Central America Weddings

Who would have thought when you logged into Style Me Pretty this morning that you’d be spending your day in Costa Rica? When Ale Sura Photography sent over a phenom, colorful Costa Rican wedding, I knew I just had to share it with all my favorite LBBers. Seriously, this wedding is so amazing, from the soft rosy glow encompassing the whole day to the fantastically bright and delicious looking candy buffet. And of course, every detail in between. I am so going to shut off my phone for a little while and spend some time imagining I’m at this wedding – complete with the warm Costa Rican weather, and the company of that gorgeous bride and her yummy groom. Good thing there is even more in the full image gallery!

Rich and I have always been an extroverted couple and with very different tastes. When we got engaged, we knew that our wedding had to show our personalities and our life style. Our parents had a little trouble trying to understand our taste for colors and decoration since they were used to the traditional white-and-silver wedding. However, they accepted our ideas and… we got down into business!

We believe that when God brings two people together, He takes care of every little detail, and that happened with our wedding.  We knew that we wanted an colorful, outdoor wedding in the morning. The flowers and the paper lamps were simple but elegant. The candy bar was our main challenge, but with our friends’ help,  we had it perfect! The cake (the cherry on top) had to reflect our personalities.  Rich is a drummer, and I have always admired his passion to play the drums, so we decided to have a fun and personal cake topper. We loved how it looked at the end!

Finally, one of the biggest decisions: pictures! They’re the memories of unique moments in life, so it was necessary to hire someone who knows how to capture what’s behind the wedding…  love, emotions, and the best feelings in that special day! Ale Sura was perfect.

Photography: Ale Sura Photo / Flowers: Plantas y Asesores / Ceremony and Reception Location: La Rivera de Belén, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Big props to this groom who took his bride’s vision of her dream wedding, planned every last detail and turned it into a beautiful reality.  A beautiful and romantic reality on a breathtaking beach in Costa Rica no less!  They exchanged their intimate, love-filled, barefoot vows with only the photography dream team of A Brit & A Blonde as witnesses.  The majestic centerpiece of the wedding was the dreamy bed set on a sandy floor with a flowing, white canopy creating a fairytale spot for the two newlyweds.  Take a break and relax in the full gallery to see it all! Come back this afternoon to see their day-after trash the dress session!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From A Brit & A Blonde… Dustin and Terri may have only met less then a year ago, but to be around them you would swear that two people could not go together any better. They both hail from sunny Florida but chose Santa Teresa, Costa Rica (AKA the best beach in all of Central and South America) as the romantic backdrop for their elopement. Although both Dustin and Terri have kids from previous marriages, and friends and family who undoubtedly wanted to be there – they were focused right from the start to make it about the two of them. They wanted to forego the show, or any obligatory large scale celebration. They wanted to tune out all the distractions of the world and enjoy each other.

Terri came up with the whole vision of what she wanted her big day to be and in a role reversal that I think should become a new trend, it was Dustin’s gift to her that he took the reigns of the planning over to make sure she got exactly what she wanted and brought her ideas to life. One of the big items on Terri’s wish list was a bed brought out onto the beach with beautiful, white fabric flowing in the wind. Dustin pulled out all the stops and truly created a paradise fairytale: tiki torches, gorgeous flowing fabric on the bed posts, a bonfire, a secluded part of the beach. Dustin created sand pails with their names on them – so they could build sand castles together and feel like kids again. Technically, they had gotten married in Florida before arriving in Costa Rica – so that they could simply read out their own vows to each other, under a lovely little canopy overlooking the ocean – without any officiant. Their vows were truly from the heart and had us – the photographers weeping behind our cameras the whole time.

Photography: A Brit & A Blonde / Bride’s Gown: Galina / Groom’s Attire: Calvin Klein +  Perry Ellis

You can’t complain when you start your Monday in sunny Costa Rica, and that’s exactly how we are going to kick off your morning thanks to the Costa Rican photography talents of Comfort Studio and event planing gurus of Tropical Occasions. With a barefoot wedding ceremony, a star-in-the-making ring bearer (who happens to be the couple’s stylish son), and a surprise fire dancer performance – I would have to say this week of weddings is off to a pretty great start. It doesn’t have to stop there, there is so much more to help brighten your day in the full gallery.

click here for more Costa Rica!

Alex and Eric sacrificed no glamor or elegance when planning their destination wedding in Costa Rica.  Tropical Occasions did an amazing job translating their vision.  Their beach ceremony was emotional and heartfelt and they included their son, Xavier, in the ceremony.  The wedding was small and intimate with less than 30 guests, but they all had a blast, and the bride and groom surprised their guests at the end of the night with a performance by a couple of local fire dancers.  The event was gorgeous, sweet, and stylish, perfectly fitting the couple.

