Photographing Weddings from Mackinac Island to Grand Rapids and all of Northern Michigan makes this a beautiful career.  Smiling faces and happy hearts  motivates my artistic talents. The weather was very kind to us and the summer lasted tell October.  The pictures in this set are “Destination Weddings on Mackinac Island” at  the Grand Hotel, Mission Point Resort, Island House, Inn at Stonecliffe, Little Stone Church and St. Anne’s Church.

Danielle & Andrew 8-15-10 Mackinac Island, MI

Christine & Brandan  7-31-10 Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI

Danielle &  Andrew 8-15-10  Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island, MI

Kristin & Steve 8-14-10 Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island, MI

Stacy & Craig  7-25-10  Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island, MI

Melissa & Joe 6-23-10 St. Anne’s  Church, Mackinac Island, Mi

Megan & Young 8-27-10 Island House,  Mackinac Island, MI

Tami & Eric  7-11-10  Grand Hotel. Mackinac Island, MI

Additionally, my Gallery on Mackinac Island was surprisingly busy and many potential brides stopped in and I had the opportunity to view my work up-front and personal. I really enjoyed the opportunity. It was a banner year for me totaling (33) Weddings, (5) Wedding Engagements, three of which were surprises, I really enjoy the surprise engagements, (4) Family Reunions, (2)  Graduation parties, and (2) Conferences, including the “Pure Michigan Governors Conference” held at the Grand Hotel last May. I have been commissioned again to photograph the 2011 conference in Kalamazoo in March. I will highlight that later in the blog.

TimberLee Hills

http://www.timberleehills.com

The Homestead Resort

http://thehomesteadresort.com

The Park Place Inn

http://www.park-place-hotel.com

Wellington Inn

http://www.wellingtoninn.com

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa

http://www.grandtraverseresort.com

Frog Pond Village

http://www.frogpondvillage.com

Great Wolf Lodge

http://www.greatwolf.com

Ranch Rudolf

http://www.ranchrudolf.com

The Willowbrook Mill http://thewillowbrookmill.com

Holiday Inn

http://www.tcwestbay.com

Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos

http://www.casino2win.com

Traverse City area has many Beaches available for your Wedding Day plans.

Dining, Weddings, Wineries & Flowers

In order to make the wedding more unique, a lot of couples will go for the idea of an outdoor wedding. It is very true that the nature can be a perfect backdrop for your wedding. And this is also one of the reasons for the popularity of such events. Yet, one thing you must realize is that an outdoor wedding is not the same as an indoor or a traditional one. You will need to consider more details when you are planning for an outdoor event.

Of course there are some common issues you will need to consider no matter you are planning for an outdoor wedding or not. First of all, you will need to think of the date of wedding. This is probably the most important thing you need to consider. When you are planning for an outdoor event, you will need to consider the weather. It will not be a good idea if it is too cold when you are having your wedding. As a result, the baseline is that you will not choose a date in winter. As a matter of fact, summer and autumn can be good choices.

The second thing you need to consider is probably the location. When you are planning for an indoor wedding, you will try to see if there are some hotel banquet halls available. However, you will consider places such as a beach when you are planning for an outdoor wedding. As mentioned, the weather can affect your event. As a result, it will be better for you to choose a location or venue which can provides some kind of shelter so that you can still have your wedding even if it rains.

As discussed, you will need to choose a location which can provides you with a shelter of some kind since you will need it in case it rains. In fact, you may also need it even if it is not raining. This is especially true if you are planning to have a wedding in summer. It can be extremely hot in summer and the excessive sunshine may not be something pleasant. As a result, you will still need the shelter so that you guests can be protected.

If you are really going for a summer wedding, it is very important for you to prepare enough drinks. As mentioned, it can be very hot on your wedding day. To this end your guests will need a lot of drinks. Apart from drinks such as soda, it is also wise to prepare plenty of distilled water since this will be the best drink in a hot summer day.

