Teresa and Robbie are two people who are wonderfully in love and what a joy it was to be a part of their wedding celebrations! A past client of ours, who was a friend of Teresa’s, recommended us to her (thanks so much again, Sandra!!) and we enjoyed every second of getting to know this fun-loving couple. A Brit & A Blonde captured the spirit of the day beautifully – so well that the mothership of wedding blogs, Style Me Pretty featured this elegant affair.

Our colour scheme was plum, magenta, dendrobium green and chocolate brown, inspired by a plaid pillow Teresa had found. When out shoe shopping for her big day, Teresa couldn’t decide which style of Stuart Weitzmans she liked better so she did what any self-respecting shoe lover did – she bought them both! My kinda gal.

Her bridal bouquet was a mix of green dendrobium orchids and white phaleonopsis orchids. Although we’d originally wanted Cymbidium orchids, they were not available so we used the dendrobiums instead, which have the same colour green. Absolutely gorgeous!

I love this photo of Teresa and her mom- the joy is absolutely contagious. The year before the wedding, she’d been diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, she went into remission and was able to see her daughter marry the man she loves so deeply.

They say you can judge a person’s character by the company they keep. Obviously, Robbie is one heckuva funny guy with friends like this! Did you notice the plaid ties? Robbie is mad for all things plaid and the wedding played homage to his tartan tastes, weaving the pattern throughout the decor.

Teresa gifted her lovely maids with clutches that matched her plum-perfect shoes.

Stunning! Zephyr Palace is chock full of little nooks and crannies perfect for jaw-dropping photos like this one.

The ceremony on the terrace of Zephyr Palace incorporated traditions from Robbie’s Filipino heritage, making it deeply personal and heartfelt.

Always thinking of their guests’ comfort, the couple made sure everyone kept their cool by providing these fans, handwoven by an indigenous women’s cooperative (talk about a feel good gift!). The wedding program in their signature colors explained the various traditions in the ceremony, such as the 13 coins and the Godparents.

Cocktail tables featured the same orchids used in Teresa’s bouquet and ribbons in the green and plum colors.

The Champagne Salon at Zephyr Palace is a stunningly gorgeous location for any reception. It was the perfect backdrop for Teresa and Robbie’s elegant decor.

We alternated tall arrangements and low arrangements amongst the eight tables to give visual interest. The plaid pillowcases that were the inspiration for the color scheme were used for the table numbers (each table named after a city with significance to the couple) as well as for the seating cards.

Teresa made all these little seating card holders out of the pillow cases – so crafty!

We tied a ribbon around the napkin to add a pop of color.

Guests were asked to leave a message in a bottle, to be opened on the first anniversary.

Bags of coffee from a small plantation were adorned with a custom-sticker as a thank you gift. Although Robbie is the copywriter, Teresa came up with the tagline ‘Thanks for Bean Here” (cue rim shot).

The three-tiered wedding cake was adored with plum ribbons and green orchids, artistically created out of sugar.

Felicidades again to Teresa and Robbie! May your marriage always be full of fun, laughter and oodles of love.

Kristen and Rodney flew down from chilly Calgary to have a relaxed, beachside wedding at the Tamarindo Diria. To make the wedding uber personal, we wove in elements of their favourite hobbies. Actually, scratch that – these two are SERIOUS about what they do as their pastimes – Kristen has been ranked #2 in the USA for mountain biking and Rodney is climbing all the world’s tallest mountains. Serious stuff. Hence, we brought in cute red bicycles that served as water and beer coolers while the letterpressed menus featured a mountain logo and each table was named after one of the five peaks next on Rodney’s climbing list. Gracias to John Williamson for the photos!

Our colour scheme was bride red with pops of orange, as showcased in the bridal bouquet of red carnations, red gerber daisies, orange lillies, orange Peruvian lillies and white cala lillies.

A detail shot of the handpainted Bride sign with colouful mini-bouquets decorating.

The garden at the Tamarindo Diria was the perfect setting for this relaxed affair. The wedding canopy was a T-shape, with green bamboo poles topped with gauzy white fabric. Bamboo chairs with colourful fans sat under the expanse of the almond trees, in front of the crashing waves. Heavenly!

Amongst the 40+ guests were five children. We love making younger guests feel extra special at weddings so we created play pots for each child, complete with their names handstamped. Each pot was filled with age-appropriate toys, some fun dress up items (who can resist a princess crown?), colouring pages and handmade papier mache stick figures of Costa Rican folk legends, such as the ‘duende’ (elf) featured in this photo. Huge hit with the kids and parents alike.

