We find unique memories in each place we visit or experience we have. But Costa Rica is a bit more special, because this is where Nick and I were married. We decided on a destination wedding to share our love for travel with those closest to us.
To help us choose a location, and more importantly help with planning, we used DestinationWeddings.com. I had read some reviews about their services, most of them positive, so I gave them a call. Also, if you end up booking your wedding with them, they waive their $50 service fee (a small but welcome budget booster). I expressed my concern for organization and prompt responses, because we knew a fair number of people would attend. So, they hooked us up with one of their top associates. I told her the budget we wanted per guest and that we knew we wanted to get married either in the Caribbean or Central America. Costa Rica quickly became the top choice. After much deliberation for the venue location, we landed on the Occidental Grand Papagayo (an adults only all-inclusive resort). The people we worked with were so humble and accommodating. I hope that we can visit again someday.
What We Did
Reconnaissance Mission - June 2016 The goal of the mission was first to make sure the resort even existed (lol). But also, we wanted to check the airport-to-resort travel time and see what the place looked like. So, we made a small trip out of it. Side note: The road exit signs are general and really non descriptive (a generic “Salida” sign doesn’t tell you much), so having Google Maps and reliable cell service helped us a lot.
Transportation was with an Avis rental car. We will never rent Avis in Central America ever again. We arrived at night (the same night we drove to the Airbnb in Liberia), so we couldn’t fully see all of the car and its condition. We have rented with Avis many times, so we went with it.
BUT
When we left the Airbnb the next morning, we stopped in town to get some food at the local market. After parking, someone was trying to communicate with us, but we couldn’t make out what they were saying. So we got our food, and when we came back, we understood. We had a flat tire. I called Avis, and I was told that they could get someone out there in a few hours - ugh, no. So, I called our host from the night before for a recommendation. We went to a shop nearby, and they were able to get us a tire and replace it in about an hour and a half to two hours. That’s when we learned that the tire not only had been patched before but it was severely damaged. And that’s exactly where the tire blew. It could have easily blown at highway speeds. After this trip, it took about 6 months to get our money back from Avis for the tire. The headquarters in Costa Rica was useless, so I went through the US headquarters. Seriously, never again.
This was, oddly enough, the first time we used Airbnb for our sleeping accommodations, and luckily we had a great experience. First, we stayed at the Hobbit Cottage in the outskirts of Liberia. The space is adorable and the hosts were incredibly accommodating. They even made us a delicious breakfast with fresh fruit straight from their jungle property! This was during a time when Zika was a real concern. The hosts have acquired a certain diet that keeps the mosquitos at bay, but we must have had some extra sweet blood, because we started getting eaten alive. Thankfully, they had some bug spray, but we learned quite a lesson that morning. Our host told us about his side project of digging out a cave for a new Airbnb spot nearby. So, as soon as he learned we were geologists, a post-breakfast adventure quickly unfolded. We gave him some advice and thought it was really cool that he wanted to show us his vision.
Monteverde
After getting the tire situation squared away, we drove to our next Airbnb. The Monteverde Forest Hideaway was also really magical. It’s located up in the hills among the rainforest canopy. We had asked for a smaller car when booking the car rental, but all they had was a medium-sized SUV. The smaller car would have been MUCH better for driving around here. Again, the hosts were so accommodating and gave us recommendations for food/drink and activities nearby. One host was even able to point out a sloth for us near our cabin!
Selvatura Park: This was our first bout of zip lining. It isn’t something I’d necessarily do often (mostly because it was a conveyor belt of staff demanding your every move), but it was a lot of fun to do at least once. Included in the $50 price for non-local adults, I honestly enjoyed walking the bridges more at this place. It was very peaceful, and you get to see so much more of the rainforest canopy this way.
Don Juan coffee and sugar tour: For $35/adult, we were able to learn a bit about the coffee- and sugar- making process. I wasn’t at all sure what to expect, but the guides were very informative and so much fun. I especially enjoyed watching Nick aggressively crush the sugar cane.
