5 years ago, Amanda was decidedly not the "marrying type".

It seemed clear to her that marriage was the place where love got lazy and went stale. Vulnerability and passion got traded for the numbness of everyday life, and people stopped caring for each other after the honeymoon ended. Amanda had concluded long ago that the kind of selfless and enduring commitment that her grandparents had together was simply not possible in today's society, and she was certain that nobody could change that.

Enter Ron.

The kind-hearted man who could always be found wearing a backwards hat and a wide grin began frequenting the bar where Amanda worked. The two became friends almost immediately. Amanda was drawn in by the warmth of Ron's personality. "He would get excited about the smallest things. He was always kind, and his outlook on life was so positive. He has a child's soul." That was fall of 2006. A couple years passed, with Ron moving out of state to train in Arizona with Border Patrol. The two lost touch. Once Amanda became a nurse, she ran into him one evening at an event at the old bar where they first met. They were quick to pick up the conversation where they had left off, and their bond quickly grew stronger than ever. They began dating in July of 2013. Over the next 5 years together, Ron steadily challenged Amanda's preconceptions about love and commitment with his resolute pursuit of her. She was moved by the way he never wavered in his dedication to her, still the same person she was drawn to on the first day they began this adventure together. Amanda's barriers were being crushed by the very thing she feared would undo the love they had: the little everyday things. It was here that Ron proved his dedication to her.

August 19th was a long-awaited celebration of something truly beautiful. Amanda and Ron exchanged heartfelt vows beside the water of Grand Traverse Bay, and topped off the evening with a bountiful dinner and dancing late into the night at the area's iconic Grand Traverse Resort. What a joy it was to share such a significant day with this special pair of lovers!