Tell us a little about yourselves!
We met in Cleveland at a photo studio we were both freelancing at in 2012. We started as friends, I still lived in Grand Rapids, MI and Peter in Cleveland. Eventually, we both found ourselves single and Peter asked me out for a drink and have been together ever since.
We both work in the photo industry - Peter as a photographer and myself as a Food Stylist. We live in Cleveland with our dog, Otto.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We first traveled to Santa Teresa in 2017 and fell in love with the area. We wanted to spend more than 1 night with our friends and family and take them somewhere special where everyone could turn the trip into a vacation.
How many guests did you have?
50
Tell us about your outfits.
Peter: I had it in my head that I wanted a green linen suit and found it one on Suit Supply. I knew I wouldn’t wear my jacket much so I found a linen shirt that looked good untucked from James Perse. I definitely didn’t wan't to wear shoes in the sand so I got my slides from Mohinders.
Claire: There were three dresses hanging in my closet, and a month out from the wedding I still didn’t know what I was going to wear. In the eleventh hour, I ordered the Verona Gown from Kamperett. When I tried it on I said “Oh, so THIS is how you’re supposed to feel about your wedding dress!” I was sold. I’ve never been one to love getting dressed up, I’m casual - and that is an understatement. But I could not wait to wear this dress, and once I finally had it on - I never wanted to take it off. It was beyond comfortable, and I loved the feature of the detachable sleeves. It gave me two looks with just one gown. I had shoes, but never put them on. We were in the sand on the beach all night, what do you need shoes for?
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
It’s not the easiest town to get to, so once our family said they’d trek to Santa Teresa for us, we locked it in!
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
We knew we wanted a house on the beach that our friends and family could stay at for the week and also double as our wedding venue. When the house we originally booked sold two months before the wedding and cancelled our reservation, our incredible wedding planner, Bliss Weddings Costa Rica was quick to find an even more amazing spot for us.
Beyond the house, the food was also really important to us, we spoke with James Kelly from Soma Chef over the phone and knew he was our guy! A lot of our guests said later that the food at the wedding was the best they ate during their entire trip to Santa Teresa - and that is not an easy feat. James really nailed it, and gave us a meal that really felt like the essence of the food scene in Santa Teresa. It was like a dinner party with all of our favorite people, in our favorite place, enjoying an incredible meal together.
Any tips for couples getting married, particularly during the pandemic?
Planning during the pandemic: keep it simple and be willing to adapt to the situation. The people and each other are what’s important - a lot of the details wash away pretty quickly so focus on everyones company and have fun.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
In terms of planning, Bliss Weddings were so incredibly amazing to work with from our very first conversation to our flight home - they really made the wedding and trip better than we ever imagined.
Natalia and Emi from Studio Monrevi were really wonderful, and did such a great job of capturing not only the day - but who we are as a couple. They leaned in to our request for unique photos, and really delivered.
James Kelly, and all of his staff at Soma, not only gave us an amazing meal - but they were all such a blast to be around. They made us feel like they were there to celebrate us as much as our guests.
Photographer : Studio Monrevi @studiomonrevi | Ceremony Location : Beach Front of North Creek Estate @elitebeachvillas | Reception Location : North Creek Estate @elitebeachvillas | Celebrant :
Close friend, Brad W. | Entertainment : Michele Macri | Planner : Bliss Weddings Costa Rica
@blissweddingscr | Hire : Eventos Artesanos @eventosartesanos | Ceremony Space : Eventos Artesanos @eventosartesanos + Stylos y Flores @stylos_y_flores | Flora : Stylos y Flores @stylos_y_flores | Catering, Beverages + Cake : Soma Chef @jameskelly_cr | Stationery : Minted | Bar : Drift Bar @driftbarcr | Claire's Dress : Kamperett @kamperett | Peter's Suit : Suit Supply @suitsupply | Peter's Shirt : James Perse | Engagement Ring : Wwake @wwake | Wedding Rings : Satomi Kawakita @satomi_kawakita_jewelry (Claire) + Lauren Wolf @laurenwolfjewelry (Peter) | Peter's Shoes : Mohinders | Peter's Watch : Vintage 1966 Omega Seamaster Deville | Claire's Ring : Black onyx + diamond ring that belonged to Bride's Grandmother