandson, Grady. It was a big day for him, and he didn’t get fussy at all, it has to be a miracle.

***
wedding portraits:

The Millett Family

All seven of the McCarthy siblings, parents, and Grandma Mandy.

The newlyweds

The bridesmaids and bride

The wedding party

The McCarthy brothers

The Groom’s parents

The Brides parents

Notes: The wedding went really well, Nolan found the dogs, and he spent the rest of the time playing with them. I need to get Julia and Elias’ bedroom redecorated to fit their styles, something I didn’t think Nicole would be pleased about, and as such she wouldn’t have really encouraged it before the wedding. Grady is still sleeping in their bedroom too (he’s only a month old, so it hasn’t been long), but the agreement was their kids would get a bedroom. They both have a decently high IFS, being family sims, so I imagine they’ll need the space given enough time.

Merrill rolled the want to go on a date, which I thought was pretty sweet and fitting considering the event.

Alice had good chemistry with Oliver, something I didn’t know/recall. She seemed pretty smitten with him, but he’s happily married, and I believe she’s happy with Martin. But it was a fun surprise seeing what might have been… which we all know we would be more black-haired babies. XD

Here’s these kids back in the day –

Back row – Paloma, Oliver, Hadley. Sofa – Lauren, Julia, and Isaac (right before baby Nolan would make an appearance and many relationships would be ruined)

Thanks for reading!

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