REAL-WEDDINGS

Real Columbus Wedding: Claire and Luke Peterson

After a surprise proposal in South Carolina, the couple wed in a meaningful and heartfelt celebration of love.

Columbus Monthly

Claire and Luke Peterson were married outdoors at Darby House.

Who: Claire and Luke Peterson

When: August 6, 2022

The story: Utilizing a terra cotta, sage, white and beige color palette, Claire & Luke’s wedding was a mix between bohemian and elegant-classic. They danced their first dance as a married couple to Dan & Shay’s “From The Ground Up,” a song the two came across while dating in college. “When I heard the lyrics, all I could think about was my future with Luke and building our life, and one day, our family together,” Claire said. “I showed Luke the song and it just kind of stuck throughout our whole relationship. We both knew this would be our first dance song.”

Luke danced his mother/son dance to “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts because the lyrics have “so much meaning.” Claire mentioned Luke’s mother had thought about how excited she was for Luke to be married and “to live a happy life” while dancing with her son to this song. “This song is a great reminder that no matter what happens in life, Luke is incredibly loved by her and so many,” Claire added.

The proposal: Luke proposed to Claire by surprising her on the beach during her family vacation in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. “Luke had made up a good excuse as to why he couldn’t make the trip and even made his location on the Find My Friends app state that he was at home in Columbus. Therefore, I was in utter shock to see him standing on the rainy boardwalk holding a bouquet of roses once I returned home from dinner that evening,” Claire said. “In the middle of a tropical storm that only let up as he was proposing, I said ‘yes!’ It was the most special day and greatest surprise of my life.”

Sweet moment: Instead of doing a “First Look,” the couple wrote letters to one another with gifts to be opened before the ceremony, a moment that was photographed as the letters were read by Claire and Luke privately.