Photography: Julie Comfort of Comfort Studio / Flowers: Stylos y Flores / Event Design and Planning: Tropical Occasions / Ceremony Location: Playitas Beach, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica / Reception Location: Casa Fantastica, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica / Rentals: Costa Mesa / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Dress: Jacquelin Bridal / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: BCBG Max Azari / Cake: Chelsea Baldson of Mariposa

What afternoon would be complete without a total fairy tale shot by the fabulous Corbin Gurkin? These Antigua nuptials are the definition of dream wedding where 17th century ruins played backdrop and the coolest Guatemalan traditions were lovingly woven into this destination affair. Talk about one heck of a gorgeous city. See all the dreamy details in the gallery.

see the rest of this destination beauty here!

James and I love to travel. He proposed to me in Eze, a little medieval village on the French Rivera. So we knew we wanted a destination wedding. We were also working with a limited budget and although we wanted a small intimate group, we still wanted the location to be close enough that flight times or costs would not inhibit our guests. We also wanted it to be a place that would be a real change, an adventure to a place our friends and family might not otherwise venture. Our search first began with Mexico but the places were either too expensive or americanized. Then it was Nicaragua. However, the logistics proved a little too daunting and the options were very limited. Finally, while randomly surfing the Internet I stumbled upon the UNSECO World Heritage Site of Antigua Guatemala. The exquisite Spanish colonial architecture of this little town nestled in a beautiful valley beneath three volcanoes took my breath away. The next thing you know we had booked our trip for, of all times, Semana Santa (Easter/holy week).

James and I spent the week enjoying the festival and the city. The colorful alfombras that each house lovingly creates for the procession are something to be seen at least once in your life (we had one created at the entrance of our reception). In a few short days we met many friends who have been close to us ever since. One very special friend, Anne Thornton, threw our rehearsal dinner for us at her wonderful home in Antigua. We spent the summer before our wedding there planning, studying Spanish, and making even more friends. It has become our second home. We can not wait to go back for our first anniversary.

Photography: Corbin Gurkin Photography / Venue: Casa Blancas and San Jose El Viejo / Wedding Planner: Catherine Doctor / Florals: Edgar Chay / Caterer: Hotel Grand Tikal Futura / Welcome Package: D.I.Y by the bride

When Candice sent me this fabulous wedding shoot, she said, “This is by far, the most amazing shoot we have ever done!!!” The team was brought down by Los Suenos Resort, a little piece of heaven right on the beaches of Costa Rica, with the hopes that you style savvy girls who are looking for the perfect destination spot would fall head over heels for this little resort.Well that is exactly what I have done thanks to this gorgeous shoot and lucky for us, we now get to see the story really come to life…with Buzz Media’s incredible vignette. You are seriously going to die when you see this.

Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica from Buzz Media Company on Vimeo.

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Event Design & Planning: Jubilee Events / Model Styling & Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Cinematography: Buzz Media / Beauty: DD Nickel / Ceremony + Reception Location: Los Suenos Resort, Costa Rica / Furniture & Rentals: Eventos Boadicea / Invitations: Posh Paperie / Shoes: Zappos / Linens: Gala Cloths / Ring Bowl & Ribbon: Paloma’s Nest / Calligraphy: Primele / Jewelry: Ben-Amun / Paper Flower Garlands: Kate’s Paperie

I had a ballroom wedding…a big, beautiful, Boston, ballroom wedding. And it was honestly the most magical day of my life, one that I would never change even a single detail. And yet, if there is one style of wedding that I am always a little jealous of, it’s a perfect seaside affair. A casual, totally laid back beach wedding with a pretty, flowy dress and a perfect flower tucked neatly into a messy, messy bun. There is just something so romantic about the style, something blissfully happy and carefree. So when we opened up this beach inspired shoot from Candice of Jubilee Events, Beth of The White Dress by the Shore, the cute girls at Posh Paperie and the fabulous Carla Ten Eyck (among other fabulous vendors), I kind of squeeled with glee. And I’m pretty sure you will too.

You can click here for even more!

