Leah and Jimmy met in the basement of their freshman dorm a couple of months into college. Funny enough, their rooms were exactly two floors apart—Jimmy in 106 and Leah in 306. Both were student-athletes: Jimmy played football, and Leah was on the basketball team. There were two Jimmys on the football team that year, so Leah nicknamed him “Funny Jimmy” to distinguish him from “Creepy Jimmy”. When they first met, Jimmy thought Leah was on the swim team and didn’t realize for a whole month that she actually played basketball. They hung out in the same friend group for a while until it became clear that Jimmy was hoping for more than friendship. Leah sat him down and gently told him she just wanted to be friends. Two weeks later, they were dating. Their first date was at Phipps Conservatory followed by dinner at Applebee’s—Jimmy’s choice, knowing Leah is a picky eater. During college, some of their favorite dates included going out on the fishing club boat, catching a movie at the drive-in, and hitting up Top Golf.

Jimmy proposed to Leah in June of 2024 on none other than Mackinac Island. They were on a camping trip with Leah’s family, and he popped the question on the very first morning of the trip. They walked up to their favorite overlook—the one with the view of downtown and the Mackinac Bridge—where they always stop to take pictures. After the usual round of photos, Jimmy held onto Leah’s hands and started cheesing a little too hard, which was a clear giveaway that something big was about to happen. Then he got down on one knee and proposed with a beautiful ring he had picked out himself. Even though Leah had been hinting all year that this trip would be the perfect time to get engaged, she was still completely shocked in the moment. Back at the campground, Jimmy had everything decorated—photos, engagement signs, and even champagne ready to pop. He’d even packed nice clothes so they could take more photos around the island. It was the most perfect, thoughtful, and beautiful engagement they could have imagined.

Mackinac Island is a very special place for Leah and Jimmy. Leah grew up visiting the island at least once a year, every year of her life. The word “Mackinac” comes from Michilimackinac, an Anishinaabek word meaning “place of the great turtle”—which is where Leah’s lifelong love of turtles began. In the summer of 2021, Jimmy joined Leah’s family on their annual trip to the island. The first thing he noticed stepping off the ferry was the overwhelming smell of horse poop. But once his nose adjusted, he immediately fell in love with the charm of Mackinac and understood why it meant so much to Leah. Leah has dreamed of getting married at the Little Stone Church since she was a little girl, and she couldn’t be more excited for that dream to come true. Jimmy, for his part, is thrilled to be paraded around the island in a fancy horse-drawn carriage on his wedding day. They can’t wait to share this magical place with all of you and hope you fall in love with Mackinac Island just like they did.