Frog Pond Ranario: I don’t remember how much it cost to visit this place, but I don’t think it was very much. The hole-in-the-wall-esque place has a giant frog outside, so you can’t miss it. I was surprised just how many specimens of critters (both frogs and insects) they had.
The wedding – December 3, 2016 Side note: Legally getting married in a different country from your own (license, certificate, and all) is a nightmare, according to our DestinationWeddings coordinator. She recommended we get legally married in the states and have a symbolic ceremony in Costa Rica. Some may not like doing things this way, but we really didn’t mind. Think of it as two weddings, one for just you and your beau, then a celebration with all your friends and family. Since it was a destination wedding, most correspondence was done through email or WhatsApp. We were fortunate enough to have really great luck with the vendors we chose, and for them we are eternally grateful for making our wedding day so wonderful.
In order to have a wedding on the beach in early December, we would have had to have the ceremony in the morning due to tides. Thankfully, the resort has a gorgeous overlook of the ocean that worked really well. We opted for a simple arch and wooden chairs. These chairs are more expensive, but they looked SO much better than the cloth-covered fold-up chairs with a bow in the back.
We still can’t believe that 65 people made it down to Guanacaste, Costa Rica. And, we’re so lucky to have had so many of our loved ones make the trip. Even though there was a hurricane and an earthquake that affected Central America one week prior to our wedding, you could see no sign of it when we arrived. Hurricane season technically ends December 1, y’all, so that late November storm was really pushing the limit.
We had a good friend officiate, another close friend sing the “Lava Song” during the processional, and Nick’s sister read a lovely poem. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. It’s really hard to put into words just how nicely everything came together, and again, we’re so grateful for everyone celebrating with us. The weather was wonderful, the food and drink delicious, and the staff top-notch. If you want to get married in Costa Rica, the people at this resort can truly make your dream a reality.
We can’t express enough how amazing our onsite coordinator was. I gave her pictures and ideas, and she made everything look even better than I could have imagined. After the ceremony and scheduled to-dos for the reception were over, we felt like we could finally enjoy ourselves! The staff surprised us with limbo and confetti sticks, and we danced the night away. And afterwards, some friends took charge in having a fire down on the beach. It was so fun. And, having a few solitary moments moving my hands in the moonlit water to see the pink and purple bioluminescence was so peaceful.
Even with all the excitement and activity of the wedding, we were able to find time to travel and sightsee:
Barra Honda National Park: We booked this through the resort the day-of, and they were even able to help us rent a car. We were so glad to have gone with two friends who were already there for the wedding. It was $30/person, and we were well taken care of. There is a short hike to the cave, and the entrance is a hole that you have to take a very steep ladder to descend into. To safely descend, we had to use a pulley system. One guide, anchored to a tree, belayed each of us down into the cave. The second guide took us through the cave tour. It was a really nice overview of the cavern interior, especially since it is much less traveled than most of the other caves we have visited. We went up and down a ~8 foot ladder inside the cave with no rope. Given that the cave is very damp, I was a little concerned, but it was obviously fine. Otherwise, we had such a great experience!
Sunset sail: We love sailing, so we wanted to treat our immediate family and wedding party to a sunset sail the night before the wedding. We booked this in advance and opted to sail after rehearsing the ceremony a few times. Our photographer and videographer were so awesome and agreed to tag along to take photos and video. We were on the water for a few hours, and it was lovely. The wedding day was amazing, but the sail was equally as memorable.
