Horse-drawn carriages and gorgeous Victorian architecture are some of the distinctive characteristics that make Mackinac Island a popular destination for fairy tale weddings. It also doesn’t hurt that Mackinac Island is home to some of the country’s most picturesque wedding venues.
From the porch of the stately Grand Hotel to the Great Lawn of Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island is full of unique settings for the wedding of your dreams. In fact, there are six incredible wedding venues inside Mackinac Island State Park alone!
If you’re planning a wedding or just fantasizing about one, imagine your special day at one of these beautiful and historic places in Mackinac Island State Park:
Mackinac Island’s Somewhere in Time Gazebo
The characters played by Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve in the cult movie classic “Somewhere in Time” first found love in a gazebo outside Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel. Now, four decades after filming, The Somewhere in Time Gazebo sits on a bluff near Fort Mackinac overlooking downtown and the water below. Up to 50 white wedding chairs are included in the rent with room for more, if necessary.
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Mackinac Island Peace Garden
Located just below Fort Mackinac is Marquette Park, which during the 1800s was tilled and planted as a garden by soldiers stationed on Mackinac Island. Today, the public space across the street from the marina right in the heart of Mackinac Island is home to the Mackinac Island Peace Garden, which is an incredibly tranquil and scenic place for a wedding ceremony.
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Mackinac Island’s Historic Mission Church
Before much of Mackinac Island became America’s first “state park,” it was established as the country’s second national park just a few years after Yellowstone. It was Thomas Ferry, a Mackinac Island native and high-ranking U.S. senator in the 1870s, that successfully pushed for the creation of Mackinac National Park to preserve iconic landmarks including Arch Rock and Sugar Loaf. The park is also home to the Historic Mission Church that was started by Ferry’s missionary parents. The New England Style church building is the oldest surviving church building in all of Michigan, and one of several great church venues for Mackinac Island weddings. It is the largest indoor venue in the state park with room for 160 guests.
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Mackinac Island’s Fort Holmes
Fort Holmes was built as a military site, yet it has spent much more of its history as a place for love than for war. At the highest point of Mackinac Island, Fort Holmes offers views of the surrounding Straits of Mackinac that are simply spectacular. The views make the space outside the 200-year-old stronghold a beautiful and unique wedding setting. It also has a lower price point than the rental fees for most other wedding venues inside Mackinac Island State Park.
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British Landing on Mackinac Island
While some of the wedding venues in Mackinac Island State Park present sweeping views of the water from high above, a ceremony at British Landing takes place right on the beach. The background showcases the mighty Mackinac Bridge crossing the beautiful blue waters of the Straits of Mackinac. A cannon makes a fun photo prop at the historic site where the British landed during a successful attack on Mackinac Island during the War of 1812.
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Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island
For a full-service wedding venue that can host both your wedding ceremony and wedding reception, historic Fort Mackinac is an ideal option with room for up to 300 guests. Weddings take place after the fort closes to the public for the day, with food and beverage service provided by the Grand Hotel’s Fort Mackinac Tea Room restaurant.
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Whether you’re planning a wedding large or small, a first wedding, a second wedding or a renewal of your vows, Mackinac Island offers a venue just right for you. Check out this photo gallery of gorgeous Mackinac Island wedding venues both within the state park and elsewhere on the island.
Then, use the Mackinac Island Wedding Guide to get started planning your special day in one of Mackinac Island’s many historic, picturesque wedding venues!
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