Central America Weddings

We’re true believers that honeymoons are an absolute necessity – whether that means taking a weekend excursion to your fave city or jetting off for a 14-day stay in paradise, that post-wedding relaxation basically needs to happen. But if you’ve found yourself at a loss on just where to celebrate, we’re making it easy. Check out seven of our favorite locales for the best kind of newlywed vacationing.

SHERATON MAUI RESORT & SPA

Why we love it: Other than the fact that it’s totally convenient (read: no passport or foreign currency required), the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is the perfect combo of laid-back, post-wedding relaxation and fun activities that will keep you and your love basking in the sun. Take a scuba lesson or two, attend the nightly cliff dive ceremonies at sunset or spend your days golfing the Ka’anapali’s Royal and Kai courses.

What you can’t miss: SPG Weddings’ Honeymoon Wishes. It’s a honeymoon registry service that allows your family and friends to gift amazing entertainment and activities for you and yours, like beachside luaus, snorkel cruises and sunset cocktails on a sailboat. You’ll love the awesome itinerary, and your guests will love knowing they contributed to all of the fun.

W PUNTA DE MITA  

Why we love it: Located right on the beach in Mexico’s IT city, W Punta de Mita will blow you away with their gorgeous decor that is one part modern chic and one part cultural artistry. Trust us: the design alone makes for one amazing stay with vibrant colors and unique decor dotting literally every inch of space. Oh, and the rooms? The views will have you never wanting to leave.

What you can’t miss: The world-famous restaurants. Think Southeast Asian cuisine at Spice Market, live cooking stations at Venazu, adult ice cream (!) at WET Deck’s poolside restaurant and signature ceviche at Chevicheria, a converted 1950’s Chevy truck. And if you want to keep thing ultra-private, make reservations at the exclusive MESA1 with your very own personal chef that will design a seven-course tasting menu just for you.

THE ST. REGIS BORA BORA RESORT

Why we love it: Honeymoons are for relaxing and escaping it all, and if you’re looking for the perfect spot to lay back on the beach and do just that, The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort is IT. This French Polynesian hot spot is all about soaking in the sun… AND partaking in some of the most unique activities on the planet. We’re all for renting an Aquabike Underwater Scooter, visiting a Pearl Farm or checking out the resort’s private Lagoonarium when you’re not lazying it up in paradise.

What you can’t miss: Their overwater villas. You can literally sleep, eat and relax in luxurious amenities perched right above the crystal clear waters of the lagoon. It’s awesome.

LE MERIDIEN TAMPA 

Why we love it: This boutique hotel used to be a federal courthouse, so you know the architecture is awesome. On top of that, the Le Meridien Tampa’s Unlock Art™ program gives guests FREE access to some of Tampa’s best galleries and museums by just showing your room card. Which means you can spend your day soaking in the creativity and culture, then head back to the hotel for an amazing meal at one of their yummy restaurants.

What you can’t miss: Their Bicycle Programme. With an entire city to explore (and a list of amazing museums to visit), you can rent a bike, helmet and lock for just $8/hour.

THE WESTIN NEW ORLEANS CANAL PLACE

Why we love it: The French Quarter is just steps away, but that isn’t the only reason we adore this gorgeous hotel in the heart of New Orleans. From the stunning architecture to the awesome Mississippi River locale to their Make a Green Choice program, you’ll love all of the fab amenities of The Westin New Orleans Canal Place, plus their proximity to Bourbon Street. Not to mention all of the amazing restaurants New Orleans has to offer… there’s a reason it was named the top food and wine destination in the United States.

What you can’t miss: If you love to get your fitness on, you honestly couldn’t pick a better location. With a  WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio located right on property and state-of-the-art equipment, you don’t have to miss your daily sessions. Plus, their RunWESTIN™ program allows you to soak in all of the sights New Orleans has to offer with custom running maps of the area, plus a towel and bottle of water for cool down.

SLS LAS VEGAS, A TRIBUTE PORTFOLIO RESORT 

Why we love it: Anyone who has ever been to Vegas knows that it’s a city that literally never stops, so the list of fun-filled activities? Basically endless. The SLS Las Vegas, A Tribute Porfolio Resort puts you smack-dab in the center of it all with an amazing locale on The Strip and access to all of the gourmet restaurants, theaters and sightseeing you’ll want to take it. Get ready to go, go, go, then head back to your seriously stylish room for some rest and relaxation.

What you can’t miss: The Foundry. Vegas’ most talked about venue, this unique space hosts some of the greatest entertainers in the world – from comedians to bands you can’t wait to see. Plan your honeymoon around their awesome lineup and you’ll be SO happy.

THE WESTIN GOLF RESORT & SPA, PLAYA CONCHAL

Why we love it: If your dream honeymoon description includes the words seclusion and tranquility, then The Westin Golf Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal is right up your alley. We never turn down a chance to spend a romantic evening seaside with a glass of bubbly in hand, and this resort takes it to an entirely new level with all-inclusive benefits.  Plus, with a plethora of water sports, the championship Robert Trent Jones Golf Course and the easy access to Costa Rican National Parks, you can mix in some much-needed adventure.

What you can’t miss: The Royal Beach Club. Newly renovated and for adults only, the Royal Beach Club is all about above and beyond service with everything from premium cocktails to exclusive breakfast + lunch service to access to a private pool and super luxe accommodations. You’ll even get preferential reservations to all of the resort’s fabulous restaurants, spa, tennis and golf.

Contact SPG Weddings (@SPGWeddings) to start planning your dream getaway with your loved one… and don’t forget to ask about how you can earn FREE honeymoon nights when you host your wedding at one of their fab locations.

Carolyn and Jack are two high school sweethearts that know how to throw a party. They took their love of travel and adventure and weaved it into a celebration that was all about having fun with their loved ones at Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica. Think scuba diving, zip lining and pool games, plus a ceremony that was all vibrant colors and beautiful blooms. See so much more from Madison Baltodano in THE VAULT.

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From the Bride…  A love for travel is one of the things that has always bound Jack and I together. As high school sweethearts, we would dream of the places we would go and the adventures we would share. From floating down the Mekong River in Vietnam to hiking to the top of Machu Picchu (where we got engaged), travel has been an important aspect of our lives together. When it came time to plan our wedding, we knew that a destination wedding was what we wanted. We considered many options before deciding on Costa Rica and the beautiful Dreams Las Mareas Resort. With family and friends traveling from Canada, the United States and England, it needed to be accessible but still a bit unique. Dreams Las Mareas provided a wonderful setting and plenty of opportunities for our guests to be as adventurous or as peaceful as they wanted in the days leading up to the wedding. Zip lining, scuba diving, pool games or just watching the local monkeys kept everyone entertained.

Our wedding planner, Daniel worked tirelessly to ensure that our wedding day was what we had envisioned. We didn’t meet in person until the week of the wedding but had been in contact through e-mail and by phone. The end result was everything we had hoped for and more! The day of the wedding was overcast and humid with a 90% chance of rain although the “official” rainy season was still many weeks away. Daniel’s calmness gave us the confidence that although we may need to make some adaptations, our day was still going to be wonderful. We were able to have the ceremony on the beach as planned but decided to move the reception to another location. None of the usual in-door venues felt quite right but Daniel and his team agreed to something they had never tried before: the reception would be set up in a long, covered passageway. When we arrived after the ceremony we were astonished with what Daniel and his team had created in a few short hours. Lights and flowers had transformed the space into something magical.

We ended the evening with a bonfire party on the beach. Only then did the rain finally arrive providing a cool and dramatic ending to a wonderful day.