Kristen and Rodney had a few surprises for the older guests as well – a trio of fire dancers entranced the crowd with their lithe movements and death-defying fire play (don’t try this at home!).

The reception was at the thatched-roof Naxacola restaurant at the Diria, a cozy space overlooking the massive pool. We went for a colour-block look of red tones – red Chiaveri chairs, red runners, red napkins, red ink on the menus, red flowers and red glass votives. Paper lanterns and fairy lights strung overhead created an intimate atmosphere, along with the walls of votive candles (so romantic). The outdoor lounge we created was a favourite spot for guests to relax under the starry sky.

Huge congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs, we wish you every joy! What a blast it was working with you, Kristen – if you ever give up mountain biking, consider a career in comedy!

Traveling to Costa Rica just got easier as United Airlines began direct service on April 13, 2013 to San Jose from Chicago and Washington, in addition to flights from New York and Houston. Good news all around!

I loved this welcome dinner we created last May at the stunning White House in Santa Teresa. We wanted a refined, rustic feel and riffed on the wedding celebration colors of green, yellow and blue (we kept the blue for the rehearsal dinner and brought in all the colors on the wedding day).

We started with a lovely wooden table, added a jute table runner and then layered on chargers painted with chalkboard paint (complete with Buen Provecho! and chalk for guests to create their own mini-masterpieces). Cheery yellow napkins and a craft paper tag tied with twine rounded out the table setting.

Our florist used green and yellow glass vases filled with various orchids and other flowers in yellow and green and votive candles wrapped in leaves. Mahogany Chiaveri chairs with shot green pads complete the look. Huge props to Harper Point for the lovely photos!

It warms the cockles of our hearts when our wedding peers speak highly of us. Thrilling and humbling at the same time. I found this blog post from our friends over at Costa Verde Hotel and wanted to share as it’s not every day one receives such lovely compliments.

Weddings Costa Rica is one of our favorite and mostly highly regarded wedding planners here in Costa Rica.  We are always in awe of the incredible events that they create.  We’re also proud of them for their community efforts – both environmental and humanitarian.  They actually recycle every candle from every wedding!  But, on a more serious note…

Recently on their blog they tackled an extremely important issue that all should take notice of.  We’re sharing it here in an effort to spread awareness about the severity of child marriage.  Our wish is for all children to grow up in their own time and one day have the wedding of their dreams – for love.

Read the full article about ending child marriage here on Weddings Costa Rica.

Thank you for your kind words and for spreading the word about child marriage. Hopefully, this practice will be history soon.

 

A little bit of prettiness to brighten your Friday – a lovely handtied bouquet featuring green dendrobium orchids and white phalaenopsis orchids. Photo by A Brit & A Blonde.

Pop the bubbly – Weddings Costa Rica is a winner of a 2013 Two Bright Lights Editors’ Choice Awards!

The 2013 Two Bright Lights Editors’ Choice Awards is a signature program that recognizes photographers and vendors within the Two Bright Lights community whose number of published features in 2012 placed them among the top 5% of all Two Bright Lights members. Winners were published across many of the most respected lifestyle, wedding and other print and digital publications in the United States and worldwide.

The 2013 honorees reflect those that have demonstrated a superior quality of work for their customers, and those that have used Two Bright Lights’ online platform to quickly and easily get published by submitting their authentic, stunning imagery and services directly to the top industry publications and editors.

Among thousands of photographers and vendors competing for publication, the Editors’ Choice winners represent the best-of-the-best.

photo by Comfort Studio

There is a saying that everything (and everyone) can look great on their website. Entrusting your wedding day to someone else, thousands of miles away, takes a huge leap of faith. As Costa Rica doesn’t have a Wedding Wire or review system of wedding vendors as found in North America, TripAdvisor has become the forum for couples to review their wedding experiences abroad. We at Weddings Costa Rica are very proud of all the excellent reviews we’ve received from clients over the years as we have the best TripAdvisor review standings of all the planners in the country. Knowing clients are so happy with our services they want to tell the rest of the world – well, it’s humbling and immensely gratifying at the same time.

