Central America Weddings

Weddings in Historical Venues

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From The Bride…My husband and I live to travel, taking every spare moment to explore and see a new place or part of the world. (He more than I, I must admit as his country count is over 90!) I had fallen in love with Guatemala and its raw beauty when I taught there a few years back and introduced its splendor and charm to Rishi just before we were engaged. (BTW, he popped the question on stage at the end of a concert of my absolute favorite singer in the world…Anthony Hamilton …a surprise is an understatement and it was a dream to say the least!) If I were asked to describe Antigua in one word, it would be “Magical”…

When we were trying to decide where to get married, we pondered the simplicity of a small wedding in our home city, thought about cruises or all-inclusive type destination weddings, but nothing seemed to stick or excite us. It was not until Rishi simply suggested, “Why not Guatemala?”…and that was it. We immediately jumped on the idea that night without even putting much thought into it (well, 5 minutes worth) we sent an email out to our closest friends and family that night which sealed the deal. Rishi’s family lives in Trinidad and mine in Toronto…both families don’t travel often. It was important to us that we provide everyone with an “adventure” where friends and family would have time to grow true relationships and see a place they would not have otherwise.

I found the most gorgeous group of houses (6 in total…which we called “Melrose” because they surrounded a pool just like the show) which we rented for a week to accommodate our guests and family. It was cost friendly, allowed everyone to be close, and provided the perfect “get to know you” atmosphere. Each room was stocked with a welcome bag filled with goodies and necessities like a hangover kit (with emergency meds, earplugs, and an eye mask), snacks, sweets, personalized lip balm, water and more.

The days before the wedding were filled with events for guests to choose to participate in (or not). We had a meet and greet day filled with a hop-on/hop-off tour of the city, followed by a night around the pool with catered traditional Guatemala food, music, and drinks. After the rehearsal dinner we had a salsa night out with salsa lessons, music, drinks and fun.
The day of the wedding was just the icing on the cake to the whole week we got to enjoy with the closest people in our lives.

Our venues (being built over 300 years ago) matched our theme…magical. We loved the simplicity of both venues. I would not have called myself crafty before the wedding, but I kicked up my inner craftiness and became a DIY guru. I made (and discovered I loved making) a ton of personlized paper products and decor and we brought literally suitcases full of DIY to add to the decor.

The ceremony was held at San Jose el Viejo; a smaller, more intimate ruin, followed by a cocktail hour with our signature “Flirtini” drink and apps. The sound of thunder and heavy rain added a warm feel to this already magical venue. As part of the ceremony, we held a “Sand and Soil” ceremony. Rishi used sand from Trinidad where he grew up and I used soil from the backyard of my childhood home in Toronto. We exchanged personalized vows and our wedding bands made from aircraft titanium (adding a special meaning because of our travels) and sealed the deal with a smooch.

Shuttles whisked guests off to the reception held in the temple of Las Capuchinas where we had a Cuban band, Ignacio (he’s the grandson of one of the original members of the Buena Vista Social Club) playing for their entrance. By that point, everyone was relaxed, happy, ready to celebrate and enjoy a few drinks made by our flare bartenders. A delicious meal, followed by mini desserts, a candy station and s’mores were there to satisfy everyone’s sweet spot. The atmosphere was fun and full of joy and having guests come from all over (Canada, US, Trinidad, Guatemala, and as far as Scotland and Nigeria!) made for the best night and week of our lives.

Colorful Costa Rica Beach Elopement

This adorable duo is out to prove that a wedding for two can be every bit as stylish as a full-blown soiree. They traveled to the beaches of Costa Rica with Chloe Murdoch in tow, and the result is one of the coolest tropical elopements we’ve ever come across. Pretty lovers unite in the gallery right here.

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From Chloe Murdoch Photography… The Bride Erika and Groom Giedrius (both from Lithuania) eloped to Costa Rica and wanted to have a wedding that really reflected the style of weddings they had seen on many of SMP’s posts!

Erika wanted to have her wedding and photos feel “natural, cozy, artistic, bohemian and a little bit vintage” and I really worked with her to make that a reality. My husband and I helped her do everything from floral design, and prop coordination to the officiant and selection of venue location. It was really a one stop deal for them and was truly a blessing to be a part of making their elopement dreams a reality.

Intimate Belize Wedding

Smaller, intimate weddings are always some of my favorites. And when that intimate shindig happens to take place in the lovely little locale known as Belize, well… even better. Because what could possibly be more romantic than tying the knot, toes in the sand style, with only your closest friends and family? See every heartwarming moment captured by Alea Lovely in the full gallery.

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Old World Charm in Havana

From the Bride… After knowing each other for over half of our lives, we decided it was the perfect time to make our relationship and commitment to one another official. With having our family on the West Coast, friends on the East Coast and others abroad, we knew that most of our guests would have to travel across the country one way or the other, so we wanted to make it worth their while to travel. I have a very large family and Kyle has a very small family, so we didn’t want to overshadow the day being about the two of us. We decided on an intimate destination wedding and a reception at home later to celebrate.

