Angela + Phil’s Wedding at The Celeste Hotel

By jeanninemarie

Why did you choose The Celeste Hotel as your venue?

Angela and Phil wanted their wedding to be held in a unique space that would be special to them and one which could house the ceremony, dinner, reception, and rooms for the guests. The Celeste was the perfect fit. As a boutique hotel, it stood out from other wedding venues. It has spiritual roots, which are important to them both. It has a vintage feel which ties into the Art Deco/Gatsby vibe they were trying to create. The intimacy, class, and beauty felt perfect for their event.

When and how did you two first meet?

Angela and Phil met in 2010. After being a stay home mom for the previous nine years of her life, Angela decided to get back into the workforce. Phil had recently been promoted to a leadership position in his company and needed to hire his replacement. As co-workers, they developed mutual respect through shared experiences of teaching young people, creative thinking, and teamwork. This admiration developed into friendship. Unbeknownst to Angela, friendship was becoming an attraction for Phil.

When and how did you get engaged?

After five months of lockdown in 2020, Phil and Angela were itching to take a trip somewhere. There were not many options, but Angela had learned that Mason City, Iowa had some interesting things to see, so they planned a weekend getaway at the end of July 2020. The entire town has become an art gallery of sculptures sponsored by various businesses. Phil created an art gallery of his own in the hotel, making 16 posters of places they had traveled to that depicted their love story. After dinner, they explored the hotel and casually came across the room. Angela was confused at first when she saw pictures of them in the room. Once they went inside, soft music was playing, and they reviewed their story together. At what seemed like the right moment, Phil got down on one knee and presented the ring, and she said Yes.