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography | Coordination: Daniel Meza | Floral Design: Dream Las Mareas, Costa Rica | Wedding Dress: "Lya Tulle Skirt" And "Esra Silk Cami" By Alexandra Grecco | Wedding Dress: Kathryn Bass Bridal | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Nordstrom | Catering: Dream Las Mareas, Costa Rica | Groom's Attire: Peter Parvez | Venue: Dream Las Mareas, Costa Rica | Bridal Accesories: Pearl & Dot | Wedding Ring: Tiffany & Co. | Wedding Signage: Artisan Decor YYC

If you’re in the market for an amazing wedding location, allow me to introduce you to the island of Roatan, Honduras. It’s the setting of this vibrant tropical celebration featuring white sand beaches, crystal blue waves, and a couple who couldn’t be more in love if they tried. D’Arcy Benincosa came along to capture their special day and the gallery is chock-full of ideas every beach bride needs to see.

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From D’Arcy Benincosa… Welcome to this beautiful seaside wedding off the unparalleled island of Roatan, Honduras! Unlike other islands in the surrounding area, Roatan is quite intimate and free of tourists. This beautiful wedding featured a family from Honduras (though the bride now lives in Portland, Oregon) who put everything into a truck, drove it to the ferry and crossed the water to create the dream wedding for their only daughter and new son in law. With vibrant colors to play off the calm of the blue water and white sand beaches, this wedding was a celebration from start to finish!

Photography: Darcy Benincosa Photography | Event Planning: Anamarias Eventos | Floral Design: Ramon Agurcia | Wedding Dress: The Dress Theory | Cake: Maye Callejas | Invitations: Designed by the Bride | Wedding Venue: Las Verandas | Photography Assistance: Ashlee Brooke Photography

I can’t imagine it would take much to get someone to book a trip to Costa Rica. The gorgeous locale is reason enough. But when you add in a workshop at Harmony Hotel filled with everything from morning beach yoga to tropical floral arranging, surfing and dinners under the stars, it sure ups the ante. Have a look at the inaugural Pura Vida Peartree workshop masterminded by Liza of Peartree Flowers. It’s a beautiful mix of creativity and adventures in the sun all captured by Heather Waraksa.

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More about Pura Vida Peartree from Liza… The workshop is a week long exploration of movement and creativity spanning a wide range of pursuits from raw desert making (with Emily Aumiller of Lael Cakes), surfing lessons, floral arranging workshops (with Liza + Sarah Blasi from Selva Floral), jungle foraging, vinyasa yoga, and book making + botanical illustrations in the magical surroundings of Nosara, Costa Rica.

I’ve admired the Harmony Hotel’s commitment to sustainability and tranquility, and their love affair Nosara since I started coming to this sleepy surf town in 2011. One of the things I love so much about Nosara is the way this town provides for the people in it – how the heat forces a balance between work and relaxation; how the sweet smells add calm to a surfing lesson. A couple years ago, I was brainstorming retreat ideas at the Harmony Juice Bar and realized that despite the plethora of retreats in and around Nosara, none offered the right creative component. I was curious how different crafts and disciplines could play off each other in a workshop environment: would a yoga class in the morning influence flower arranging in the afternoon? When the Harmony Hotel stepped in to host Peartree’s inaugural workshop, it all came together. Last November, the second Puravida Peartree workshop took place, combining movement + creativity, ocean marveling, and human connection. We turned the yoga/surf retreat paradigm on its side, injecting flower arranging classes, botanical illustrations, book making and raw dessert classes into the week’s curriculum alongside jungle vinyasa and surfing, of course.

Our students were able to experiment with locally-sourced Costa Rican product including mokara orchids, anthiriums and local fruits like passion fruit and papaya to create tropical pieces with a loose, whimsical flair. We had fun styling each student’s arrangement, collaborating and taking photos so that each student could go home with a portfolio of his or her own work. Our week culminated with a beautiful styled Tico dinner at the Harmony’s Restaurant that brought together the creative courses of the entire week. We divided the group into teams to work on portions of the evening’s decor. Some people worked on decorating cakes (lead by Lael Cakes owner Emily Aumiller). Others began work on the table’s flowers and overhead tropical floral installation.

We rotated throughout the day so everyone could touch all parts of the design that interested them. Teachers stepped out of their disciplines to work in new spaces. My favorite part of the evening was when everyone interacted with the decor. It eliminated the museum-like quality some styled events portray and instead got to the core of the workshop’s motivation. Nosara holds a balance of personal and community space unlike any I’ve ever encountered. The people that connect with Nosara forge that connection from different beginnings, and with different ends in mind. When they do fall in love with being there, as I have, there’s a unifying sense of place, of collaboration and kindness, where each person’s passion can support and elevate another’s. The students at last year’s Pura Vida Peartree were each creating for their own sakes, for their own enrichment and enjoyment. But the collaborations are what elevated each of us, myself included, and the results were beyond my expectations.

Photography: Heather Waraksa | Floral Design: Peartree Flowers | Floral Design: Selva Floral Design | Accommodations: The Harmony Hotel | Botanical Illustration Instuction: Scott Whipkey | Cakes and Desserts: Lael Cakes | Photo Lab: Richard Photo Lab | Surf Instructor: ANDREW DELGADO from Agua Tibia Surf School | Workshop: Puravida Peartree | Yoga: Emily Shapiro

Simple yet chic. Elegant yet casual. Tropical with a splash of topnotch style. This destination wedding is all this and more, taking any preconceived notion of a “beachside wedding” and turning it on its head. And we’re 110% on board. Merari Photography captured every look and every love-filled moment, making our Vault the place to be today – enjoy!

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From the Bride… Arturo and I met at our apartment building in downtown Los Angeles. He lived on the 14th floor and I lived on the 9th. The first time we met was at our building’s clubhouse where we instantly sparked up a conversation. We became friends immediately after and would hang out with other neighbors. At the time we were both dating someone else. I later moved out of the building but kept in touch with him as friends. Three years later we reconnected and started dating. After a few years of happily dating, Arturo surprised me with a helicopter ride to Catalina Island, where he proposed.

We decided to exchange vows in Nicaragua, where the majority of my family lives. I always knew I wanted to get married somewhere exotic and tropical and Nicaragua, where I was born, fit the bill. I wanted to incorporate the beautiful natural surroundings. Everything from the invitations to the reception room kept the modernly chic aesthetic that encompassed the tropical feel of the locale.

Photography: Merari Photography | Videography: Artisan Production | Wedding Dress: Essense of Australia | Invitations: Minted | Wedding Venue: rancho santana

You’ve found that dress of your dreams and now it’s time to focus on putting the entire look together with hair and makeup.  Need help? Well, we’ve got you covered, because today we’re joining forces with Jennie Kay for a quick run-down on all things beauty with tips + tricks on achieving that glam wedding day look, no matter the gown or style you’re dreaming of. Let’s get started.

LOOK 1: CASUAL GLAMOUR

Your style? Laid-back with a big ol’ side of sophistication. Which means rocking a stunning gown that shows some skin and hair + make-up that is just as sleek and glamorous. Jennie Kay suggests pairing your dream dress with a rope braid pony or soft low bun that is dressy enough for a wedding, but is also completely effortless.

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LOOK 2: VINTAGE ELEGANCE

You’re a vintage-inspired lady looking to rock that elegant lace number, but still maintain a modern, yet sexy edge. Jennie Kay’s tip? A bright red lip for that much-needed side of sophistication and a stunning updo that frames one side of the face, plus sweeps across the back in a beautiful style that is reminiscent of the past.

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“Look at the way you wore your hair at your initial dress fitting. It usually mimics your initial idea on how your hair should be.” – Jennie Kay Beauty

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LOOK 3: BOHO BEAUTY

Crave a look that is soft, romantic and free, just like you and your wedding? Then this fab boho look from Jennie Kay Beauty is sooo for you. Simply keep your hair natural in wave and texture and add three gorgeous braids for a little pop of WOW.  Want to add a little glamour to the look? Really make those eyes stand out with just the right shade of shadow and mascara.

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LOOK 4: SWEETLY CLASSIC

For those of you who want to keep it sweet + classic on the Big Day, Jennie Kay suggests a low twisted ponytail that is equal parts show-stopping and wholesome. Pair it with subtle makeup (like a light pink lip) and a gown that has just a pop of sass and the results are absolutely timeless.

