Erin and Roman met in 2016 on the Long Island Rail Road en route to Long Beach on 4th of July weekend. Roman's bags were occupying the the seat beside him on an incredibly crowded train, so Erin approached and asked if he could move them so she could take a seat. He looked from his bags to her, then back to his bags again...and ultimately decided it was a fair trade to stow his bags and gain her company.

Several freshwater islands occupy Lake Erie, including our destination: Middle Bass. While Kelley's Island is home to glacial grooves + family fun and Put-In-Bay (or "Putin's Bay") is the infamous party island, Middle Bass has been known mostly as "the local's island" with many year-round residents (or "islanders"). In its heyday, Middle Bass played host to one of the Nation's largest wine-producers: Lonz Winery. Today, it counts our reception venue, J.F. Walleye's (owned by Father of the Bride), among one of the many small businesses which call this island "home".