Couple Tie the Knot Aboard Historic Schooner Zodiac with Pirate-Core After Party

Kelsey and Gawan met in their freshman dorm at Stanford University and dated for 10 years before getting engaged while backpacking through the Cascade Mountains. The plucky couple has hiked and climbed throughout the U.S. and weathered their share of storms together—the pandemic, graduate school, injuries, to name a few. So it was only fitting that their wedding was as adventurous as their love story. 

On a perfect summer day in Bellingham, Kelsey and Gawan, along with 40 of their nearest and dearest, boarded the Schooner Zodiac, a more than 100-year-old sailing ship (on which Kelsey’s dad once worked as a carpenter) for an epic celebration at sea, including a ceremony, four-course dinner and sea shanties aplenty. After exchanging vows at the ship’s helm and tying a literal knot, everyone on board gathered to help raise the sails, symbolizing the pair setting sail on their new life together. 

A large ringing bell signaled the start of the reception, where dinner and cocktail offerings reflected the bride’s Scandinavian roots and the groom’s Swiss and Italian heritage. As the sun set, a Jolly Roger skull-and-crossbones flag went up the mast, and the pirate-themed party commenced, complete with guests donning their finest swashbuckling duds and singing along to the songs of the high seas.