After flipping through the book “501 Must See Destinations” our eyes landed on the Blue Hole in Belize. We read that Belize hosted the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere (second in the world to Great Barrier Reef), it was English speaking, accepted US currency and was an easy flight. We decided to escape the snowy weather in February and head south to the warmer climate.

For our twenty-two guests, we rented a cluster of villas “family style” on the beach of Ambergris Caye and planned adventures of snorkeling, fishing, and sailing mixed with sipping on cocktails and relaxing on the beach. Once the morning of the wedding arrived, we were in full “vacay mode.” We started with breakfast and delicious smoothies poolside while guests took in massages, manis and pedis. After taking a swim in the pool and sipping on the local Belikin Beer, the guys and gals parted ways to get ready for the main event.

Before getting my make-up done, Kyle smartly sent over a wedding gift to me knowing tears were inevitable. It was a gorgeous gold locket laser etched with a photo of me and my recently departed grandma with a lovely message inside (“She may be gone, but this special day, she walks down the aisle with you”) and the wedding date. It hung off of a vintage bow pin so that I was able to wear it on her dress. In addition, our friend, Vonnett, loaned her own grandmother’s diamond and sapphire wedding ring for my something borrowed, something old and something blue.

In return, I sent Kyle a gift of “something old, new, borrowed and blue” in a small leather chest. The something old was represented by notes scratched on binder paper that were saved from high school and attached to a bottle of Kyle’s favorite Balvenie scotch, aged 17 years, the same amount of time we had known each other. The something new was a tie clip stamped with the coordinates of the wedding venue in Belize, which was also secretly engraved on the inside of his wedding band. The something borrowed was probably the most special to Kyle. Being that both of our grandfathers and fathers served in the military, I “borrowed” each of their dog tags. The something blue was a blue silk-screened tie with Kyle’s favorite B-17 bomber printed on it.

Since we weren’t having an official wedding party, Kyle gave the guys Beers Not Bombs “Wingman” bottle openers which were made from reclaimed copper from nuclear wiring. This was symbolic to us since we met in high school and our mascot was the “Bombers”, named for the nearby Hanford nuclear plant that helped create the WW2 atomic bombs and where Kyle’s dad is was an engineer. Also, the proceeds went to Doctors Without Borders and nuclear cleanup. For the ladies, I thanked them for coming to help me “tie the knot” with sterling silver love knot earrings from Cate & Chloe.

Once I slipped into my Candy blush Monique Lhuillier gown and Vonnett placed on my veil, we were ready to roll. The ladies walked on the beach together a quarter mile to the wedding venue where Kyle and the guys were waiting. Before walking down the aisle, I was escorted by my mom and sister to have a “first look” with my dad and brother. After many tears and hugs, my brother walked my sister and mom to their seats before I walked hand in hand with my dad to meet Kyle. We were married by our good friend, Denis, who hosted a perfect ceremony of love, symbolism and full-heartedness.

After the ceremony, we enjoyed a cocktail hour with delicious appetizers, a bar stocked with rum drinks and Belikin Beer while listening to the Cuban guitarist jam on. Sitting on the beach we dined on snapper, rib-eye and seafood stew for dinner followed by bananas foster and key lime pie for dessert. Both of our dads and brothers gave “unscripted” toasts that we followed up with music and some dancing. As everyone has told us, the day went by too quickly, but we took every moment in as much as we could, we thankfully have wonderful photos and video to help us remember and reflect.

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Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier Bridal Fall 2015

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Fall 2015

Spring 2016

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It’s always beautiful to see couples embrace diverse backgrounds so wholeheartedly. Getting an insider tour of Havana doesn’t hurt, either. We also have to give props because on top of wedding planning this couple also coordinated a group effort to bring supplies for the ceremony.Yay teamwork! We’re glad they did because now we get to enjoy a whole gallery of Matt Kennedy‘s lovely photos.

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Surprise Beach Elopement in Costa Rica

From The Bride…We struggled to find the perfect destination for our wedding, given our different backgrounds and our international guests, but we eventually decided on Havana, which incorporated a bit of family history and undisputed old classic charm.

Choosing a destination like Cuba with its scarcity of supplies, meant having to bring a lot of our own food & personalized decorations: from signage, napkins, candy bowls, candy, votive holders to desserts and even cigar cutters. We had friends and family help us bring them over making this wedding a truly collective effort!

The wedding day was planned around giving our small group of guests a great Havana experience: some guests were visiting Havana only for a few days and we wanted to show them sites that took them to different districts in the city: from the cocktail reception in an old restored peanut factory to the two venues for the wedding: The ceremony took place in the garden of one of the oldest hotels in Havana, guests then enjoyed a classic Cuban car ride taking them into the heart of Old Havana for a rooftop reception overlooking the city as the sun set.

