Lori and Manny jetted off to La Cusinga, a tropical resort on the South Pacific shores of Costa Rica. The two had been traveling through the country before they reached this destination. The couple had painted a mural, built furniture and toured the area, but decided that La Cusinga was the perfect place for them to say ¨I Do¨. 

They had contacted Sylvia, from Costa Rica Paradise Weddings to help them plan the event. Sylvia also had the honor of performing the symbolic ceremony for the couple. Lori and Manny had a first look before heading down the steps to the landing where the ceremony would take place. They had a few uninvited yet very welcome guests that were peering at them from over the stone wall. 

After the thoughtful ceremony the couple ¨broke bread¨together for the first time as newlyweds by cutting the cake. 

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: La Cusinga
Wedding Planner: Costa Rica Wedding Vendors
Officiant: Sylvia 

Melanie and Ryan decided to marry one another on the sandy shores of Manuel Antonio Beach, Costa Rica. They packed their bags and left snow laden Canada to take in the rays and enjoy a week with their family and friends. The couple stayed at the Bali House, a beautiful beach front villa nestled in the jungle. 

The ceremony was held under the wild almond trees that line the Manuel Antonio Beach. It was such a pleasure to get to photograph these two, Melanie has such a timeless beauty about her that made every photo look so romantic. 

After the ceremony the newlyweds joined their guests for cocktail hour. Ryan and Melanie didn't want to spend too much time apart from everyone so they opted to only take a few photos on the wedding day. We returned to the beach the next day for a portrait session.

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Bali House
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Florist: Floresteria Quepos
Hair and Makeup: Hair by Monica

Lori and Doug traveled from Tampa, FL to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica to join in marriage. A group of 24 people joined them, made up of close friends and family. The couple married one another at La Mariposa Hotel, on the terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean. 

I joined Lori in her room while she was getting ready. One thing I will say about Lori, is to not let her petite size fool you for one bit. She is bursting with energy and full of adventure. Later on during the evening I heard of some of the courageous things she has done in her life, and I just thought to myself...how awesome is Lori!

Another thing that I learned about Lori, is that she lost her mother much too soon. Lori carefully tied mementos into her bouquet in remembrance of her mother, her step father and Doug's mother.

The ceremony was held outdoors with views of the famous Manuel Antonio National Park in the background. The sun was shining bright for Doug and Lori!

After the ceremony we took a few photos around the hotel grounds. Lori and Doug didn't want to spend too much time away from her guests so we scheduled a sunset session at the beach for the following day to take more portraits.

The reception was held poolside at La Mariposa. Beautiful tropical flowers decorated the tables.

The evening came to an end with a serenade to the beautiful bride!

The next day the three of us headed down to Manuel Antonio Beach to take some photos. We drove all the way to the end of the road, close to the National Park where the rocks were exposed by the low tide.

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: La Mariposa Hotel
Wedding Planner: Marissa Chan
Hair and Makeup: Makeup by Melania
Officiant: Marcelo Galli
Florist: Merle's Flowers
Cake: Mariposa Pastry

Taylor and Brian traveled from Alabama with family and friends to marry one another on the secluded beach of Tulemar Vacation Homes and Rentals. The sun was shining, the skies were blue and the day ended with a beautiful sunset, the couple couldn't have asked for more.

Taylor was getting ready in one of the bungalows at the resort with her Mom and her Sister. There was a lot of joking, a little snacking, and some friendly competition followed by many smiles.

Brian was getting ready just a few villas over. His parents were there to help him get ready for the big day.

Brian and Taylor decided to do a first look. One of the great things about Tulemar is their extensive landscaped pathways that wind throughout the entire resort. All we had to do was step outside the villa to find a beautiful spot.

It was a sweltering hot day, so after a few photos outside the couple decided to head back indoors to cool off before making their way down to the ceremony area.

The ceremony was setup on what I like to call the "Tulemar Shelf". The beach at Tulemar is lined by a rock wall that is a few feet off from the shores, yet the area is still sandy. One of the really nice things about this location is that you are on the beach, yet it is completely flat. The ceremony was beautiful with the sun beginning to set in the background.

After the ceremony we headed to the beach to catch the last rays of the setting sun.

Another fantastic thing about Tulemar is that you can easily have your reception right on the beach. Taylor and Aimee Monihan, from Tropical Occasions, designed this beautiful setup together. The twinkle lights and jewels helped to transform the jungle into an elegant dinner table for the newlyweds.

Taylor and Brian toasted to a new chapter of their lives with those who are closest to them. 

