Wedding | Johanna & Matthew

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Our first date (and four years later, proposal site) was Corey Hill Park which overlooks much of Boston, our home. At any given time one of us is either over or under caffeinated. We love harmonizing in concrete stairwells and finding melody in rogue car alarms. We adore our communities and connect to one another through the desire to uplift others. We are designers by trade and dreamers by life.

Matthew was raised by a conglomerate of lifelong friends in Brookline, Massachusetts. I was brought up in the Bay Area and Richmond, Virginia by humans from Botswana and Tahiti. We have two cats named Meemew and Buppy.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

Being that our family is from all over this small blue planet, there was no obvious wedding site. We spent some time with family in Costa Brava, yet another place my family has roots, the summer before we were engaged. During the trip we explored Tossa de Mar and at the Església Vella de Sant Vicenç, declared that if we were to get married, we would do it there – and we did!

The people, vegetation, terrain, and smells of Catalonia feel like home. We wanted those who are home to us to share in the same love.

How many guests did you have?

We had 160 guests including kids.

Our dress code was as follows: White, light, and beautiful — wear something that moves with you.This can range from dresses to suits to billowing linen shirts. Go classic or crazy. Feel free to embrace a pop of color — tie, scarf, stripes, pocket square, hat, et al. Bonus points if you can promptly take it off for sporadic ocean plunges.  White is what is perceived when all else is reflected into space. White is a mediation of color.

What was your budget?

Less than we spent…

Tell us about your outfits.

I found my dress early in the planning process. Not because I tend to complete tasks early (or even on time) but because I am easily excitable and the thought of mulling over options for more than a month seemed terribly exhausting. My dress is vintage from Gossamer, a vintage bridal retailer. It fit perfectly without any alterations (a bonus achievement). The dress itself was crafted in the 1990s by Bovina Fiori per la Moda, an Italian silk flower factory. The dress is silk with a tulle skirt and originally had silk flowers on the straps and in the skirt which I removed with the help of my mother-in-law. Actually, she did everything. I watched and said productive things like “wow!” and “ow! are you okay?” (the trick was to dissolve the fabric glue using a blow dryer on full blast at high heat, hence the empathetic “ow”). The flowers are now a lovely keepsake. The decision to remove them was inspired by wishing for a simpler look.

The double cathedral veil was meant to honor the ancient ceremony site. I was moved by its ability to give the wind a body.

My shoes are from the Spanish brand, Flabelus. Heels on flat ground are dangerous enough; insert the cliffside cobbled narrow paths and we are edging quickly towards potential tragedy. They were soft, secure, comfortable, and madly blue.

In the precarious process of choosing a white suit, it was not lost on me (Matthew) that sartorial inspirations continued to appear in the form of cinematic villains – see Alain Deloin in Plein soleil, etc. – though I’m still not quite sure what this implies… notwithstanding, I wore an off-white shirt made by the very helpful Akshat Jain and his team at 100 Hands and an off-white wool, silk, and linen suit from Suit Supply, with tailoring on the latter done by the excellent Camille Beague of Beague’s Tailoring.

My shoes are from the Spanish brand, TLB Mallorca, and I wore a bronze swallow brooch that took a brief flight off my lapel during the ceremony. The yarmulke I wore is a treasured family heirloom that belonged to my great uncle and it has been worn by many extended family members throughout the years; I was honored to continue this tradition.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

We wanted to celebrate community and love.

For our invitations, we designed and produced a foldable paper stereoscope viewer (actually about 100 viewers) that showed a 3D photo taken in the 1960s of the old town in Tossa. Each viewer was cut from ultramarine paper then folded and glued by hand (our hands). It was then attached to the save the date, which was printed on a shell that I drew, by a length of recycled silk. We hoped to give our loved ones a moment of delight when they opened the invitation. Each one was made with them in heart!

The shell invite led guests to our website which we designed. We wanted everyone to have access to the weekend itinerary, recommendations for Costa Brava, travel logistics, packing lists, mood boards, a wedding guest list (for those who opted into sharing a photo and a reflection or hope), and more.

The wedding weekend highlighted several beautiful parts of Tossa that stitched together a quilted tour of the area: a rehearsal dinner of pizza and wine in the old town on Thursday night, midday Friday welcome drinks at the lighthouse, a Friday welcome dinner party at Can Gol Restaurant which shares a boundary with the rampart, the ceremony at the Església Vella de Sant Vicenç chapel ruins, the cocktail hour and reception 15 minutes away at Cala Gran and El Trull Restaurant, and finally brunch at the Elisabeth by the Sea Hotel. Upon arrival, each guest received a canvas tote complete with a myriad of Spanish snacks, a completely custom deck of playing cards (drawn by me), a bookmark with the weekend itinerary on one side and miniature map of Tossa on the other, and for the families with kids, a plush pigeon (the likeness of which also took its rightful place as King in the deck of cards).

We had been living the lives of married people long before June 13, 2026, and our choice to have a wedding was to celebrate those who are a part of our story. The wedding allowed us to bask in the light of relationships and to demonstrate how the love we have for each other is owed to the love that brought us here.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Matthew and I have long been moved by ultramarine blue, inspired by the works of Yves Klein and Maggie Nelson. Its ability to represent the ubiquitous nature of life and yet an otherworldliness beyond language prompted much of our design choices. We especially loved exploring the contrasts between the natural world and this ethereal blue as seen in the chuppah, candelabras, and cocktail party paintings.