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LOOK 5: TOUSLED SOPHISTICATION

Waves are a girl’s best friend and when it comes to a wedding day look that is equal parts laid-back and sophisticated, Jennie Kay keeps those tousled waves down with just a few sweet strands pulled back for a look that is all sorts of romantic. Add some soft pink lips and some barely-there makeup to complete the look.

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Contact Jennie Kay Beauty to create a seamless, stunning look from head to toe… you won’t regret it.

Here’s a girl after my own heart. Her two wedding day essentials? Donuts and ghost chairs. From the sweet treats to the chic decor (thanks to the guidance of The Eventeur), this destination celebration was a hit – and a family-filled affair to boot. With the couple’s two sons in attendance – and dressed oh so dapper – smiles never faded and 5ive15ifteen captured it all. Head to our Vault for more!

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From the Bride… Our relationship started with us being in different places in our lives. It was a test of genuine love, patience and determination that lead us to our fairytale. We had two very special guests at our wedding, our sons, and we were thrilled they were there to witness our vows. When we decided to get married, a destination wedding was a must for us but we weren’t quite sure of the destination itself. We wanted a location that was convenient for our Canadian guests to travel to but also offered a unique experience for them. Costa Rica was the perfect choice with its stunning landscapes and wide scope of adventurous activities offered. The beautiful scenery and sounds of the ocean along with the presence of 61 of our closest family and friends made it the wedding of our dreams and none of it would have been possible without The Eventeur’s help, vision and guidance.

The two elements I knew I wanted as soon as we started planning was the donuts and ghost chairs. Beyond that, I wanted the reception to feel fancy but not stuffy and still stay true to its surroundings. For Srdan, musts were good food and good music. Local Costa Rican fare, served family style were a huge hit and a conversation starter for our guests. Our family and friends had the time of their life and we were glad we asked them to take on this adventure with us.

Photography: Style Me Pretty | Event Planning + Design: The Eventeur | Floral Design: Artflower | Wedding Dress: Mori Lee | Invitations: Minted | Bridesmaids' Dresses: ASOS | Catering: Pacifico Costa Rica | DJ: Show Dreams | DJ: Baby Yu | Venue: Pacifico Costa Rica | Rentals: Costa Mesa

Hello brides-to-be, Olivia from LivvyLand here and I’m sharing some fun news…I went to Costa Rica for my destination bachelorette trip! For our tropical beach getaway to celebrate I crafted my ‘maids a fun gift to welcome them to paradise and as soon as we touched down in Costa Rica my fabulous crew went from bridesmaids’ to mermaids for an entire week of beach festivities!

If you saw how I asked my bridal party to be a part of my big day, it’s no secret that I thoroughly enjoy coming up with themed gift sets and making them come to life! Between being a Pinterest fanatic and my career as a fashion blogger, let’s just say creating these precious little sets is a ‘happy place’ of mine – not to mention getting to see the look on everyone’s faces when they open them up is truly the absolute best! I thought up a batch of items that would coincide perfectly with the ‘mermaid’ theme of the shindig and be useful throughout the trip. Here’s what I included in my mermaid gift sets:

Ramblers | Since we’ll be roaming from the pool to the beach, I opted for cups that can keep drinks extra cold throughout the day. I worked with Rambler On to customize YETI Lo Ball cups for my bridal party – each one says “Let’s Be Mermaids” on one side and then has their monogram on the back. I think we’re all set for a “cheers” photo opp!

Nail Kit | When doing some extensive mermaid research, I spotted this idea on Pinterest and knew I had to add it to my gift set! I got super lucky and found the glittery scale nail files at CVS (honestly, I’m not sure the cashier has ever seen someone so excited about nail files, ha!) and then scooped up the polish colors by Essie. My color scheme was coral and a mix of light blues and mint greens, so I grabbed polish colors within that spectrum. Finally, I tied each one with a dash of twine and voila, cutest little nail polish sets!

Bracelets | A beach getaway just calls for beaded bracelets with bursts of color, and when I saw these pretties by Gold & Gray I was completely hooked! I got one per gal, but if you’re feeling ultra festive you could pass out a few per person so they can stack them up!

Matching Tees |  I love the idea of a matching bachelorette bridal party, and after scouring the internet for the perfect tee fit for a flock of fabulous mermaids, I decided this adorable coral Wildfox number was the one! For starers, it’s the color of Ariel’s hair (Little Mermaid reference), and two, I love the word ‘Mermaid’ written across the front – it’s got that effortless, playful look that I was hoping to find. Not to mention, everyone can use a breezy tee to throw on over a swimsuit after a day at the beach!

Shell Hair Pins | Such a fun and easy DIY activity! All you need is a hot glue gun, a pack of bobby pins, some small shells and pretty paper. I ventured to Michael’s for all of the items – they have a ton of itty bitty shell options in different colors to choose from.

Mermaid Inspired Cards |  A gift set is never complete without a super adorable card that just sums it all up! My sister is an artist and runs the Etsy store Kimberlee Artworks, so I knew she could make my vision come to life. She hand painted these watercolor prints with pastel scales in the background and handwritten text – beyond precious and so perfect to top off this mermaid gift package!

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For all you beach bachelorette babes, I hope this gave you some fun planning inspiration! This is the time to treat your fellow mermaids like queens, so have an absolute blast with it! xx

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Follow Olivia’s Journey down the aisle!

Bridesmaids’ Gifts | Save the Date | Reception Dress

Photography: Olivia Watson | "Let's Be Mermaids" Cards: Amazon | Beaded Tassel Bracelets: Gold & Gray | Blogger Bride: Olivia Watson | Mermaid Bikini Swimsuit: Amazon | Mermaid Tee Shirts: Amazon | Monogrammed cups: Rambler On | Nail Polish: Amazon | Starfish Veil : Amazon

Perennial Weddings‘ design for this beautiful destination wedding focused on highlighting Costa Rica’s natural beauty. For the ceremony, that meant putting large garland on the Matopalo tree. For the reception, that meant natural wood tables with minimalist florals in shades of ivory, peach and green. See how it all came together, courtesy of Sylvia Guardia, in The Vault!

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From Perennial Weddings…Under the shade of a huge Matapalo tree, 46 friends and family members gathered for the wedding of Devon and Alex. Not rain, snow or flight delays could keep this group away from this destination wedding. Married on March 19, 2016 at Pangas Beach Club in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. They wanted to keep it sweet and simple; from design, to dinner, to the flow of the day (and week).

The design elements were simple and focused on the Matopalo tree and the large Guanacaste wood tables at the beach club. Devon wanted “rustic elegance” to run throughout the design. To keep it light we used soft colors, with lots of foliage, and hints of gold. Because we wanted the tree to be a focal point, we hung a large garland on the tree and used this as their backdrop for the ceremony. For the reception we wanted the natural wood tables to stand out, so the design we came up with was lace runners, gradients of white, green foliage in varying shades and gold mini pineapples. The “vases” were little ice cream dishes, which I spray painted white. Devon even mentioned one of her favorite moments to be “…after we sat down for down dinner. The sun had just set. I looked around at the beautiful perfectly set tables, all lit up by dozens of little votives, highlighting the smiling faces of our loved ones. It was a perfect vision that I will cherish forever.”

My favorite detail of the entire design were the place settings…how perfectly imperfect (or “rustically elegant”) they were. A grey napkin wrapped in twine, a leaf with guests’ names written in gold, and a piece of foliage or a flower tucked in. I think this summed up the wedding and the couple. In the couples quirks and silliness, they were lovely alone, but perfect together.

