A Seaside romance
DESTINY & PHIL DERAS’ WEDDING
Story by Rebecca Lexa • Photos by Don Frank & Melissa Babasin
D
estiny Deras moved to Seaside eight
years ago this summer. Intending
only to work for a few months
before moving to France, after six
years in the Willamette Valley wine
industry she was ready for something
different — one chance meeting, however,
would change her direction forever.
One September afternoon while visiting the Seaside Cove,
she was irked to see a silver pickup truck taking up three parking
spots. She took action, blocking it in by parking behind. The driver,
6 • Our Coast Weddings 2022
Phil Deras, soon appeared asking her to let him out of the space. That
day, neither Phil or Destiny realized they had each just met their
future spouse. But soon, interest bloomed.
After a year of dating, they began to discuss marriage, but it
would take more than five more years (and four rings) before a formal
engagement in January 2021. “He and I are big fans of rockhounding…
and both love sunstones,” Destiny said, “and so it was important to
him to have this sunstone component in my ring.”
Phil enlisted Astoria jeweler Holly McHone to create a custom
ring with Oregon sunstone and diamonds before proposing to
Destiny at Painted Rock Beach.
T hat day, neither
Phil or Destiny
realized they had
each just met t heir
future spouse.
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