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Tulemar Vacation Homes and Rentals
Wedding Planner: Tropical Occasions, Karen Odgen
Designer: Aimee Monihan 
Cake: Mariposa Pastry
Hair and Makeup: Jazmin Rodriguez

Martin and Nadja traveled many hours all the way from Germany to come and explore Costa Rica. The couple visited many different places in the country, but decided to elope on the secluded beach at La Cusinga. The walk down to the beach is a bit treacherous, and it is only accessible by this path. Because of this there are hardly ever any people on the beach, and no buildings, stores or beach vendors in sight.

Nadja and Martin were very easy going and easy to get along with. Martin has a great sense of humor and kept us all laughing the entire time.

We began with the hike down to the beach, stopping along the way to take photos. The hike altogether took about 30 minutes. Nadja even spotted a small snake on the way down, it slithered into the brush before I could get a photo.

Nadja and Martin scooped a bit of sand from the beach to bring home with them. The wet sand was a little messy but Martin was a gentleman and let his wife clean her hands on his pants. 

I love the moment captured below, just after the newlyweds had their first kiss as husband and wife. You can just see the joy and excitement all over their faces as the wedding ceremony came to an end.

Martin and Nadja's wedding planner, Sylvia, from Costa Rica Paradise Weddings did an outstanding job bringing a real wedding feel to such a secluded beach. As mentioned before the only access to the beach is the extremely steep hike. Sylvia and her husband hiked that path a few times that day to bring down the cake, champagne, wedding arch and flowers.

We stayed at the beach until sunset, which meant hiking back in the complete dark. Needless to say it was quite an adventure, but we were prepared with flashlights. Before saying goodbye Martin and Nadja gave everyone involved a thank you gift, it was a traditional Christmas Cake from Germany. It it such a treasure to have clients from around the globe bring me something from their country. I love sharing it with my daughter and teaching her a little bit about where it came from. One of the things I loved most was the tin that it came in. It was beautiful with a photo of the town where the cakes were made. It looked like a Christmas dream.

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: La Cusinga
Wedding Planner: Costa Rica Paradise Wedding
Florist: Yorleny Herrera
Officiant: Nikole Amerling
​Cake: Mariela Rosales

Kara and Pete traveled with their very closest family members to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica to marry one another. They chose the rustic-chic hotel Costa Verde as their venue, and held the ceremony on the grassy knoll overlooking the Pacific Ocean. 

Last minute we decided to go down to the beach for their portraits, and I am so happy we did. The sunset was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, and the low tide allowed for a glowing reflection on the sandy shores. Keep scrolling for proof.

Kara was getting ready with her mother when I arrived to the hotel. I had never actually communicated with her as her father, Jack, did most of the arranging for the day, but she was sweet as could be.

During the ceremony the couple was surrounded by those they love. Religious readings and traditions were weaved in throughout the service.

After a few family photos Kara, Pete and I headed down to the Manuel Antonio Beach. The wild almond trees that line the shore create a beautiful atmosphere for photos.

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Costa Verde
Wedding Planner: Isabel Vargas
Hair and Makeup: Makeup by Melania
Officiant: Einar Villavencio and Associates
​Flowers: Floresteria Quepos

Suzan and Steve traveled with friends and family to marry one another in the "Catedral de San Isidro" up in the mountains of Costa Rica. The sacrament of marriage was important to them both.  Suzan felt it was important to celebrate the blessing of Steven and the Sacrament of marriage in the church. But marrying in the church didn't stop them from getting beautiful beach portraits, as the reception was held at the waterfront restaurant La Parcela. 

One thing that I learned about Steve and Suzan, even in the short amount of time that I was with them, is how important their family is to them. In marrying one another they were blending two families together, and I could just see the love that they had for all of their children was so strong and apparent. 

I started the day by driving up the winding mountain road to the town of San Isidro. Suzan was getting ready in a room at the church house.

The church was beautiful, much larger than needed for the intimate group of friends and family, but that didn't matter. Locals and passerby's also joined in to watch and pray for the couple.

After the ceremony everyone headed back towards the coast, to join in at the reception at La Parcela restaurant, located in Uvita. The monkeys were there waiting to greet everyone as they arrived.

​The table was set beautifully, the brass and chrome colors worked flawlessly with the blue hues that the venue already had. The couple had creatively used pages from their favorite book as place mats, and a photo of each guest as a child marked their seat. 

While guests enjoyed cocktails at the restaurant, the couple and I headed to the beach to take some portraits of the two of them.

