Christi Dupre
Getting Married on Mackinac!
Getting Married on Mackinac!
Christi Dupre
Isn't it Grand!

Being married at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island is a dream come true for these Brooklyn, New York residents. Read about their Jessica and Matt’s amazing wedding on the “world’s longest” front porch, and the opulent reception in the Grand Pavillion Room. Photos by It’s Wonderful Photography

Isn't it Grand!
Christi Dupre
Springtime Beauty

A perfect Spring wedding at the Inn at Stonecliffe’s Wedding Woodland Grotto, as Mackinac Island unveils its beauty after its quiet winter rest.

Springtime Beauty
Christi Dupre
The Most Beautiful Place in Michigan

Emily & Mark eloped at Mission Point Resort with the help of their on site Wedding Coordination service. Order your free 2025 Wedding Guide and read all about weddings on Mackinac Island.

mackinacweddingguide.com/order

The Most Beautiful Place in Michigan
Christi Dupre
Katie & Nathan's Dream Wedding
Katie & Nathan's Dream Wedding

About the Cover: 2019 Wedding Guide

The Cover of the 2019 Wedding Guide Magazine features the wedding of Lake Sweet & John Wininger at Grand Hotel, an exceptional and memorable wedding destination that prides itself on the details and making sure every wedding is perfect. The Grand Hotel Tea Garden setting, amidst flower gardens with panoramic views of the hotel was Lake & John’s choice for 200 plus guests of family and friends. Wedding coordinator Carole Erbel of For the Love of Mackinac! assisted in day of coordination and vendor selection for Lake and her mother Laura. Photography from Island Photo and videography from Mackinac Films perfectly captured this spectacular late June day.

Lake and her bridesmaids made a Grand entrance as they crossed the beautiful manicured grounds. Lake ‘s parents escorted her to the magnificent ceremony site, where she and John exchanged their vows.  

Lake, named for the Great Lakes that she was married by that day, selected the Chippewa Hotel for her bridal suite following her hair and make styling at Vintage Glam on Market.  Lake’s flowers were from Grand Hotel’s Margaret’s Garden. John and his friends were light hearted and relaxed, despite some very warm temperatures!

After the wedding, Lake and John boarded the Grand Hotel Antique Vis-a-Vis carriage and left for a delightful hour long romantic carriage ride for photos before arriving at the reception destination, the Mackinac Island Yacht Club.

As many a Mackinac Island wedding, the party continued through the evening making its way through the many night spots with live entertainment and more options for dancing and late night after-glow.

The Perfect Storm

Two beautiful people in love, a remarkable family, lots of friends, details galore, and the opulence of Grand Hotel made for the "perfect storm."  Doug and Jessica’s electricity sparked all day long.

Jessica and Doug exchaanged gifts before the wedding as photographers from Island photo, captured the details and emotions of pre ceremony activities. Grand Hotel’s suites provided the perfect location for each of them, with Doug enjoying a cognac ordered by his bride Jessica and delivered by the wonderful staff at the Grand.

First looks were just first touches, as getting as close as possible without seeing one another, Doug visited Jessica’s room just minutes before the ceremony. Doug was the ultimate groom - Patient, Thorough, Emotional and Involved.  Jessica the perfect bride - Happy, Radiant, in Love and Thankful. 

It was a beautiful October day. Cool with beautiful overcast skies making for perfect photos! The carriage from Grand Hotel was perfect, allowing the bride and groom to cozy up together. As always, Mackinac Island photographers follow the bride and groom on their bicycles, taking photos and riding in the carriage!

Due to the cool temperatures, and Doug’s concern for the elderly guests, the ceremony was moved into the Terrace Room at Grand Hotel. The reception was held in the Grand Pavilion room at Grand Hotel and the gorgeous centerpieces were designed by Margaret’s Garden. A lot of great dancing and fun went well into the night as DJ Brevin led the crowd with his excellent music that encouraged everyone to get into the fun!

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Perfect Timing

Sometimes two people come together at just the perfect place in their lives - the ideal moment in time, while surrounded by their closest friends and family  and in the place (Mackinac Island) that means the most to them.  That's precisely what happened during this past Saturday of Labor Day weekend.  

Minutes before arriving at the Market Street Inn to begin photos, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and the timing of everything began falling into place - easily.  Allison got ready at the Chippewa Hotel, a favorite of the couple. Also preceding the ceremony was the first look and bridal party photographs at Windermere Point which was great, followed by and a few minutes with just Brandon and Allison to capture some beautiful and romantic photos by the water.  

More photos at Marquette Park, the Marina and my favorite photo.... a very impromptu dip on Main Street, capturing the diverse Labor Day crowd's attention- all eyes on this beautiful couple!  These two have a special spark and love for each other and people that will stay strong and certainly gather others to it as the years go by.  

