coco85

Original poster again! Here are my reviews for the wedding! Barcelo Langosta Beach We picked the Barcelo because I had been there before and knew what to expect, and we wanted to be in/near Tamarindo and wanted all-inclusive and this is the only resort close to Tamarindo with all inclusive. It was really great for our group which ended up at 41 staying at the Barcelo (and 4 staying elsewhere). Everyone could find something to eat at all times (including my mother in law who has celiac disease and can't eat gluten), the staff were super friendly, and you can't beat that beach. The beach was really great for surfing too so my husband and friends could hit the waves without having to go far. The walk to Tamarindo on the road was about 15-20 mins. The other big reason for picking Barcelo was price. We wanted it to affordable for people to come to our wedding. Overall, we're very happy with Barcelo for our group. Tip for you...ask to NOT be in the 4000 block and ask that your room has a full sized closet. 4000 is closest to the disco/entertainment area so it was noisy at night. In our room (on the 4th floor) our closet was the area under the stairs for the room above us so it wasn't full length and I ended up keeping my wedding dress in the groomsmen's room. Our room was also so tiny we ended up getting ready in one of the bridesmaid's room (9000 block I think). Ceremony Site I'm not sure it even has a proper name but it's a beach area by Cala Luna and there's a pathway from the road (to Tamarindo to Barcelo) that's like walking through the jungle. All our guests walked through the jungle to get to this amazing beach location and there are some amazing pictures of my girls walking down and of me and my parents. It wasn't private but no one interfered with our wedding (apparently some people watched from a distance but I never noticed them). Reception Site We chose Seasons by Shlomy totally site unseen/food untasted and it was the best risk of the entire event. Seasons is at a small hotel in town but off the beach. There was a pool area with lounge chairs around it, the outdoor dining area was the dance floor which they put a couple of cool couches around for people to relax in during cocktail hour, and we dined "inside" (but it felt like outside with the windows/walls/doors pushed open). It felt beach rustic - wooden tables, wooden chairs, lots of Christmas lights, greens around the pool. It was stunning and all decorated by my wedding planner (see below). I still get a swoony feeling when I think about this location as it was exactly what I wanted. The food was amazing!! There were hors d'oeuvres served by the lovely staff and then we went for a family style meal with platters of food brought to each table and people could pick and choose. Everything was amazing and everyone loved/raved about the food. The drinks were also amazing and looked pretty too. I really wanted to go back and eat there after the wedding but my husband said it would "ruin the magic". We agreed to go there again when we go back to Tamarindo and I know some of our guests tried to return a few days later but the restaurant was closed. Photographer We went with Bidrop Photography http://www.bidrop.com/. I don't think his website does him justice. We love all of our photos and the colours are so vibrant. He caught a lot of little moments and we had so much fun looking back at all our pictures. We had a few pictures 3 weeks after the wedding and all of them with 3.5 months. Wedding Planner We decided on Barcelo Langosta Beach as the accommodation but didn't want the wedding there. We went with Kristina from Perennial Weddings and LOVE her. I wish I had known how awesome she was and how great the day was going to be so I could relaxed while planning (I'm in BC, Canada). She helped with everything - picking a location, reception venue, picking a photographer, she did the flowers (I was so vague about these but she nailed it), getting the cake organized (I never talked to "the cake lady" and it turned out wonderful), the DJ, the officiant, and helped organized a group activity on a catamaran. She was great on the day of. I didn't have to worry about paying any of the vendors, she was there to organized the processional and "herd" my guests in the right direction. When we started planning I asked my husband if I could have a wedding planner and he asked if she would make me less crazy on the day of and I said yes. I was so relaxed on the day of and I think it's because of her. If anyone has any other questions, let me know! I understand the stress of planning from afar and would love to help anyway I can!

I'm the "original poster" so I just wanted to share a quick update...we are just over 4 weeks away from our travel day and 5 weeks from our wedding day! We are having 45 guests and most of them are staying with us at the Barcelo. Like I said, I've stayed there before and enjoyed so we are looking forward to that. We are having a beach wedding at the Cala Luna beach followed by the reception at Seasons Restaurant. We decided against having the wedding at Barcelo because we didn't like their packages; my aunt actually saw a wedding there once and said it was nothing special. We hired Kristina from Perennial Weddings and I'm glad we did. She's kept everything together/organized and for the wedding day, we don't have to lift a finger. I know a wedding planner can take a chunk out of your budget but do you really want to have to worry about decorating or center pieces or all that other crap on the day before/day after your wedding?

Which wedding planner are you using? We are using Kristina at Perennial Weddings - she's been fantastic! With her help we've decided to do a beach ceremony and then reception/dinner at Seasons restaurant. I haven't decided on itinerary yet for guests....honestly, I'm waaaaay to keen as my wedding is still a year and half away (I'm planner and told my finance that I'd calm down once we had a location decided haha). When we're closer to the date I'm going to see if there are group deals for the packages at the Barcelo through a travel agent and if they're a good deal. Some guests have been talking about getting a vacation home rental for their week down there - I'm not extra keen on this idea as it seperates our group. Not that I'm planning on spending every moment with all my guests but it'd be nice to meet up by the pool, bar, beach, etc. at the hotel and if they're not staying at the hotel I don't think the staff are keen on visitors. When is your wedding? Have you decided on a photographer yet?

After talking with a wedding planner we decided that we'd most likely stay Barcelo but holding the ceremony and reception at another location in Tamarindo/Langosta. While this costs a bit more, I think I will get what I want and the wedding planner (Kristina at Perennial Weddings) has been awesome and left me feeling stress free (our wedding is still a while to go so I'm sure I'll feel stressed at some point!).

I'm trying to research different wedding locations in Tamarindo. The majority of people will be flying in from across Canada and Barcelo Langosta Beach is the only AI I've been able to find in the area (AI including flights not just hotel/food - I find AI is the best bang for your buck when going for a week or more). I've stayed at the Barcelo before and liked it enough to go back with 30+ people but not enough to have my wedding there (no real "wow" factor that I can remember but good food, beach/pool, and nice staff). I've been researching other hotels/restaurants in the area including Hotel Diria and Cala Luna. I'd be open to other suggestions - looking for garden wedding with beach pictures (including ocean/water "trash the dress" photos). Does anyone know how it would work hosting a wedding at a hotel that you're not actually staying at? I'm open to any/all thoughts regarding wedding locations in the Tamarindo area. Thanks!