Gianna and Joseph’s wedding had to be at the beach. But which one?
The Staten Island couple in their late twenties wanted a Jersey Shore wedding. After all, the beach was woven into the fabric of their relationship from the start. Their first date was at the boardwalk in Point Pleasant, NJ, where they began to bond over their mutual pursuit of medical careers. Joe eventually became a physical therapist. Gianna is an ultrasound technician.
Joe popped the question almost five years later while they were ankle deep in sugar- white sand in Sarasota, Fla. “We both love beaches,” he said. “We can sit on the beach all day every day from the months of June through August.”
Joe’s mother had vacationed in Cape May each year for the previous decade, so they checked it on her advice. The young New Yorkers immediately felt a connection with America’s Oldest Seaside Resort.
“It’s such a quaint beach town,” Joe said. “We just fell in love with everything: the shops, the restaurants, the atmosphere. It really fit the vibe we were looking for.”
Joe’s mom also recommended the romantic Peter Shields Inn, a 1907 Georgian Revival mansion located on Beach Avenue directly across from the ocean. PSI offers nine well- appointed guest rooms, an award-winning restaurant and – new in 2025 — a full bar. Gianna said the couple’s first visit to PSI was a revelation.
“Once we walked into Peter Shields, I knew it was where our wedding would be,” she said. “It has a very cozy yet classy space, and it’s right across the street from the beach.”
Gianna said they leaned heavily on experienced Peter Shields Inn wedding coordinator Amy Gotthardt. Amy was present on their wedding day to ensure the 40-person event ran smoothly. “She directed us throughout the wedding and everything was perfect,” Gianna said.
Gianna organized other Cape May County vendors remotely via the internet. She vetted most through social media posts and comments. If a vendor did not respond to an email within a week, she moved on. “I couldn’t go weeks without questions being answered,” Gianna said. “We ended up having a great team.”
June 1, 2024, was a sunny, 70-degree day. Gianna and Joe exchanged vows on the front steps of the Peter Shields Inn, framed by its gleaming white columns and pristine landscape. After the ceremony they raced across the street for pictures on the beach with the endless ocean as their backdrop.
Meanwhile, it was cocktail hour inside and outside on the patio, where several guests gathered for drinks around the fire pit. Some of the gentlemen enjoyed cigars on the inn’s front steps. Then came dinner, which left all rhapsodizing.
“Everyone loved the food. They were raving about it,” Gianna said. “You’re getting restaurant-quality food with Peter Shields. They gave us a ton of choices and they were all great choices.”
The happy couple stayed at the Peter Shields Inn for three nights following their wedding, which only reinforced their satisfaction with the service. “The bartenders, waiters, the hostesses – every one of them was just super accommodating and helpful,” Joe said. “I can’t give the service enough stars.”
Gianna echoed the sentiment: “I tell people if you’re going to do a small wedding, definitely look at Cape May. And if you’re going to be looking at Cape May, definitely look at Peter Shields. We love that place.”
The couple was able to buy a home right away, partly because they delayed their honeymoon. For their one-year anniversay, they will honeymoon on the West Indies island of Grenada. Why Grenada?
“It has a great beach, of course,” Gianna said.