Photography: Sylvia Guardia | Floral Design: Colette's Flowers | Wedding Dress: Watters Fabienne | Hair + Makeup: Diego Alfaro | DJ: Music 4 You Events | Band: Fabio Avelino dos Santos | Venue: Pangas | Event Styling, Coordination + Design: Perennial Weddings | Rentals: Eventos Artesanos

We share a lot of pretty weddings every day here at Style Me Pretty (I mean, have you seen our Pinterest?), but there’s something about this destination wedding in Honduras that really shines, and it’s not the Bride’s sparkly shoes. It’s the lush landscape, the sweet couple, the precious youngest members of the bridal party and the fact that family and friends pitched in to make it all possible. Thanks to Lauren Fair Photography and The Orchid, we can appreciate it all in The Vault!

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From Lauren Fair Photography…In December, we had the privilege of traveling to Tela, Honduras for Maria + AJ’s epic destination wedding. Their family and friends gathered from every corner of the globe to come celebrate their love at the beautiful Indura Resort for a weekend of festivities! Maria + AJ are some of the most intelligent, kind-hearted and genuine people we have gotten to know – Maria is a doctor and AJ soon will be also, and their personalities perfectly fit that role as they took such amazing care of all of their guests! They surprised everyone with so many personal touches incorporating all of their loves – from a multi-course delicious meal (to share their love of good food), a surprise Italian opera singer (as a nod to Maria’s Italian grandfather), a ridiculous Honduran dance troupe to come in at the end of dinner and dance every guest over to the party room, and so many more personalized elements! The entire party danced until 3:30 a.m. and it was nothing short of amazing. Oh, and can we talk about Maria’s stunning Jenny Packham dress and Ajlan’s sharp black tux?! So fun to see a little bit of glamour for a destination wedding! The reception room was draped in long trailing greens + shades of white and covered with wooden boards full of delicious appetizers, and every single guest was blown away by the attention to detail! Their wedding reminded us for the hundredth time why we LOVE being a part of destination weddings so much – we left with such a sense of community, new cultural appreciation, and beautiful photos filled with so much love.

From The Bride…Our wedding weekend was everything we could have hoped for and more. While we were planning, AJ and I knew that we would have people from more than 10 countries coming to Honduras and we wanted it to be special and fun for everyone. We also wanted the wedding to be a reflection of who we are as a couple and for people from both sides to get to know us better. We therefore chose each detail carefully and highlighted our favorite things to do together- namely to cook, travel, and EAT! So from making AJ’s famous granola for our welcome bags, to naming our tables after our favorite restaurants, serving our food family style in a different room from the dance floor, to picking every single food to reflect places we had traveled to together, it was our best dinner party yet. The dance party that followed was pretty amazing as well.

My mom baked cookies and biscotti, my brother and his girlfriend making all the signs, my other brother and a few relatives made some of the food for dinner, and my dad picked all the wines- it was truly a huge labor of love and we are so grateful. We had the most amazing team of vendors, and Lauren and Tim managed to capture everything perfectly. We were able to enjoy every moment with our family and friends, and most importantly loved every minute with each other. We had the best time and wish we could live it all over again!!

Photography: Lauren Fair Photography | Cinematography: The Orchid | Event Planning: Agendas Y Eventos | Floral Design: Musa Flores Y Eventos | Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham | Invitations: Minted | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids' Dresses: BHLDN | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Adrianna Papell | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Etsy | Catering: Indura Resort, Tela, Honduras | Catering: Angelo's Restaurant, Bride's Brother + Isaac Arbanil | Band: Johnny Be Good | Venue: Indura Resort, Tela, Honduras | Cake + Desserts: Pan Y Mas | Wood, Paper, Canvas + LOVE Signage: MegaImagen Honduras

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Photography

Lauren Fair Photography

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Can I register for these plates by Adelfa, pretty, pretty please? I’m obsessed! But while the tableware may have initially drawn me in, this dress, Meant To Be Calligraphy flourishes, and all the beauty created by FourNineteen Weddings is what has kept me in this Vault gallery for the past severals hours (no joke!). So, thank you Audra Wrisley for capturing it all and making this Tuesday a whole lot better – we owe ya’!

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From Audra Wrisley… Inspired by the local flora and fauna in Costa Rica, this wedding inspiration shoot was set at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort, which provided a perfect backdrop for our modern and organic shoot. The resort is located in one of Costa Rica’s most alluring areas; nestled on the Culebra Bay in the northern province of Guanacaste.

Complementing the modern and eco-friendly design of the venue, the talented Barbara Broutin from FourNineteen Weddings opted to use sea glass toned colors and geometric lines for the florals and design aesthetic. Elky Suarez custom designed an incredible two-piece, lace and silk bridal gown in soft ivory and blush, which was the perfect focal point for the shoot. The designers at Artflower opted for exotic orchids to decorate the tablescape and ceremony site, and created a flawless cascading bouquet for our model. The hand-painted plates by Adelfa were also custom created for the occasion, inspired by the shapes and colors native to the Guanacaste area.

We soaked up the last few minutes of daylight on the resort’s deserted beach in one of Costa Rica’s infamous sunsets.

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More tropical inspiration this way!

Photography: Audra Wrisley Photography | Floral Design: Artflower | Wedding Dress: Elky Suarez | Cake: Victoria Zoch | Hair + Makeup: Victoria Moreno | Calligraphy: Meant To Be Calligraphy | Venue: Andaz Peninsula Papagayo | Custom Plates: Cakes To Di For | Event Design + Coordination: Four Nineteen Weddings | Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Photography

Audra Wrisley Photography

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Never in my wildest dreams did I think a Christmas inspired wedding could be crazy chic, but Vicki Grafton Photography has forever proven me wrong. Because this celebration? Straight up magic. Complete with a family estate reception and traditional catholic church ceremony, Elena & Jesus were married in true holiday style. Proving that a large guest list (500!!) can still feel intimate, we’ve got their seriously sweet celebration waiting for you in The Vault!

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From Vicki Grafton Photography… Elena & Jesus were married on December 12, 2015 at the Catholic Church Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón de El Hatillo in the mountains of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Following their ceremony they returned to Elena’s family estate just a few minutes down the road to celebrate into the night with all their family and friends.

Entertainment started with chill lounge music for cocktail hour followed by the Jorge Torres band starting just before dinner and DJ’s returning later in the night to keep the party going into the wee hours of the morning. The reception was designed with wide open spaces to accommodate their 500 guest mingling and partying all night long. It included a separate space just for charcuterie, cheese and appetizers before dinner. Since Elena’s family are cheesemakers, the cheese station was a very important element of their wedding.

A large white dance floor was the heart of the event space and directly next to it was a large glass walled ballroom with a gorgeous decorated fireplace, two large dinner buffets, dessert stations, a cigar and whisky station, and their wedding cake as the centerpiece of the room.

From their planner Anamaria Events: The bride wanted a very romantic wedding, the groom wanted the wedding to be an unforgettable party, the bride’s dad wanted cascades of lights from the trees, and the bride’s mom made sure there was enough food to last from 4 pm to 2 am! We set up two beautiful bars made with mirrors and a touch of gold to be set near the dance floor, we set 2 separate shot bars with quezalteca and tequila. We had Moscow mules as a welcome cocktail, and small bottles of Moet Chandon Champagne with a striped gold straw…young and old danced all night it was a fun wedding.

The decor consisted of lace table linens in cream, gold and silver accents, lots of candles, deep red and blush roses, hypericum berries, ranunculus in dark red, and olive leaves in every place setting along with the menu card for each. Some tables were set on the terrace other on the grass, with lounge furniture in between. Cascading lights were stung around the property leading to the main event area and natural spruce trees gave a festive Christmas vibe and wonderful smell throughout the evening.

