Robie and Michele were set on getting married with their toes in the sand. They originally had scheduled their ceremony for sunset, but they didn't want the afternoon rains to interfere, so they decided to move it up to the morning, which worked out perfectly. Robie is a photographer as well, and had lots of ideas on what he wanted for his images. It is always nice to work with another photographer as they have an understanding of the craft and of the use of lighting.

Michele was preparing in a nearby villa with her sister and other close friends and family.

The ceremony was held down on the beach just like the couple wanted. The day was perfect, the sun was shining, and the wedding ceremony was beautiful. Afterward we took photos along the beach while all of the guests changed into their swimsuits and went for a swim. 

The reception was held later in the evening at Ronny's Place, a clifftop restaurant with stunning views of the ocean. Beautiful flower arrangements were set along a single rectangular table. 

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Venue: Ronny's Place
Planner: Tropical Occasions
Designer: Aimee Monihan
Day of Coordinator: Karen Ogden
Hair and Makeup: Mademoiselle Salon
Florist:
​Cake:

Elba and Jason held a fun wedding at Casa Espanola, a vacation villa in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. Family and friends joined the couple for a wonderful vacation with the highlight of the week being the nuptials of these two. Elba is sweet as can be, she has a beautiful smile which she often displayed, one of those smiles that is contagious. Jason was more of the quiet yet friendly type, his daughter was there as well supporting them both. 

Elba was getting ready in the Master Suite, which is a bedroom adjacent to the rooftop deck with large windows and fantastic views. 

A beautiful arch was setup in the corner of the rooftop deck for the ceremony with perfect views of the Pacific Ocean and Manuel Antonio National Park. Jason's daughter sung a song for the couple to start the ceremony, and the only time during the ceremony that Elba had tears rolling down her face was when she turned to Jason's daughter to say a few words to her, she must hold a very special place in not only Jason's heart but Elba's as well. 

While we were down at the beach taking photos the rooftop deck was being transformed into the dinner reception. Elba and Jason had their first dance under the stars. 

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Venue: Casa Espanola
Videography: Baltodano Films
Florist: Floresteria Quepos
DJ: Dj Esteban Rodriguez
Caterer: Tropical Catering
​Cake: Mariposa Pastry

Haley and Zach traveled with family and friends to Costa Verde Hotel in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. They planned a beautiful wedding which took place on the grassy knoll, with the reception at El Avion. Zach did a lot of the planning as Haley was busy with her teaching schedule, so he is who I communicated with prior to the wedding. Even though I hadn't emailed much with Haley, upon meeting her it was as if I had known her for years. She is one of those people that just make you feel so welcomed and comfortable. 

Haley was getting ready with her mom and her bridesmaids. She was bubbly and full of smiles, but warned me that both herself and her mom cry very easily. 

The ceremony had a beautiful arch setup, accent flowers hung along the aisle, and fans for each guest to cool themselves. Haley walked down the aisle holding back tears, and teetered between big laughs and tearful sobs during the ceremony, it was such an emotional moment for everyone involved and I am honored to have witnessed it.

Haley and Zach entered the reception and were greeted with loud cheers from their guests. They took to the dance floor for their first dance, which ended with a surprise choreographed routine. 

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Videography: Baltodano Films
Venue: Costa Verde Hotel
Wedding Planner: Isabel Vargas
Hair and Makeup: Mademoiselle Salon
Music: Alvin Urbina

Daniela and Carlos brought a close group of family and friends to celebrate their love and marriage in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. Mother nature had plans for a rainy day, which moved the ceremony "indoors" (under a thatch roof with no walls and views of the ocean doesn't really count as indoors, does it?). Luckily, after the ceremony the weather was clear enough for us to get on the beach and get some beautiful photos. 

The day started with Daniela getting ready at the villas. She was easy going and stayed calm even when things were running a tad behind. She opted to do a first look with her husband to be, as they would be sharing transportation to the ceremony. A beautiful green nook at the hotel served us perfectly for the first look, where Carlos anxiously waited for his bride. 
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Daniela warned me that Carlos doesn't smile a lot, and especially not in photos. She also requested that I try and get him to smile. So I made that my mission. I tried hard to get him to crack, and was able to get a good handful of him with a smile on his face. 

The ceremony was held at Arenas del Mar Hotel. It was held under a thatched roof rancho, where bright florals decorated the space. Daniella's father officiated the ceremony which included some beautiful religious aspects.

Back at Oasis Villas a private dinner was setup for the reception. The hotel is quite small so Carlos and Daniela's wedding group filled it up and had the whole place to themselves. It worked out really perfectly. 

