A colorful, late October Wedding | Madison Heights, MI

When the pandemic first started in March 2020, I don’t think anybody really expected it to last through the fall. I know I certainly wasn’t expecting it to interfere with my fall weddings, but as summer came to an end and the trees started turning, we knew this thing wasn’t going away.

Mariah and Travis had to adjust and readjust their wedding plans to work with ever-changing event restrictions. It was an emotional journey for them, but in the end, they still got to have the wedding of their dreams on their original wedding date. Even more importantly, they still got to say “I do” to their favorite person and officially start their lives together as husband and wife.

Mariah and Travis have known each other practically their entire lives. They went to elementary, middle school, and high school together, but first really started talking when taking the same class their senior year of high school. They didn’t start dating until after college, when they reconnected on social media in 2015.

Travis proposed on the winter solstice in Marquette, MI, where Mariah attended college. They were on a hike at Presque Isle Park overlooking Lake Superior when Travis proposed. It was an easy “yes” for Mariah, and the two couldn’t wait to tie the knot.

As their wedding date approached and Covid restrictions were still in full force, Mariah and Travis had to change reception venues, alter their guest list, and thought they wouldn’t be able to get married in the church that they both had a connection to. As luck would have it, they were still able to get married in their church as originally planned. Event restrictions were lifted a bit several weeks before their wedding, allowing for a beautiful indoor reception in Andiamo’s very large ballroom.

Every second of their wedding day was filled with love and emotion. After a wedding planning rollercoaster, they finally arrived at their big day and it couldn’t have been more perfect. We took wedding portraits at Red Oaks Nature Center and caught the last of the fall color at very the end of October. A deer even stopped by to say hi while we were taking pictures!

Travis and Mariah, I’m so thankful you two got to have your perfect day and I was there to capture it.