Arenal trip with friends and family: The day after the wedding, for anyone still around and willing, we offered people to book a trip with us to the Arenal Volcano (through the resort). It was a little rainy, it is the rainforest after all, but it wasn’t a consistent rain. First we took a boat ride on the lake, Lago Arenal, in front of the volcano. I think this is when we had lunch at a place on our way up. We don’t remember the name of it, but the food was good and there was one of those cardboard face cutouts with a gorilla body across the street. Then, people had a choice to either zip-line or walk the canopy suspension bridges. Since we had already zip-lined, we went with the bridge. We loved seeing all kinds of wildlife up-close, especially the coatis.. From there, we ended our trip with basking in the Arenal Tabacon hot springs. There are so many hot springs at this place; it would have been pretty easy to get lost. And, one of the springs had a bar. It was perfection.
Nicaragua day trip: The last trip we booked with the resort was to Nicaragua, also the first time we were alone all trip (lol). We had breakfast nearby then began our long trip across the border. It was a long day. What took so long was the checking of passports at so many stations. I would guess it took us about two hours just to cross the border (not including transit time from Guanacaste). Once we were there, we could see why the guide was calling it “the next Costa Rica.” Though ravaged by political unrest in the past, we could see that the country was really starting to turn around. It was in Nicaragua that we saw our first (and only) monkey! The trip was amazing, but again, it was about a 14-hour day. Our saving grace for dinner when we returned was the sandwiches that are so nicely served to the patrons at the resort discoteca every night.
Lago Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua): (I think) we mostly drove by this and perhaps stopped for pictures once. I had no idea that Lake Nicaragua is the second largest lake in Central and South America (Titicaca being number one).
Granada: We were let loose to explore here. The Spanish architecture is gorgeous, and it was really nice to just wander wherever our hearts desired.
Volcán Masaya: Understandably, we could only visit this place for 5-10 minutes due to the gases being emitted by the volcano. But, it was so worth it to see actual lava active inside of a volcano! Fun fact, there aren’t many places in the world where you can see this.
Lago de Apoyo: I know we at least visited here for a picture, but I don’t remember if it was here or at Lake Nicaragua that we took a small boat ride. Regardless, it was so refreshing to feel the breeze while we cruised around for an hour or so.
Market: We stopped at a market towards the beginning of the trip. There are lots of these around, but I just wanted to note the casual feel of being able to openly buy gifts, food, and beer. It almost felt like there was no beginning or end between the hut-like stores.
Wedding-related details:
DestinationWeddings.com: As I mentioned before, our agent was very prompt. In general, I would definitely recommend using them for a destination wedding. Why reinvent the wheel? Be sure to get as many deals as you can (sometimes there are more around the holidays), and be sure you 100% understand your contract. We ended up getting 2 cocktail hours due to the number of guests who booked, and because we booked the event around Thanksgiving.
Save-the-dates: I really lucked out in this department. My mom is a graphic designer, so she made this really painless for me. Thanks, mom! A destination wedding requires a lot of up-front commitment for your guests, so you’ll need to do a lot of mass communication via email. I provided a couple of “heads up” emails on what to expect upon receiving the save-the-date. My mom designed a plane ticket-like graphic to be sent via email. This way, all of the information needed, as well as a direct link to the booking site, was all in the email.
Wedding invitations: Mom handled this one too. She utilized a service through Etsy to work from a passport-like template, then the Etsy shop owner would print the invitations. I still love them so much.
Occidental Grand Papagayo: A gorgeous location with amazing and friendly staff.
Wedding coordinator: I don’t think we can gush enough about Idania Brenes Cambronero. She is one of the sweetest people we’ve ever met, and we felt so lucky to have her help every step of the way. Like I said before, I provided her with pictures, and she made everything look even more beautiful than I could have imagined.
Events coordinator: Evelyn Arana Moraga at Swiss travel was able to book everything we needed ahead of time for us. She did a really great job organizing some really memorable activities for us.
White Diamond photography & videography: A vendor I would use over and over again. This duo put together some of the most organic and beautiful photos and video I’ve ever seen. They’re local, and they are really professional and relaxed. If getting married in Central America, I highly recommend contacting them.
Hair & make-up: Belle-Rowe runs a business both in Central America and in the U.S. Two of them were able to do hair and airbrush make-up for 9 of us for a wedding at 4:30 pm. They were very professional and did an amazing job.
