Summer Military Wedding Mackinac Island, Michigan

Congratulations Heather and Ben! Heather and Ben held off on their Wedding for a number of years due to many reasons, of which one was Ben’s service in the Navy division of the military.

Heather had her dress on hand for all those years waiting to walk down the Wedding aisle with her father and Ben looking back at her.

She got her dream this past Summer at Ste. Anne Church on Mackinac Island, Northern Michigan.

Mackinac Island is a non motorized island in Northern Michigan which is accessed by taking a 15 minute ferry from either Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. You can also fly into their small airport. There are no vehicles so people get around by walking, biking, and using horses. In the winter time they allow snowmobiles. They also get around with horse and sleigh in the winter.

Heather wore a beautiful Wedding dress by Moonlight. The Wedding color was fuscia. They danced their first dance to “It had to be you” by Harry Connick Jr.

The Wedding day began early at Astor’s salon in the Grand Hotel where Heather would get her hair and makeup professionally done. After getting these two things done she headed upstairs to her room to put on her dress.

The Grand Hotel is a ten minute horse carriage ride from Ste. Anne Church. It is a beautiful ride through downtown with views of the Mackinac Island harbor and marina.

The Wedding ceremony was very nice. Heather’s father cried the entire way down the aisle. It was touching. Deacon Ron Rowe from the Gaylord diocese presided over the Wedding ceremony.

After the Wedding ceremony we captured the family images and then they jumped in a Wedding carriage and I jumped on my bike to shoot images around the island. This is my favorite thing to do on the island. Ride my bike and photograph on and off the bike.

The guests were all taken to the Grand Hotel for the cocktail hour and a half in the Cupola bar on the top of the Grand Hotel. Extreme Duality entertained with live music during the cocktail hour and the Wedding ceremony. They did a wonderful job. Very relaxing!

We ended up meeting the guest in the Cupola bar for the last few minutes. This allowed Heather and Ben to enjoy some food and drinks, and me to get some awesome images with them in the Cupola bar.

The next stage was to head downstairs near the main dining room to the Cottage restaurant at the Grand Hotel for the Wedding reception. It was an intimate Wedding reception location on Mackinac Island.

Views of the sunset from the Cottage Restaurant are only about 20 steps away through the bar to the front porch.

Music at the Wedding reception was provided by the Grand Hotel Trio.

The evening ended after some nice toasts, an extended dinner, cake cutting, first dance, and then everyone dancing.

It was a beautiful day for Heather and Ben. One that they had waited for a long time.

Some of the images from the day are below. If you would like to see all of the Wedding images from this Mackinac Island Wedding at Ste. Anne Church and the Grand Hotel check out the link at http://www.printsbypaul.com/Wedding-Engagement-Photography/Grand-Hotel-Wedding-Mackinac/Mackinac-Island-Ste-Anne/