To add to giving our guests a great experience, one thing we wanted to do was to ensure every guest was thanked. We took great care to ensure that each guest’s name card on the table had a personal message of gratitude written for them inside

The favorite moment of the day was definitely the reception, where we both got to relax, kick up our feet, forget about all the worries and being able to just enjoy the evening with our amazing guests.

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, we had wedding cheese cake (which was difficult to source in Havana anyways); 16 different types of artisanal cheeses weighing around 6 kilos, made in a small cheese shop in Philip’s hometown in the North of Sweden and carried all the way over to Havana for us all to enjoy.

The one thing that will remain most special to us is to see all our family and friends closest to us gathered from around the world in one place together. It was truly overwhelming to see everyone representing a part of our lives in Havana for the wedding. It was spectacular.

From Matt Kennedy Photography…It was such an honor to travel to Cuba to photograph Christine and Philip’s beautiful wedding. They both have so much connection with Cuba from their travels, and their desire to share that with their friends and family was so apparent. They worked tirelessly to arrange everyone’s travel and accommodations in a very difficult country to communicate with from a distance. It was a pleasure to see such warm and inviting people from all over the world, come together to support such a great couple.

Their wedding was impeccable, and perfectly planned from beginning to end of the entire week. The details that they had worked on, and the special things they did to treat their guests like royalty were incredible. One of my favorites was the specially made cocktails by one of their groomsmen who is a cocktail genius in the food and beverage industry in Dubai, it was a great personal touch. Christine was glowing in her Monique LHuillier dress, and Philip didn’t look too bad himself! Everything was just such a joy to photograph and really be a part of.

Photography: Matt Kennedy | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Ceremony Venue: Hotel Nacional | Reception Venue: Hotel Saratoga | Decor: AIRE DE FIESTA

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Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier Bridal Fall 2015

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Fall 2015

Spring 2016

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Much of the pretty we share on this little ‘ole blog are soirees with a whole lot of planning behind them. Fetes packed with detail upon detail that we find ourselves swooning over on the daily. But this surf-loving surprise elopement from A Brit & A Blonde? It’s raw and beautiful and we couldn’t love it more if we tried. With a bit of help from Malpais Green Weddings, this sweet Groom surprised his beachy Bride with a proposal AND an elopement on their Malpais getaway. Intrigued yet? See the rest right here!

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From A Brit & A Blonde… We are super lucky to be a part of so many couples big day. But I think nothing could have prepared me for perhaps the most romantic and sweet surprise elopement ever. Jens & Cece are from Germany – they both adore snowboarding when home but their heart really lies with surfing. So there is no surprise that they love, love, love Malpais in Costa Rica – a total mecca for surfers. Jens & Cece have been together for quite a few years and are quite non-traditional – they knew that a big blowout wedding with a ton of people was just not for them. They were down here in Costa Rica for a fun surf vacay. But Jens had other plans! He was planning on proposing to Cece here and then to elope. Literally a few days before the elopement date that he had in mind – he asked her. She said YES! Since Cece only had a couple of days notice – there was no time to go get a dress and the whole thing – which isn’t even her style – so for her I do’s she wore a bikini top and a fun white skirt she found in one of the stores in Malpais. And then she changed into another simple beachy dress she found here for sunset cocktails and dinner. Jens had got in touch with Malpais Green Weddings a few weeks before he popped the question – to have some wedding experts help him create the perfect day. Myriam and Lisa are amazing at what they do – and created a truly magical ceremony and dinner for two beachside of course. The planners knew the perfect spot that was right on the beach and private. The couple went surfing in the morning and then got married in the afternoon. A most perfect day for these two! And it just goes to show that you don’t need to have a ton of bells and whistles to have a gorgeous and magical day. Their day was simple, sweet and unbelievably romantic.

Photography: A Brit & A Blonde | Wedding Planner: Malpais Green Weddings | Ceremony Venue: Private Residence In Malpais

Saturdays are pretty amazing, but when you throw in a meet and greet with RebeccaMarie Photography, it takes it to an entirely new level of awesome. I’m talking an entire day devoted to gorgeous imagery that just so happens to be overflowing with love, emotion and, of course, pretty. Spend some time getting to know her, lovelies… and don’t forget to check out her sweet discount below.

From RebeccaMarie Photography… RebeccaMarie started learning about photography at the age of fifteen and excelled from there working alongside some of the best in the business, since 2004. Destination travel is a deep passion of hers and so is love. RebeccaMarie believes in combining the two, to capture your love story and has had the opportunity to travel internationally throughout her career.

RebeccaMarie Photography has been published numerous times together with her international friend Isabelle Kline Design, producing beauty through each image. Her style has been known to be organic, vintage, ethereal and romantic. A lover of travel and meeting new people.