DJ: Mason Dunn is a pro. I provided a sample playlist, to which he pretty much 100% adhered. But, I had heard some of his personal playlists, so I knew if he off-scripted, we’d be in great hands (I was hoping for this, but I didn’t communicate it).
Cata Chocolate party favors: During our reconnaissance trip, we scouted out this place while visiting Playa del Coco. We wanted to give guests something they could enjoy right then and there. I pre-ordered the chocolate and had Nick pick them up the day of the wedding. I brought some small, golden mesh bags to put the chocolates in. So, a big shout-out to my bridesmaids for putting these together while I got my make-up done.
Dress & foot slips: Anna Campbell. My mom and I had seen her designs online and knew immediately that this was the type of design for me. Luckily, there was a trunk show in Austin at Blue Bridal Boutique showcasing her dresses. The dress was lightweight with just the right amount of sparkle and detail that felt right. And, of course, I needed the cuff and foot slips to complete the ensemble.
House of Brides, bridesmaid dresses: Going to the store with my two matrons of honor was a-okay. But, when it comes to providing measurements over the phone and anything done after that, man, this place is pretty awful. After FINALLY getting the order squared away, which took so much constant calling to clarify and correct what they have in their system, every single dress came in so large that each bridesmaid had to have major alterations done. I don’t recommend this place at all.
Men’s Wearhouse, groomsmen attire: A little better than House of Brides, but not by much. Correspondence was a tad better, but again, their systems made the silliest of mistakes. For example, thankfully, one of the groomsmen picked up his stuff early. They sent him dark gray pants and a light gray vest… He was able to return it in time, and I made quadruple sure that it was fixed for everyone else.
Ceremony seating sign: One of our sweet friends has her own business, Customize Me, and made a sign for us that said “Shoes here, vows there, love everywhere.” It was so well made, and we can’t thank her enough for making it a reality!
Ceremony handouts: We used a simple template via Tiny Prints that doubled as a fan. It was necessary. They actually turned out really great.
Everything else: I’ve never used Etsy more in my entire life. If I had to buy something for the wedding, 98% of the time I got it from Etsy.
Food
Monteverde
Sabor Tico: Our Airbnb hosts recommended this one. The food was so good that we MAY have visited 2 or 3 times…
Tree House: I remember the food being pretty good, but we really visited more for the tree house experience.
Menu tasting: For our reconnaissance mission, we wanted a casual tasting of some of the foods so we could decide what we’d like for the rehearsal and reception dinners. Well, they rolled out the red carpet, y’all. They brought Nick and I each samples of several menu items, with labels, and we got to meet the chef and staff. It was so great.
L’Buffet: A no-frills, but definitely sufficient, buffet that we had breakfast at every morning.
The Italian: We decided to have the rehearsal dinner here. The room is beautiful and the food delicious.
D’Oriental: Nick and I had dinner here one night, and I remember it being our favorite restaurant in the whole resort. It was really good!
Disco Bar: We went here a few times with friends and had a lot of fun. Like I mentioned upon returning from our trip to Nicaragua, all of the restaurants close at a certain point, leaving no food options for anyone with the late night hangries. Thankfully, the Disco Bar puts out simple and tasty sandwiches later in the evening. It saved us on more than one occasion.
Nicaragua
There was a restaurant we visited, maybe in Granada? We ate at 2 pm, which we weren’t used to, making our stomachs grumble quite loudly. As we were eating, there were children outside trying to sell flowers to the people eating indoors. I had a young boy keep saying “hey, lady” at me over and over. I finally acknowledged him and firmly gave him a “no thank you,” at which point he moved onto the next table. It’s a cultural thing that you just have to realize and not give into giving them money. The reason being that they aren’t usually getting the money for themselves. It’s for an adult to utilize for something you have no idea for which they’re using these kids for.
White Diamond Photography
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