1. Real Weddings

A Traditional Wedding in Ann Arbor, MI

When Jill first saw Nick in an anthropology class at the University of Michigan, she knew she had to meet him, so she got herself into his study group

When Jill first saw Nick in an anthropology class at the University of Michigan, she knew she had to meet him, so she got herself into his study group. Then, she asked him out; they’ve been together ever since. The Bride Jill Boezwinkle, 29, public health The Groom Nick Olson, 30, attorney The Date June 20 When Nick was ready to propose seven years later, he knew Jill would want him to do it in private. He sent her on a spa day, and while she was out, he set a picture of the engagement ring he bought as the background on Jill’s laptop. When she got home, Jill kept walking by the computer screen without noticing the ring. Finally she spotted it, and Nick got down on one knee and proposed. They spent the next year-and-a-half planning a wedding at their alma mater with a subdued brown-and-ivory color palette and blue accents to nod to their Maize-and-Blue roots.

Jill and Nick named each table after places in Ann Arbor. The cards were brown and white to keep with the wedding’s color palette, while the all-capital font got guests’ attention.
For a guest book with a Michigan twist and extra practical use, Jill and Nick asked everyone to write notes on the pages of a coffee-table book all about the state.
Brown Ceremony Programs
Nick wore gold cufflinks with a block-letter M for the University of Michigan. This detail showed school pride in a subtle, sophisticated way.
Since none of their guests lived in Ann Arbor, Jill and Nick gave out blue luggage tags as favors and slipped thank-you notes inside.
The reception tables were decorated with low centerpieces of white roses and blue hydrangeas and nigellas to incorporate the wedding’s color scheme.
Jill carried a soft-colored bouquet of roses, peonies, nigella, millet, ferns and dendrobium orchids.
Even though they live in Washington, DC, Jill and Nick wanted to get married in Michigan, where they both grew up. They chose the Michigan League on the University of Michigan’s campus because they first met there. They even got to take pictures in the exact classroom!
The afternoon ceremony took place in The Michigan League’s ballroom, which gets beautiful natural lighting. Chair covers and chocolate-brown sashes kept the décor simple and elegant.