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From New York City to Mackinac Island, Michigan

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Competing with the Big Apple for atmosphere and the perfect backdrop for photography, Mackinac and Island Photo came through providing the once in a lifetime memories for Marie and Shilang who got married at Historic Mission Church as it was there love of history and the Island beauty they both fell in love with when selecting their venue.

After the wedding, the bridal party and husband and wife took off in carriages provided by Mackinac Island Carriage Tours for a windy wedding day. Marie’s hair was held perfectly in place by the floral headpiece.

The Cypress Room at Mission Point Resort was perfect place for 125 guests to enjoy a delicious full service dinner with lots of flowers and reception favors such as fudge from Joann’s Fudge.

Intimate Weddings

When a couple decides to share their day with just a select few people, it gives the wedding an intimate feeling. 

Andrei and Meaghan had their parents and siblings along for the lovely September day at Mission Point Resort. The gazebo looked beautiful with its late summer foliage bloom and the temperatures were in the mid 70's.  

After the lovely ceremony and fun photos as bubbles were blown, the white VVis-a-Vis carriage from Gough Carriages arrived and the couple took off for a 3 mile carriage ride with Island Photo photographers pedaling bikes along side.

Among many spots, a favorite is the the shoreline with the Mighty Mackinac Bridge, as the Straits of Mackinac glistened as they stepped out of their fairy-tale carriage.

Back at Mission Point Resort, the Colonial Room with its adjacent outdoor balcony was the perfect setting for a intimate private dinner with family and close friends.




Good Times on Mackinac Island

Some weddings are about love and some about fun.  Sometimes they are about both and this was the case with Marie & Scott.  The wedding began at the bright yellow Victorian classic Windermere Hotel, where the sisters enjoyed getting ready and putting the final touches to the hair and make-up that was beautifully done by Vintage Glam.  The wedding, expertly coordinated by For the Love of Mackinac's Carole Erbel, started off with a bit of rain and overcast skies, but by the time the carriage arrived at the Somewhere in Time Gazebo, the sun was breaking through and the wedding day was completely underway.  Music by the Mike Davis Trio kept the pre-ceremony lively and enjoyable, and when Minister Marie Hulett began, the tears and laughter began to flow.  Following the sand ceremony, the bride and groom arranged for each and every family or couple to have a photo taken with the beautiful bluff in the background.  Guests would all receive a wedding frame and their photo at a later date.

The beautiful Island House Hotel was the destination for the reception for Marie & Scott.  Music again by the Davis trio, and gorgeous flowers and bouquets by Webers Floral & Gift.  They were the perfect accessory to the reception and of course to the wedding cake too, created by Bella e Dolce.  With the cake cut and toasts given, it was time to enjoy some heavy hors d'oeuvres with a Mexican theme, while guests mingled about enjoying laughs and each others company.

To top off the fun, guests got casual and moved down Main Street to the Arnold Dock, where they boarded the Isle Royal Queen III by Sip N Sail, offering an intimate cruise for this crew of 25.

Dancing, drinks, and a lot of photos of the Mighty Mackinac Bridge were the highlights of this festive gathering.  Warm temperatures, and a beautiful sunset were a treat no one will ever forget.


Island Spectacular Summer Wedding

Summer weddings on Mackinac can combine some of the most amazing elements-many never considered options in the Midwest.  Warm breezy days, spectacular cruise ship, private yachts, brilliant blue skies, lighthouses, horses and more! With the ceremony at the Island House Hotel front lawn, we challenge anyone who thinks a Midwest wedding might be limited to find a more stunning backdrop for saying "I Do."

The bride and bridal party along with many guests made the Island House their choice for preparing for the big day.

A dip jubilant dip on Main Street following their romantic carriage ride from Gough Carriages set the tone for the fun to follow. All that and so much more for Katie and Dan, their families and their chic, smart and fun wedding party.  Nautically themed in dark blue and white, this wedding was one of the most amazing of the season. 

Photography by Island Photo

Beauty of a Springtime Mackinac Island Wedding

A May wedding on Mackinac Island offers so many extra amenities that weddings later in the season don't always provide.  Early season lighting makes everything glow in a clean, bright kind of way.  Getting to the church on time is easier with fewer bicycles, carriages and walkers in your path!  Exchanging your vows at Ste Anne's Church, with over 240 years of weddings history is always a rather reverential experience- adding your wedding to the many couples who have come before you for eternity.  

Gathering family, friends and a lot of beautiful nieces and nephews, the weather on the Island couldn't have been nicer.  Sunshine and clear skies greeted the many guests who came from all over, many from the Lansing area as were Lisa and Ryan. 

A horse drawn carriage from Gough Carriages took the happy couple to the boardwalk, West Bluff, the marina and down Main Street Mackinac Island.  Photographers of Island Photo followed on bicycles, keeping up with the enthusiastic horses, all fresh from a winter of good hay and plenty of rest!  A reception dinner was held at the famous Pink Pony at the Chippewa Hotel, and photographs and celebration continued.

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