A Nautical Waterfront Wedding at Grand Traverse Resort in Williamsburg, Michigan

Newlyweds Meredith Morrison (31 and a teacher) and Todd Jarrold (33 and a mortgage banker) met as undergrads at Michigan State University before they realized they had one very similar thing in common – their birthdays! "We met at a fraternity party and found out we shared the same birthday," Meredith explains. "We ended up going on our first date the very next day." The proposal came several years later when the Royal Oak-based couple planned an impromptu trip to Maui during Meredith's spring break from classes. "We were packing and I was trying to decide what shoes to wear with a dress I wanted to bring," Meredith says. "I heard him say 'I know what would go well with that dress,' and when I turned around, he was down on one knee." For their nautical-themed nuptials at the Grand Traverse Resort in Williamsburg, the couple used a color palette of navy and white with hints of green to reflect the look and feel of their waterfront wedding. Dressed in an Augusta Jones dress and matching cathedral-length veil, the bride and her groom exchanged vows in front of over 200 guests before celebrating in a tented reception complete with pale blue linens and mercury glass centerpieces. "My dad passed away 11 years ago, so it was important for us to get married up north," Meredith explains. "Whenever I'm up there, I feel very close to him since it was his favorite place to be." During the reception toast that overlooked the resort's golf course, the bride skipped serving bubbly in order to honor her late father. "Instead of champagne, everyone was given a Miller Lite since it was his drink of choice," she says. "It was by far my favorite part of the night."