Jelbm1324

Hello! I am looking for wedding planners in Costa Rica (Tamarindo,Guanacaste), but have received various quotes and information. Would love if anybody could assist with:

1) Average cost of wedding for 65-95 people - nothing too crazy (rehearsal dinner, ceremony, open bar (3-4 hours max), DJ, photographer)- THE BASICS

2) ANY recommendations for planners - the good, the bad nd the ugly would be so helpful!

I'm indecisive and this is difficult already--- help!

Hi Brides! I am getting married in the Tamarindo area in January 2014. Since we started planning, the idea was always to have a beach ceremony and a reception at a private villa for about 30 people. I'm working with a wonderful planner, and we're about to move forward with booking a large private villa in Hacienda Pinilla but I'm getting cold feet. I read some comments from a bride who had a villa wedding, and said her guests all changed out of their formal clothes and didn't dance once they got back to the villa.

 

We want our reception to be small, private, romantic, yet FUN! I would consider doing it at a boutique hotel, but then I'm worried I won't be able to customize things at all. Ahh! Have any of you had a villa wedding? Or if you had a wedding at a boutique hotel, how much customization was possible? Any comments or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks lovelies!

Hello! Sounds like you had an amazing wedding! May I ask who you used for your planner?

Hi all!

My fiancé and I are planning a wedding February 2014 in Costa Rica.  I’ve been doing a lot of research and was planning on doing in the Jaco area, due to easy access for guests from the airport.  I’ve been reading a lot of negative reviews regarding the Jaco area.  I am going to go down to CR in a week and check out venues in the area and Villa Caletas is on the list to see.  I have been speaking with wedding planner Marika in Costa Rica and am meeting her next week down there.  I could not find a lot of reviews on her, so hoping she is good.  I spoke with her on the phone and liked that she answered by questions directly and did not avoid questions regarding costs of vendors, wedding, etc as another wedding planner I spoke with did.  Her price on her website states $750 upon signing and $250 on wedding day.  This seemed like a reasonable price compared to other planner reviews I have seen.  Does anyone have any input on her as a planner? 

After reading negative reviews on Jaco, have started researching Manuel Antonio (been there before), Montezuma, and Tamarindo area.  I am becoming overwhelmed with all the choices.  If anyone has a good recommendation for hotel that was priced well somewhere else in CR and had ceremony there or close by would love to hear.  We want the hotel we stay at to be on the beach but the ceremony does not have to be on the beach, good views are nice too.

I am looking to have a wedding with 50-80 people and want to get reasonable prices for the vendors.   I was quoted by one planner that an open bar for my guests would be $12000!! I had heard of places charging corking fee, so I plan on getting that route instead as would be much cheaper. 

If we do decide to have the wedding in Jaco area, I want to find a nice hotel, (not huge resort) that is outside Jaco area for my guests at a reasonable mid-range price.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Does anyone have info on how much they spent on their wedding in Costa Rica, so I have something to compare to?

Suggestions on reasonably priced vendors: music, photography, flowers, Catering for dinner?

Places for dinner rehearsal in Jaco maybe on beach?

Any input of advice on anything would be appreciated!

 

Thanks!

Hello! I honestly felt like I was reading my own post while reading this and thought I might have forgotten writing it entirely! Total ditto to your post. How did Marika turn out for you and what were reasons why you did not get married in Tamarindo? We are planning our wedding for Dec 2015. Any advice will be much appreciated!