One last thing is that, most couples will prepare music for the wedding. This is also true for an outdoor wedding. You will need to prepare music for it. The best option will be hiring a live band to play the music in your wedding. Of course you may still choose to play some music CDs if budget is a concern. However, a live band is still preferred if it can be afforded.

]]> http://photosbyblair.com/blog/traverse-city-weddings/traverse-city-wedding-venues/feed 0 http://photosbyblair.com/blog/mackinac-island-weddings/grand-hotel-weddings http://photosbyblair.com/blog/mackinac-island-weddings/grand-hotel-weddings#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:22:01 +0000 Photos http://photosbyblair.com/blog/?p=212 “The Grand Hotel” on Mackinac Island.

Begin your lives together surrounded by romance.

The fact that you arrive on Mackinac Island by boat or plane starts your Wedding day in a special way.

Mackinac Island is forever romantic.  This is a landscape characterized by high limestone bluffs, beautiful bodies of great lakes water, vibrant forests, flower gardens, turtles, and mystical geological formations.  Elegant hotels, fine restaurants, and even horse and buggy transportation  further enhance this romantic atmosphere. It’s not surprising that the classic romance “Somewhere in Time” was filmed on Mackinac Island.  Begin your lives together on Mackinac Island, a place where, according to the Ojibwa and Odawa  Indian Tribes, “Life first began”.  Your Destination Wedding is waiting for you on Mackinac Island at the “Grand Hotel”.

Facts About Grand Hotel.

• At 660 feet, Grand Hotel’s Front Porch is the world’s largest, and is visible as you approach the Island from Lake Huron.
• No motorized vehicles are allowed on Michigan’s Mackinac Island. All transportation is provided by horse and carriage or bicycle.
• Mackinac Island is accessible only by ferry boat or plane.
• More than 130,000 overnight guests stay at Grand Hotel each season.
• The 5,000,000th guest in Grand Hotel history checked in on June 26, 2006.
• While more than 1 million people visit Mackinac Island each year, the Island has only 600 year-round residents.
• It takes 500,000 gallons of water to fill Grand Hotel’s swimming pool, which was named for actress Esther Williams when she starred in the 1947 movie, This Time for Keeps, shot at Grand Hotel.
• The 1980 film Somewhere in Time, starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer, was filmed on location at Grand Hotel. The movie now has a huge following and fan club that meets yearly at Grand Hotel in late October.
• There are more than 500 horses on Mackinac Island.
• Five U.S. Presidents have visited Grand Hotel: Presidents Clinton, Bush, Ford, Kennedy and Truman.
• Grand Hotel’s kitchen staff of more than 100 people prepares and serves as many as 4,000 meals per day.
• During the 2008 season, Grand Hotel used 83,000 pounds of prime rib, 23,500 pounds of ham, 83,500 pounds of potatoes, 23,000 pounds of carrots, 14,000 pounds of strawberries and 6,500 pounds of pecans.
• More than 50,000 Grand Pecan Balls, the Hotel’s most popular dessert, are consumed each season.
• The Grand’s famous Front Porch flowers include 2,500 geraniums in 260 planting boxes with seven tons of potting soil.
• Grand Hotel uses 5,200 geraniums, its trademark flower, in all its flower beds combined.
• One ton of bulbs are planted in the fall, including 25,000 tulips and 15,000 daffodils.
• More than 125,000 bedding plants (annuals) are used to create the many gardens on Grand Hotel grounds.

1886 Popularity of Mackinac Island grows as a summer getaway, but accommodations are limited. The Michigan Central Railroad, Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, and Detroit and Cleveland Steamship Navigation Company form the Mackinac Island Hotel Company. Land upon which Grand Hotel will stand is purchased and construction begins.

1887 Grand Hotel opens. The hotel is billed as a summer retreat for vacationers who arrive by lake steamer from Chicago, Erie, Montreal, Detroit, and by rail from across the continent.