Photography: Yours Truly
Ceremony Venue: Catedral de San Isidro
Reception Venue: La Parcela
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Cake: Mariposa Pastry
Flowers: Floresteria Quepos
Hair and Makeup: Hair by Monica
Musician: Nancy Buchan
Videography: John Williamson

Mayra and Scott traveled from Georgia with a small group of those who are most important to them, to celebrate their marriage to one another. They chose the beautiful hotel Mariposa as their venue, and held the ceremony on the terrace overlooking the ocean and National Park. One of the things I love about Mariposa is that is has beautiful lush landscaping, so it makes for wonderful photos even when the couple opts not to go down to the beach.

Mayra was getting ready with her family when I arrived. She was quiet and reserved but would flash her beautiful smile every few seconds.

The ceremony was beautifully set. Even though the couple had an outdoor wedding they incorporated many religious readings and traditions into it. They also incorporated the Costa Rican tradition of the giving of 13 gold tokens. 

After the ceremony we walked around the grounds of Hotel Mariposa, looking for the best spots for their portraits.

The reception was held at a nearby steakhouse, El Lagarto. The room was decorated with flowers and twinkle lights. One of the things I love most about El Lagarto is the way that they cook. They have a fire where they burn red hot coals, which are then dragged down two shoots and placed under grills racks (see photo below). It is so neat to watch and also makes the food taste great!

Photography: Yours Truly
Ceremony Venue: Mariposa Hotel
Reception Venue: El Lagarto
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Officiant: Rigo Campos
Hair and Makeup: Priscilla Solano
Flowers: Floristeria Quepos
Cake: Mariposa Pastry
DJ: A Class Productions

Oksana and Max brilliantly combined two of the best times to party into one big fiesta! They invited friends and family from all over the globe to join them for New Years Eve and to celebrate their marriage. When I say all over the world, I really mean it, it is hard for me to keep track of where these two are from since they travel so much. I know Max grew up in Costa Rica, in the very house where the wedding was held, but has lived in Canada, Australia and I am sure a handful of other places that I am not remembering. Oksana is from the Ukraine but has lived in Canada, England, China and Australia and now recently moved to Costa Rica with Max. 

These two are living the dream. They run the travel blog Drink Tea and Travel, and get to travel to about 8 different countries a year! Together!!! They have really worked hard to get their life setup the way they want it to be, and I am a bit envious of it. They also are photographers, which helps to make their blog look beautiful. Being hired by a photographer is always an honor, as it validates your work as one. 

Oksana, being a photographer, knew exactly what kind of photos she wanted. She wanted romantic, dreamy images that evoke emotion. I believe I was able to capture just that for her. I started the day off with Max and his groomsmen getting ready. They were doing it right, hanging out in the pool.

Oksana and the ladies were getting ready in the main house, where her and Max now live. She is such a natural beauty. She did her own makeup and I was blown away by how fast. Normally it takes about 45 minutes for makeup to get applied, but after 5 minutes Oksana said, Ï think I am done, yep I'm done!¨ And she looked just stunning.

The ceremony was held on the beautiful beach known as Playa Largatillo, which is just across the street from the house. It is not a tourist hot spot, so even though it was New Years Eve it was relatively empty. 

Since Max grew up in the area, and is a photographer, he knew the best spots to take photos. The whole bridal party took a short drive to Playa Avellanas, a much busier beach than Playa Largatillo. Lucky for us we weren't taking photos on the beach, but on the beautiful dry mangrove. I had seen this location in photos before and always wanted to know where it was, as it really is magical for photos. Their dog, Happy, came along with us.

We headed back to Largatillo Beach for sunset. While we were there one of the most amazing things happened, baby turtles hatched and scurried towards the ocean right in front of our eyes. I have seen this once before at a sanctuary, but never in nature. It was so amazing, and must to be good luck for the newlyweds!

Back at the house guests waited for the arrival of the newlyweds. It was a super laid back party, typical of Costa Rica. One thing I loved it that almost everything at the reception was recycled, handmade, and natural. All of the decor was hand made, the couple used bamboo plates, forks and even cups, and all of the tables were large wooden electrical spools that Max's mom had gotten from the local electrical company. 

Everyone gave wonderful speeches but I have to give props to the best man for his speech, it was probably the best I have ever heard. It was long, yet he was able to keep everyone interested the entire time. He also artfully told all of Max's childhood secrets, but without going into details or embarrassing him.

5,4,3,2,1, Happy New Year! After the mid-night celebration calmed down Oksana and Max brought out wish lanters for all of their guests to make a New Years wish.

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Private Residence
Officiant: Sergio Sanchez
Hair: Angie Gerard´s Hair Studio