An insider’s look (quite truly…our marketing director eloped in Marquette last September!) at Marquette wedding venues, places to stay, provisions and photo ops that make a Northern Michigan wedding in this stunning and laid-back place truly magical.
When we first started talking about our low-key wedding, we had a few requirements. A Michigan destination we could visit annually on our anniversary, a place we could hike and explore, and finally, it must have a darn good brewery (we are beer lovers and my husband owns a brewery in Suttons Bay, Michigan).
Marquette was always at the top of our list because neither of us had been there and we were big fans of Blackrocks Brewery. Once I did some research and stumbled upon the stunning historical courthouse in downtown Marquette, I knew we had found the place to elope.
Without having ever stepped foot in the Upper Peninsula (though we had both been to Mackinac Island as kids) we planned our entire wedding from our Traverse City home. Honestly, it was pretty easy as the attendee list was small … as in just the two of us! Before you ask: our parents already gave us their blessings to elope, they were just happy we were FINALLY tying the knot.
We arrived in Marquette on the evening before our wedding, a Wednesday. We decided to get married on Thursday, September 20, because it was cheaper and it worked out great for our schedule (this marriage thing is already off to a great start, eh?). On the five-ish hour drive from Traverse City to Marquette, we listened to my husband’s old collection of CDs, which included an eclectic mix of Dave Matthews Band, DMX and Garth Brooks.
Our first stop in town was, of course, Blackrocks Brewery. Neither of us had pre-wedding jitters (I’m sure this is because we didn’t have 200 people ready to watch us tie the knot), so we shared a few beers and watched a band from the cozy space. Beer recommendation: Nordskye, a Session IPA. Delicious and one of the most beautiful cans I’ve ever seen.
Go on a Beer + Wedding Road Trip: Your Guide to Upper Peninsula Breweries
The next day was our wedding day! Our courthouse appointment to get, you know, married wasn’t until 1 p.m. and we had some time to kill. First things first, bagel sandwiches from Third Street Bagel. No wedding diet here! We devoured the Tex Mex and Sante Fe Breakfast Bagels and sipped our Contrast Coffee.
Breakfast was solid fuel for hiking Sugarloaf Mountain, which was the next item on the agenda. Nothing relaxes you before you take the most important vows of your life like a good hike through the forests of Northern Michigan. We climbed to the mountain’s top and spent a few minutes surveying the city of Marquette and Presque Isle Park where we would start the wedding festivities in a few hours. We didn’t have much time, but we vowed to come back and climb it year after year.
Back downtown Marquette, it was time to get down to business…We got into our wedding gear and picked up my bouquet from Northwoods Flora and headed to Presque Isle Park. This is where we met our photographer, Katherine Jarvi, and her husband (coincidentally also our wedding witnesses!). Katherine was my first choice for a photographer since she’s a local and applauded our desire to elope. At this point, the early fall weather caught up with us and it began to pour. (If I had a dollar for every time I heard, “Rain on your wedding day is good luck.”) But my husband and I didn’t care. We posed for photos in the rain, scampered on the *actual* Black Rocks, chased each other through the forest and got completely soaking wet. The Upper Harbor Ore Dock made a stunning backdrop with the grey skies and blue of Lake Superior.
Photo by Katherine Jarvi Photography
Photo by Katherine Jarvi Photography
Photo by Katherine Jarvi Photography
We arrived at the Marquette County Courthouse before our appointment and were immediately floored by the beauty. Wall-to-wall marble, solid oak and the nicest court workers I had ever met. We paid our $10 marriage ceremony fee(!) and headed into the courtroom. Again, our breath was taken away. The stained-glass dome and high ceilings were incredible. You have to see it to believe it. In the end, we were married. Yay!
Immediately after the ceremony, it was time to celebrate. Just steps—as in 500 feet—from the courthouse gate sits Ore Dock Brewing Company. We headed in and ordered two “I Do PAs” and called our parents to let them know we are OFFICIALLY husband and wife. We continued taking pictures against the floor-to-ceiling windows and around the dark bar. Those are some of my favorite, most intimate photos.
We said goodbye to Katherine and her husband and quickly headed to The Marq for our post-wedding feast. We devoured bibimbap and homemade pasta and celebrated with a wonderful dessert prepped by the chef as congrats. After our late lunch, the rain had finally let up so we strolled back to our room where we exchanged wedding gifts and shared a bottle of champagne.
We finished the night at the Steinhaus (still in our wedding attire!) where we slurped huge steins of German beer and dove into the Wurst Plate and Wiener Schnitzel. A magical end to our day!
The next day, before departing on our mini-moon to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, we strolled along Washington and Front streets and peeked into some shops for wedding souvenirs. We came away with a charming print of the Lower Harbor Ore Dock and also found a hand-painted ornament with the courthouse to remember our wedding day.
As we drove away from Marquette, we were filled with gratitude to the city that started the first day of the rest of our lives together. We can’t wait for our first-anniversary trip—we’re excited to explore some new Marquette restaurants and stay a few nights in one of the city’s unique hotels.