“On more than one occasion, I’ve acted as both the photographer and witness to the wedding,” says Scott Benson of North Shore Reflections.

Recently, Benson and his wife, Brenda, were the shutterbugs and witnesses for a ceremony which took place on the Brule River bridge via a good half-mile hike off the Gunflint Trail. Yes, the bride wore sensible footgear. The couple’s hearty clergy was up to the trek as well.

When weddings take place on Lake Superior’s shoreline or in the boreal forest, no artificial prop rentals, arches, or tents are required, because the attendants and guests are standing amidst a backdrop green pines, blue water, and lichen-adorned boulders. These natural features are the setting for picture perfect wedding, literally, and are why couples throughout the Midwest select the North Shore as their open-air wedding chapel of choice. Surprisingly, weddings occur year-round.

“The most popular wedding season runs from mid-May through mid-October, but some outdoor weddings also take place in the heart of winter - January or February,” Benson says.

From the outdoor chapel near Cascade River, to a waterfall along Temperance River, to Lutsen Resort’s covered bridge over the Poplar River, to the rocky outcropping of Grand Marais’ Artist’s Point, the Bensons have set up their camera equipment in beautiful locations. They’ve seen more than one bride don hiking boots under her wedding dress to make it to her scenic site.

“It’s the ambiance of the lodge, combined with Lake Superior’s rocky, forested shoreline which naturally brings on romance,” described Tina Connor, of Lutsen Resort, who for many years has worked with couples to pull off their most memorable event.

Tina feels fortunate, since most who choose the North Shore as their location have an appreciation of nature.

“We just had a winter wedding take place at the mouth of the Poplar River. The bride and groom were avid cross country skiers, and the wedding party wore Nordic sweaters and formed a ski-pole arch for the couple to walk through. Another couple had a bonfire on the beach following their rehearsal and groom’s dinner in the middle of a lake-effect blizzard, and all their guests had a blast,” Connor says.

These nontraditional, romantic rituals, with much less formality than the traditional church wedding, are becoming more and more popular, but you will still find plenty of flowing white gowns and champagne receptions on the shoreline.

“The couples and attendants also utilize local florists, cake makers, musicians, photographers and salons in all their preparations,” Connor explains. “These are destination weddings, which also act as family and friend reunions, with everyone coming in from around the country or even the world. The bride and groom can spend much more time with guests over the entire weekend, and offer them a safe, restful place as sort of a mini-vacation, reunion, and wedding all in one spot. Most guests go hiking, kayaking, skiing, and sight-seeing, or relax in a safe, fun, close niche,”

Connor and crew are considered to be very experienced with these ceremonies, as Lutsen Resort conducts two weddings every Saturday from June through October, with their business season taking place in August and September.

“The smallest weddings we’ve had were just two people--the bride and groom--and the largest we can accommodate is 200,” she adds.

And as romantic as these sentimental services become, it makes nuts and bolts fiscal sense to pare down the expenses of the traditional wedding by having smaller, outdoor weddings. As nondenominational reverend Tim Young says, “The couples who ask me to officiate have a nostalgic feeling for the area. Metro weddings quickly get out of control with guest lists and plans. The weddings can add up to between $20,000 to $30,000. When they come to the Arrowhead, the location they chose simplifies so much for them.”

Young officiates up to 50 weddings a year, as does Lutsen Lutheran minister Bill Christ, and the local justice of the peace.

“I’ve officiated ceremonies at Carlton Peak in Tofte, White Sky Rock overlooking Caribou Lake, Gunflint Lake, and Horseshoe Bay, just to name a few. In February, a small wedding party braved the cold on Artist’s Point when it was 14 below,” Young says.

Outdoor weddings leave indelible memories. Connor fondly recalls a wedding held at Lutsen Resort last summer.

“A couple paddled away from their weekend ceremony in the lodge’s voyager canoe,” she says. “While the guests gathered on the shoreline, and unprompted and unrehearsed, sang “Til We Meet Again,’ as they rounded the corner away from the beach. That is what Lake Superior gives to a setting.”