Inspired by love, history & the sea

Photography by Arielle Doneson

My husband Peter and I have always loved the stories of the days of whaling ships, sea captains and shipwrecks. Taking inspiration from these visions of old world New England, we celebrated the ocean-side Cape Cod wedding of our dreams last summer.

Peter is as drawn to the sea as I am. A Barnstable native, he grew up spending his summers working on fishing boats on the Cape and later went to school to become a marine engineer. My summer days were spent on Dowses Beach in Osterville or enjoying my parents’ Boston Whaler. The sea is deeply embedded in both of us.

As an interior designer by trade, I was excited by the challenge of creating a unique wedding experience that our guests would love. Many would be visiting from out of town, and we wanted a unique wedding venue—something in walking distance to guest accommodations and that which would offer a perfect Cape Cod experience. We happily chose Provincetown’s Pilgrim Monument. The view from the hill is breathtaking, and on a clear day you can see for miles.

Provincetown is an old fishing and whaling village that is rich in history, and it was the perfect location for our “shipwrecked”-themed wedding. With our friends and family on hand, we exchanged our vows overlooking Provincetown Harbor. We draped an arbor in tulle, sail cloth and manila rope to resemble a shipwreck. From the center hung a four-foot ship I designed and had welded with hundreds of crystals and chain collected from vintage chandeliers.