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Venue: Oasis Villas / Arenas del Mar
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Cake: Mariposa Pastry
Flowers: Floristeria Quepos
​Caterer: Chef Desiree

Erin and Bryan traveled from Virginia to commit to one another for the rest of their lives. They held an intimate ceremony on the rooftop of a 5-story luxury villa, situated in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle with views of the Pacific Ocean. Erin and Bryan were both so easy going and fun to be around. They both always had a smile on their face, and a friend close by to be conversing with.

The day started with Erin getting ready. She was getting ready in the master suite which has beautiful floor length windows and glass doors looking out towards the ocean. Erin's dress was a soft champagne color, with beautiful hand beading. On the inside of her dress she pinned a gold leaf brooch with a piece of blue fabric in honor of her deceased mom and dad.

At the ceremony site a beautiful white arch accented with green tropical leaves awaited the couple. White lanterns lined the aisle. Technically this wedding took place during the rainy season of Costa Rica, but there was not a rain cloud in site on this beautiful afternoon. 

After some group photos we headed down to the beach to see if we could get a few portraits there. The tide was super high, and the waves were making it all the way up to the road. Erin and Bryan braved the tides for a few short minutes, I think it was worth it. 

While guests were enjoying cocktail hour the rooftop deck was being transformed from ceremony space to reception. Long, rectangular tables were quickly moved in and decorated with tropical garlands. The setup was beautiful. 

Photographer: Madison Baltodano Photography
Venue: Punto de Vista
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Hair and Makeup: Mademoiselle Salon
Flowers: Costa Brava
Guitarist: Alvin Urbina
Catering: Chef Desiree
Cake: Mariposa Pastry

With the rainy season comes morning weddings, and sometimes we get overcast, cloudy skies, and sometimes beautiful shining sun skies. On the day that Georgianna and Aaron eloped the sun was shining bright and the sky was a beautiful blue. The light is so different in the morning verses the evening here, and the photos really have a completely different feel to them. Even though we had to work around the harsh shadows created by the sun, the photos still turned out stunning of this beautiful couple and family. 

Georgianna asked me for a recommendation for an officiant, but the normal officiant I recommend wasn't available, so in a pinch my husband, Alvaro, officiated the wedding. It was something different and a little bit fun for him. The three girls stood by watching. 

Monica and Nick had one of the most wonderful and happy wedding days I have ever witnessed. There was so much joy coming from the happy couple, and that joy was contagious. One of the beautiful things about Monica is that she doesn't smile, her smile is almost always a heart warming laugh. Someone recently told me that happy brides are the most beautiful, and I couldn't agree more, especially in the case of Monica. 

Monica and her girls were getting ready in the cockpit cottage at Costa Verde, a room that is actually an airplane converted into a hotel room. Monica's hair was AMAZING. I must have told her about 20 times how much I loved it. A Pinterest worthy messy side braid with some lose waves. 

Nick, the groomsmen and his father were getting ready in the other airplane hotel room called the Fuselage 727. Nick seemed down to earth and like an all around nice guy. He had fun breaking it down on the dance floor later on (continue reading for proof of that). 

The ceremony was held on the beach in Manuel Antonio. It was overcast and started raining just before the start of the ceremony. Luckily, the wedding planner Isabel had umbrellas for everyone. And the even better part is that they were all white, so they blended in with the wedding scene. One of the lovely things is that no one really complained or cared much about the rain. Monica and Nick were getting married rain or shine, and nothing could damper their happiness. 

Monica had emailed me before the wedding requesting a photo with her bridal party spraying champagne. You know you have a fun bride on your hands when they request a photo like this! I am so glad they did it, and it turned out great. 

The reception was held at El Avion. The couple shared a first dance and dances with their parents. Speeches were given, the cake was cut, and then the real fun began. The party kept on going and was kicked up a notch when the glow items were brought out, this group had so much fun and kept the dance floor full the whole night. 

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Venue: Costa Verde Hotel
Planner: Isabel Vargas
Hair and Makeup: Mademoiselle Salon
DJ: Joshua Stewart
Guitarist: Alvin 
Officiant: Rodrigo Campos
Flowers: Floresteria Crystal

Stephanie and Steve traveled from Boston to marry one another in the tropical paradise known as Manuel Antonio. It was the beginning of rainy season, so the ceremony was held under cover at the beautiful vacation villa Casa Fantastica (or Fantastic House), but we were able to make it to the beach for photos since the rain held off. 

