A wedding for everyone
THE ERICA BOISMENU & JOHN ELSTON WEDDING
N
STORY BY NANCY MCCARTHY • PHOTOS BY JULIE ADAMS
obody was left out of
Erica Boismenu’s and John
Elston’s wedding, not even
their dog.
When the couple said their
“I dos” at the Surfsand Resort
last Oct. 24, Captain Tuttle (a
Cavachon — cross between a
Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a bichon frise —
named after a fictional character in the television series
“Mash”), ran down the aisle, the wedding rings attached
to a pillow tied around her chest.
“Everybody busted out laughing,” said John. “It was
really an incredible day.”
The couple met through an online dating service.
28 | RIVER & SEA WEDDINGS 2016
Erica, who lived in Bend, had created a basic profile but
didn’t buy an upgrade to see her potential matches’
photos. During a “free weekend,” she read the profile of
When it came time to plan for the
wedding, the couple wanted to “create a
magical space for all of our guests.”
a match that intrigued her, and she wrote him a
message.
But John, whose home was in Kent, Wash., had
forgotten that he had once subscribed to the dating
service, although he had been paying for it automat-
ically. When he went to clean out his email account, he
found Erica’s message and replied.
As their relationship grew, the two would often meet
in Cannon Beach or Seaside for the weekend. Both had
traveled to the coast as children, and both felt it was
special.
“It has always been a place to have fun and also a
place for renewal,” said John.
When it came time to plan for the wedding, the
couple wanted to “create a magical space for all of our
guests,” Erica said.
Everything fell into place. They chose the Fireside
Room at the Surfsand for their ceremony, which was
attended by about 45 guests, including parents and an
aunt and uncle from Boston. “We wanted it to be very
intimate,” said Erica. >>