Ask.CostaRica

A couple of days ago we arrived at Arenas del Mar having two weddings the same day. We were the second booking so we got sent to the public beach side (Playitas). At first Jason, was a little disappointed. That changed. We had a great session for Ali & Jason. The public beach side has less slant (more forgiving with high tide) and the chances of good photos are great. We have to admit, we like it more! At sunset there are less people, photos among the almendros & palm trees are spectacular. Ali & Jason even went out on some isolated rocks (only on this side), the photos speak for themselves! So don't worry if your wedding gets booked for the public beach, it think it will be come a first choice. Here are the photos: alison & jason arenas del mar, manuel antonio costa rica 2010

To all brides getting married the next (dry??) months in Costa Rica. Although we are in the dry season, we have had some flash rains (totally unlikely at this time). We just had a wedding in Malpais where, luckily, the wedding planner planned on tents. The rain lasted 10 min, everyone huddled under the tent. After the shower the dance floor was dried and the party continued. Take necessary precautions to be able to enjoy your day! Here are some photos of the wedding (with the lucky tent): Megan & Brent: El Velo Photography

Jerilyn, take a look at Los Altos (Los Altos Beach Resort and Spa | Costa Rica Condo | Manuel Antonio) we just serviced the first three weddings at the location and love it!

For all you brides getting married in Manuel Antonio and still looking for the perfect venue, we just had the chance to service three weddings (first ones at Los Altos) and can only say it is the perfect venue! Beautiful poolside reception area, in case of rain: Karolas Restaurant, private beach, good food, a-mazing view and the rooms are spectacular. After Tulecafe closed there was a shortage of proper locations for reception, not any more.... Here are some photos of what weddings look like at this place: Valerie & Chris, Tiffany & Paul, Rebecca & Dave: El Velo Photography

Jerilyn, Sara & Ryan had their ceremony at the beach (Karahe) and their reception at Casa Fantastica. Here are some photos to give you an idea: sara & ryan

Jerilyn, You're welcome. Good for you! There are a lot of deals out there specially this year, it's just a matter of looking around. Give this guy a jingle while you are in MA, Jerry moved down from Santa Cruz, California to Manuel Antonio and knows a lot of ins & outs of destination weddings in the area. He also has managed many villas & casas, he would have helpful info. 2777 2226 8846 3448 Cheers,

kjw, It seems steep but break it down. Anywhere you have breakfast lunch & dinner in Costa Rica is about $20-30 for breakies, $45 for lunch and $100 for dinner (behaving with booze consumption), that is $175 just in food (not all you can eat or drink). So, you are really paying $90 for lodging. There are some hotels with lower prices but still have to fork out for meals. Just wanted to give you some info on meal prices at restaurants for you to consider.

kjw, It seems steep but break it down. Anywhere you have breakfast lunch & dinner in Costa Rica is about $20-30 for breakies, $45 for lunch and $100 for dinner (behaving with booze consumption), that is $175 just in food (not all you can eat or drink). So, you are really paying $90 for lodging. There are some hotels with lower prices but still have to fork out for meals. Just wanted to give you some info on meal prices at restaurants for you to consider.

Dawnster, You will be very happy with Paradisus, good ting is that they have backup plans in case of rain. The only back up plan I have seen at OccGP is a balcony near the reception (not too private). Paradisus has a Gazebo, an events center or even tent equipment. We know the coordinator very well, I am writing an email telling to look out for your name (Dawn) and to get back to you. Congrats!

Another great place for you wedding is Bahia Sol. Excellent, excellent menu. Very cute boutique hotel. Take a look at Nicole & Dan's wedding to get an idea: El Velo Photography. The rancho and ceremony site are very close to each other and they don't have strict rules about having your celebration go on late. Cheers,

Another great place for you wedding is Bahia Sol. Excellent, excellent menu. Very cute boutique hotel. Take a look at Nicole & Dan's wedding to get an idea: El Velo Photography. The rancho and ceremony site are very close to each other and they don't have strict rules about having your celebration go on late. Cheers,

Hello Mel&B, Capitan Suizo in Tamarindo is one of the nicest boutique hotels in Tamarindo. Sugar Beach Hotel is perfect for a wedding your size and it is really private (located between rocky coves) north of Flamingo beach. Areanas del mar in Manuel Antonio is a gorgeous boutique hotel (a little more pricey). Give me an idea of you budget and I will be glad to help. Cheers,

Hello Mel&B, Capitan Suizo is one of the nicest boutique hotels in Tamarindo. Sugar Beach Hotel is perfect for a wedding your size and it is really private (located between rocky coves) north of Flamingo beach. Arenas del Mar in Manuel Antonio is a gorgeous boutique hotel (a little more pricey). Give me an idea of you budget and I will be glad to help. Cheers,

Hello there GroomB, good to hear you are an Angelino, two of our company members are from LA. Have you gotten in touch with Ana Montecinos? She is the wedding planner of Dominical area ([email protected]). She would have some advice on florists. Best bet would be to bring somebody from Quepos to cater your dinner. Try Marsha from El Gran Escape (El Gran Escape Restaurant great food!) or contact this person, Jerry Russo ([email protected]) for some help with this.

