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Fall Marquette Micro Wedding at Wetmore Landing

Fall Marquette Micro Wedding at Wetmore Landing

Marquette has some of the most beautiful places to get married in Michigan. There is just so much nature and variety of scenery, all within an accessible area! That makes it easy to explore multiple locations in the course of a day. Being able to explore multiple spots in one day is really beneficial when it comes to planning a wedding there. This is exactly what Jackie and Jordan wanted to do for their own fall Marquette micro wedding at Wetmore Landing!

Jackie and Jordan knew what they wanted for their wedding – a day where they could share some adventure, be somewhere beautiful with close loved ones, and focus on having fun without any stress. They wanted to prioritize time spent together, and beautiful photographs of that time – which is exactly what we did on digital and 35mm film!

Fall Marquette Micro Wedding Getting Ready + First Look

Jackie and Jordan stayed at one of my FAVORITE AirBnB’s in Marquette! It just shows the importance of having a beautiful place to stay for your wedding. Even if you aren’t getting married at your Airbnb (many rental homes do not allow gatherings or events unfortunately, including this one) just having somewhere beautiful to wake up can really set the tone for your celebration!

This rental home is located on a private peninsula in Marquette. It has its own beach, bridge, forest, mountain – you name it. That’s why it’s one of my favorites!

These two got ready separately, in the home and the connected treehouse. They then hiked to the top of their own own private mountain top overlooking Lake Superior to share their vows! It was such a beautiful, peaceful moment where they could be together and breathe everything in before moving on with their celebration!

Finding an AirBnB For Your Elopement

Finding an AirBnB for your micro wedding can be the trickiest part of planning for many people! This is even more prevalent in the Upper Peninsula. There are so few rentals available in some areas, finding one that fits your vision and allows events can be challenging!

If you are hoping to host your micro wedding at a rental home, I recommend looking at VRBO’s website and using the “events allowed” filter. While there still may not be a ton of options, at least the ones you are looking at allow events which is a huge stress off your shoulders.

Some AirBnB’s do allow events, however! Depending on the number of people you are hoping to include or what your plans are you might get lucky! The smaller the number of people you are inviting, the easier it will be to find a spot to accommodate you. Even so, always remember to reach out to the host about your plans! I recommend making sure your plans are okay to avoid any fines or issues!

Another recommendation would be to find homes that accommodate the number of people you would be hoping to celebrate with. Such as if you stay in a home that accommodates 8 people, and there will only be 8 people there!

Even if you aren’t looking to host anything at your rental home, finding a beautiful place for you to stay is key. Somewhere you can make sure your days begin and end on a comfortable, beautiful note is so key to a great wedding experience!

Tips for a First Look

First looks can be a great way to make sure you are spending the majority of your wedding day with your partner. Especially on days where you have loved ones around! They also give you a beautiful moment of peace and privacy. It’s a great way to give yourself space to take in the day and everything that’s about to happen!

My favorite tips to keep in mind for a first look are to express yourselves and make it an experience. Don’t be afraid to laugh, cry, pick up your parter, kiss, or whatever feels right to you in that moment! This is your wedding day and you should feel free to be your most authentic selves in this exciting moment!

Making your first look an experience is a beautiful way to extend that moment, rather than seeing each other and going “now what?”. Some ideas could be reading vows or letters to each other, toasting a drink or snack, sketching, or making something together.

If a first look doesn’t interest you, don’t worry! There are other options you could consider to still share a private moment together. Options like a first touch or reading letters to each other back to back can still give you some intimacy without seeing your partner face to face.

Fall Marquette Micro Wedding Ceremony at Wetmore Landing

Marquette has no shortage of beautiful locations to get married – from mountains to gorgeous lakeshores and everything in-between! For their celebration, Jackie and Jordan wanted to focus on beautiful scenery that didn’t require much hiking to get there. Wetmore Landing was the perfect location!

Wetmore Landing is an expansive beach area, with beautiful forests, trails, and rocks. Jackie and Jordan chose to get married in front of a beautiful rock wall surrounded by their loved ones. They were able to look out at their guests and Lake Superior during the ceremony, and it was incredible!

After the ceremony, they wanted to have a pre-reception cocktail hour right on the beach! They packed their coolers, decorations, and snacks to share with everyone. Everyone was laughing and having so much fun exploring the beautiful shoreline. Wetmore Landing is an area with so much to explore, and it was so fun to see everyone making the most out of their time there together!

Wetmore Landing Wedding Location Ideas

One of my favorite parts about Wetmore Landing is just how much there is to see. The main location is a beautiful, expansive beach with soft sand surrounded by rock formations. But if you hike along the North Country Trail north or south along the shoreline, you’ll find so much more!

Some of my other favorite hidden gems along Wetmore Landing are Hidden Beach and Rum Runner’s Cove. Hidden Beach is a beach tucked away from the rest, with huge orange sandstone cliffs. It’s one of the coolest places I’ve ever seen!

Rum Runner’s Cove is an area a little over a mile away from the main beach. It used to be a site where bootleggers would hide out and smuggle rum! Now, it’s a gorgeous area with huge rocks cascading into the water. It’s also a great site for cliff jumping and paddleboarding! Check out a Rum Runner’s Cove elopement I photographed here!

Micro Wedding Cocktail Hour Ideas

A traditional wedding often has cocktail hour between the ceremony and reception for couples to have time to take portraits. Who says you can’t also do that for your micro wedding or elopement?!

Jackie and Jordan chose to bring charcuterie and champagne to the beach for their cocktail hour celebration. This was such a fun idea for them to be able to enjoy the area with their loved ones! Considering something like this for your celebration could also be an incredible way to celebrate that freshly-married feeling with your loved ones before continuing on with the day.

Some other ideas could include visiting a local brewery, hiring a company to do a picnic set up, taking your guests out for ice cream, or visiting a food truck stop! This is another cool opportunity for you to bring some of your interests into your day and share them with your loved ones.

Presque Isle Micro Wedding Portraits

One of the most iconic locations in Marquette is Presque Isle. Known for its unique, black rock formations, this are is truly one-of-a-kind (confirmed by my geologist brother in law hahah)! It’s an incredible spot to get married and to explore the scenery with your loved one.

After the ceremony, we explored the black rocks at sunset to take portraits of Jackie + Jordan before moving to their reception. The island has such a cool landscape with so much to see, all set to the beautiful fall colors Michigan provided! This spot is beautiful all year, but especially in the fall. The way Lake Superior’s blue contrasts with the orange leaves is absolutely incredible.

Best Spots for Photos at Presque Isle

The classic area on Presque Isle is known as the black rocks, which is an unreal spot to take photos. But the island is filled with beautiful areas to see and explore! The island is accessed via Peter White Drive, which takes you in a loop around the island. It takes you past some incredible areas – including woods, trails, rocks, and overlooks!

A couple of other beautiful spots at Presque Isle are the cove, a rocky area next to the black rocks that slopes into Lake Superior. Sunset Point gives you a gorgeous view of Middle Island Point, with some beautiful rocks jutting into the water!

How to Get Married at Presque Isle

There are several options when it comes to getting married at Presque Isle. The island doesn’t require any permits or cost to get married on the rocks or at the cove, which is great! However, the area does not take any reservations and is first come first serve. So if you are with a larger group, this is definitely something to consider.

One thing I always warn my couples about when it comes to Presque Isle is how busy it can get. It’s beautiful, free, and super close to downtown – making it a popular destination for weddings, tourists, and locals. If you do want to get married at Presque, I highly suggest considering a weekday, or a sunrise celebration to help avoid crowds!