1890s Grand Hotel’s Front Porch – longest in the world – becomes the principal meeting place for all of Mackinac Island, as well as a promenade for the elderly and a “Flirtation Walk” for island romantics. Grand Hotel Manager James “The Comet” Hayes invites an agent of Edison Phonograph to conduct regular demonstrations of the new invention.

1895 Mark Twain lectures in the Grand Hotel Casino. Admission: $1.

1897 The West Wing is added to the hotel.

Turn of the Century The automobile finds its way onto the island. Grand Hotel supports an island-wide ban. A law is soon passed, but is not strictly enforced until the 1930s.

1919 Hotel rates are $6 a day per person.

1933 W. Stewart Woodfill, hired as a desk clerk in 1919, purchases the hotel and becomes sole owner.

1935 Grand Hotel adds a radio salon, where patrons could listen to Jack Benny and other popular programs.

1946 This Time For Keeps starring Jimmy Durante and Esther Williams is filmed on the island and at Grand Hotel.

1951 R.D. (Dan) Musser joins the hotel staff.

1957 Michigan Historical Association selects Grand Hotel as a State Historical Building.

1960 Woodfill appoints Dan Musser, who joined the hotel staff in 1951, president of Grand Hotel.

1976 Musser and wife Amelia begin the redesign of the hotel’s interior and exterior with the help of architect Richard Bos and decorator Carleton Varney.

1979 The Mussers purchase Grand Hotel.

1980 Somewhere In Time, filmed at Grand Hotel and starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Plummer is released.

1987 The Cupola Bar is added, the Woodfill Conference Center is completed and The Jewel golf course is renovated.

1989 R.D. (Dan) Musser III is named president of Grand Hotel.

1989 The East Wing is added to the hotel.

1989 The U.S. Department of Interior designates Grand Hotel a National Historic Landmark.

1994 The new Woods nine opens, combining with the original Grand nine to comprise The Jewel, Grand Hotel’s 18-hole golf course.

1995 Astor’s Hair Salon and Rebecca’s are added.

1996 Margaret’s Garden and The Audubon Wine Bar open.

1997 Oil Paintings by Marlee, featuring original oil paintings by local artist Marlee Brown, is added to the variety of shops at Grand Hotel.

1998 Five new Named Rooms in honor of former First Ladies, Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush are added to the West End of the Hotel. Two new two-bedroom suites, the Grand and the Carleton Varney, are also added to the west end.

1999 Grand Hotel & Co., Fine Jewelry is added to the variety of shops. Thirteen guest rooms are added to the West Wing of the Hotel, bringing the total to 343.

2000 A new golf pro shop is added. The Vanderbilt Suite is added. Three electric boilers are added making water heating more efficient and environmentally friendly. Construction began on the Millennium Wing, a 300 seat addition to the Main Dining Room and 42 new guest rooms. This is the largest addition since the original construction of the hotel. The Millennium Wing will be completed in time for the 2001 season.

2001 The Millennium Wing opens on the east end of the hotel featuring 42 new guest rooms, The Grand Pavilion – a 3,600 square-foot private meeting room and dining room, restrooms for the dining room, and new guest and service elevators.

2002 The Jacqueline Kennedy Suite is added to the variety of Named Rooms.

2003 The Masco Cottage, a four-bedroom cottage attached to the east end of the hotel is added. The deck area at the pool is expanded and a new large hot tub is added.

2004 The Grand Club at Grand Hotel is founded. The Grand Club is a vacation membership program allowing guests to prepay future stays at Grand Hotel at a discount.

2005 The Millennium Wing opens on March 1, the earliest Grand Hotel has been open in its 118-year history. The Jane Seymour Suite was created featuring furniture and linens from her Grand Hotel – Mackinac Island Collection, a line of home goods she created for Saks, Inc.

2006 The Gate House, a casual bar/restaurant just a short walk down Grand Hill is added to Grand Hotel’s offsite dining options. The 5,000,000th overnight guest in Grand Hotel history checks in on Monday, June 26.

2007 Air-conditioning is added to 170 guest rooms making Grand Hotel entirely air-conditioned. Grand Hotel celebrates its 120th birthday.

