Island Ties Remain Strong for Zaworskis

Linda and Robert Zaworski

The beauty, romance, and tranquility of Mackinac Island has captivated brides for years. Hundreds of weddings are performed on the Island throughout the summer season, keeping churches, photographers, and florists busy. For some, the conclusion of a wedding also means a conclusion of the couple’s love affair with the Island, but for many, the connection remains clear and constant.

For Linda and Robert Zaworski of Atlanta, Georgia, Mackinac Island has always been a mystical place. For the last five years they were dating, they made a special point of visiting in the summer. And after an extravagant proposal by Robert, which included opera singers and a harpist, the two knew that the Island was the only place for their wedding.

They set the date for July 8, 1995, and decided to make it a truly memorable event.

“It was our second marriage, so we chose to do something fun,” said Mrs. Zaworski. “This is such a magical place. I thought we’d have a long party over a weekend, and have a wedding in the middle.”

The two sent out elaborate invitations which included a copy of the movie, “Somewhere in Time,” antique photographs, maps, directions, and a full itinerary of activities to do while on the Island. They also asked all guests to dress in the motif of characters from the movie.

Fast-forward 10 years, and the Zaworskis were planning their 10th anniversary. They decided to return to the Island and relive their wedding. They brought with them 20 guests from Georgia, all of whom had either attended the wedding or seen videos from the wedding and had become captivated by the Island.

“It’s really just amazing that we were able to bring 20 people across the country from Georgia,” said Mrs. Zaworski. “That just shows how wonderful the Island is . . . or that people know we throw great parties.”

The anniversary took place the weekend of July 8. While guests were on the Island, they did exactly the same activities that would have gone on during the original weekend of the wedding. This included dinner at Grand Hotel Friday, July 8, biking around the Island the morning of July 9, and a tour of the Island aboard Shepler’s Ferry Saturday afternoon. There were only two differences between the 1995 gathering and the 2005 gathering: guests were not required to dress in period clothing, and no actual wedding took place.

The party returned to Georgia the afternoon of Sunday, July 10.