Brooke + Gericke

This picture perfect couple lives in Arizona. They have a pretty funny meeting story. Brooke was serving at a restaurant when she first met Gericke. He was a regular and would come in with his coworkers after they got off a long shift at work. Brooke immediately had a crush on him the first time she saw him. She said they would chat when he would come in about little things here and there but she wasn't shy to admit she would chase him a bit. He played a bit shy, pretending he wasn't interested at first. A few months passed and one day, Brooke asked to be cut early on a Sunday. She begged her boss to let her leave so she could to try and make it to a pool party. He reluctantly agreed but on the way out the door she saw that Gericke was there. She decided to skip the sun and sat at the bar with Gericke instead of going to the party. To say the least, her boss was unamused. It started to rain so Gericke invited her to go watch a movie at his house, from there they spent every day together.. especially since her boss fired her the next day. But, hey.. it was worth it! After just 2 weeks of hanging out, they booked a trip together and then have never stopped exploring since. Brooke said "We both knew we had something special from the start!"

details at the westin resort

They spent the next half a decade playing in the outdoors, taking their two poodles camping and hiking, and stargazing every night. They both embrace their artsy sides too since Gericke paints and Brooke sings and write songs. They spent nights in cooking and watching good movies. On their 5 year anniversary weekend, Brooke woke up on a Friday morning and started to get ready for work. Brooke heard a sound on someone coming into the house.. which was odd because Gericke leaves for work before she wakes up.. a bit startled she lit up when she saw her sweet man enter the room with coffee. He said he had requested the day off for their anniversary and that they were heading up to Sedona for a weekend getaway! What a dream!

first look in the zen garden westin

The next morning they went for a hike and then headed to the spa for a massage. She mentioned that she thought it was weird that they weren't getting massages in the same room but it turned out, Gericke just needed time to set up an UNREAL proposal! He set up a beautiful picnic in the stream with lanterns, a violinist, and roses. He went above and beyond and even had it filmed! It was an adorable chapter in their growing love story. • See the full engagement blog here!

chic white and red tablescape minimal

When they started planning their destination wedding they originally looked into Tulum. After doing a bit more research Brooke came across our instagram and decided to look into another tropical paradise. Neither of them had ever been to Costa Rica, but the photos really sold it!

ceremony at the resort garden

For their wedding day they envisioned something minimalist, romantic, timeless, intimate, ethereal, and enveloped in love. Brooke said "I love a romantic feel, so I'd like to see that translated with lights, candles and warm tones. I love the use of textiles and textures in design but in a way that also feels clean and chic. It's also important to me that our guests are comfortable, so really great lounge areas and a nice flow throughout the wedding is important." We knew we wanted to bring something special to life for this couple.

wedding vows at the westin

They decided on a spiritual ceremony, nothing too overpowering as far as design. We wanted to utilize the natural beauty of the area. For dinner, both of the couple was vegan so they had mostly vegan food with some great seafood options. For the reception, we really transformed the space into a jungle disco with great music.

shell beach wedding shoot

We have a tradition of asking our couples what they love most about each other and this duo had some sweet responses. Brooke said "I'm looking forward to being able to call Gericke my husband! I love the idea of being married to my best friend and getting to count the many years together. What I love most about Gericke is that he's an amazing person. I feel so lucky to have found him, he is the best man I've ever met! He's super sweet, caring and generous and always puts others before himself but he also has a fiery side. He respects me and always wants to know what's going on in my head, which is a bit out of my comfort zone because I tend to bottle things up. I trust him with my life and love that he always makes me feel confident and secure in our relationship since day one. He's very goofy and is always singing or doing something weird. I love that he's an artist and was one of the things that first drew me to him. I'm pretty sure my entire family loves Gericke more than they love me!"

beautiful first dance in salsa dress

Gericke responded "What I love most about Brooke is that she is very understanding and can always find the silver lining in any situation. She always sees the good in everyone and can brighten up even the worst days. Loving her is easy." How sweet is that!

live music and dancer at your destination wedding

Features + Blogs From This Wedding

Llanos del Cortes Engagement Shoot

Llanos del Cortes Engagement Shoot

By Kerry Charlotte | December 22, 2021

Brooke was serving at a restaurant when she first met Gericke. He was a regular and would come in with his coworkers after they clocked off a long shift at work. Brooke immediately had a crush on him the first time she saw him. She said they would chat when he would come in about … Read more