2008 For the first time in Grand Hotel history, regular selective dinner was served on the Front Porch during the summer season.

2009 Grand Hotel is certified as a Green Lodging Michigan Leader by the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth. The commitment to reducing Grand Hotel’s carbon footprint is an ongoing process that began in 2007 when a state-of-the-art air-conditioning system was installed that uses water for cooling guest rooms and is then used to heat the Esther Williams Swimming Pool. As part of our green initiative, we have established our “Green Team” that has members constantly looking for new and creative ways to benefit our planet.

For more information follow the link below.

http://www.grandhotel.com

]]> http://photosbyblair.com/blog/mackinac-island-weddings/grand-hotel-weddings/feed 0 http://photosbyblair.com/blog/mackinac-island-weddings/mackinac-island-wedding-venders-list http://photosbyblair.com/blog/mackinac-island-weddings/mackinac-island-wedding-venders-list#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:49:42 +0000 Photos http://photosbyblair.com/blog/?p=245

Mackinac Island Wedding Vendor List

Voted one of the top 10 Destination

Wedding Islands in the World.

]]> http://photosbyblair.com/blog/mackinac-island-weddings/mackinac-island-wedding-venders-list/feed 0 http://photosbyblair.com/blog/traverse-city-weddings/traverse-city-wedding-photographers http://photosbyblair.com/blog/traverse-city-weddings/traverse-city-wedding-photographers#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:53:44 +0000 Photos http://photosbyblair.com/blog/?p=217

Are you thinking of a magical place for your event and just don’t know how to find it? A fantastic setting that’s beyond your wildest dreams? A grand ballroom… romantic castle… manicured garden… an elegant yacht… or a beachside resort?

Traverse City has many different wedding locations to choose from. Whether planning your wedding in a church, chapel, hotel, mansion, estate, or outdoor venue, Traverse City has the perfect place for your wedding ceremony or wedding reception. Make sure to pick a wedding site that has all the right meeting space for your special day.  Book your wedding reception site in advance as well; if you wait, it may not be available when you need it.

Think about what the wedding venue has to offer and what you have always wanted to make an intimate setting to begin your marriage. Many wedding halls include a gazebo, a courtyard, a garden, and sometimes even a place to host your rehearsal dinner. Couples need to be very careful in selecting vendors such as caterers and photographers; often you will want a backup just in case.

Any special Traverse City event should have a professional Traverse City photographer to capture and preserve the special moments.  Wedding photography is an art. For a wedding, a photographer is a must.  You may browse and contact as many photographers as you like.  Don’t forget to search neighboring towns as well.

When planning your wedding, talk to as many photographers as you can to get a feel for the services they offer and whether they are a good fit for you and your fiancee.  Make sure you know what portraits the photographer will deliver to you, and make sure he/she knows what time to show up and how soon after your special day you expect to have the pictures delivered.

Make sure the photographer gets shots of your family and guests.  To see previous photographs please visit my website at www.photosbyblair.com or my facebook page at Photography By Blair

If you are planning an engagement, keep in mind that many Traverse City photographers are also available for photos of that special day as well.  Traverse City professional photographers are able to get creative and find sites for your photo shoots that you may not even know existed.  Make sure the photographer is available for the rehearsal dinner and the reception.  Also, make sure they see the venue beforehand and can accommodate the lighting requirements.

We just wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for creating the most perfect wedding memories.  Being out of state, we searched high and low for the best photographer for our wedding.  We went to the wedding expo, clicked through so many websites, and thumbed through a plethora of brochures.  When we saw your site, we knew you were “our photographer.”  We chose you because we could see the thought and the love shine through every picture that you took.  Your passion for photography comes through each and every photo that you take.  During the entire process (planning, and executing the photos), your demeanor, professionalism, and overall personality made you a pleasure to work with.   Everyone who sees our wedding album comments how beautiful the pictures are and how they look like they could be stills from a movie.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Contact www.timberleehills.com for more information.