Check out RebeccaMarie on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Discount! RebeccaMarie Photography is offering a $500 print credit to all couples that book in the month of June and July and reference this SMP welcome post.

Intimate Costa Rica Wedding at Reserva Conchal Resort

Intimate weddings never fail to make me stop and stay awhile, particularly when it just happens to be as stunning as this Costa Rica wedding planned by Tropical Occasions. It’s simply overflowing with a whole lot of lovely and a whole lot of love, making this gallery from Emily Elizabeth Photo just magic.

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Romantic Costa Rica Wedding at Reserva Conchal Beach Club

From Emily Elizabeth Photo…Chris and Lori’s wedding was a small intimate family affair on the beach in Costa Rica. It was at the end of the rainy season, and down poured on our drive to the ceremony, but cleared up just in time and ended up a perfectly beautiful day.

From The Bride…Chris and I both grew up in beach towns in different countries. So a beach wedding was created to bring two ocean cultures together. Our families and friends enjoy learning about new places and cultures so we thought that Costa Rica was the perfect location for everyone to join us from abroad. By gathering images and ideas and communicating with our wedding planners, Jaime and Aimee from Tropical Occasions, we were able to narrow down the feel we were searching for. We were inspired by colors and textures of the beach. The style was meant to be kept simple, fresh and soft since it’s a smaller intimate wedding. We kept the glasswear in the blue/green color palettes which echo back the theme of the ocean. The wedding planner worked with a local florist to provide flowers and bouquets in the same soft color palette. All of this fit perfectly together thanks to the efforts of so many people and the contributions from everyone we know.

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From the second I laid eyes on this stunner of a wedding, I knew I was going to be in love. Like, the obsessed kind of love. Where I pick apart each and every layer and find myself falling harder and harder. It started with the Happy Menocal invitations and then every detail after planned by Fournineteen Weddings continued to take my breath away. So it goes with out saying that this gallery from Margaux Gamble? It’s beyond.

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From Fournineteen Weddings…From the moment I first met Adriana, I knew that this wedding was going to be a stunner. She had a very clear vision of what she wanted, and with her awesome style and keen eye for lovely details (plus the love that just radiated from both of them), I knew it wold be a really special day. Adriana is Costa Rican, and of course, she wanted to get married in her country. Adriana & Eric chose a lovely beachfront venue, so that the wedding would be a destination wedding for Costa Rican guests as well, making everyone feel the relaxed vibe that beach weddings offer. One of the most important things for the couple was to have a laid back, romantic affair, and have their guests feel involved with every part of the celebration. The setting, the decor, and the beautiful ocean front ceremony were just the beginning… I will say no more, and let Adriana tell you the rest!

From the Bride…Eric and I met and live in New York, but wanted to have our wedding at the beach in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Costa Rica is my home country and we had spent several New Year’s in Guanacaste before we got engaged, so the place had a special meaning to us as a couple. We knew this would be the perfect spot to have our wedding; not only a gorgeous setting; but a laid-back and truly enjoyable place to be.

We wanted to focus our special day on making our guests feel welcome and involved in the event. The guests were greeted with fresh coconut water served in coconuts as they entered the venue. Also, during the ceremony we gave them wands with bells and ribbons for them to wave during the first kiss.

After the dinner and speeches, we took everyone to the beach to light sky lanterns. We had so much fun watching the lanterns fly into the sky, narrowly avoiding trees and the guests themselves. I was happy to see everyone laughing, interacting with each other, and truly being part of the celebration. Afterwards, the guests were given giant sparklers and lined themselves up in two long rows facing each other. The sparklers were lit, creating a sparkling bridge for my husband and I to duck under as we made our way to the dance floor for our first dance.

The sky lanterns and sparklers set the tone for a spontaneous and memorable night. The other highlights included the groomsmen changing into matching swimwear, dancing around the party, and then jumping into the pool like synchronized swimmers. This was not to be outdone by my friend Gio who performed an outrageous strip tease to a Lady Gaga song after catching the garter.

Design and Details: Happy Menocal designed our invitation, watercolor fonts and wedding crest. Our crest has a macaw, orchids and coffee plants symbolizing Costa Rica (my home country) and a coyote, chili peppers and a yucca flower symbolizing New Mexico (Eric’s home state). We used the macaw and coyote as a theme throughout the wedding. In addition to the invitations, it was included on our save the dates, thank-you notes, cake toppers, and on special foam hats that we wore during the party.

Other details were harder to find in the small town where we had the wedding, so almost every detail, except for the beautiful flowers and lighting, was a DIY project. I bought mismatched colored glasses at the flea market for the flowers, made the linen runners, and designed the “Love Boat” photo booth, the various signs, wooden accent boxes, and the seating chart frame, I also bought straws, umbrellas, and pom-poms on Etsy. My dad designed the structure surrounding the dance floor and my mom made the cake.

