San Jose, Costa Rican Wedding

[MoralesSerrano]

My FI and I just got engaged 2 weeks ago in ARUBA! We have always imagined a destination wedding & we are pretty certain that we want to have it in Costa Rica.  Here is some info and questions that we have...any help is greatly appreciated!

 

We are predicting about 75-100 people, we want to fly into San Jose because it is more affordable for our guests (coming from CA), maximum driving distance from airport should be 45ish minutes.  I am not necessarily looking for a "beach" wedding, so I understand that my max of 45 minutes may not get us to the beach.   We also want to have a traditional catholic mass in a church, so any suggestions on that are also greatly appreciated! 

 

Looking to get married October 2011.

 

Thanks!!!!!

[Ask.CostaRica]

MS,

 

Hello and welcome. We recently did a wedding at Villa Hermosa (30min from SJ and religious ceremony). Beautiful location but it would be great to do in the mid morning (everything got really delayed in this wedding and we missed ambient light. This is the link to the wedding:

http://web.me.com/crwphotographystudio/CRW_&_El_Velo_Client_Websites/sara_%26_diego.html

[AishaB]

Congrats on your recent engagement and good luck with your planning! Welcome to the forum, it's great.

[Amanda+Dave]

welcome and congrats

I am also planning a CR wedding, looking at November 2011

[Ask.CostaRica]

MS,

 

There is also Finca Rosa Blanca in Heredia. It is a beautiful location for a wedding. Here is the link to the wedding images.

 

http://web.me.com/crwphotographystudio/CRW_&_El_Velo_Client_Websites/melita_%26_thaddeus.html

[MoralesSerrano]

Anybody know of any Villas or other Hacienda rentals in the San Jose area?  We for sure decided that we want more of a nature-feel.

[Ask.CostaRica]

Maybe el Castillo area in Heredia would have some rentals: http://www.caricohenderson.com/sales.asp?region_id=47

Hotel La Condesa is near el Castillo for reception.

We thought of some other places that might interest you:

 

Xandari (Alajuela)http://elopementscr.bigfolioblog.com/month/jun08

Rio Perlas (Cartago)

El Tirol (Heredia)

Casa Bella Rita - Brasil de Mora:

http://web.mac.com/crwphototwo/Site/meredith_%26_rob.html

[LazyBride]

If you'r planning a Catholic wedding, be ready for a rough ride as the Church does not want to do destination weddings. Major hassles dealing with the Bishop's office et al to the point where we've decided to no longer offer this service - too stressful for everyone and too many politics between the parish priest and diocese. The Church simply doesn't want to marry non-parishoners. They are very 'old school' here.

 

My suggestion is to do the Catholic ceremony at home and have a spiritual ceremony (not in a Church) here.

 

Good luck!

 

Larissa

Weddings Costa Rica

[LazyBride]

Also, be advised that October is one of the rainiest months in the Central Valley. My recommendation is to look at Arenal (volcano) as it is in a different weather pattern if you are planning an outdoor wedding. But within the San Jose area (1 hour radius), in October? Most of us locals high tail it out of here in October as it's really rainy

 

[Ask.CostaRica]

Good point Lazy Bride. Either a morning wedding or count on rain and there might even be a possibility of rain anyways.

I am one of the staff photographers for El Velo and for years since my parents moved down from NY we have vacationed in a property next to La Selva de Sarapiqui. On most occasions that I recall during the wettest months in SJ, as soon as we cross the Braulio Carrillo National Park, the rain stops.

Take a look at this place which is 1hr 30mins from SJ. The restaurant area in huge and all walkways are roofed (just in case).

The place is Sueno Azul: http://www.suenoazulresort.com/

The photos don't do the place justice.