Yes, this is a destination wedding in Costa Rica, but no, you will not see even a single flip flop. It’s classically chic all the way, with the groom’s signature plaid woven throughout the day, planned & perfected by Weddings Costa Rica. And we could not love the whole she-bang (or the ridiculously adorable couple) more if we tried. Seriously. We’ve been sitting in the gallery from A Brit & A Blonde all day trying to love every perfect detail even more – and it’s not possible!
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From the Groom … Teresa and I met in Dallas, TX on Match.com. Our first date was at Best Cellars, a wine bar. Cue butterflies, an awkward second date and thankfully an amazing third date. I’m kinda clutch like that. After we were officially GF and BF, we ended up moving to Austin, then Detroit and then back to Dallas over the course of three years. But by that time we got back to Dallas, the wine bar had closed and reopened as a bridal boutique. I took this as a pretty good sign that this was where I was supposed to propose to Teresa.
So on March 12th, 2011, after getting the manager at the boutique involved, I put my plan into action. I had the manager call Teresa and tell her that they had apprehended a customer trying to use her credit card number to purchase a wedding dress. They told her that she needed to get to the store immediately because the police were on their way and they needed her there to press charges. Teresa immediately rushed over straight from work.
But instead of finding a bumbling thief, all Teresa found was me with my guitar, an engagement ring, and a bottle of champagne. I serenaded Teresa with Frank Sinatra’s I Get A Kick Out of You, and as we wiped the tears away, I proposed.
From the bride … I had a friend who got married at Zephyr Palace a few years before we got engaged. After Robbie popped the question, we started talking about destination weddings. I remembered seeing her pictures on Facebook and I knew right away that this was where I wanted to get married. The venue by itself is just so grand and picturesque! The craziest part is we did the entire wedding sight unseen. Our wedding week was our first time to Costa Rica! Robbie was upset he didn’t get to do any tastings. He brings that up a lot.
I wanted an elegant wedding. Even though it was a destination wedding I didn’t feel like that meant it had to be on the beach! This girl wasn’t going to be seen wearing flip-flops on her wedding day. In fact, my color palate centered around my shoes. I knew that I wanted white orchids and lots of greenery to reflect the natural beauty of Costa Rica, but I needed to add a splash of color. So I went shoe shopping. I found the perfect pair (well 2 pairs) of magenta shoes from Stuart Weitzman. I bought the shoes before I bought the dress. You might say the shoes were the inspiration for the wedding style.
Groom … I wear plaid everyday. Seriously. Ask around.
To say we had a few rough months before the wedding would be an understatement. Teresa’s Mom had just been diagnosed with stage 3 bone marrow cancer in December (she’s now in remission!). And just two months later, I lost my job. So we had been through the ringer before we even stepped foot in Costa Rica.
On top of all of that, those few months before the wedding, I was missing my Dad more than I ever thought possible. He passed away suddenly in 1996 and since then, I’ve always thought about what it would be like to not have him there. It was heartbreaking. So we included a dedication to him in our program and had two great photos of him on our escort card table. They were small touches, but they meant the world to me.
We also incorporated three Filipino wedding traditions into our ceremony. We exchanged a set of coins called the Arrhae. They’re basically considered a modern day version of a dowry. We also had a Cord and Veil ceremony. Both of which symbolize our commitment and unity as a couple.
Bride … One of my most vivid memories is when our photographers stole us away from our guests while the reception was in full swing so that they could get some nighttime pictures of us in front of the wooden door at Zephyr Palace. During the brief moment that we shared a kiss under the doorway, the whole world disappeared. I felt like we were the only people in existence. I have a lot of favorite photographs from the wedding, but that one’s the most memorable.
Photographer: A Brit and a Blonde / Location: Zephyr Palace / Coordinator: Larissa Banting of Weddings Costa Rica / Rentals: Eventos Boadicea / Flowers: Stylos y Flores / DJ: DJ Sky / Hair + Makeup: Xinia Chacon / String Trio: Alejandro Navarro / Lighting: Eventos Chano / Cake: Mariposa Pastry