One of the things that I really loved about this couple, was the love they both have for Steve's children. Normally when their are children involved I can tell right away whether the bride or the groom is the biological parent of the kids, but in the case of Stephanie and Steve it was difficult to really tell. The girls love Stephanie so much, and really look up to her, and she reciprocates those feelings, so their marriage really was such a beautiful joining of a family. 

Steve thoughtfully surprised Stephanie by wearing a pin that was made in honor of her deceased father. It was slipped to him by Stephanie's uncle at the rehearsal dinner, without her knowing, and brought tears to her eyes to see him wearing it on the wedding day.
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The couple decided to do a first look. Stephanie had a feeling that Steve would get emotional when he saw her, and she wanted that to be an intimate moment for just the two of them. I reaction that Steve had when he saw his bride was probably the reaction that every bride hopes for. His jaw dropped and I think his breath was literally taken away. 

Ladies, if you find a man that makes you laugh like this make sure you hold on and never let go. Steve loves making Stephanie laugh. I found that throughout my entire time with Stephanie there were quite a few moments when she had this huge, beautiful smile on her face, and in all of the moments Steve was right by her side. 

The ceremony was held on the pool deck with views of the Pacific Ocean and Manuel Antonio National Park. Upon walking up the aisle Stephanie and Steve lit a candle, in silence, in honor of those who were no longer with them. The ceremony was beautiful and light hearted. Steve, again looking for ways to make Stephanie laugh, surprised her with vows written on a scroll that reached all the way down to the floor. You can imagine the laughter that erupted when he pulled that out. 

The celebration continued with a beautiful reception where the tables were decorated with purple and white flowers and candles. Speeches were given by the best man and maid of honor, dinner was enjoyed and dancing on the pool deck ensued. 

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Venue: Casa Fantastica
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Florist: Costa Brava Weddings
Hair and Makeup: Priscilla Solano
​Lighting: Ambiance Event Lighting
Rentals: DGala
Cake; Mariposa Pastry

Vanessa and Chris married one another at Parador, a mountain top resort in Manuel Antonio. An intimate group of long-time family and friends attended the wedding and celebrated the love of the newlyweds. The ceremony was held on a grassy cliff, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A sloth hung nearby in a tree, exemplifying the "pura vida" lifestyle. 

Vanessa got ready in the master suite of the hotel, which provided for plenty of space for her and her bridesmaids. Her dress was absolutely beautiful, and looked stunning on her.  

Chris was getting ready nearby in another room with his groomsmen. The tropical heat didn't stop him from wearing a full suit and bowtie. 

A beautiful tropical arch awaited the couple. Harold, the wedding planner for Parador, did a great job making sure everything was just right for Chris and Vanessa's special day. Vanessa was walked down the aisle by her father, Carl, who was actually the one who did a lot of the wedding pre-arrangements. 

The reception was held in a private event space at the hotel. Birds of paradise decorated the tables, while traditional Costa Rican desserts were beautifully displayed on a nearby table. Chris and Vanessa surprised everyone with a choreographed dance which was a big hit.

Vanessa was really excited about the custom cake topper she had made. The figurines matched exactly to Chris and herself, even down to the bouquet. And when she turned it around everyone burst out into laughter. 

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Videography: Baltodano Films
Venue: Parador Hotel
Coordinator: Harold Rojas
Hair and Makeup: Mademoiselle Salon
Florist: Giovanni Sanchez Mesen
Cake: Parador
DJ: DJ Six

Jona and Adam wanted to start their married life in the morning to signify a new beginning to this new chapter of their lives together. They woke up early, and arrived to the beach at 5:45 AM, just as the sun was beginning its journey into the sky. Jona arrived in a robe and changed into her dress behind one of the volcanic rock formations before revealing herself to Adam. 

As Jona walked towards Adam his face literally lit up. He had a look of astonishment, excitement and joy as his wife to be joined him at the alter. The two shared a passionate first kiss, and immediately after Jona whispered that it was the best kiss of her life. 

Jona and Adam shared a first dance on the empty beach, as the sun peaked out from behind the tree line. Jona was as bit nervous, and was happy they had chosen to elope as she couldn't imagine the nerves that would have accompanied a big wedding. 

The couple was full of adventure, climbing rocks, splashing each other and ending up getting entirely soaked by the end of the photo session. It was such a fun time with these two, to be young and in love is such a beautiful thing. They had plans to continue the marriage celebration later that day with a sunset sailing tour. 

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Officiant: Rodrigo Campos
​Florist: Floresteria Quepos