Located just minutes from downtown Traverse City, this scenic country setting is the perfect location for your upcoming wedding celebration! With breathtaking natural beauty, your guests can enjoy the relaxed feel of the ambiance lighting indoors, or create new memories mingling amongst our flower beds and fountains on our grass covered patio, or enjoy the sound of rushing water in our ceremonial garden beside a flowing waterfall. Our lovely views of Lake Leelanau and the Grand Traverse Bay elaborate the colorful sunsets, while the rolling hills surrounding us envelop you in a cascade of our natural essence.

Timberlee Hills accommodates up to 350 guests, offering full service catering and bar service. Our own specialized in-house recipes are created from scratch the day of your event by our skillful chef on-site. We pride ourselves in providing outstanding quality food, as well as providing the presentation and flexibility to meet any budget. With our highly trained professional staff and extensive menu options, Timberlee Hills is certain to deliver a flawless event! Please contact us today to meet with your own personal wedding coordinator, and let us help you make your day everything you deserve it to be!

At Timberlee Hills, your wedding day is our priority. Let us surround you with blooming beds of luscious flowers, flowing creeks surrounded by daisies, and gushing waterfalls. Our scenic ceremonial garden is only the beginning to your perfect day. Our courteous staff will accommodate any of your needs, while your own personal coordinator ensures everything goes as planned. From planning the rehearsal to walking you to the isle, we are there every step of the way.

Timberlee Hills offers a wide variety of services and referrals, including our own sound system for your ceremony music, wireless head-set for your officiant, and self standing microphone for any special presentations. We also provide a white lattice arbor and two marble pedestals that can be embellished to fit your own personal style. We are more than pleased to assist you with references for officiants, musicians, or any other services you may require.

Aside form our picturesque views of rolling hills and deep blue lakes, Timberlee Hills offers indoor ceremonies in front of a glowing fireplace safe from the Michigan weather. Our indoor ceremonies are surrounded by twinkling lights, the soft glow of the fire, and candle light in our Gold Brick banquet room, surrounded by windows still allowing your guests the luxury of our spectacular views.

On your wedding day, you will have access to your own private bridal room, complete with stained glass windows and an oversized mirror two hours prior to your big event. Ceremonies are held at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, with a reserved time slot of 4:00 pm for on-site receptions to follow. Exceptions based upon availability. Don’t forget to ask about booking your rehearsal dinner! We can provide a simple, delicious meal, or an elegant and formal choice may suit you better! Whatever your needs are, we can meet them!

There are three stylish sites for weddings and receptions. In settings as fresh as a flower, they meld the mystique of Leelanau with the majesty of Lake Michigan. Each is uniquely beautiful. Each is equipped and staffed to provide exceptional service. Choose one and views will beguile, flavors will swirl and wines will sparkle. Laughter will meld with the sounds of the water. And the day, the unique day…the perfect day…the day of which you’ve dreamed, will be made.

For a smaller wedding in a timeless setting with breathtaking scenery, the Café’s terrace is unmatched. It sits above the beach but a bouquet’s throw from the shore. It is bordered by beauty: an historic inn to the east, the river and beach to the south, the lake, dunes and islands to the west, the magnificent homes to the north. Available for spring and fall weddings with a minimum of 50 guests for Saturday evening.

For a mid-size wedding in a naturally beautiful setting Camp Firefly is ideal. The camp is located between steep, heavily timbered slopes. Outside, its buildings have thick, cedar shingles, stone and cedar walls, and story-book colors. Inside, they have cozy wood walls and exceptionally comfortable furnishings. Available for spring and fall weddings with a minimum of 50 guests for Saturday evenings.

You have the diamond. You need the perfect setting. This is it. It is a remarkably warm and welcoming building, outside and in. Perhaps that’s because of the intense colors in the dense landscaping. Or because of the sound of water cascading down a falls that’s barely outside the window. Or because of fireplaces – the massive outdoor and indoor fireplaces – decorated with hand wrought iron from the Black Rock Forge. Or because of the art and artifacts and antiques you’ll see throughout the building. Whatever the reason, this setting is like your diamond. It sparkles. Available for weddings year-round with a minimum of 150 guests for Saturday evenings in the summer season.