Here are a few from over the years…

jwinquist

Charlotte, North Carolina

Feb 07, 2013, 5:03 PM

We got married at the Hacienda Pinilla Beach Club (Tamarindo) January 19th. We spoke to a few planners, but as soon as I spoke and met with Larissa we knew in she was the one. I sent her pictures and explained our vision and she executed everything exactly how I pictured it. Everything went so smoothly and made my day completely stress free! I didn’t have to worry about a thing!! There was 130 people staying in different houses and she organized transportation for every house and everyone made it on time! That’s a rarity, especially on island time. Friends and family said that was the best wedding they’ve ever been to! Her attention to detail was over the top. She took my breath away. All the vendors she chose for us were great too! She helped with our rehersal dinner as well. I liked how she decorated and created a completely different vibe from the wedding. The guest didn’t feel like they were at the same party 2 nights in a row. I can’t thank her and the staff from Weddings Costa Rica

kittsjl

Vancouver, Canada

“ Wedding Planner Costa Rica ”

Nov 18, 2012, 7:20 PM

Hi all, This isn’t a question so much as some information I wanted to share. I got married in Costa Rica (Manuel Antonio) in November and had Larissa Banting from Weddings Costa Rica plan the wedding, and it was so beautiful and just everything I could have hoped for. We started talking over email and then used Pinterest to share photos and we had decided on 2 photos that were the inspiration for the decor, and Larissa just completely nailed it. Her eye for detail is impeccable, and her presence is person is so calm and collected, and really just added a nice tone to the whole day. I can’t say enough. If you have any questions, please let me know and I’d be happy to give you more insight. With out a doubt though, I’d hire Larissa. And as a side note, I shopped around a bit and spoke to a few other planners, and Larissa’s pricing was very competitive as well.

JulianAndrade

Sacramento, California

Jan 29, 2013, 6:48 PM

After my wife and I decided that we would have a destination wedding in Costa Rica, our fist task was to search for a wedding planner. One of the top sites on our Google search was ‘Weddings Costa Rica’. I was a bit sceptical about sending money to a stranger in a foreign country but after several emails, phone calls and a couple skype sessions, I felt a bit more comfortable. We got to know the very personable and talented Larissa Banting over the next year of planning. Larissa did an amazing job of listening and responding to every question and concern; and due to her many years of experience with the locals she answered questions we didn’t even know to ask. Even when she was busy with another wedding she let us know that she received our message and would return it at her earliest convenience; which she always did with the utmost professionalism. She was very budget conscious and made several changes as we fine tuned the numbers down to the wire. She put us in contact with Latitudes very early on who made all of our and our guests local travel/hotel arrangements. We had 0 complaints out of 30 guests. She recommended Villa Caletas for our venue and we couldn’t have been happier. It was a bit expensive but worth every penny. She and her assistant arrived early and made sure that everything from the rehearsal to the reception went smoothly. She was very upfront, honest, knowledgeable, responsive and professional and I would recommend her to anyone looking for a great destination wedding planner! 5 STARS! Thank you again, Larissa!

Pura Vida!

Julian M. Andrade

missyogini

New York City, New York

May 05, 2011, 6:53 PM

Hello! I was just married in Tamarindo in April! I’d love to offer any input that I can to help you! I planned my entire wedding in just 4 months and called in a wedding planner just shy of 4 weeks before my actual wedding date! We had 27 total people and our group stayed in Tamarindo for 5 days. We’d never been to CR, but we chose Tamarindo because great surf was a requirement of my fiance’s. From there, a friend who got married at the Nibbana Restaurant recommended we look into them as our venue over a resort (better food and more flexibility). I chose to have our group stay at the Hotel Diria as it got good reviews, the pools looked beautiful, it’s footsteps to the beach, and it’s central location in the town. I also wanted my guests to fell comfortable and safe, so I felt that resort lodging would be best. In addition, it worked out that Nibbana Restaurant is right next door to the Diria Resort. Fabien, the owner of Nibbana assured me they could arrange for a DJ, flowers, ceremony seating and private dining space. However, I kind of freaked out last minute because I had a vision of this beautiful beach front wedding and a reception with special details, and I didn’t think a restaurant owner should be responsible for pulling off the vision in my head. Last minute I reached out to Larissa Banting at Weddings Costa Rica. I reached out to others as well, but Larissa was by far the most responsive. Every time I emailed her she responded right away (communication is key when you’re so far away). I can’t say how extremely grateful I am for her! Without her, I probably would have been running around, looking at flowers, buying last minute things, and stressing about how my wedding was going to turn out. Instead I was able to relax with my friends and family the entire time! Larissa and I worked together mostly through email and a phone call or two. All I had to do was describe what I wanted, I sent her a few pics for ideas, and she totally got it! I can honestly say that my wedding was like something out of a magazine. It was a wedding/reception that I dreamed could be mine, but I never thought I could afford it. We had our ceremony on the beach with a big white canopy, mahogany chairs, a guitar trio, sound system for my friend to sing, white rose petals on the isle and many more details. After the wedding, our guests were served appetizers, pineapple mojitos, beer and water while we took pictures. The reception was amazing… we had a private area in the sand. The asian/tropical decor, strings of lights and paper lanterns, amazing cake, great food, guest book tree, a great DJ, our own stage for dancing, and so much more… I could really go on and on! The best decision I made was to use Larissa as my wedding planner. Oh, can I remind you again that she pulled the entire wedding off with less than 4 weeks of planning! Amazing… I can’t say enough about her!!

