Mary Kate McCluney & John David Galloway: A Hoover Wedding

April 6, 2019

How You Met: It was the last semester of my senior year at Auburn University, and I (Mary Kate) was getting ready for my last formal as a Tri Delta. Some of our good friends from Mobile were coming into town to be our dates, and our friend Vaughan (who was my date) was in charge of bringing a blind date for one of my best friends: Molly Jones. Enter: John David Galloway – handsome, tall drink of water! There was a knock at the door, and I was the one to answer (in my pink robe, might I add). He was smitten! Although we were not each other’s dates that weekend, we quickly struck up a friendship during that weekend and kept in touch from then on. After graduation, the timing must have been right, because the summer before I started occupational therapy school, John David asked me to be his girlfriend.

The Proposal: John David really showed his sentimental side with the proposal, surprising me at Chewacla State Park with a quick hike (while I was in a sun dress and sandals, by the way) down to the waterfall. He dropped down on one knee with the most beautiful ring and asked me to spend forever with him. All the while, his precious sister, Caroline, was hiding behind a boulder photographing the entire scene! She wins MVP of the day because she was stuck in hiding for over an hour. June 16, 2018 will forever be one of my favorite dates. As if he didn’t surprise me enough with the proposal, John David somehow managed to sneak both of our families to Auburn as well, and they were all waiting to celebrate with us at Acre restaurant. All I can say is: ugly crying. It was the most perfect day.

Favorite Moment: I loved getting dressed with my mom and my sister after a morning of glam with my bridesmaids, and I will always treasure the first look with my dad. It still makes me tear up thinking back on our special moment together, as well as our minutes together before he walked me down the aisle in the church bridal suite. The most special moment with John David was the moment before we had our first look. We stood back-to-back reading each other’s letters that we wrote for the wedding day, as we held hands. I had butterflies knowing that the man standing behind me was soon to be my partner for life!