Were a sparkling building not enough, we’ll take you and your guests from it to the top of Bay Mountain. There, your guests will turn to watch as you make your entrance down the aisle of a chapel-like amphitheater that seems to have been carved from the edge of the mountain. When they turn back, they will watch and listen as you exchange your vows hundreds of feet above the endless panorama of the Manitou Passage. Steps away, you’ll receive your guests and share your wine at another carved-into-the-mountain setting with equally stunning views. Then, we’ll take you back to that sparkling building to again receive your guests and dine and dance the night away.

The History behind The Homestead Resort -  Glen Arbor, Michigan

A young couple from St. Louis, Missouri, William and Cora Beals had decided to search the beaches on the Great Lakes in Michigan and Wisconsin to find the region’s most naturally beautiful site. Their goals were to build a home, start a summer camp and use their education to teach young adults. They had found two sites when they were told of a third – a site at the point where the waters of the Crystal River met the waters of Lake Michigan in the Manitou Passage. With no knowledge of the danger, the Beals took a passenger steamer from Chicago to Glen Arbor in the summer of 1923. When they arrived at the point where the waters merged, the Beals knew this site, not the others, would be the site of their “homestead.”

The Beals purchased the property in 1924 and started Camp Leelanau for Boys which was soon followed by Camp Kohana for Girls. Both camps offered a wholesome outdoor experience with a strong emphasis on the natural environment. Satisfied parents asked that a boarding school be started. The Beals accepted that challenge and started construction on what would be the home base for the school. That was in the summer of 1929. The depression followed as did hard times. Barter became the currency of the day – work was traded for education. But the building was completed and by 1932 was used by the school in the winter and by the first “resorters” in the summer. Once again, there was a strong emphasis on the natural environment.

As time passed, the camps, school and resort grew and contracted over and again. Sometimes, their needs conflicted, their interests diverged and they grew apart. A decision to separate the camps and school from the resort and to make the camps and school not-for-profit institutions was taken. Subsequently, the resort was sold to a younger relative of the Beal’s family and his partner. Their plans for development and operations were not successful.

The land was then sold to its current owner. Research on the resort industry followed as did an all new master plan for development. The plan portrayed a community which would offer a wide range of recreational choices and a number of homes. Each aspect of it continued the then 50 year-old tradition of emphasis on the natural environment.

Today, you’ll find year-round recreational facilities, a spa, health and fitness center, restaurants, shops, resort hotels, a lodge, an historic inn and privately owned condominiums and homes. And as you enjoy these facilities, you will see that the sensitivity to natural environment has driven all that has been done. You’ll also see that the resort is now surrounded by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Interestingly, portions of the two other sites the Beals had considered for their “homestead” are now also part of permanently preserved areas.

If you are considering a Destination Wedding, Mackinac Island is one of the top 10 locations in the U.S., and the top three in Michigan.  I have had the pleasure of photographing over 400+ Weddings on Mackinac Island since 1997.  The venues are spectacular and the views are breathtaking.  As I look back at the last 13 years there is not one wedding that was uneventful.  The atmosphere and the anticipation from the brides make for a beautiful celebration.  It truly is a

“Somewhere in Time” destination.

Steven Blair, We just wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for creating the most perfect wedding memories. Being out of state, we searched high and low for the best photographer for our wedding on Mackinac Island. We went to the wedding expo on the island, clicked through so many websites, and thumbed through a plethora of brochures. When we saw your site, we knew you were “our photographer.” We chose you because we could see the thought and the love shine through every picture that you took. Your passion for photography comes through each and every photo that you take. During the entire process (planning, and executing the photos), your demeanor, professionalism, and overall personality made you a pleasure to work with. Everyone who sees our wedding album comments how beautiful the pictures are and how they look like they could be stills from a movie. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

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