The day of the wedding was such an unforgettable day because Eric was the person standing at the end of the aisle (and he looked so cute!). On top of that, the event was truly my dream wedding full of personalized details, yummy desserts and beautiful flowers. Lastly, I like to believe our guests knew what an essential component they had been to the event as they joined us on the dance floor until late into the night…

Romantic Guatemala Wedding at San Jose El Viejo

If I’m being honest, Guatemala has never really been on my radar as a vacation destination. But this beautiful wedding made me realize that, well… I’m basically crazy. Because any locale as stunning as this is one I need to visit sooner, rather than later. And tying the knot with my honey amongst the breathtaking backdrops and amazing ruins? Even better. See it all captured by Stacy Able right here.

And an amazing film from Katie Destry? Yes, please.

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From the Bride… I knew that I wanted to have our wedding in San Jose el Viejo when Chris and I first drove by the ruins together. An event was going on there and it was so beautiful. After we got engaged we went for a site visit to reserve it. Addy’s Florales was there doing an event that day. We met Beatriz, the florist and decided to go with them after seeing their designs and creativity within the ruins. I wanted really simple and elegant colors to not distract from the beauty of the ruins. I chose cream and gold with accents of purple. Beatriz from Addy’s Florales and Maya from Hotel Antigua were both awesome with seeing the vision of simple elegance.

One of my favorite moments was my dad’s speech followed by our dance. Chris and I also both loved that Ignacio from Buena vista social club was able to play. We love his music and have enjoyed getting to know him and hear stories about Cuba and his past. He is so talented and we were really blessed to have him share in our day. I loved riding to the ceremony in Tuk Tuks. I think the bridesmaids loved it as well.

From Stacy Able Photography… When Kamille and Chris emailed me about shooting their wedding I was ecstatic. Being the adorable pair met in the Peace Corps in Guatemala, it was only fitting their wedding was to take place in Guatemala. Thankfully, with me shooting digital and Katie filming we were able to be a part of their celebration and were super excited.

Chris and Kamille’s wedding day was a mild 70-degree day with a few clouds hovering over the volcano which overlooks Antigua. The Porta Hotel near the San Jose el Viejo was the perfect backdrop for the bridesmaids and bride to get ready. A Tuk Tuk (mini Guatemalan taxi) ride away was the ceremony, where Chris and groomsman and guests were playing corn holl. After the I do’s, Katie and I had the bridal party and newlyweds stroll through the cobblestone 15th century streets for photos and such. Then, the sun set and it was time for the reception at the San Jose el Viejo which was elegantly lit with candles.

Believe me, this Destination wedding at San Jose el Viego in Antigua, Gutemala wedding was as awesome as it sounds! Chris and Kamille, it was so much fun and thank for putting up with Katie and I’s exuberance in photo/video taking. It was so wonderful getting to know you both and we look forward to seeing you guys again in the future.

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Casual Costa Rica Wedding at Villa Marrakech

A casual beach fete in Costa Rica, surrounded by lush greens and white sands might just be the epitome of a dream destination wedding. With Villa Marrakech as the Moroccan-inspired backdrop, beachy white blooms by Tropical Occasions and image upon pretty image from Margaux Photography, there’s a whole gallery full of relaxed romance right here!

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Purple Costa Rica Destination Wedding

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From the Bride and Groom… Jared and I reside in Newport, Rhode Island with our 11 month old daughter, Emelia and our dog, Lucas. We LOVE living at the beach, going for hikes, drinking coffee, lazy Sunday mornings and cozying up with a good book. We are also lovers of travel and often retreat from our seaside sanctuary in New England for extended periods. It was during our first trip to Playa Langosta, Costa Rica when we fell madly and deeply in love with both the country and one another. Playa Langosta has since held a very special place in our hearts.

We had hoped to find a Moroccan inspired villa to host our wedding at as this would best express our own personal style. Upon discovering Villa Marrakech we were beyond thrilled – it was the perfect location! Our wedding was very intimate with just our closest family and friends in attendance. This allowed for a wonderfully relaxed and romantic atmosphere.

We began the morning with a group yoga class at Villa Marrakech. This was the perfect way to start our big day! Later, our guests joined us on the beach for our unique Buddhist inspired ceremony just before sunset. Our ceremony was very special to the two of us as it included a number of Buddhist prayers, a hand-washing ritual, our exchange of personal vows, exchange of rings (Jared’s ring was designed and made by his dad!), etc.

Following an amazing dinner, we enjoyed a spectacular show put on by a group of fire dancers. The night ended with the bride, groom and all guests jumping in the pool – wedding gown and all!

There is a special smile that we reserve for the destination wedding. It’s a little more relaxed, a little more happy, and with weddings like this one in Costa Rica from Four Nineteen Weddings and Artflower, can you blame us? Stories Wedding Photography has seriously taken the edge of this particular Tuesday and I’d be willing to bet you’ll be joining more than a few SMPers in the gallery today!

