A Port Huron couple found it’s never too late to have the wedding of your dreams.
Willie “Marti” and Vic Hale have been together for decades. Marti Hale is currently at McLaren Homecare and Hospice in Port Huron with cancer. When they got married in 1985, the Hales didn’t get the grand wedding ceremony they desired, instead getting married at city offices in Port Huron. At the time, they didn’t have the resources to have a big ceremony. After telling her hospice nurses the story, McLaren staff decided to give the Hales the wedding ceremony they deserved.
“If I die, I’ll die with some good people,” Marti Hale said in a statement. “I’ll die next to the best person I’ve ever known, who has cared about me since 1985.”
The wedding took place in November at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. The staff at McLaren rallied together to create the Hales’ perfect wedding, according to Christa House, the manager of McLaren Port Huron Hospice.
A limousine to brought Marti Hale to the hotel where see met with her husband. People in attendance included hospice care and hotel staff. Additionally, the two were married by Marti’s sister.
“It was a very small, intimate, but beautiful wedding service that (Marti) never had before,” House said.
Many of the wedding essentials, such as the cake, wedding dress and suit were donated by businesses in the community. Vic Hale said the day was very special for him and his wife. He said everything about it was beautiful.
“Talking about the wedding dress and seeing her in it made it a special day,” he said.
It took about two days to get the wedding planned according to Nathan Struble, McLaren Hospice bereavement coordinator. He said everyone involved in planning the wedding wanted to create a memorable and special day for the Hales.
To Marti Hale, the wedding day meant community. She said Port Huron is one of the nicest towns and the people here take care of each other.
“I was too sick to get out to see people, these nurses, the team, the whole bunch of them,” she said. “Without them I couldn’t have this.”
House said Marti Hale wanted as many people from the McLaren Hospice team as possible to be at the wedding. She said it was an honor to see the couple have the ceremony they’ve dreamed of for many years.
Struble said the wedding was a defining moment. He said giving people a chance to experience happiness while they are in hospice care is a significant part of the job.
“We do this to give people some comfort in their final days,” he said.
House said people have a misunderstood idea of hospice care. She said the goal of hospice care is to have people live out the rest of their life the way they want to. If there is something the person has always wanted to do, they will do their best to fulfill that wish.
List of Donors:
- Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Port Huron
- Reception: Freighters Eatery & Taproom
- Music: McLaren Hospice Music Therapist Willie Nelson & Retired Pianist Naomi Brooks
- Wedding Cake: Royal-T Cakery
- Flowers: Ullenbruch’s Flowers & Gifts
- Photographer: AJBC Photography
- Limousine: Dream Limousine
- Dress Alterations: Retired Mother/Daughter Seamstress Team – Loretta Kish & Jackie Landon
- Wedding Decorations: McLaren Hospice Staff
- Wedding Programs: McLaren Hospice Staff
- Video Presentation: 90.7 Hope FM
Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.
