Wedding Mission Statement

Trinity Episcopal Church on Mackinac Island is a living church with an active year-round congregation. Trinity is NOT a wedding chapel or museum. The members of Trinity extend their church home for the wedding sacrament as a gesture of outreach and to demonstrate leadership within the Island community. Trinity welcomes fellow Episcopalians as well as those who worship in other Christian traditions. Trinity does not view its building as merely an aesthetically pleasing backdrop for a wedding ceremony, and it should not be treated as such.

Trinity Church is an historic building that was erected for the sole purpose of Christian worship. The church will only be used for ceremonies that uphold this tradition and honor the values of Trinity Episcopal Church. Those persons looking to celebrate the sacrament of marriage at Trinity must have an active and strong faith. The wedding covenant must be approached with reverence and thoughtfulness. Marriage counseling is required for a couple to be married at Trinity. The donations derived from weddings that take place at Trinity are used to preserve the church building, furthering the church's historic role within the Mackinac Island Community.

Photo courtesy of Island Photo.

Wedding Policy

(Download a PDF version of the Wedding Policy to print, sign and return.)

An opportunity exists to hold your Christian wedding at Trinity Episcopal Church on Mackinac Island. Our facility is available throughout the year, with the summer season being the most frequently requested time for weddings.

The members of Trinity Church have agreed upon specific criteria that will ensure all weddings will respect the Christian values of Trinity and be in keeping with its traditions. Please read and completely understand all requirements before agreeing to and signing the following. We trust that if you do not agree with each of the following points, you will find a more appropriate place for your wedding ceremony. We appreciate your thoughtfulness and respect to this matter.

The following are procedures that must be followed in the planning of your wedding.

1. Preliminary Planning:

A letter of application must be submitted, to the Vestry at Trinity Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 472, Mackinac Island, Michigan 49757. The letter may be submitted via e-mail to trinitymackinac@gmail.com. It would state the requested date, the officiating clergy you are providing and denomination, and a signed copy of these policies. If e-mailing, the signed policy should be sent as a printable jpeg or PDF.

The date of the wedding needs to be mutually agreed upon between the Vestry and the wedding couple. This should be done early in the planning process to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Trinity does not provide clergy to perform the ceremony. If this is an Episcopal ceremony, we do have a list of clergy for you to contact if you wish. Otherwise, it is the responsibility of the wedding couple to obtain clergy to perform the ceremony.

The members of Trinity Church believe that marriage should never be entered hastily. Marriage should, without exception, be given thoughtful reflection. By doing so, those entering the marriage covenant are respecting their own soul, their future spouse, and most importantly, God.

Your ordained clergy person will explain the specific teachings of their church and the denomination requirements regarding Christian marriage. With this in mind, Trinity Church requires that couples wanting to be married in the church have had, or are in the process of receiving, premarital counseling from their own clergy. Documentation that the couple has fulfilled all of the pre-marital counseling requirements needs to be sent to the Vestry at Trinity one month prior to the wedding. In the event that the officiating clergy and the counseling clergy are different, written communication should come from the counseling clergy.

If the wedding is to be an Episcopal ceremony, the preparation process must follow TEC canon law. Your priest will be able to help you with information regarding pre-marital counseling requirements, as well as questions concerning the ceremony itself. Episcopal Canon law requires a minimum of thirty days notice before a wedding can be performed; longer is preferred. Visiting Episcopal clergy may officiate or assist at a marriage ceremony; however, they must contact the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Northern Michigan at 800-236-0087.

If either of the couple is divorced, specific requirements of the Episcopal Church must be met before the wedding can take place.

There is a $1000.00 required donation for the use of Trinity Church. There is an additional required donation of $500.00 if the wedding couple wishes to use the Parish Hall for the reception.

No alcohol is permitted and the Parish Hall is a smoke free facility.

