Jessica Allen & Ryan Dachowski
Our Story
Ryan and Jessica met at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa while still students. One day at the college's gym as Ryan was exiting and Jessica was entering, their eyes met and they introduced themselves. Jessica remembers thinking, "That guy has a very genuine smile." They exchanged brief greetings "Hi, how are ya?" in the hallways a few times after that, then Jessica graduated to start practice in Anchorage and Ryan graduated three months later to start practice in Milwaukee.
About 18 months later, Jessica was on her MySpace account looking at her friend Shelly's page when she saw that Ryan was a "friend" of Shelly's. She decided to send him a message “Hey, remember me?" and soon they became "friends", too. Countless hours of long-distance texting, emailing, and phone calling later, Jessica told Ryan that she would be coming back to Iowa to continue her education in the International Chiropractors Association Pediatric Diplomate and if he wanted to come down to say hi, he could.
Needless to say, Ryan and Jessica were both "quietly excited" about the fact that they would be spending a little time together. Ryan played it "cool" by saying he "might" be able to make it, and that he wouldn't promise anything because he didn't break promises. Soon enough, however, Jessica was finished with her class and Ryan pulled up ready to take her to dinner at Davenport's Granite City. (He had driven three hours one way and then had to drive three hours back just for that first date!)
At the restaurant they had a dinner of bruschetta (Jessica) and buffalo chicken salad (Ryan) and shared a great conversation that took them to Credit Island Park where they listened to “I Think We’re Alone Now” and other 80’s hits, laughed about them, walked, adjusted each other on stadium benches, talked, laughed some more, climbed a tank, skipped rocks, and finally laid on their backs on the grass to be astounded by two shooting stars cross one another. At the end of the night, they hugged each other. Ryan will never forget Jessica's face: "That's IT?!"
Well, that was it-for that evening. No holding hands, no goodnight kiss…Jessica wasn’t even sure that Ryan liked her! (Was it her bruschetta breath?) But since that fateful evening, many dates, laughs, cries, and hugs (kisses too!) have caused Jessica and Ryan to fall deeper and deeper into love. Ryan re-created that first night at Credit Island on the way moving up to Alaska; he crouched down behind Jessica while watching the birds fly over a slew of the Mississippi River at Credit Island and asked her to be his wife. "Why don't we make this last forever?” he asked as his foot stumbled over a rock over, nearly dropping the box with the ring in it. (Silly Polish Doopa!)
Jessica, shocked and happy, laughed, "Yes!" and when the self-portraits were taken of their happy moment, she admitted with a grin, "I saw the ring box in the jockey box ( glove compartment) when I opened it to look inside and you it shut on me! I knew you were trying to hide something!" He said, "Yeah, I knew you saw it!" Those and many other funny moments are what make up the memories that Ryan and Jessica cherish every day.
Our Wedding
On March 12, 2010, at 5:00 PM, the wedding ceremony will take place in the Sunset Amphitheatre at the Villa Caletas Hotel. Butterflies will be released by the guests to take their blessings for the newlyweds into Heaven. At sunset, the ceremony will conclude, and guests will be seated for dinner at the open-air Sunset Restaurant for toasting and celebrating. After dinner, private transportation will take the party down to the beach, where the cake cutting, bouquet and garter belt toss and dancing by a blazing beach bonfire will ensue through the end of the night.
Travel Arrangements
AIR TRAVEL:
Airfare to San Jose International Airport can be purchased through Jules Cherrington, the couple's travel coordinator (information below). Guests will fly into San Jose International Airport (SJO).
At the moment (January 10), March airfare to Costa Rica from various airports is around the following:
Anchorage (ANC) to San Jose (SJO): $924+
Boise (BOI) to San Jose (SJO): $575+
Milwaukee (MKE) to San Jose (SJO): $415+
Guests leaving from these as well as other cities such as can be individually quoted through Jules.
LAND ACCOMODATIONS:
Guests have the choice to stay in the same 5-star resort, Villa Caletas, as Jessica and Ryan, who will be staying at the resort the nights of March 10-March 13th. Because we have booked as a group, we are able to get discounted rates.
If you choose to extend your vacation, Jules can help you with this, whether on or off the resort. Maps of the Jaco area are here: http://www.costaricamap-online.com/php/map17/map1701.php
Group quote for Villa Caletas:
These prices are per person for four days and three nights (March 11, 12 and 13), including transportation to and from San Jose Airport, hotel taxes and daily breakfast. Lunch, dinner, drinks and activities additional. Please see the Villa Caletas website for descriptions and pictures of room types. These rates are based on availability and these rooms will fill up quickly, so if you cannot get your choice of room please know there are other options in neighboring resorts (see below).
Standard Deluxe: $513 pp, 3 nights
Villa: $569 (double occupancy) to $488 (triple occupancy) pp, 3 nights
Junior Suite: $702 (double occ.) to $575 (Triple occ.) pp, 3 nights
Junior Suite Superior: $750 (double occ.) to $606 (triple occ.) pp, 3 nights
Suite: $803 (double occ.) to $638 (triple occ.) pp, 3 nights
Suite Superior: $938 (double occ.) to $731 (triple occ.) pp, 3 nights
Master Suite: $1019 (double occ.) to $788 (triple occ.) pp, 3 nights
Here are some videos to show you around the Villa Caletas and Zephyr Palace property...enjoy!
http://www.hotelvillacaletas.com/tourvirtual/virtualTour.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuM9u1dTeqE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjVlRHyEtZw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fec_FN3-h8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJMt0NDNqp4&NR=1
ALTERNATE LAND (OFF-WEDDING-RESORT) ACCOMODATIONS
Jaco (pronounced "Yaco"), the closest town, is a quaint surfing town which offers a variety of accommodations that are family and budget friendly. If you choose to stay in one of these accommodations, a taxi drive to Villa Caletas is only 15 minutes and $20 away. Jules has recommended the following accommodations for wedding guests and is more than happy to book individuals and groups.
Club Del Mar Resort: www.clubdelmarcostarica.com
Marriott Los Suenos Resort and Condos: www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sjols-los-suenos-marriott-ocean-and-golf-resort/
There are many other hotels to choose from as well, so if you do your own research and find something that works for you, let Jules know and she'd be happy to help you with your reservations!
A Special Message From Us
We are so excited and honored to have you join us on our big day. Guaranteed, it will be a personally enriching, intimate, spiritual, loving and memorable experience. We are grateful to have each of you in our lives. Please know that each of you mean so very much to us! We can't wait to see you on the rainforest's edge, between earth, sky and water, culminating with a celebratory bonfire on the tropical beach!