Janae and Jayce held an intimate wedding ceremony at a vacation house nestled in the Costa Rican jungle. They said their vows to one another with tears in their eyes, and smiles of joy on their lips. Family and friends joined them to celebrate, as well as two very important guests, their two sons. 

The day started with Janae getting ready. Her two little ones looked so cute in their little outfits, complete with bow tie and all. Janae wore a simple dress that beautifully displayed her body art. 

A tropical arch was set for the ceremony. Traditional Costa Rican bird whistles were given to each guest. They all blew on them and sang little bird songs as the couple exited from the ceremony. 

After the ceremony the newlyweds shared a first dance as an entire family, it was such a sweet moment, I am tearing up just writing about it. 

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Venue: Casa de las Brisas
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Florist: Floresteria Quepos
Officiant: Melissa Klassen
Hair and Makeup: Mademoiselle Salon

Brandi and Luke arranged a simple yet beautiful wedding on Manuel Antonio Beach. With a view of the Manuel Antonio Nation Park, this couple said, "I Do" to one another and committed to love one another for the rest of their lives. 
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Guests enjoyed the amazing sunset and wet their feet in the water before heading to a dinner reception at a nearby restaurant.

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Officiant: Marcelo Galli
​Hair and Makeup: Mademoiselle Salon

This lovely family took a trip to Costa Rica to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary. They decided that a sunset photo session would be a great way to document this milestone. The sunset this evening was beautiful. 

Julia and Brian married one another in Costa Rica in front of a select group of friends and family. And although this wedding ceremony made their union official, it was not needed to prove that these two are committed to one another for life. Julia and Brian have been together for over 10 years and have two beautiful children together. The small daily routines of life and the support they provide to one another already shows just how committed they are. 

One of the things that I loved about these two are how laid back they were. Neither of them were nervous or stressed about the wedding, they weren't very particular about how things looked or flowed (even though everything looked beautiful and flowed seamlessly). They were eager to incorporate the children into their wedding day, yet also reserve special moments for just the two of them. 

A stunning tropical setup awaited Julia and Brian. Birds of paradise and red ginger flowers were in abundance. Alvin played on his guitar as Julia made her entrance, I couldn't tell during the wedding day, but after zooming in on her photos during the editing process I could see that she had tears welling up in her eyes.

Photography: Madison Baltodano Photography
Venue: Casa de las Brisas
Wedding Planner: Oasis Destination Weddings
Cake: Mariposa Pastry
Flowers: Floristeria Quepos
Officiant: Rodrigo Campos
Guitarist: Alvin Chinchillo

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: Stylos y Flores
​Cake: Mariposa Pastry
Rentals: D'Gala

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.