Before our actual shoot happened and was in motion I tried very hard not to have any preconceived ideas as to what I wanted to do or not do. I wanted to wait and see where we ended up- be it the rainforest or the black sand beaches of Playa Hermosa and let my surroundings inspire how I would photograph Michelle and Alejandro. Lucky for me these two were such naturals in front of my camera and so in love – for the most part I let that dictate a lot of the feel that I was going for in my images- and let the story line come naturally. We had a variety of weather that day – and I used it all to help set the tone but really and truly it was Michelle and Alejandro’s clear, obvious love that came through- whether we were shooting in the sun or the bone drenching rain!

My favorite image is from what we all thought would be the end of our shoot for the day- the skies had opened up and everyone scurried about packing the vans, stowing the musicians and instruments- and Michelle and Alejandro had already fled to the top of the beach to leave. I stopped them and, well since they were already soaking wet? I just had them enjoy being with each other, all wet and in fancy clothes! Michelle’s makeup held up PERFECTLY- and everything just jumps out of the frame at you- their skin tones, the drops of water all over them, the way Alejandro’s white linen shirt just clings to him… it’s all natural, real and completely romantic! –From Carla Ten Eyck, photographer

So much of the landscape in Costa Rica is dense and lush with saturated tropical colors and thick, waxy flowers — this beach was the antithesis of that – breezy and simplistic. i knew the florals needed to be a reflection of that. Most exciting to me was having the opportunity to work with new flowers — many that i’d seen only in photographs, still more that i couldn’t even identify! I chose to create bouquets that moved in the wind – a cascade for our bride and a fan bouquet for her maid. The inspiration for the floral jewelry came from the turquoise stones offset with shades of orange and yellow croton foliage and green shampoo ginger. Local fruits became the focus of the florals for our tablescape – melons and oranges simply accented with braided palm fronds. Fan palm provided just the right touch for the chair backs and gorgeous yellow and green flax foliage (clipped from the back yard of our posh accommodations!) accented the large driftwood pieces used to mark our ceremony. My favorite part of this shoot, as always, was the collaboration between the incredible group of artists and visionaries. — From Tony Palmieri of Datura: A Modern Garden

We absolutely loved being a part of this innovative & inspiring shoot – with such an amazingly talented group of people.  Candice is really the one who came up with the inspiration board & colors that she wanted to incorporate. We took her initial storyboard and ran with it! We came up with a fun and funky pattern to use on several of the pieces– and designed an adorable “postcard style” save the date. The mustard yellow and moss green were a perfect combination for all of the paper goods – and the mix of a funky script with a block font made for a clean but fun look. To incorporate the “beachy” aspect, we pulled in shells filled with moss for the placecards to rest in. This was one of our  favorite shoots ever to be a part of! Thanks to the amazing team who made it come to life. — From Elizabeth Seaton of Posh Paperie

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Event Design & Planning: Jubilee Events / Model Styling & Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Cinematography: Buzz Media / Beauty: DD Nickel / Ceremony + Reception Location: Los Suenos Resort, Costa Rica / Furniture & Rentals: Eventos Boadicea / Invitations: Posh Paperie / Shoes: Zappos / Linens: Gala Cloths / Ring Bowl & Ribbon: Paloma’s Nest / Calligraphy: Primele / Jewelry: Ben-Amun / Paper Flower Garlands: Kate’s Paperie

Good morning SMP-ers! Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. We are kicking off the week with the kind of inspiration that will definitely make you a little jealous…right on the beaches of Costa Rica. Designed by some of our favorite vendors on the planet, including Candice of Jubilee Events, Beth of The White Dress by the Shore, the cute girls at Posh Paperie and the fabulous Carla Ten Eyck, this is a shoot right out of wedding heaven. From the beachy, laid back vibe to the design that was literally collected the day of the shoot, (and for anyone that has planned a destination wedding, you know how that is often the case) every little detail of this wedding shoot is total eye candy. Total perfection.

We have more coming up in a bit, but if you simply can’t wait, you can click here for more!

Our inspiration for the shoot came from our real life couple Michelle and Alejandro, who are avid surfers. Costa Rica is known for some of the best surfing in the world and we really wanted to highlight that. We also wanted to do something casual, relaxed, and beach side that captured the easy going and romantic side of our couple. A lot of what we pulled together was simply based on inspiration when we went to set up that day– finding that instinct and intuition of the natural landscape really influenced our design. In our tablescape my favorite, spontaneous elements are the centerpiece of braided fronds, which was the brilliant idea of our floral designer. I also love the paper chargers created by Posh Paperie, that we intermixed with real leaf detailing on the tiffany blue napkins. The hair and fashion was inspired by runway and an anthropolgie catalog we received a few weeks prior. Overall it’s colorful, light, carefree, and playful– much like the beautiful country of Costa Rica. –From Candice of Jubilee Events

