Some love stories begin with candlelight and grand gestures. Andrea and Ryan’s began at Mary’s Bistro in the summer of 2007, with paint-covered khaki shorts, a cut-off shirt, and a very bold introduction.

Andrea was a waitress. Ryan was a frequent flyer. Back then, he was painting on the Island, and Mary herself would give him a hard time whenever he came in. One day, Andrea worked up the courage to buy him a beer. She jokes that she found the key to his heart on the very first try.

Her opening line was simple.

“So, what do you do?”

Mind you, he was clearly a painter, covered in paint from head to toe. Without missing a beat, he replied, “I’m a dentist.”

And just like that, it began.

Their first date was at Ice House BBQ, back when it still had indoor seating. He had a coupon. She had her employee discount. It was the perfect Island romance kickoff. After lunch, Andrea headed to work, and later that night they met up at Horn’s Bar for Tricky Dicky and the Spoonmen. Very Mackinac. Very them.

Ryan grew up on Mackinac Island and still has plenty of family and cousins who call the Island home. Andrea had been coming to Mackinac every year growing up for the Knights of Columbus convention at Grand Hotel and had fallen in love with the Island long before she ever fell in love with Ryan. She is convinced they must have crossed paths years before they officially met.

They dated long distance for two years before Andrea made the move north for good. She had always told her parents she would marry a football player, move to the U.P., and work on Mackinac Island. Today, she laughs that she is pretty much living out her dream.

When they first started dating, Ryan would leave little notes on Andrea’s bike for her to find in the morning. That was her favorite part. She looked forward to those notes every single day.

In December 2013, they got engaged. Andrea had her heart set on a fall wedding on Mackinac Island, so they decided to wait until 2015 to tie the knot and give themselves time to save. At the time, she was working at Lake View Hotel and Ryan was painting at Island House Hotel.

Their original plan was to marry at Ste. Anne’s Church, but when that did not work out, they had to pivot quickly. Thanks to Ryan’s connections at Grand Hotel, they were offered the iconic porch. Andrea knew October weather on Mackinac can be unpredictable and trusted her gut. Instead, they chose the newly built Grand Hotel Stables, a horse barn. They became the first couple ever to hold a wedding ceremony inside the stables.

Andrea’s instinct was right. The day of their ceremony brought cold temperatures, brutal east winds, and boats shutting down due to unsafe lake conditions. It was classic October on Mackinac Island. But inside the stables, surrounded by loved ones, it was perfect. Their reception followed at the Community Hall on Market Street, a true Island celebration.

It was everything and then some.

From paint-splattered introductions and coupon date beginnings to handwritten bike notes and a historic stable ceremony, Andrea and Ryan’s story feels unmistakably Mackinac.