Our story begins long before we even knew each other existed. It all started at a party Ashley attended, where a psychic was hired to read the guests. The psychic revealed some intriguing insights, all of which have proven true over the years. But there was one detail that Ashley quickly shrugged off—a mention of a "Bill or Will." With a skeptical smile, she jotted it down on a piece of paper and tucked it away, never giving it much thought... until years later when she met Will.

Fast forward to when Ashley was interning at a hospital during the pandemic. You see, Ashley thought she'd be interning in the city, but thanks to a mix-up, she ended up at Streamwood Behavioral Hospital. Ironically, the same psychic had told her she’d end up working in the Lakeview/Ravenswood area of the city—where she now works. Destiny, perhaps?

In those early days of the internship, Ashley was working for free, navigating the wild world of behavioral health, when Will, along with a colleague, left their contact information on a post-it note, just in case anyone needed help. Conveniently, that note ended up right by Ashley's cubicle. Soon, Will began leaving encouraging post-its for Ashley, and she couldn’t help but return the favor. (Yes, we still have them!)

It wasn’t love at first sight—far from it—but Will’s persistence to win Ashley over was unmatched. He showed a kindness, patience, and calmness that Ashley didn’t even know she needed. In a bid to escape the stress of life, Ashley invited Will on a spontaneous trip to New Buffalo.

Neither looking for "the one," but what they found in each other was a solid friendship that blossomed into genuine love and trust. Maybe it’s their therapy skills, or maybe it was fate, but eventually, Will passed the ultimate test—winning over Charlotte. The closer? A golden unicorn cake for her golden birthday. From that moment, Charlotte was ready to adopt Will as her own.

Over the past three plus years, They’ve navigated life’s transitions together, even moving into a new home. And of course, their annual (sometimes biannual) trips to New Buffalo became a beloved tradition. So, when it came time to pop the question, there was no better place than New Buffalo, Michigan, the spot where it all began.

And that’s why Ashley and Will chose Michigan as the perfect place to celebrate their wedding—a place filled with memories, love, and a little bit of magic.

A&W