Photography: Vicki Grafton Photography | Wedding Dress: Ersa Atelier | Cake : Vicky Motz Bakery | Ceremony Venue: Parroquia De Nuestra Señora Del Sagrado Corazón De El Hatillo | Reception Venue: The Bride's Family Home On The Mountains Of Tegucigalpa | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Halston Heritage | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Silvia Tscherassi | Catering: Plaza Juan Carlos | Hair and Makeup : MCB Hair & Makeup Studio | DJ: Vic Buezo & DJ Tormack | Band: Jorge Torres | Church Florist : Ramon Agurcia | Reception Florist : Leonte Rueda | Videographers : Maleta Films | Wedding Design, Planning And Coordination : Anamarias Eventos

When the wedding’s over there is only one thing left to do: Honeymoon. It’s Ali from A Dash of Details back to share all the details on our amazing Honeymoon at the Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica. We spent a few extra days recovering in Arizona before we jetted off to Costa Rica to enjoy the amazing sunshine and beautiful beaches on the Peninsula Papagayo.

When deciding on a spot to celebrate our Honeymoon, we had two things in mind: Travel time and relaxation. When we found out that Costa Rica was only a four hour flight, we knew it was the perfect destination to unplug and relax! When we arrived at the Four Seasons Costa Rica we were greeted with mango smoothies, cool towels and a beautiful and completely renovated lobby. For a girl who loves interior design, the mosaic wall and contemporary furniture were major eye candy.

We spent most of our seven days enjoying our bungalow, at the beach, in the pool, and the spa completely unplugged and in newlywed bliss. While we planned to fill most of our days with relaxing activities, we did schedule some fun adventures while on the peninsula. The first night of our Honeymoon we tried stand up paddle boarding with LED lights to see into the water. We ventured out in to the water right after sunset and saw so many beautiful fish. I highly recommend taking the kayaks, paddle boards, and surf boards out for a spin. Another must-have adventure activity in Costa Rica is zip lining. We made it through the jungle course through in rain and sunshine. It was such an exhilarating experience! The last activity we signed up for was the adventure cycling. The Four Seasons offers free activities everyday for their guests to enjoy the full Pura Vida experience. The 4 mile bike ride through the jungle was a highlight! We even encountered a few White-Faced monkeys.

The beaches at the Four Seasons Costa Rica are so picturesque. We ended up spending most of our days on hammocks on the private beach at the Four Seasons Beach Club. We even ended up staying to witness the most colorful sunset.

After the entire wedding planning process, a relaxing honeymoon was just what we needed to start off our marriage on the right foot! Whether its a staycation or honeymoon in Costa Rica, be sure to take a few moments with your new hubby or wife and enjoy being married! I loved being able to share my wedding process with all of you lovely Style Me Pretty readers. Be sure to stay up to date on our life after the wedding over on A Dash of Details.

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See Ali’s Journey down the aisle

Get to know the Bride | Engagement | Bridal Shower | Rehearsal Dinner Dress | DIY Flower Crown | Bridal fitness

Coverup: Eberjey | Resort: Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis | Robe: Eberjey | Sandals: J.Crew | Swimsuit: L.Space

Fair warning—this wedding is about to give you a serious case of wanderlust. Set against the natural beauty of Costa Rica, these high school sweethearts said “I do,” in a beachside wedding the Bride had been dreaming about since the fifth grade. With vibrant pink flowers, gold spray-painted flamingos and a celebratory reception back in Sioux Falls, this couple started Happily Ever After in the prettiest way possible. See it all from Jeff Sampson Photography in THE VAULT.

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From The Bride… Justin and I met 10 years ago at Roosevelt High School (whoop whoop High School Sweethearts!). We happened to be in foods class together and one day after class he asked for my number. Not to age myself, but this was before all high schoolers had cell phones so I had to give him my house number – Embarrassing! He called after school one day to hang out so we got a Little Ceasars pizza and watched “The Ring”. It terrified me and I haven’t been able to watch a scary movie since. Luckily I didn’t have the same feelings about him and we eventually started dating! We eventually parted ways when he went off to College, but got back together through mutual friends a year or two later. The rest is history!

For as long as I can remember, I have ALWAYS wanted to get married on the beach. I even have it stated in a 5th grade power point presentation about ‘My Future’ that I’ll get married on the beach someday. I would’ve been happy to elope just the two of us, but Justin is more traditional and wanted a traditional wedding. Well, we both love to travel and I get uncomfortable in large crowds with people watching me, so a destination wedding with a reception back home seemed like the perfect compromise!

I started to search for locations for a wedding that were both exotic, yet affordable for our close friends and family. It was important for the both of us to have our immediate family and close friends there with us to celebrate. I always heard from other brides that the day goes by so fast, they barely remember their wedding day; so I wanted to make sure we had a trip to remember! Why limit your wedding to 1 day when you can celebrate over an entire vacation?

We decided to go with a March wedding for 3 reasons. 1) Both my sister and best friend were due with babies in November of 2014. We didn’t want them to either miss out or feel they had to travel with a newborn, so we gave them a few months to get settled. 2) If we decided to go on any anniversary trips, we didn’t have to worry about hurricane season getting in the way! 3)If we were going to travel to a tropical destination, we wanted to do it while it was still cold back in SD.

One day at work, my boss mentioned a resort brand called “Dreams” that his family really enjoyed. I checked them out online and noticed advertising for a new resort of theirs in Costa Rica. It opened in January 2015 which made us a little nervous, but you couldn’t beat the deals! So on a whim, we booked the trip and notified our friends and family of the dates. They all contacted our Travel Agent, Tracy, and she got everyone booked for us.

When trying to put together a vision for our wedding, I got lost in the wedding black hole known as Pinterest. I had about 50 different directions that I wanted to go with it. Seriously, the possibilities are endless! Finally, my MOH Jenna got after me and told me I needed to start making decisions. Everything would be easier once I picked a direction.

While online shopping for myself, I ended up finding a dress on Banana Republic that I loved and thought it would make the perfect bridesmaid dress. It didn’t look like a ‘bridesmaid dress’ and that was exactly what I wanted. It was elegant yet not overly flashy, worked for a destination wedding, and as cliché as it sounds, they could all use it again after the wedding. I had 6 bridesmaids in my wedding, and ended up ordering 15 of them in various sizes right then and there. I had all of my bridesmaids find which size worked best for them, and then mailed the rest back to Banana. I didn’t want to risk everyone ordering their own dress and then having the store run out. From that point on, everything was planned around the bridesmaid dresses. I got really lucky planning that way, because the wedding dress I ended up falling in love with, went perfectly with the bridesmaid dress. I would NOT recommend planning a wedding this way, but I’m oddly glad that I did it.

Since my dress was white, and the bridesmaid dresses were a soft gold/silver color, I decided to stick to neutral tones and then add in a pop of color with the flowers. I was originally going to go with all neutrals because it’s so trendy right now, but it wasn’t me. The more I scrolled through Pinterest, the more I realized that I had been pinning colorful flowers and bouquets. I asked Justin if he cared that we had pink flowers and he was game.

Once we had a general idea of what we wanted to do with the décor, I emailed the wedding planner in CR (Cynthia), and she made everything happen. I put together a powerpoint that included colors, flowers, chairs, lights, etc. then she would tell me what they could do that was similar. It didn’t take much correspondence before we had things figured out. Now, I will say that I tried to be as laid back as possible knowing that everything wouldn’t look exactly as I had it planned in my head, but Cynthia did an amazing job taking my vision and turning it into a real life wedding. She went above and beyond with what I had asked and couldn’t have been more of a pleasure to work with. Everything in regards to planning and set up were stress free for me, which was VERY nice!

Our next issue was planning our reception back home with extended family and friends. We hired Envision Event Planning to take care of the décor, but we weren’t quite sure how to bring Costa Rica back to SD. I wanted to avoid doing the seashells and starfish that you always see, but also wanted to make our venue feel like a tropical oasis without being too “theme-y”.

Once again, I turn to Pinterest. It doesn’t take long until I find a picture of a gold lawn flamingo. Consider me inspired. I text the picture to my mom and MOH to see what they think. Most people would say it’s crazy, but they understood my love of the tacky pink lawn ornament, and told me to go for it. So we bought about 2 dozen flamingos and my parents spent an entire weekend spray painting them gold in the back yard. Bless their hearts. We brought 2 flamingos with us to Costa Rica and used the rest at the reception in Sioux Falls. I also found the cutest flamingo cake topper at BHLDN.com. While Justin thought I was joking about the whole flamingo idea, he ended up really being a fan of it in the end.