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Costa Rica Destination Wedding

From Four Nineteen Weddings… Tracy & Jeff’s decision to get married in Costa Rica seemed logical when they decided to have a destination wedding, as Jeff’s family has businesses in Costa Rica. They wanted to have all their family and close friends join them for a super fun wedding weekend which culminated with their wedding at the gorgeous Playa Prieta Beach Club in Peninsula Papagayo.

I must say I loved this wedding! Tracy was super relaxed and allowed me and the awesome florists at Artflower to take over the design of the wedding provided we did two things: use purple flowers and go with a simple design that showcased the natural beauty of the venue, which is, quite possibly, one of the most beautiful beachfront venues in Costa Rica.

Even though the date they chose was at the end of the rainy season, and we could have had some rain, the weather was absolutely fantastic, and the beachfront ceremony under the trees was perfect, with the trees providing shade for the guests and an unparalleled view of the secluded Playa Prieta. They wanted a bit of decoration at the altar, and in her inspiration boards I saw a lot of capiz shell curtains, so we went a simple bamboo arch with fabric and flowers, and added some capiz shell strings. Mason jars with purple and green flowers were placed on the aisle chairs for a bit of extra decor without going over the top. Cocktails followed, and guests mingled in the beach club’s cocktail bar and enjoyed the beach and the sunset (along with some delicious appetizers!). The reception was held by the pool, and we used the venue’s natural wood top tables which added to the uncluttered feel that Tracy & Jeff wanted. The centrepieces, a mix of flowers and succulents in natural wood boxes, had some green added in to compliment the venue’s place setting. Tracy was in charge of the cutest DIY elements, my favourite being the seating chart, which were seashells hand printed with the guests seating assignments, which we then placed on a bed of hydrangeas. She also made the table numbers (numbers painted on burlap) and printed the menus herself.

Another thing that was a must for this fun couple: they wanted guest to dance the night away. After dinner was done, the band came back with lots of latin music, and everyone was on the dance floor until it was time to head back to the hotel!

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Everything you need to know about this wedding is wrapped up in that ceremony arch. It’s structural and strong, like the groom, yet organic and playful, as is the bride. And it’s something worthy of your every swoon. Four Winds Weddings designed and planned a beautiful day, which was captured as only A Brit & A Blonde can, and lucky for you it’s all right here!

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Costa Rica Destination Wedding

From the designer… Jennifer and Jean-Pierre live in Austin, Texas. They wanted a destination wedding for their big day and chose Playa Langosta in Costa Rica to say their I do’s. Jean-Pierre is an architect and loves clean lines and modern minimalistic decor. Jennifer wanted organic designs with a bright, modern color palate. In order to fuse the two slightly diverging design visions, we decided to incorporate bold architectural design elements and soften them with organic accents. For the wedding altar, we used a oversized dark wooden structure and softened it with asymmetrical jungle foliage. Guests were seated on super modern acrylic ghost chairs.

For the table designs, we opted to incorporate modern asymmetrical ceramic vases with soft and abundant floral designs. In addition, we incorporated a collection of small salvaged bottles with monochromatic petite bouquets to further complete the oversized tablescape. The tables that we chose also fused the two design styles as they had a modern/minimalistic base with an organic, solid Guanacaste wooded top.

Jennifer’s bouquet contained blown roses (peach, coral and white), Stargazer lily, succulents, pink ginger, and dianthus,

That yummy blue drink they called the Penny Colada (after their dog!)- It contained rum, blue curaçao, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice and was served up during cocktails.

The speciality handmaid vodka, Tito’s, came from Austin, Texas. It acted as their wedding favor for their guests. And was a nice surprise for their austin guests to see and a feeling of home.

During the design brainstorming phase, Jennifer pinned a vintage marquee sign that we just fell in love with. Since we weren’t able to source this here in Costa Rica, we decided to DIY the sign. This, for us, was one of the highlights of the overall event design. Our goal with Four Winds Weddings & Events has always been to create events that embody the uniqueness of the couples that we work with while simultaneously challenging us as event designers.

This sweet couple couldn’t be cuter if they tried. With seriously contagious smiles and one killer Costa Rica wedding – boho chic meets sand between your toes – you better believe the full gallery is the best place to be. See if all through the lovely lens of A Brit & A Blonde right here!

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Travel Themed Costa Rica Wedding

From A Brit & A Blonde… We kinda think this is the perfect small destination wedding – such great style and simplicity. Although Nicolle and Brandon are both from the US, they actually met while taking spanish classes in Costa Rica. They fell in love and knew that they wanted to say their I do’s where it all began back in Tamarindo. They had a super sweet wedding with 10 guests. Very intimate and very touching. Nicolle bucked the trend and wore an incredibly adorable boho chic wedding dress from BHLDN.

