I think I went a little crazy with the number of photos I included from this wedding in this blog post, but I won't apologize! This wedding was so near and dear to my heart in so many ways. For one, I remember when Abby and Ollie started dating (we all attended the same middle school AND high school!) quite a number of years ago. Their personalities, ambitions, and values seemed to fit together seamlessly right from the start.

Then, a little over two years ago, I photographed their proposal AND engagement session (see it here!), and shortly thereafter, Abby asked if I would travel with them to Mackinac Island, Michigan to photograph the day they had waited years for. To say I was honored would be an understatement! Photographing someone's wedding is a huge honor, but being asked to travel nine hours to an island in Northern Michigan to photograph for my first destination wedding was a whole 'nother story!

So, two years after their engagement session, we traveled by car, ferry, and horse drawn carriage (no cars are allowed on the island!) to the beautifully quaint Inn at Stonecliffe on Mackinac Island - set two miles back into the island, away from the hustle and bustle of the main town. After spending the first few hours repeating over and over "I can't believe we're here!" to my husband, who joined me for the trip, we settled in for our first night in the mansion.

The next day (the day before the wedding), we photographed a day-before session (see it here!) on the coast of Mackinac because - why not?! When in Mackinac, you take all of the photos you can!

And finally it arrived - the wedding day. We began the day by photographing Abby's bridal details, moved on to a first look, then portraits around the Stonecliffe property, and then finally, the ceremony, which took place slightly overlooking the Mackinac bridge (which, fun fact, is 5 miles long). At the reception, Abby and Ollie incorporated some Mackinac favorites into their details - Mackinac Island is known for its fudge (they have nearly 15 fudge shops there!), so guests were treated to a box of fudge as a favor! Later that evening, we pulled the bride & groom out and stole a tandem bike (bikes are the main form of transportation on the island) to incorporate into their portraits. And then the evening ended with the most picturesque sunset!

This is a special one, and I think you'll be able to see why in the photos below. The love and joy these two have for each other radiated throughout their entire day, and I'm sure will continue to radiate throughout their married years together. Thank you for giving us the honor of photographing this day for you, Abby and Ollie! We love you guys!