Working with Leah at Envision for the Sioux Falls reception, she helped to pick out flowers, décor, and gave us a ton of other fun ideas to go with the Flamingos. We worked with ICON Lounge to make signature drinks (ones that we enjoyed while in Costa Rica) and that way it was like our guests could enjoy Costa Rica with us. One signature drink was called a Costa Rica Tropical which was a blue and yellow in color with a fruit garnish. The other was a Malibu Coke, since that’s what I drank at our actual wedding.

For food we decided to go with heavy appetizers rather than a sit down meal to make it feel less formal. We wanted everyone to get up, walk around, and enjoy each other’s company. We re-used the flamingo cake toppers for our reception and they looked adorable on top of our wedding cake with all of the colorful flowers. Chef April also did an amazing job of putting 5 wedding cakes together. When she asked me what I wanted all I could say was, “I don’t know.. I just want 5 cakes, and the main one has to be naked!” She helped me to pick out a variety of flavors and styles, and they all came together beautifully. Our DJ, Jake Hill, also did an amazing job. He steered clear of my “Do not play these overplayed wedding songs” list and also incorporated some of the Hispanic songs that we heard while down in Costa Rica into his playset. Thank you Shazam! It gave a nice Latin American twist to the dance and our guests had a blast!

If I were to get married again tomorrow, I wouldn’t change a thing! It was the most memorable time of my life and we were able to share it with those closest to us. We’ve got a lifetime of memories with those we love and I couldn’t be happier with how everything came together.

Photography: Jeffrey Sampson Photography | Event Planning: Envision Event Planning | Floral Design: Bella Rosa | Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza | Engagement Ring: Greenbergs | Rings: Deb Blazer Etsy | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Banana Republic | Venue: Dream Las Mareas, Costa Rica | Local Reception: Icon Event Hall, Sioux Falls

Having met while in Nicaragua doing mission work and maintaining a long distance relationship for years set the stage for this deeply intimate and organic celebration of love for the beautiful Bride and her Groom. With Lora Grady snapping every moment – and even helping with these gorgeous florals – we’re transported to a real life fairy tale that is one perfect example of the power of love and fate.

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From Lora Grady… This organic, intimate destination wedding took place on a secluded beach in Pochomil, Nicaragua. Ashlyn, the bride, met Gabe while traveling abroad in Nicaragua. Here’s what the bride has to say about her wedding day – 

From the beautiful Bride… Gabriel and I both met in the beautiful country of Nicaragua. Over a two year long distance relationship, we were able to marry in his beautiful country. Our friendship grew into a love that has deeply rooted itself. It was important for us to be married in the country where our love began, and with the presence of our families.

After living in Nicaragua for six months, the country became my second home. Nicaragua inspired me completely with the natural, organic feel. Gabriel and I have a favorite spot on the beach, where he proposed to me. Since then, our wedding plans began to be directed by the naturalistic theme of the beach. I wanted to orchestrate as much Nicaraguan details as possible. Our reception table linens were handmade from the Nicaraguan market. The beautiful handmade, wooden arch was made by Gabriel and his closes friends. They physically put in the hard work of cutting down the trees, to enable a ceremony arch. The calligraphy name stones were found at a local river Gabe would visit, when he was a child. The Mariachi band played traditional salsa and romantic Nicaraguan music, as we walked down the aisle and at the reception. Gabriel also created the feet washing bowl while his father built the wooden bench we sat upon. Our vows were read in our heart languages of English and Spanish.

My favorite decor was our calligraphy sign that says; Two Nations Become One Today. I never imagined that while doing mission work, after nine years in Nicaragua, that I would have met Gabriel. Though we come from two different nations, we pray to always be united.

The planning experience was adventurous as I relied upon Gabriel for a lot of the work in Nicaragua. I visited once before the wedding, but had to do my best by planning in the United States. I wanted the whole planning experience to be relaxed and not stressful, as we kept in mind about what this one day truly means. We ultimately wanted our wedding to be a reflection of Christ and the gospel, so we aimed to do all we could in order to orchestrate everything in order to give him the ultimate glory. There were things beforehand that I knew were more important to me than others. I also kept in mind that we were having our wedding in a country where it can be so relaxed, that different aspects may not go as planned. I knew that this could only happen if we both kept the mindset of what this wedding was truly meant for.

The actual wedding day was a complete dream, as I look back at all of the events leading up to the one special day I become one with my husband. All of the hard work Gabriel and I did together was a great reminder and reflection of what our marriage is: full of hard work in pursuing a godly marriage. Much of the morning was spent with decorations and finishing any other details; such as the beautiful flower arrangements Lora helped with! All of the beautiful hands that helped were truly craftsmen in helping with the creation of our wedding day. I remember a moment, before I was about to walk down the aisle, when I first saw Gabriel standing at the alter. God’s presence was so overwhelming as he has had his hand over our marriage this entire time. The joy of our long distance relationship coming to an end with a marriage to last eternity, was rewarding. The reception was perfect, as we wanted our two families to share their first meal together. We wanted complete relaxation and time to spend with both of our families before leaving. The reception gave such a romantic and elegant feel, as it was lit with bistro lights and candlesticks on brass holders. Our wedding day could not have been any more perfect.

Photography: Lora Grady Photography | Cinematography: Sara Klepacki | Floral Design: Bride & Lora Grady | Wedding Dress: Dreamers & Lovers | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Dress Up Boutique | Calligraphy: Sarah Mecke | Venue: Pochomil Beach, Nicaragua | Decor Inspiration: Host & Toast Studio | Ribbon: Silk and Willow

We get a lot of amazing beachfront destination weddings, but this one is truly special in its elegance, intimacy, and perfect simplicity. With fresh peach and ivory florals from ArtFlower, a gorgeous Bride and Groom, and the expert planners of Events & Weddings Costa Rica at the helm, this event is truly beautiful. Check out the gallery from El Velo Photography, and say buenos dias to this stunning beachfront affair!

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From the beautiful Bride… In July of 2013, Steven surprised me with a trip to Costa Rica for our four year anniversary. We were stand up paddle boarding at Sunrise in Tamarindo, when he got down on one knee on his board and proposed. We fell in love with the Costa Rican landscape, and decided to come back with our closest family and friends for a destination wedding.

We knew this would require a lot of effort from our guests, especially since our wedding would occur the day after Thanksgiving, so the wedding needed to be a great experience. We researched many of the venues in the Guanacaste area, and as soon as we saw the Four Season’s Beach Club, we knew in an instant that it was where we wanted to be married. We loved its privacy and beautiful simplicity.

It was important to us that we found a wedding planner who was able to translate our vision and work closely with us on details, and we found just that in Samantha Cohn. Samantha helped us to get started quickly, always giving us multiple options, and made our visions come to life. ‘Barefoot luxury’ was our theme, incorporating a relaxed, simple elegance to the day. We wanted everything to be intimate, timeless, simple, and to emphasize the beautiful setting that we had chosen.

I chose peach and soft neutrals as the color palette. Steven and I both are one of four and are incredibly close to our families, so we decided to have an unconventional wedding party, having our siblings stand at our sides. My sister was my Maid of Honor and the only girl in the wedding party. I also had my two brothers stand as my Bridesmen. The only decorations we wanted for the ceremony was a beautiful arch, complete with peach and off-white florals, with matching flower arrangements along the aisle seats. Bamboo fans were also provided for our guests to keep them cool.