The opportunity to work in Costa Rica was a dream come true!  The lush jungles, stunning beaches and rich culture inspired me to keep the attire very natural.  The accessories that we used were made from wood and shell.  We brought in a small touch of sparkle, because every bride needs some! The bridal gown by was by designer Augusta Jones.  I selected it because it had a very organic feel to it. The silk chiffon fabric was perfect for the beach setting and the touch of metallic embroidery at the neckline had an ethnic feel that made it perfect for Costa Rica.  The bride’s jewelry and headband selected for the shoot were by Maria Elena.  Both contained accents of mother of pearl.The bridesmaid was outfitted in a satin yoryu dress by Vineyard Collection.  I loved the vibrancy of the color of the dress, but also the amazing flow that the fabric had.  We accessorized the dress with wooden bangles from ben amun to bring in a natural element. –From Beth Chapman of The White Dress by the Shore

This trip to Costa Rica was so inspirational in too many ways to list!  The hair and makeup was inspired by a combination of the relaxed beach environment, the casualness of the couple, and the gorgeous styling of the event and the bride.  It’s so important as a hair and makeup artist to understand the full vision of an event, so you can create the perfect finishing touches! Beachy, unconstructed waves for the hair really reflected the personality of the day and flowers  tucked in the hair made the perfect accessory. For makeup, rich, vibrant color was the only way to go!  Costa Rica is such a colorful place!  I highlighted the eyes with bold shades of violet and teal and kept the lips soft in shades of pale coral and peach for balance. –From Deanna Nickel of DD Nickel Beauty–From Deanna Nickel of DD Nickel Beauty

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Event Design & Planning: Jubilee Events / Model Styling & Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Cinematography: Buzz Media / Beauty: DD Nickel / Ceremony + Reception Location: Los Suenos Resort, Costa Rica / Furniture & Rentals: Eventos Boadicea / Invitations: Posh Paperie / Shoes: Zappos / Linens: Gala Cloths / Ring Bowl & Ribbon: Paloma’s Nest / Calligraphy: Primele / Jewelry: Ben-Amun / Paper Flower Garlands: Kate’s Paperie

I told you guys we had a day of gorgeousness here. One perfect wedding after another. And this next wedding is total magic. It’s this great combination of modern style and seaside elegance. And the bride is, well. Drop dead gorgeous. Photographed by Julie of Comfort Studio and designed by our own Little Black Book member, Weddings Costa Rica, this wedding is one for the books. And if you love it as much as I do, you can see the full gallery right here.

{click here to see the full wedding}

This was a fresh, modern, multicultural affair.  The bride is from Costa Rica, the groom is from Spain, they met in Madrid, moved to Warsaw, and now live in Hong Kong.  The ceremony was on the beach at sunset at one of the most beautiful and unspoiled beaches in Costa Rica, Mal País.  The reception was at a private beachfront villa and was set up cocktail party style on the lawn with a huge dance floor, two bars, and several lounge areas on either side.  With guests from all over the world and a six-piece band, they partied all night.  It was a fun and festive event unlike any other I have been a part of.

Photography: Comfort Studio / Event Design & Coordination: Weddings Costa Rica / Ceremony & Reception Location: The March House, Mal País, Costa Rica / Dress: Rosa Clará (Spain)

Every once in awhile, I see something that really gets to me. I can’t even really explain it. I guess it’s tremendous awe. Maybe a little bit of envy. But probably it’s a whole lot of hope!

I saw these images sent to us from J. Cogliandro Photography and that’s exactly how I felt. Aarti & Purav’s engagement shoot in Belize …

Here’s what Joe C. had to say about the {3 day, 4 flight, 4 hotel} shoot … beaches, mountains, Mayan ruins and waterfalls ~ an awesome backdrop for Aarti & Purav’s destination engagement session in December!  They will be married in April in Austin …

You’ve gotta’ love Joe’s style!

This next one … I seriously think it needs to hang on the wall in my home! It makes me feel such peace.  It makes me feel the sure and absolute promise of tomorrow. Who doesn’t need to be reminded of that on a daily basis!

Some Serious Beauty. Joe, your work IS awesome!

* * *

Aarti & Purav’s destination engagement session can be seen on Joe’s blog {here}. But if you want the full effect … one of those take your-breath-away-minutes in the middle of the day … click here for the slideshow of the full shoot (be sure you have the sound ON). There are some truly amazing images that you have to see!

* * *

Congratulations Purav & Aarti! We can’t wait to see your wedding!!