Half of the donation(s) should be paid upon reserving the wedding date, with the remaining donation(s) due one month prior to the wedding. Checks are payable to Trinity Episcopal Church.

The fees for officiating must be negotiated directly with contracting clergy.

2. State of Michigan:

The couple to be married must obtain a marriage license from the State of Michigan. This may be obtained at the Mackinac County offices in St. Ignace, Michigan (906.643.7300). If the couple are Michigan residents, it should be obtained at the county office where they reside.

3. Music:

Music chosen for your wedding ceremony should reflect the tradition of the church as a whole, and more specifically Trinity Episcopal Church. An organ and a piano are in the church sanctuary and are available at no additional charge. These instruments must be respected and not altered or moved in any way. Traditional hymns and classical music is used during worship at Trinity. If you have other ideas for music or additional musical instruments for your wedding ceremony, please contact the music coordinator before final preparations. You may engage the church organist for the wedding at his availability. His fee for this service is $150.00. If you wish to use your own organist or pianist, it must be with the approval of Trinity's church organist.

Contact: Dan Seeley, Organist and Music Coordinator
Box 74
Mackinac Island, Michigan 49757
Phone: (906) 847-6364

4. Wedding Flowers:

There are brass vases that may be used for floral arrangements on the altar. Additional flowers may be placed elsewhere in the church at the discretion of the wedding couple. Flowers can be left in the sanctuary to share with Trinity's congregation if you so desire. Otherwise, the flowers must be removed within one hour of the service.

5. Wedding Rehearsal:

The wedding rehearsal time needs to be coordinated with the presiding clergy and the Sexton, Dan Seeley. There is the Parish Hall next to the church with a restroom, which can be used. Please respect the altar in the main room and refrain from placing anything on it.

6. Wedding Day:

The Parish Hall is available for the use of the wedding party prior to the wedding for dressing, photography, etc. It will be available two hours before the start of the ceremony. It must be completely cleared out no later than one hour after the ceremony. Please assign someone from your party to clear out the Parish Hall. Trinity is not responsible for items lost, stolen or that are left in the Parish Hall.

7. Photography/Videography:

Photography inside the church building must respect and honor the reverence of the wedding covenant. All flash photography is prohibited, amateur and professional, during the service. A sign will be placed just outside the sanctuary for guests to read before entering the wedding ceremony. During the ceremony, no photographic equipment of any kind (still or video) will be placed near, behind, or around the altar. One professional video recording machine will be allowed and must be stationary at all times during the ceremony. This should be placed at an assigned place in the back of the church. Still photographer(s) must also stay in the very back of the church remaining unobtrusive so as not to distract from the spiritual significance of the wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, photography may be taken inside the church with the appropriate equipment required.

8. Other:

Trinity Episcopal Church is a lovely historic church and as such does not need a lot of decoration. However, if decorations are used they must be fire retardant and kept to a minimum. Furniture, fixtures, and the piano in the church may not be moved. In addition, the use of nails, screws, tape, etc. is prohibited. There are two electrical outlets in the church for equipment and there are no extension cords available. If extension cords are needed, the wedding couple is responsible for obtaining these. The church is not air-conditioned; however, there are two ceiling fans. There are altar candelabra as well as freestanding candelabra available for use. If other candles are used, they must be enclosed. When the wedding couple leaves the church, after the ceremony, we request that no rice, confetti, birdseed, balloons or bubbles, etc. be thrown or blown at them. If there are questions about what is appropriate please contact the Sexton.

Thank you for considering Trinity Episcopal Church. We hope that we can be of service to you at this important time of your life. We wish you well.

We have read, understand and agree to abide by the wedding policies of Trinity Episcopal Church, as stated above.

Please return this entire document with your signatures. (Download a PDF version of the Wedding Policy to print, sign and return.)

Mail to:

Vestry at Trinity Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 472, Mackinac Island, Michigan 49757

E-mail signed copy as printable jpeg or PDF to: trinitymackinac@gmail.com