We had a beautiful, cloudless day and made the choice day-of to not have a tent covering us during the ceremony to accentuate the beautiful surroundings. We found a simple two-man band of a guitar and drum to play Jack Johnson’s ‘Angel’ as I walked up the aisle. I wore an altered Monique Lhuillier ‘Emma’ gown, with a beaded sash made by BHLDN. Steven and the rest of the wedding party wore lightweight, gray J. Crew suits with peach custom-made ties. Marcelo Galli beautifully officiated the ceremony, and to make it more personal we wrote our own vows. Pictures were taken afterwards on the beach and in the mangroves at sunset while guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at the outside Marina bar.

The dinner setting was just as magical as the ceremony. We opted for one, long imperial table for our 42 guests to add to the intimacy, and so that we could easily watch our guests enjoy the evening. We chose a clear tent to cover our dinner table, and it was decorated with lights so that it had a ‘starry night’ effect. We wanted the whole area to sparkle. The center of the table was decorated with a neutral table runner, peach flower settings, and lots of candles in mercury vases.

Surrounding trees were lit with Chinese lanterns and the patio area had luminaries and tiki torches to make it glow. As Steven and I are both surfers, we had custom-made wooden surfboards embroidered with each guests name to serve as place cards, which they were able to take as a keepsake at the end of the night.

Our wedding was beautiful, intimate, and fun. Our guests raved about the whole experience, and we have beautiful pictures captured by El Velo Photography that captured the essence of the day that we will enjoy for years to come.

Photography: El Velo Photography | Videography: El Velo Photography | Event Planning: Events & Weddings Costa Rica | Floral Design: Artflower | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Cake: Victoria Zoch | Lighting: Hale Koa phineas Estate | DJ: DJ Zach | Groomsmen's Attire: J.Crew | Officiant: Marcelo Galli | Tent: Eventos Boadicea | Ceremony And Reception Venue: Playa Prieta Beach Club At Peninsula Papagayo | Hair & Make-up: Maravilla Weddings | Music Duo: Avenida 10 | Rentals: Oceano Rentals

Set on the stunning white sand shores of Costa Rica, this international couple’s desination “I Do’s” eschewed many formalities of more traditional affairs, in favor of a relaxed and modern feel we love. FourNineteen Weddings made this stunning couple’s dream come true, and we’re so lucky that Costa Vida Photography was there to capture it all! Click through the gallery for more, and be transported to paradise!

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From FourNineteen Weddings… This is the story of a Venezuelan girl and a guy from Chicago, that live in New York and decided Costa Rica was the perfect destination for their wedding… and I must admit this has been one of the most fun weddings we have ever planned. For Marcella and Brandon’s wedding, we threw our usual timelines out the window; they were set on one thing, and it was to get people dancing as soon as the ceremony was over. And so they did.

With very laid back and simple styling (mostly white, with a few pops of green and purple here and there), Marcella and Brandon wanted their guests to feel at ease, avoiding all usual wedding formalities. There was no seating plan, and guests were free to sit where they wanted; at tables, on daybeds, in cute little lounge areas, and even at cocktail tables strategically placed inside the pool (on shallow water, of course!). A variety of lighting installations gave the night a particular glow, from chandeliers, to glass bulbs with candles, to paper lanterns… an eclectic mix that just added to the chilled out vibe.

Our team created cute signage and handmade 90+ ribbon and bell wands for the ceremony and set up a DIY photo guest book. The floral team took care to create various different looks, making each floral piece different.

Dinner was presented as a station buffet open for a good part of the evening, so guests could eat when they felt like it. A fabulous dessert table closed off the buffet area, with a variety of macaroons, mousses, cake pops and bars, enough to fulfill any sweet tooth around!

At around midnight, the very Venezuelan “hora loca” was a huge success, with guests donning wigs, giant sunglasses and other props to officially dance the night away!

Photography: Costa Vida Photography | Videography: Jonathan Yonkers | Event Planning: Four Nineteen Weddings | Floral Design: Artflower | Cake: Victoria Zoch | Ceremony Venue: Reserva Conchal Beach Resort Golf Spa | Reception Venue: Reserva Conchal Beach Resort Golf Spa | Hair And Makeup: Maravilla Weddings | Rentals: D'Gala Events

Destination weddings are in a league of their own. I mean, it doesn’t get better than a little vacation with your nearest and dearest while you say I do. And when you are doing just that on the beautiful beaches of Costa Rica with Stories Wedding Photography snapping up every gorgeous moment planned by Four Nineteen Weddings, that’s when we enter a whole new level of dreamy. Get lost in all the lovely here.

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From Stories Wedding Photography…Mike and Stevie decided to get married in Costa Rica. They wanted their wedding and time with family and friends to be a tropical adventure. The bride and groom wished to take them someplace the majority of them had never been, and now, they all have a special connection to Costa Rica. In addition, Mike and Stevie wanted their wedding to be natural and environmentally conscious; Costa Rica has really embraced this ideology.

Everyone who has met Stevie knows she loves to dance. She is always taking dance classes and performing. Traditional Japanese dance, Latin dance, belly dance, Gatos and Bollywood. The result flows anytime there is music. The bride worked on a cross-cultural dance that she had made up. Stevie was not going to miss this chance to perform! She had to convince Mike to dance with her and he did a wonderful job! The dance was choreographed and rehearsed by her good friend, Jesus. The hardest part was keeping all their practicing a secret because the bride and groom wanted to surprise everyone at the wedding reception. The result was wonderful and fun, they were VERY surprised! Costa Rica`s vibe was perfect for it!

Stevie saw a video on Yahoo from a wedding where a GoPro was placed on a bottle of liquor. She showed it to her family and everyone loved the idea, especially her brother who took this project on. He, of course, wanted to “one up” the Yahoo video and instead of one GoPro on one bottle, The Gauntlet was born consisting of GoPros on a bottle of Grey Goose, Makers Mark, Goldschlager, Jameson, and Patron. The wedding guests drank from all five bottles in a row, it was a big hit. The Papagayo Peninsula where we had the wedding was the perfect setting for this!

Mike and Stevie wanted the color scheme to reflect moss, reclaimed wood and stones. They wanted to honor the environment and compliment the natural beauty of the Papagayo Peninsula. A lot of the pictures reflect that. The bride and groom, as well as their guests enjoyed the beach at sundown immensely; they thought it was amazing; some of the most beautiful sunset shows you will ever come across are in Costa Rica. Moreover, everyone had wonderful vacation with forty of their closest friends and family. Together, they went zip lining, kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, ate and drank a lot, and had a 3-on-3 basketball tournament/rehearsal dinner. Mike and Stevie were surrounded by love for six days at a beautiful resort, in a beautiful, peaceful country.

The bride and groom wanted to add that planning a wedding from Los Angeles in Costa Rica seemed challenging. But with the tremendous help of Barbara at Four Nineteen Weddings, the amazing logistical support from the Four Seasons Resort, and skilled vendors, Sergio Pucci Photography and Sunflower Bella, everything went so smoothly that the only worry Mike and Stevie had on the wedding day was to have fun. It was their best day ever!

Photography: Stories Wedding Photography | Event Planning: Four Nineteen Weddings | Floral Design: Artflower | Wedding Dress: Marisa Bridals | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Reformation | Hair & Makeup: Sunflower Bella Hair and Makeup | Rentals: Eventos Artesanos | Resort: Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis

Overflowing with fresh Expressions Artes Florales , this garden affair has officially put Guatemala on my bucket list. The chic factor exponentially increases with a firework ending and the Bride’s calligraphy skills, and with Saguzo Eventos on hand every detail was flawless. Joe Simon Wedding Films and Megan Robinson shared their favorite moments from this dreamy destination ceremony, right here.

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From Megan Robinson… I have been looking forward to sharing this wedding ever since I was fortunate enough to document it. Of course traveling for, and telling the story of a destination wedding is always a dream come true, but this one is very dear to me. “The Land of Eternal Spring” is even more beautiful than it sounds with it’s colors, textures, foliage, music, culture, people, and landscapes being so dynamic and enchanting. Guatemala happens to be my mother’s native country, so when Amy and Jorge contacted me about documenting their wedding in a place that is home to so many people I love, I was overwhelmed with excitement.