Her colourful bouquet gave their beach wedding that lil’ pop of colour. Along with the fun “yea!” celebration streamers in orange that guests were handed out. Sueno Del Mar was such a perfect spot with its gorgeous beach front and bohemian design. The couple and guests were then serenaded by fab local musicians on the beach at Play Langosta while sipping champagne and watching the sun set. Bliss!

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A Brit and a Blonde. You have my dream job. Hanging out in gorgeous Costa Rica, photographing amazing couples like these two, and dancing your nights away at the most amazing weddings, especially those planned by Weddings Costa Rica. You are living the life!

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From the photographer… Adeela & Tim live in Minneapolis but chose to say their I do’s in oh so romantic Costa Rica on the beach. Their day was inspired by the soft colours of seaglass and the seaside for her wedding palette as well as her and Tim’s love of travel. The ceremony decor featured an altar made of branches and lightly decorated with orchid buds. A handwoven rattan runner, edged with white rose petals, bamboo chairs and bunches of orchid stems with leaves and ribbons were the perfect setting for a rustic ceremony on the beach. Colourful parasols kept guests shaded from the sun and added a fun punch of colour. The reception decor featured light grey linen tablecloths, glass chargers with bits of seaglass underneath (love that! Added such a cool touch), napkins in light blue and light pink, white orchids suspended in water with floating candles and elegant Paris chairs. The overall effect was one of relaxed elegance. Dining and dancing was around the pool under a ceiling of twinkle lights and paper lanterns.

We absolutely adored the little custom notebooks that were on each of the tables: “To be read on our 1st anniversary”, “To be read on our 5th anniversary”… Guests could right words of wisdom to the couple and they would have something magical and special to read over the next 10 years.

Travel was the theme of the celebration from the outset with their invitations reminiscent of an old Costa Rican passport and airline boarding passes. At the wedding, the guestbook table featured an antique globe, vintage suitcases and a giant map board with seating cards resembling old-time luggage tags. Tables were named after locations near and dear to Adeela and Tim’s hearts. Each table name was written in an old typewriter font and framed with an old map.

Honouring her heritage, Adeela wore a gorgeous traditional Pakistani bridal outfit of shalwar kameez and dupatta. Her maids also word custom-made shalwar kameez in different colours of her wedding palette. Timothy and his groomsmen looked very dapper in linen suits.

Costa Rica Wedding

This is what happens when the laid-back awesomeness of Costa Rica and an uber-elegant party meet. Pure, unadulterated pretty with some of the most beautiful details you will ever see. I’m talking a stunning (and I mean stunning) Lazaro gown, cool silver and green hues and breathtaking scenery every which way you turn. Oh, and an entire gallery of pretty captured by A Brit & A Blonde? It’s sooo good. Click here for more.

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From A Brit & A Blonde… Chris and Lauren live in NYC and chose Costa Rica as their tropical destination wedding, but that doesn’t mean their wedding was any less formal. The stunning neutral color scheme of silver and white set the tone for this upscale jungle wedding, complete with with macaws and toucans arriving just in time for the ceremony. Chris and Lauren tied the knot high atop a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. They had selected Nosara which is an off the beaten path spot in Costa Rica to say their I do’s. Nosara is a haven for those who love to surf or do yoga and to get out of any touristy feeling places. We really adored the personal touches the couple made – like including a fun directions sign for all the places there guests had come from and indicted the distance they had travelled. The bamboo arbor was festooned with white day lilies, hanging orchids and crystals that were repeated in the clear acrylic chairs, crystal charges and table arrangements. The bride carried a bouquet of white day and calla lilies. Her attendants carried white calla lilies. And the super fun signature cocktail that was hand painted on a piece of driftwood found on the beach in Nosara – the Perezoso Peligroso which is spanish for the Dangerous Sloth. The sloth is a super adorable and very slow moving animal from Costa Rica – hardly dangerous at all. But so fun to say in spanish Perezoso Peligroso!

We are in love with Lauren’s wedding dress. Who says that just because you are having a destination wedding, your dress needs to be simple. She went all out and she looked gorgeous. That train! Stunning.

At sunset lanterns came on overhead and candlelight added to the fairytale magic. A dessert bar of all things chocolate took the place of a traditional wedding cake and wish lanterns were released just as the moon made its appearance.

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Costa Rica Wedding from Chris Bailey Photography

A holiday weekend in paradise overflowing with fun-filled activities and lounging on the beach – this, my friends, is exactly what a destination wedding should be. An intimate celebration with your nearest and dearest, all capped off with a drop-dead gorgeous party. It’s the perfect way to say “I do”… made even more perfect with an entire gallery of lovely captured by Chris Bailey Photography. Join me there for so much more.