Our family comes from Jewish, Christian, and Tahitian origins. Music was the current connecting all three. During the ceremony, my best friend sang Amazing Grace and my grandmother conducted a Tahitian ceremony which included members of my island family dancing and singing while we were wrapped in a ceremonial quilt known as a tifaifai, all underneath the chuppah.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Take a moment to look at your people during the ceremony! This is one of the few times everyone you love will be in the same place. Breathe it all in. We had our respective families sit diagonally from where we were standing such that we could each easily see them.

Work with people you like! Each vendor (when I think of “vendor,” I think of a merchant dressed in velvet burgundy robes selling rugs) at our wedding were people we got to know and love. This made the planning process much more enjoyable.

Try to be present! This phrase alone is common and unintentionally vapid so allow us to attempt to make it practical. Matthew and I have a favorite Thai dish called Khao Soi. It has become our code word to communicate that it is time to take a breath and root into the moment. These moments of anchor need only last a few seconds, but those seconds often provide clarity and gratitude. You can use our word or you can find our own. There are no rules! We would also recommend doing logistical work on your laptop and not on your cellular device. Phones are petri dishes of distraction and isolation.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

One of the greatest joys throughout the planning process was bringing passionate people together and creating something beautiful.

Annabelle Zermatten from Coucoustudio honored all the love and life we put into the planning process by creating masterpiece upon masterpiece on film. We became fast and furious friends. The way she captures beauty cannot be learned. It is an extension of who she is.

Jordi Tomàs and Clàudia Lambies of Emocions de Blanc led with so much patience and care. We could not have orchestrated the weekend from our Boston base without their support. They offered valuable insights into their home’s culture, showed genuine care for our families, and laughed at my jokes (thank you).

Cristina Alvarez Peralta and her team were vital to the mental stability of the wedding morning. Cristina not only orchestrated hair and makeup for 14 women, she also ensured that everything ran smoothly and efficiently. The bridal party simply had to show up, she took care of the rest.

Campbell Hartley is a longtime friend and ceramist based in Richmond, Virginia. Working with her was easy and inspiring. She sculpted each candelabra and candlestick by hand and worked with us closely to ensure they met our vision. She also securely packaged and shipped more than 60 ceramic candle holders – our banquet centerpieces.

Jordi Oller, head chef and owner of Can Gol, opened his restaurant to 150ish guests, and if that is not daunting enough, also provided everyone with an elegant array of high quality food and wine. We are so grateful!

Victor Kiswell, a purveyor of rare music and records, graciously shared his tapestry of musical globetrotting with us and our guests, plying us with hidden gems and resurfaced treasures from his incredible library. He rarely plays at weddings and we are especially grateful that he trusted us to provide the space to create something truly magical.

Becky Aveiga is the Groups and Events Manager at the Elisabeth by the Sea Hotel, our top hotel recommendation in Tossa. Becky helped us consistently during the planning process and along with Laia Palau, the Director of the Elisabeth, ensured a wonderful experience for guests throughout the wedding weekend.

Ferran Rafa, Events Manager at El Trull, and José María, Banquet Maître d', were joys to work with from the earliest stages of planning the cocktail hour and reception and catered to all manner of peculiar ideas. They were instrumental in providing a wonderful experience and excellent food throughout the evening.

Xavier Morell Rovira, Director at BTM Sound, along with Tarik Moumen, Production, were both instrumental in delivering and orchestrating all of the sound, lighting, and projection equipment used throughout the day, across five different locations. They even managed to download a last minute movie request, Hook, that was screened on the terrace during the dance.

Ekaterina Záytseva is a virtuoso guitarist and we felt so lucky to have her grace the ceremony with her music. She readily offered to accompany a friend that sang Amazing Grace during the ceremony, and went above and beyond to track down and learn a particularly hard-to-find Tchaikovsky arrangement for the recessional.

Photographer: Coucoustudio @coucoustudio.love | Coordination: Emocions de Blanc @emocionsdeblanc | Planning & Styling: by the couple @johannamiquelcline | Flora: Mimah Studio @mimahstudio | Ceremony Location: Església Vella de Sant Vicenç @tossaturisme | Reception Location: El Trull Restaurant (Banquet) @restaurant_el_trull; Cala Gran; (Cocktail Hour) @cala_gran | Hire: Grup Pous (Reception Furniture) @gruppous; BTM Sound (Sound/Lighting) @btmsound | HMUA: Cristina Alvarez Peralta @muakris | Stationery & Decorations: by the couple | Entertainment: Victor Kiswell (DJ) @victorkiswell; Ekaterina Záytseva (Guitarist) @duodelmar | Dress: Gossamer @shop

gossamer | Suit: Suit Supply @suitsupply | Tailoring: Beague's Tailoring | Veil: Bridal Wedding Custom @etsy | Groom's Shirt: 100 Hands @100hands | Groom's Belt: Sartolane @sartolane | Wedding Rings: Cartier @cartier | Shoes: Flabelus @flabelus (Bride); (Groom): TLB Mallorca @tlbmallorca.official | Candelabras: Campbell Hartley Ceramics (candelabras) @campbellhartley.ceramics | Woodworker: Wood Projects Tossa (Chuppah) @woodprojectstossa | Boutonnieres (Groomsmen): Vintage Brooches, sourced by couple | Wedding Party Attire: individually sourced