One of the most unique details of this wedding was that the Bride, Amy, is a calligrapher, Letter Love Studio, and she custom designed her invites, envelopes, cake topper, the menu, gift tags, etc. Seeing how much heart was put into this event, even down to the details Amy created made this one of the most memorable days I have been fortunate enough to document.

From the Bride… If there’s one thing Jorge and I love to do together it’s travel. After getting engaged in Thailand (where my dad is from) on a family trip, we thought it only fitting to get married in Guatemala ­ where Jorge’s parents are from and where he lived as a child. We felt it would be extremely meaningful to honor our backgrounds as our families came together as one, and Antigua was a no ­brainer. I fell in love with photos of the cascading bougainvilleas, lush green volcanoes, and colorful worn facades of this little colonial town that Jorge had treasured as a kid. When we visited in February to do the bulk of the planning with Gladys Santizo of Saguzo Eventos the “Land of Eternal Spring” really stole my heart and I couldn’t wait to experience it with our closest friends and family.

Our wedding day couldn’t have been more surreal. I felt so beautiful slipping into my custom Tatyana Merenyuk silk chiffon and vintage lace gown, and Jorge looked so incredibly handsome in a way I will always remember. We always knew that we wanted to get married in a venue that would stand the test of time. Somewhere significant we could visit time and time again and take our family to many years later… and the 18th century ruins of Las Capuchinas and 16th century church of San Jose El Viejo fit the bill perfectly.

The garden of Las Capuchinas was overflowing with fresh flowers and the sound of latin guitar and violin music filled the ceremony air as we exchanged our hand written vows. After the kiss, all of our guests piled into an army of little tuk tuks which took them to San Jose for the reception, bouncing in one long line along the cobblestone streets. It was one of the most fun and memorable moments for our guests and really set the tone for a laughter-­filled reception.

I had a very specific vision for our reception décor, and seeing that come to life really took our breath away. One of the hardest parts of having a destination wedding was that I couldn’t make as many décor items as I wanted to, but I designed and calligraphed every piece I could conceivably bring to Guatemala! From the invitations I collaborated on with uber-talented

Yao Cheng Design, to the welcome bags, programs, menus, escort cards, cake topper, etc. It was so incredible to see all of the little details come together and us and our guests had an extraordinary time. To cap off the evening, Jorge surprised everyone (myself included) with a fireworks display and it was the perfect crescendo to an unforgettable day. The best thing we did (besides get married of course!) was to hire our dream team ­ Megan Robinson and Joe Simon Wedding Films to document our special day. To be in the hands of such wonderful and talented professionals let us truly relax and enjoy ourselves. We were ecstatic to see how they captured our wedding day and their photos and film help us relive it over and over. We could not have asked for more!

Photography: Megan Robinson | Videography: Joe Simon Wedding Films | Event Planning: Saguzo Eventos | Floral Design: Expressions Artes Florales | Wedding Cake: Hale Koa phineas Estate | Ceremony Venue: Convento De Las Capuchinas | Reception Venue: San Jose El Viejo | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Union Station | Bride’s Dress: Tatyana Merenyuk | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Groomsmen’s Attire: J. Hilburn | Groom’s Attire: D. Jones | Invitation + Calligraphy: Letter Love Studio | Invitation Watercolor: Yao Cheng Design

Captured by Stacy Able, this Guatemala wedding is chock-full of color and whimsy, with pretty little details everywhere you look (read: citrus chandeliers!) The day was planned by I Do, Guatemala who pulled off the Bride’s vision by ending the evening with late-night tacos and a paper lantern send-off. And as for the gallery? Well, it’s a total must.

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From The Bride…As soon as we got engaged, I knew exactly where I wanted to have our wedding. We had visited Lake Atitlan in Guatemala the prior year and I had fallen head over heels for the land. I’ve always had an affinity for anything tropical, especially banana leaves, bright florals, and all things citrus. The thought of having a wedding with a blue lake and volcano back drop, amongst giant palms, green foliage, and every bright flower imaginable just seemed dreamy to me.

The gardens and grounds of Hotel Atitlan were perfect – they even had butterflies, parrots, and peacocks roaming around. Our wedding was a destination for all 50 of our guests, half coming from the US and half coming from Europe, and we wanted to show them all the special parts of Lake Atitlan that we fell in love with. The more I experienced Guatemala throughout our trips, the more I admired their details and local native craftsmanship. I had fun creating the welcome bags for our guests and was excited at the thought that this would be their first impression and glimpse of Guatemala and the wedding weekend. On one of our planning trips we visited the town of Santa Catarina Palopó and picked a beautiful selection of hand woven, brightly patterned textiles made by the local women. Back home, my mom cut and sewed these textiles into tote bags with handles. We filled the bags with some of our favorite products of Guatemala – locally made bottles of spicy green hot sauce, a bag of Guatemalan coffee beans, and a bottle of the countries Ron Zacapa rum – in addition to a “Just in Case” emergency kit and some snacks and treats.

Our wedding day scene was filled with overwhelming plants and flowers everywhere you looked, cobblestone paths leading to each tucked away area for the ceremony and reception, Spanish style architecture in the background, and a picturesque view of the lake and volcanoes. My love for oranges and citrus worked perfectly in this setting and created a consistent theme throughout the wedding day decor. During the ceremony we offered chilled bottles of orange and lemon San Pellegrino drinks with pink striped straws. A simple floral arch of pink and white flowers and green leaves framed the view of the lake while guests looked on. For our reception dinner, we planned it at sundown so our guests could enjoy the sunset; they sat at one long rustic wood table along the lake.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always envisioned a single long table for my wedding dinner as I always wanted it to feel more like a large and cheerful dinner party then anything else. White linen table runners ran down the center of the tables with white chiavari chairs lining either side. Different shades of pink roses, white lisianthus and green hydrangeas filled glass vases and bottles with lit candles placed in between. The details were important to me, even down to the salt and pepper dishes. I like simple and clean but still soft and pretty.

As I mentioned before, I also love anything citrus and I think this setting called for citrus all day long! Each place setting had a clean, crisp folded white napkin with printed menu cards tucked inside. As a name place card, we set vibrant, large oranges with green leafy stems at each seat – and nametags tied on with twine. My favorite and most anticipated of the details were the citrus chandeliers hanging over the table. Multiple circular chandeliers made of oranges and leafy greens with candles hung from long vines within the tent. These were the focal point of the tables, the feature that helped create a certain tropical-naturally beautiful-whimsical vibe to the setting; a setting which I wanted to be less formal and more pretty and fun.

With my husband being European, an after dinner espresso was a must and this was one of his few requests. We asked the owner from our favorite local café, a young and cool South Korean coffee lover, to set up an espresso and coffee bar, which was not only satisfying and delicious but entertaining too! Guests drank hand-dripped coffee out of brightly colored mini ceramic mugs that fit in with the décor perfectly.

We also had a French hipster DJ named Olivier keeping the music and dancing going throughout the night. It was a worldly and eclectic group of not only guests but vendors as well! We ended the night with a firework show that left an excited and awe-inspiring feeling for all who experienced it. Late night, we chowed down on what we’ve collectively agreed were “the best tacos ever” and sent off large paper lanterns into the night sky over the lake. This was the sign off to a beautiful and adventurous weekend in Guatemala for all our guests and us. Carlo and I felt so happy and fulfilled with our closest family and friends surrounding us in this beautiful place. It was simply perfect.

Photography: Stacy Able Photography | Wedding Planner: I Do, Guatemala | Wedding Gown: Jenny Packham | Brides Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew | Grooms Attire: Dries Van Noten | Wedding Venue: Hotel Atitlan | Coffee Station: Cafe Loco | Grooms Shoes: Paul Smith | Headpiece: Untamed Petals | Invitation Suite: Lucky Penny Paperie | Wedding Gown Shop: Panache Bridal