I hear several people talk about Abilene as a temporary stopping point. A necessary place to endure on the way to better, greener, and more picturesque places. But there are a few who recognize it as the crossroads it really is. With five universities and an air force base, Abilene is bound to bring people together in ways that no other place can.
People like Erin & Mark.
A small town, ex-meat judging girl hailing from Cross Plains and a spear-fishing, MIT grad from Hawaii really have no reason to be in the same place at the same time. Enter Abilene: the perfect place for an Air Force Captain and a girl with a heart for elementary education to cross paths.
I've heard that Abilene is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most churches per capita. I'm not sure if that fact is or ever was true, but I do know that you can't drive from one stop light to the next without passing at least one church. With well over a hundred options of churches to attend, these two ended up at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church.
As a Captain in the Air Force, Mark was deployed only a few weeks after their first date; so Erin & Mark began their relationship with thousands of miles and a war between them. These circumstances test even the strongest of relationships, and Erin & Mark both realized when he returned that they had something special together. After one more deployment, Mark returned home once more, ready to ask Erin to be his bride. I'll never forget her squeels of delight or his laughter so full of joy when she called to let me know that he had popped the question.
It is tough work to focus on detail shots and shutter speed when your friends are finally saying their I do's! Fortunately, I was able to compose myself enough to capture some really beautiful moments from their wedding day. Be sure to look at the first sight photos: they are the cutest!
Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Sakai!