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Papagayo, Costa Rica at the Four Seasons, rehearsal on Playa Blanca, ceremony on the Four Seasons lawn, set off wish lanterns on beach after the ceremony for good luck, only immediate family.

Brittany Sakowitz (founder of NewfortheNight.com) and Kevin Kushner, Houston residents, escaped to Costa Rica with immediate family over Thanksgiving holiday to get married. The family stayed at the Four Seasons Papagayo where they zip lined, played volleyball and hiked through the rainforest leading up to the wedding weekend. Chris Bailey, from Houston, joined the event to photograph and the bride’s brother-in-law, Evan Miller, took the video.

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It pretty much goes without saying: Costa Rica weddings rock. They just so happen to be the perfect mix of fun-filled and totally dreamy, and when it comes to planning that perfect Big Day, there’s just no better partner than Four Nineteen Weddings. This fabulous team of event designers and planners who won’t miss a single detail… and will most definitely turn your dream day into an absolute reality. Spend your day getting to know them, lovelies… and see exactly what I mean.

From Four Nineteen Weddings… Dreaming of a destination wedding in Costa Rica? Four Nineteen Weddings is just right for you! A boutique wedding design and planning firm specializing in creating lovely weddings in the gorgeous beaches, mountains and rivers of Costa Rica, our goal is to make your wedding day stress free. Planning from afar doesn’t have to be complicated and with our team of professional vendors, we make sure that you feel like a guest at your own wedding. We try to stay away from the conventional, always looking out for new ceremony sites, different reception locations and cool local ideas, to make sure that each wedding is a reflection of each couple, and has just the right amount of the tropical, lush and colourful Costa Rica feel. We love what we do and we want you to come to Costa Rica and celebrate with us!

And don’t forget – we offering a 10% off on planning fees to couples that let us know they found us on SMP!

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Photography: Sergio Pucci + Sylvia Guardia | Event Planning & Design: Four Nineteen Weddings | Rentals: D’Gala Events + Oceano Rentals | Floral Design: Artflower

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Welcome to the family, Four Nineteen Weddings! We are so happy to have you! xo

Rustic El Salvadorian Inspiration from Twenty Twenty Studios + A&B Creative

I know I don’t have to tell you this, but I’ve been spending my fair share of time daydreaming of my next big vacation, and this year I am a little bit antsier than most. I’m blaming it all on the fabulous inspiration literally overflowing from right here on SMP Destination, like this crazy gorgeous photo shoot straight from the heart of the beautiful El Salvador. A rustic meets organic take on all things tropical, it’s a master class in some serious pretty with A & B Creative and Twenty Twenty Studios behind all of the magic you see. See it all in the full gallery.

And a beautiful film from Twenty Twenty Studios for even more pretty…

From A&B Creative… I wanted to create a shoot that wasn’t like other typical tropical weddings that couples may see that are hyper-saturated in bright tropical colors and instead create one that felt more in tune with the property we were on: earthy, organic and timeless.

As soon as the gates to Casa Curry open you know you’re entering a special venue. It feels like somewhere you never could have known existed, while feeling like home at the same time. The couple who owns the property, which is also a coffee plantation, has been growing the most incredible gardens on the property for over a decade and it shows. Nearly every plant (and all the grass!) you see was planted by them and they’ve designed an Eden-like oasis amongst the volcanos in the mountains of El Salvador.

I wanted to design an inspiration shoot that highlighted this magical property, all of the flowers and succulents featured were found on the property and the coffee in the bar was grown and harvested there as well! My goal for this shoot was to create a design that showed a different type of look for a destination wedding and venue. It’s not a beachside location, but it’s clearly still tropical. The design + styling displays its rustic mountain surroundings and is influenced with the gorgeous natural beauty of the area. I tried to infuse the designs with the area whenever possible: the stencil for the bride & groom’s chairs is the same one they use on the coffee bags they ship, the succulents are grown on the property, the mandarins used in the chandelier are also from the venue, tiles seen on the property and in the nearby town are mirrored in the escort and place cards as well as the coffee bar signage. All of the craving inducing food is local too: the cake, pupusas, quesadilla from the coffee bar (that they eat with/dipped in coffee), as well as the pilsner, cola champagne, fruit and chocolat from the welcome basket.

I completely fell in love with El Salvador while we were there and something incredibly special that happened since we got back was that our bride, Melissa, got engaged and is going to be getting married at the venue next spring!

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Costa Rica Wedding from A Brit & A Blonde and Four Winds Weddings & Events

You know why I love A Brit & A Blonde? Well, other than the fact that they are two of the sweetest photogs you will ever meet? They are crazy talented. In a way that kind of takes your breath away. So, when this glorious Costa Rica wedding made its way into my inbox, it was akin to Christmas morning. Because this is a gift that not only features drop-dead gorgeous imagery, but a seriously stunning duo and the beyond beautiful stylings from Four Winds Weddings & Events. See every last amazing moment in the full gallery.

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