Matthew and Myriame met in Costa Rica on the beaches of Manuel Antonio over 1 year ago. They decided to return to that special place to make a life long commitment to one another. It was just the two of them and that was all that was needed, sweet, simple and to the point. Marcelo Galli married them by the volcanic rock at the end of Manuel Antonio Beach. The sunset that day was absolutely stunning.

John and Lanette traveled from California to marry one another in front of family and friends. They chose Costa Verde Hotel as their wedding venue, and held the ceremony in the garden area of the hotel.

Lanette was getting ready with her mom in one of the hotel rooms at Costa Verde. She was very excited and just a tab nervous, like most brides are. Her dress was a surprise to everyone, her mom was the only one who knew what it looked like. The lighting was very dark in the room she was in, so we moved outdoors for most of the getting ready. Talk about being in the midst of the Costa Rican jungle! It made for beautiful photos.

The ceremony was setup in the grassy knoll at Costa Verde. It is a small intimate space that is perfect for weddings. The grassy hilltop is surrounded by trees which makes it very private. John and Lanette had already been together for 10 years. Tears were shed and smiles were abundant during this long awaited moment.

After family photos the bride, groom and myself headed down to the beach for a sunset photo session. Lanette wore a gorgeous long veil, it looks so beautiful with the sun shining through it.

The reception was held at El Avion, one of the many restaurants of Costa Verde. John was very excited about their wedding cake, it was a doughnut cake!

Wedding Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Costa Verde, El Avion
Wedding Planner: Isabel Vargas
Hair and Makeup: Priscila Solano
Officiant: Einar Villavicencio Law Firm
Florist: Floresteria Crystal
​Cake: La Panera 

Heather and Mike married one another at the beautiful Mariposa Hotel in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. They opted not to go down to the beach for photos, so most of the portraits were taken around the hotel grounds, with a few sunset photos from the terrace after the ceremony. Luckily Mariposa Hotel has many beautiful spots for photos. The couple traveled from San Diego with friends and family to enjoy a vacation together, and of course to also celebrate their marriage. 

I started the afternoon with Heather and her friends getting ready. Her twin sister (who also has stunning blue eyes) was also there by her side, like she has been her entire life. The girls were getting ready in the suite which has beautiful views of the Manuel Antonio National Park. 

Heather made a very special addition to her wedding dress. She had pieces of her dad's shirt and her moms wedding dress sewn into the bottom layer, I could tell it meant a lot to her. 

Just before Heather and Mike did a first look with one another I was able to photograph Mike doing the finishing touches to his attire.

The ceremony was held on the terrace with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and National Park.

After the ceremony the fun began with cocktail hour. Heather and Mike joined in for the beginning to be congratulated by their guests and enjoy the company of their friends and family. Once the sun began to set we finished with family photos and sunset photos of the newlyweds.

The reception started with speeches and a delicious dinner. Soon after first dances and cake followed. 

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Mariposa Hotel
Wedding Planner: Marissa Chan
Flowers: Merle's Flowers
Officiant: Noel Ibo Campos
Cake: Mariposa Pastry
DJ: Dj Felo
Hair; Priscila Solano

Lisa and Mike traveled from Canada to marry one another in front of family and friends. They choose Panga's Beach Club as their venue, it is perfect for weddings as it is located right on the sand of the beach. Lisa, the stunning bride, was getting ready with her mom and sister at a villa close to the beach club,

The ceremony was held under a giant tree. Guests were entertained by the howler monkeys who passed through and made a racket just before the wedding started.

I feel like I need to tell the story of the two photos in this post that include this bush. In the middle of the beach there was a big prickly dry bush. It was thorny, mostly ugly and reminded me of a huge tumbleweed. Mike was drawn to it for some reason and really wanted to take a photo with it. Lisa sarcastically mentioned that it really represented love and marriage. I wanted to find a way to include the bush, but still have a beautiful photo. The first photo in this post is also with this bush, and I love how both images turned out.

The reception was so romantic. Beautiful green garlands ran down the centers of the tables, all setup under the stars.

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Panga's Beach Club

Kiki and Thomas did not have your typical fairy tale wedding. There was no big ball gown, no chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and no horse drawn carriages. What they had was better than that, they had THEIR fairy tale wedding. Their wedding was uniquely designed just for them, and it was perfect!

Kiki and Thomas traveled from Canada. Kiki is originally from Germany, but her and Thomas met one another in Costa Rica on simultaneous trips there. It made the location even more special for them, especially since their families were now also able to experience the magic of Costa Rica. 

