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Chantal + Mark's Intimate Elopement at Tulemar Resort

6/28/2015

One of the many things that I love about being a destination wedding photographer is that I get to meet and work with people from all over the world. Chantal and Mark traveled to Costa Rica all the way from Holland! They visited many places in the country but decided to marry one another on the secluded beach at Tulemar Resort.

I met Chantal at her villa where Monica was doing her hair and makeup. She looked beautiful! This thoughtful bride had brought little favors for all of the vendors involved in the day, a special treat of sweet and salty licorice from Holland. I was just blown away by how nice it was of her to do that, and it was so special for me and my family as we don't have access to international treats like that in Costa Rica.

Another unique detail was the wedding rings. The couple had each others heartbeat engraved into the inside of their wedding bands. They also planned to engrave the exact coordinates of where they were standing when they got married on the outside.

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The couple did a first look at the villa before heading down to the beach for the ceremony.

The ceremony setup included a beautiful arch decorated with tropical flowers. It was a morning ceremony which is a little different from what I am used to but still just as beautiful!

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After the ceremony we took photos on the property and beach at Tulemar, it was high tide so the couple had to get their toes a little wet.

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Later that evening I met up with Chantal and Mark to do a sunset session. This time we met at the main beach in Manuel Antonio.

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Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Tulemar Resort
Hair and Makeup: Hair by Monica
Officiant: Marcelo Galli
Florist: Floresteria Quepos

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Amy + David's Carefree Wedding at Casa Fantastica

6/27/2015

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Amy and David both live very busy lives. They wanted to get away from the busyness so they decided to jet off to Costa Rica with their family and friends to relax and celebrate their nuptials. Because of their busy lives, like many people, they didn't have all the time in the world to plan a wedding. But thanks to their wedding planner Chelsea, from Oasis Destination Weddings, the day was beautiful and went off without a hitch.

I was lucky enough to photograph the couple's rehearsal dinner the night before, which was really great as I was able to meet all the guest and get to know the couple a little better. One thing I will say about Amy and David, and really their whole group, they were the most friendly and hospitable couple I have ever worked with. Not only to their guests but to me as well.

I started with Amy and her friends getting ready. Amy was so relaxed and carefree about things. She was doing her own hair and makeup, which she is used to doing regularly for work events. When I asked her how she was going to style her hair, while the curlers were already in, she said she didn't know, she hadn't decided yet. That really showed me just how chill she was about everything. It made my day easy as I knew that she would not be a stressful or worrisome bride.

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Amy and David chose to do a first look so that they could dive right into the fun stuff after the ceremony. David couldn't wait to turn around and see his bride. Literally! He turned around before he was supposed to.

No sandy toes at this wedding! The ceremony took place poolside at Casa Fantastica with a beautiful view of the National Park.

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MONKEYS! Casa Fantastica is famous for having the monkeys pass through. Actually, every wedding I have had there so far has been crashed by the monkeys mid-ceremony. They are the welcomed, yet uninvited guests. Chelsea claimed to have sent them an invitation.

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I have seen different things at weddings, but this was a first! It is a tradition so to say among Amy and David's friends, and it is called being "Iced". Basically, anytime, anywhere, if a friend hands you a Smirnoff Ice you must take a knee and chug it. Needless to say, Amy and David were Iced right after the ceremony. I don't think they would have wanted to start off their marriage together any other way!

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Amy and David did something a little different during the formal dances and I thought it was a great idea. After their first dance they invited all of their family to dance, and throughout the song switched partners. This way everyone got to share a special dance with the bride and groom, it was also great for taking photos.

Dessert was served and the real dancing began!

Photography: Your Truly
Venue: Casa Fantastica
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Flowers: Stylos y Flores
Rentals: Eventos Boadicea
Guitarist: Alvin Urbina
DJ: Albin Morales
Dessert: Mariposa Pastry

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Courtney + Matthew's Honeymoon Session

6/26/2015

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Courtney and Matthew honeymooned in a few different countries (lucky them!), Costa Rica being one of them. It is an interesting story of how I met this lovely couple. A friend of theirs got married a few months before in Costa Rica, and I was the photographer. So when they returned to the country they decided to contact me to take some honeymoon photos.

It was an overcast day to say the least. We weren't sure if the rain would hold out, and it almost didn't. We had walked quite a bit from where we had parked, and had to walk back through pouring rain right after the session. the rain was coming down so hard that you couldn't even see the islands on the horizon anymore. Luckily they were an easy going couple and didn't mind getting a bit wet.

Photography: Yours Truly
Location: Manuel Antonio Beach

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Erin + Jonathan's Vow Renewal at Playa Manuel Antonio

6/23/2015

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Erin and Jonathan were in Costa Rica celebrating their 10 year wedding anniversary. They decided to renew their vows on the Pacific waters of Manuel Antonio. What I loved is that they were able to renew their vows on their exact wedding date, it made it so much more special.

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Photographer: Yours Truly
Officiant: Jorge Chaves
Location: Manuel Antonio Beach

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Hannah + Youssef's Fun Wedding at Villa Caletas

6/23/2015

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Hannah and Youssef traveled from Washington, DC to Villa Caletas, a beautiful resort in Herradura, Costa Rica, The wedding took place on the verge of the rainy season, and as the day was overcast we were a bit worried about what would happen. It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon for a beautiful couple.

