Claire & Jason in Bath, MI

Claire and Jason met almost 10 years ago in college -- “He was that-friend-of-a-friend that I always seemed to run into when we were out and about,” Claire says. But one summer, during a canoeing trip with mutual friends, their relationship became a bit more personal, and just over a year later, Jason proposed to Claire at Christmastime. She opened a new Kate Spade purse from Jason and noticed a square-shaped bump in the inside pocket. “By the time I pulled it out and opened it, Jason was on one knee,” Claire says. The Bride Claire Waligorski, 29, client serving associate The Groom Jason Smoker, 30, landscape company owner The Date November 18 Claire planned the wedding, with a little guidance from the TheKnot.com, using a trendy chocolate-brown and pink color scheme, which she pulled through all the day’s details. Jason picked the reception site, a newly constructed golf club, for their traditional wedding day because of his love of golf and the fact that the club had the capacity to seat all 300 of the couple’s friends and family.