We arose bright and early Thursday morning (2 am, to be exact) and got ready to head to the Columbia Airport to fly off to Michigan for Ty and Meghan's wedding. Our flight had 3 legs; Columbia to Charlotte, then to Chicago, then to Grand Rapids. Upon arrival we secured our rental cars and off we went to Grand Haven, where our bed and breakfast awaited. Meghan grew up in Muskegon, which is only 10 miles or so from Grand Haven. Here is a map of the area:
We stayed at the Harbor House Inn, which was directly across the street from the river and park adjacent to Lake Michigan. I would soon learn that this was a great place to smoke cigars and lay in the sun. Here is the Harbor House Inn.
Our room:
After settling down we soon headed off to Meghan's house where her parents had dinner waiting for us. Her dad, John, grilled chicken! He had a bar-b-que and jerk chicken ready when we arrived. After dinner we enjoyed a nice Partagas Serie D no. 4.
The next day was the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. I had some free time in the morning and early afternoon so I headed to Powerhouse Gym and then came back and enjoyed the sun on the banks of the river! The weather was nothing short of amazing. I believe the temperature on this day was around 75 degrees! Amazing!
The rehearsal went pretty smoothly. Since I was the best man I had a part to play! I was also asked to read the 2 bible readings that Ty had selected. Once the wedding rehearsal was over everyone headed to the rehearsal dinner! The restaurant was located on Lake Michigan. This was my first encounter with Lake Michigan and believe me it's very similar to the ocean off Folly Beach, South Carolina. One main difference, besides the fact that it's fresh water, is the size of the beach; it's very wide! The sand is also very different...in a good way! It's very soft and dust free. After walking on the beach in my dress shoes you could not tell I had been walking in soft sand.
Before the dinner I snapped this pic of the rehearsal cake.
The wedding couple had the front and center table.
The guests:
Connie, Diane (Grandma Poston), and Chelsea
After dinner, as I previously mentioned, we went onto the beach for some pics. Here I am with John, Meghan's father, another avid cigar lover!
Our family; Diane, Jeremy, Chelsea, Ty, Meghan, me, and Connie
John, Meghan's dad
Meghan's brothers and wives
Meghan, Lindsey, and Ashley
Meghan's family
Megan and Nick
As the sun set on Friday evening everyone anticipated the wedding tomorrow afternoon. By the way, this sunset is at 10pm! Since Grand Haven is so close to the central time zone the sun stays in the sky until after 10pm!
We arrived at the church around 2pm for groomsmen photos. Then...we waited...
...and waited...
Meanwhile, Meghan was getting photos of her and her bridesmaids
The ceremony was beautiful. Since I was in the wedding I do not have any pics of the actual wedding. Immediately afterwards we boarded a trolley with "Just Married" on the rear.
The trolley took us on a scenic journey of the area. Here is my first pic of the happy newlyweds!
The trolley stopped on Lake Michigan and the photos continued to roll. Here is a pic of Connie in her Mother of the Groom dress on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Meghan celebrating the day!
When we finally arrived at the reception hall I snapped this pic of the wedding cake.
After dinner it was time to cut the wedding cake. Well, cut it, take a taste, then wear it!
The proud papa's; John and me with Montecristo no. 2's from 2006.
The first dance.
Father/daughter dance.
Now Meghan had time to take a break while Ty danced with his mom.
Mother/son dance.
Grandmother/grandson dance.
The wedding was beautiful and the reception went until midnight! I believe Ty and Meghan loved the entire day. They're now married!
The next day was July 4th. It was a "hot day" by Grand Haven standards, with highs reaching the mid-80's. The humidity was rather low though. As we waited for the evenings fireworks we gathered on the porches.
The number of people attending the fireworks display was amazing. Take a look at the crowd around 8:30 or so that evening. There were many more people by the time the show started at 10pm!
The fireworks were very pretty. It's hard to get pics of fireworks at night but here goes...
The families enjoying the display on the porch of the Inn.
The newlyweds with Connie, "the mother in law"
The happy couple. I wish nothing but happiness for you both. Connie and I love you very much!
3 comments:
Hi, Tiny Tim. I was researching the Harbor House Inn for a 2012 trip, and your blog post came up. Your pictures are superb, and really help my search. It looks like you and your family had a wonderful time at the wedding. My best to the bride and groom, and again, thanks for posting some nice photos of the Inn. Sincerly, CK1
Hi, Tiny Tim. I was researching the Harbor House Inn for a 2012 trip, and your blog post came up. Your pictures are superb, and really help my search. It looks like you and your family had a wonderful time at the wedding. My best to the bride and groom, and again, thanks for posting some nice photos of the Inn. Sincerly, CK1
Thanks! The Inn is a very nice place and in a great location. Right across the street is the waterway which is beautiful. Enjoy!
Post a Comment