Wedding Planners in Guanacaste- Recommendations?

[jaye118]

So I'm early in the process and have started contacting some wedding planners but well I'm not sure what makes one better than the next.  We'd like to get married in Guanacaste, so we're wondering which wedding planners have a history of planning weddings there.  We're having a fairly large wedding 50+ people. Any recommendations would be awesome! Thanks! If you could share your experience that would be great also.

[Ask.CostaRica]

jaye118,

All of the following have plenty of years and experience in the biz.

 

Donna Mickley of Pura Vida Weddings only does weddings in Northern Guanacaste (Tamarindo, Flamingo, Potrero, Langosta).

Costa Rica Paradise Wedding, Events & Weddings CR, Weddings Costa Rica & Tropical Occasions cover the whole country. 

Oasis Weddings - Manuel Antonio

Prestige Weddings - Dominical

 

[puravida]

Hello,

congratulations on your upcoming marriage !

I lived almost 5 years in Tamarindo and love it there, you'll have a blast ;-)

I am atcually planning on getting married there myself but not until next year, we got married this year in NYC but jus the civil wedding.

I don't have experience with any wedding planner yet but could ask around as one of my best friend is a wedding photographer and works with planners all the time.

In the meantime, you can also check this website http://www.awayding.com/ where you can find several wedding planners links.

I think the site launched recently and doesn't have many reviews yet but you can at least find some planners that you may not know.

If you have any questions about Guanacaste, feel free to ask ;-)

Gil

[CRinfo]

Hola Jaye,google the following key words:wedding planner costa rica   that should give you a good idea of what is beign offered here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[crpartyrock]

I'm a wedding DJ with over 5 years of experience in Costa Rica (98 weddings) and have some comments on 3 of these planners:
1. Donna Mickley of Pura Vida Weddings is amazing and there's never a problem at her events. She is super friendly and cares more about your experience than the money. It is a pleasure to work with her and the receptions are always a lot of fun.

2. Costa Rica Paradise Wedding (Sylvia Chaves); Though offered many gigs when I first started my business, I ceased sub-contracting with her when I found out that she was nearly double-charging a client for my services. Though she has a good track record, the fact that she jacks the commissions on her vendors should be a red flag.
3. Prestige Weddings (Ana Montesino), what can I say... the one gig I had with her is known as "The Disaster Wedding" by the other vendors I spoke with afterward. The wedding was set at the height of the rainy season with no cover at the ceremony and reception at a private house with difficult layout for a good outdoor DJ party on a night with constant rain. This planner double-talked or was silent in her communications to turn the bride against me and to misdirect attention from her own mistakes. The bride even mentioned that this planner had urged her own DJ over me, so there may have been some commission envy involved in this treatment. In the end, I was stuck with my only bad review and a lot of negative and false perceptions from my client.

Here are some other very good coordinators/planners that I've worked with in the past:
1. Barbara Broutin of FourNineteen Weddings; she has a lot of experience with upscale weddings with lots of class and attention to detail. Another gem of a person who aims for the best experience over money, and one of the few planners I've met who charges zero percent commission on her vendors. I look forward to events with her because I know the guests will always be in a good mood for the reception.

2. Meghan and Ryan Cox of Our Costa Rica Wedding; I actually played their own wedding after they started their business years ago!
Lots of attention to detail, friendly, and they specialize in weddings at Arenal and the Pacific beaches. Always a good time at their receptions.

Hope that helps!
Joshua
 

[crpartyrock]

Hi, I'm a wedding DJ with over 6 years of experience in Costa Rica (98 weddings).
Here are some equally excellent coordinators/planners that I've worked with in the past, in no particular order:


1. Donna Mickley of Pura Vida Weddings is amazing and there's never a problem at her events. She is super friendly and cares more about your experience than the money. It is a pleasure to work with her and the receptions are always a lot of fun. She specializes in weddings in the Tamarindo area and surrounding beaches.

2. Barbara Broutin of FourNineteen Weddings; she has a lot of experience with upscale weddings with lots of class and attention to detail. Another gem of a person who aims for the best experience over money, and one of the few planners I've met who charges zero percent commission on her vendors. I look forward to events with her because I know the guests will always be in a good mood for the reception.

3. Meghan and Ryan Cox of Our Costa Rica Wedding; I actually played their own wedding after they started their business years ago!

Lots of attention to detail, friendly, and they specialize in weddings at Arenal and the Pacific beaches. They don't charge a commission for my service and it's always a good time at their receptions.

 

Sadly, there are a few planners with an attitude problem that could be easily avoided by prioritizing service over profit, something I think is essential for a great destination wedding experience. Though most planners do a generally good job here, I have had problems with two of the planners mentioned in the previous post, mostly concerning undisclosed high commissions, poor communication/planning, and possibly vindictiveness over my direct contracting with the client. Look for someone who has experience, good reviews, and a detailed blog with examples of their work. Another way to tell that they are good is that they are communicative via email or phone and answer all your questions directly. There’s no dilly-dallying about what you get for what you pay. Try to talk voice with them to get a feel for their demeanor and go with the friendliest.

 

Hope that helps

Good luck in your search!
 

Joshua