Hannah is so sweet and soft spoken. When she breaks into a smile you can just feel her joy radiating out of her. I started with her and her girls getting ready.

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Before the ceremony I was able to take some detail photos of the reception setup. I love this sign that Hannah's artist friend made for the couple. It ties in many personal things about the couple.

The ceremony was held in the amphitheater, such a unique spot for a wedding ceremony.

After the congratulating and family photos we were able to take some time to get newlywed portraits. We started at Villa Caletas and ended at Zephyr Palace for the sunset.

The reception followed with speeches from family and friends. After my time ended I was served a dinner. As I finished the dinner I saw some really fun traditional dancing going on, so of course I jumped on the opportunity to get a few more photos for the lovely couple.

Photographer: Yours Truly
Venue: Villa Caletas
Hair/Makeup: Xinia Chacon
Officiant: Marcelo Galli
Cake: FCH Sweetness
Florist: Monte Flor

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Christina + Dan's Mountain Top Elopement

6/23/2015

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Christina and Dan decided to jet off to Costa Rica to tie the knot. They decided to get married on a mountain top with one of the most amazing views I have ever seen. The location was called the Pura Vida Gardens and it is located just outside of Jaco. The drive up the mountain was a little bit of an adventure, but it was totally worth it.

Both Christina and Dan were very easy going and fun to be around.

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After the ceremony we took some photos on the grounds of the gardens. We could hear thunder in the distance but stuck it out and never did get rained on. Just goes to show how unpredictable the weather is here in Costa Rica.

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Next we headed to the beach for sunset. I have driven by this particular beach many times and have always thought it would make a great spot for photos. It is a fishing beach and has boats lined up and down the shore. I never had a wedding in close proximity to it until now.

Photography: Yours Truly
Officiant: Marcelo Galli
Location: Pura Vida Waterfall Gardens

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High Flying Trash the Dress Session

6/20/2015

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Chantelle and Richard got down and dirty the day after their wedding at Villa Sol. I love how much fun these two had during this trash the dress session.

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Photography: Yours Truly
Location: Playa Hermosa

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Maki + Saul's Tropical Wedding at Villa Manakin

6/19/2015

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Maki and Saul traveled from Chicago with family and friends to exchange their vows on the beautiful beaches of Costa Rica. They stayed and had the reception at Villa Manakin, a luxury villa located just outside of Quepos with beautiful views of the town and ocean.

I began with Maki and her friends who were just great. Maki is just this bubbly burst of energy, she is one of those people who just lights up the room. Her friends were so much fun, I could tell that Maki attracted good people to her.

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I stopped over at the room next door to get some photos of Saul getting ready. Saul is just as nice as Maki, they really are a great fit for one another. Maki and Saul opted to do a first look at the villa to take advantage of some of the beautiful landscaping and architecture for photos.

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The ceremony was held at one of my favorite locations on Manuel Antonio Beach. It is the area known as Zona Verde. The water color was particularly beautiful on this special day.

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After the ceremony we took some more portraits at the beach. The lighting was just beautiful as it shown through some of the wild almond trees along the beach.

A beautiful, tropical setup was awaiting Saul and Maki at Villa Manakin. The guests enjoyed dinner and speeches and then moved to the terrace for dancing.

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Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: Villa Manakin
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Flowers: Floresteria Quepos
Hair + Makeup: Priscila Solano
Guitarist: Alvin Urbina
Cake: Mariposa Pastry
DJ: Albin Morales
Rentals: Eventos Boadicea
Catering: Chef Desiree

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Allison + Dave's Unforgettable Night at Zephyr Palace

6/12/2015

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Allison and Dave traveled from California to say their vows Zephyr Palace in Herradura, Costa Rica. About 50 guests attended the beautiful ceremony, many of them younger friends which made for a fun night.

Allison was getting ready in a room with all 8 of her bridesmaids at Zephyr Palace. When I first entered I was just blown away by her beauty. As I looked around the room and greeted everyone else I realized that she was surrounded by a group of beautiful women. I don't know them very well, but from what I could see that day they are all just as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside.

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Dave and all of the guys were getting ready just upstairs. They were full of laughter and jokes. I do want to give some credit to one of the guys. I don't know his name, but he sat on the floor and ironed the attire of just about every groomsman while I was there taking photos. I don't know if he lost a bet or something, but I was pretty impressed.

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The ceremony was setup poolside at the Palace, overlooking the Pacific.

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Straight from the ceremony we headed to the beautiful stone arches for photos. I just love the bridemaids mix and match dresses, they look great.

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After photos and cocktail hour the guests were all shuttled over to Villa Caletas for the reception. There was a delicious sit down dinner, speeches and cake cutting. Then the dancing begun, and boy could this group dance.

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Photographer: Yours Truly
Venue: Zephyr Palace and Villa Caletas
Wedding Planner: Costa Rica Wedding Vendors
DJ: Joshua Stewart
Cake: Dulce Construcciones
Hair and Makeup: Priscilla Solano
Florist: Stylos y Flores
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Gloria + Andrew's Trash the Dress Session

6/9/2015

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Gloria and Andrew were married a few months ago in Orlando, Florida. They didn't have a big wedding, and really didn't get any wedding photos, so on their honeymoon in Costa Rica they decided to do just that. They are a fun couple (in case Gloria's purple hair wasn't a dead giveaway) so they decided to do a trash the dress session which was a little bit more their style.