Kiki was getting ready with her friends at Casa Samba, a beautiful vacation villa nestled in the heart of the jungle. The first thing I noticed about Kiki, and it is most likely the first thing Thomas noticed when he met her, were her stunning green eyes. She was so sweet and easy going, and made a beautiful bohemian bride. She even added unique accessories to her outfit, I especially likes the flash tattoos that were applied by her friends.

The intimate ceremony was held on the beach at Arboleda. It was a beautiful day for a wedding. The couple opted to do a first look, so that they could have an intimate moment together before walking down the aisle. 

After being congratulated by friends and family we headed to the beach and surrounding areas for portraits. The guests enjoyed a beach cocktail hour and the setting sun.

After the sun had set the celebration was moved to a local restaurant called Ronny's Place. Kiki and Thomas rented the entire building so that they would have a private reception. It was decorated beautifully! The flowers coming out of the open lanterns was such a brilliant idea. 

Kiki and Thomas's first dance was anything but traditional, but again, it was absolutely perfect and authentic for them! They performed a sensual Bachata, which is a Latin dance typical to Costa Rica. 

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Casa Samba, Arboleda Beach, Ronny's Place
Wedding Planner: Tropical Occasions
Wedding Coordinator: Karen Ogden
Wedding Desginer: Aimee Monihan
Hair and Makeup: Jazmin Rodriguez
Officiant: Melissa Klassen
Cake: Mariposa Pastry

Dreams Las Mareas was the location of choice by this sweet couple. Mark and his wife to be traveled from Wisconsin to marry one another with their toes in the sand at Playa El Jobo. With a little one on the way the two couldn't have been more excited to be saying their vows to one another in front of their family and friends.

I started the day with Stacy who was getting her hair and makeup done at the Spa. Stacy has this bright smile that just lights up the room.

After being pampered at the spa Stacy headed back to her room to get dressed. 

The wedding ceremony was held on the beach in front of the resort known as Arboleda. Arboleda means tree grove in Spanish, so it gets its name from all of the small trees scattered along the beach. I loved all of the signs that Stacy and Mark brought with them for the wedding. 

After the ceremony we walked along the beach for photos. The sun was blazing hot so we tried to alternate between sun and shade to avoid getting too hot.

The intimate reception was held on a rooftop deck with views of the setting sun. The evening was very relaxed as everyone joined in on group conversations. One thing I noticed about Mark is how extremely generous and appreciative he is. He was very thankful to everyone who was involved with making the wedding possible, and even passed out hand written thank you notes to some the guests, telling them what it meant to have them there.

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Dreams Las Mareas

Shannon and Scott had a big wedding. It was big because there were a lot of people. It was also big because it was a big party. And they put on a firework show. A BIG, AMAZING firework show. 

Shannon and Scott are from Pennsylvania and escaped the cold to marry one another on the shores of Costa Rica. They choose Dreams Las Mareas as their venue, an all inclusive resort located at the most Northern tip of the country. 

Scott and all the guys were hanging out and getting ready altogether. Grooms in general are normally never very thrilled to have their photo taken, but Scott was a good sport!

Next I headed over to Shannon and her ladies. Shannon works for Scunci, the hair accessory company. I was not the least bit surprised when I saw her long beautiful hair, just perfect for testing out new products with.

​Shannon gave her guests each a gift bag, and thoughtfully gave me one as well. Inside were all sorts of treats, but my favorite was a pack of braided hair ties. It is extremely hard to find a good hair tie in Costa Rica, and the ones she gave me have been awesome. 

Shannon wrapped a piece of lace from her mothers wedding dress around her bouquet. I love to see personal touches like this at weddings.

One of Shannon's favorite things is stripes. She knew she had found the perfect wedding dress when she found one that incorporated that exact pattern.

The ceremony was held at the beach where a violinist serenaded guests while they were waiting.

After the ceremony we took photos on the beach with the bridal party and guests. Afterwards just the newlyweds and I walked all the way down to the exposed rocks, taking photos along the way.

While were taking photos cocktail hour was being held at Seaside terrace. Shannon and Scott were able to join in for the tail end of the cocktail hour. From there everyone enjoyed a fantastic fireworks show. Costa Rica does not mess around when it comes to fireworks, they know how to do them right!

The reception was held on a grassy area under string lights. It was a beautiful setup. Shannon and Scott had a great group of people with them, who knew how to think on their feet. At one point during the first dances the electricity went out and the music stopped, but the crowd of people just kept on singing the song for the dance to continue on.

Photography: Yours Truly
​Venue: Dreams las Mareas