Christie2011 – Marlton, New Jersey,

Apr 07, 2011, 4:26 PM

First off, congrats on your engagement! This is such an exciting time for you and your fiancé so enjoy every second of it. In regards to a wedding planner in Costa Rica, I HIGHLY recommend Larissa Banting from Weddings Costa Rica – www.weddingscostarica.com or info@weddingscostarica.com I got married February 2011 at Villa Caletas, Zephyr Palace with about 64 guests. She and her crew were absolutely AMAZING. I truly can’t say enough about her. When the officiant who was to marry us got caught in a 2 hour car delay, out of nowhere she lets me know that she is an ordained minister and ended up marrying us! There is nothing that Larissa can’t do!!! She has been planning wedding is Costa Rica for many years and it shows with her well developed relationships with all types of vendors. We put a lot of faith in her recommendations for the location of our rehearsal dinner (Villa Lapas which I highly recommend) and the band, Espresso (amazing!). We are so happy that we trusted her and she definitely didn’t let us down but rather went way over and beyond. If you are looking for a wedding that will “WOW” your guests and be the perfect start to your marriage, send Larissa an email today and let her planning wheels start turning. You will be so happy that you did! Take the stress out of wedding planning and enjoy these months of bliss before your big day

A huge thank you to all of our clients for sharing their experiences working with Weddings Costa Rica! It means so much to us.

It’s not every day that a new wedding magazine launches, so the news that Destination W Magazine is out today was very exciting. Even better is that the cover is graced by Weddings Costa Rica bride Masako! She and groom Chris’ wedding in Dominical (planned by our fabbo planner, Randy Gritz) is featured with lots of wonderful photos by Comfort Studio and super useful tips.

Congratulations to Masako and Chris – wishing you a lifetime of Pura Vida!

 

*drum roll please*

Weddings Costa Rica is thrilled to announce that in addition to being a member of Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book for the 4th year in a row (we were the first Costa Rican vendor to be invited) , a member of the original  A List Top 30 Destination Wedding Planners in the World (Destination Weddings and Honeymoons Magazine) and Junebug Wedding’s World’s Best Planners and Designers…

we have been invited into The Bridal Circle, a concierge service and website that includes only la creme de la creme of the wedding world. It is by invitation only and we’re beyond excited to be alongside such vaunted pros such as Mindy Weiss and Ben Israel Cakes.  More from their site:

The Bridal Circle is the online “go to” exclusive community for couture wedding finds, featuring Creative Partners that provide luxury products and exceptional service.

At The Bridal Circle, we make it our mission to deliver the ultimate experience in luxury wedding concepts. From the moment you say, “Yes!” we make it all about you!  If you are searching for the best of the very best in everything weddings, you have come to the right place. Welcome to The Bridal Circle.

The Bridal Circle connects the world’s most discerning brides to a handful of carefully chosen specialists in the wedding industry on a global level.  All brides want the journey to their wedding day to be an extraordinary experience.  We, at The Bridal Circle, serve as ambassadors for brides who dream of working with preeminent professionals who specialize in working with the luxury bride.

Please take a moment to view our page and maybe, if you’re so inclined, to áppreciate’ us.

It’s been a wonderful 10 years of business and we’re so grateful to be held in such high regard by our clients as well as the wedding community at large. Here’s to another decade of creating events of excellence with incredible clients!