A couple raising their mixed family in a lovely Chicago home renews their wedding vows once a year to reaffirm their love. This custom demonstrates their strong bond, which they felt the moment they viewed their home and knew it was the appropriate place for them.
Before finding love together, everyone had their own journeys and previous relationships that shaped them. The musician met his first wife while looking for a Spanish-speaking woman, and was immediately drawn to her attractiveness.
Their marriage in August 1999 produced two sons. They split up nine years later, on August 13, 2008, due to irreconcilable disagreements.
Despite the breakdown of their marriage, they remained on good terms, as stated by the singer’s representative, “The couple has been separated for some time now and remain friends.” His ex-wife requested sole legal custody of his children, as well as visitation rights, spousal maintenance, and attorney’s costs.
It took a few years after the divorce for the artist to fall madly in love again, until he met a stunning actress in 2013. She has her own story of love and grief. Her marriage, which began in 1999, ended after six years, due in part to the difficulties of their son’s autism diagnosis. The actress’s account of feeling alone in her marriage and the lack of a shared search for understanding and support is a moving chapter in her life.
Her son, born in 2004, was diagnosed with autism two and a half years later, a moment that forever changed her. A subsequent relationship with a comedian brought her support and companionship, especially in caring for her child, yet it too ended, leaving a void. She said:
“I felt very alone in my marriage. [My husband] never sat down and said, ‘What did you find out on Google?’ There was never that connection of wanting to know and being there.”
“[The comedian] has been through it all with me,” she said. “He’s so good with [my son]. [He’s] opened his heart and the relationship is great.” But like all breakup stories, there was a side that the public did not know of, which may have contributed to their split.
In August 2014, the couple tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony outside Chicago. The ceremony was magical, with an altar decorated with thousands of red roses and white candles.
The bride looked stunning in a Di Santo corset gown, while the groom dressed in a black Reiss tuxedo. The couple exchanged wedding bands to seal the deal, with the actress adding a diamond band to her 10-carat sapphire engagement ring.
Her son, who was then 12 years old, had an unusual part in the wedding by walking his mother down the aisle and giving her away to his new stepfather. She explained:
“He approached me and said, ‘I have the most important duty at the wedding,’ to which I replied, ‘You do,’ and then he went in the door in his little tuxedo. Donnie assisted him in getting dressed.
The space also features an amazing entry to McCarthy’s sewing room, which is filled with several sewing machines and mannequins. Interestingly, the couple’s designer created leather doors with handles styled like a “D” and “J,” signifying their initial names.
While raising their mixed family, Wahlberg strengthened his bond with Evan, characterizing him as an affectionate person with whom he had a fantastic relationship. “I get all these amazing ways to connect with him that I don’t get with my son,” he went on to say.
Evan also gets well with his stepbrothers, particularly Elijah, who is one year older. According to the lyricist, Elijah has a positive impact on Evan. Meanwhile, McCarthy is grateful that her husband entered their lives. She said:
“I’m grateful for his unconditional love, not just for myself, but also for my son. Any single parent who knows our background will empathize, because I believe that is one of our main concerns.”
Despite their happiness with their children, the couple has no ambitions to expand their family. McCarthy, who is now in her fifties, has indicated that she intends to devote all of her time and energy to her husband and their family while they enjoy their later years.