Hello Dawn, Both places have their pluses but the one thing you want to watch is the tide at Occidental GP, if it is high, there is no beach for a ceremony. Paradisus has one of the prettiest beach areas in the country (Flamingo to Playa Conchal). Keep in mind that you will be going in the middle of the rainy season in that area (it is the strongest in the area around this time). We have had many happy clients with both places. Hope this helps.

Priya, For the kind of turnout you are getting you will be happy to be at Paradisus. You will be able to have your celebration go on as late as you like. Other smaller hotels are strict about party hours. Paola will probably set you up with a cocktail bar while you are getting your photos done. This will also keep your guests and family close by for photos with them. Do remember to time yourself to have light, Costa Rica has no daylight saving and with a big group like yours, you want to give yourself ample time for photos at sunset. Congrats!

Tanya, I am pretty sure they will have his resolved by the earlier part of this year (we will keep everyone posted). For a few months now they have been having the weddings down the road at Flamingo beach. They bring their whole set up (drink bar, chairs, decorations, etc). It is a beautiful beach (here's an example: candace & mike - paradisus playa conchal guanacaste, costa rica 2009). Good thing you are planning this far in advance. They do a good job in planning, just give them some time to respond. They handle very large volume and have a couple of wedding planners managing emails, executing events, etc. Check this forum, there are several brides which have gotten married at PConchal.

Both times are good times. July is our official Indian Summer, so you get less rain, maybe better prices. April is the middle of high season and the entire country (locals) head out for Easter for the week, might be harder to get space and more expensive. I would say go to our northern beaches, Malpais, Tamarindo for a few days and then head to the mountains, Arenal Volcano (a must) and Monteverde Cloud Forest. Then head to Manuel Antonio (most popular of our parks). If you are really adventurous, go to Osa Peninsula (Costa Rica's wil frontier). It is "old" Costa Rica. You can hike across the Osa Peninsula to Sirena Biological Station (make reservs) it will take you 4 days (in & out) and then pamper yourself in Bosque del Cabo or Lapa Rios. Another not so pricey place is La Leona Lodge (tented camp) or Iguana Lodge in Puerto Jimenez. It is a true adventure you will be a talking about for years. Do it guided, I do it every year. One very good operation is Osa Aventura "Mike Dundee" or "Mapacho" they call him.

Dry season is here and the Guanacaste area (Tamarindo, Playa Conchal, Papagayo, etc.) starts getting the Papgayo winds. This makes ceremonies on the beach more comfortable on warm days but one thing to contemplate is the direction of the wind if you are wearing a veil or have a lose hairstyle. Go out the day before your wedding and check wind direction so you are facing it. This will keep hair out of your face (so family & guests can see you) and make your veil flow behind you in the wind.

For a long time Paradisus Playa Conchal has been in a battle to clean up the beach from beach vendors (souvenirs, T shirts, etc.) without proper permits. Finally it has been done. This issue had an effect on beach weddings, Paradisus & vendors with proper permits had to set an example so these vendors could not point a finger and say "It is a public beach, if they are doing weddings and selling souvenirs why can't I, I have a permit" (false permit). To get to the root of the problem, the beach had to be clear of all events and vendors for a some time. Things are progressing in this matter. Just an FYI.

We have worked on several occasions with Pura Vida Weddings (all happy clients), they know and work the Tamarindo, Guancaste area very well. I would have to say that coordination will be based on how elaborate your event would be. Best advice we can give is contact, compare and see who you have chemistry with. Good luck!

It has been unfortunate to see some places close down due to the economy. Cala Luna being one (gorgeous boutique hotel). Buena Vista Villas y Casas is still operating but the Tulecafe (for receptions) closed down temporarily. Double check with your coordinators or ask us in this forum, to know the status of your venue or venue you have in mind. There are plenty of options, but better to know ahead of time in case you are set on a place El Velo Photography

Over the last two years we have seen an increase in Indian destination weddings. Some of the comments we heard were lack of services catering to this clientele. Well, things have changed for the better. We just finished a three day Indian wedding with all the services you can think of to throw a traditional celebration. Taj Mahal Restaurant catered (was delicious!) Decorations and mandap were beautiful, and custom made Maharaja Chair Thrones, made in Costa Rica, pleased the bride's father.

We have been trying to convince tourism board to focus their efforts in improving the destination wedding industry in Costa Rica. I understand your frustration with the hotels. With the current economy a lot of hotels have down sized, therefore being understaffed for attention to this niche industry. Hotel wedding planners not only plan weddings but are planning tours and running the events. I know for a fact that they are trying as hard as they can between answering and ocean of emails, planning specific details, coordinating tours and executing events. I would like to mention (in alphabetical order) some of the companies successfully coordinating wedding events in Costa Rica: Costa Rica Paradise Wedding, Pura Vida Weddings, Tropical Occasions, Weddings & Events CR, Weddings Costa Rica.

Keep looking around Costa Rica. This year hotels are giving great deals, it's a matter of hard negotiation. I just stayed in one of the best hotels in Tamarindo for 35% off the normal price. You have to call, be willing to do some of this work to get the good price. Take a look at Sugar Beach, I just met with a couple that booked our services and were really happy with the price they got for accomo and wedding day services.