Welcome to September, which heralds the height of the Rainy Season for the Pacific Coast here in Costa Rica. However, over on the Caribbean side, it’s summer. Gotta love this little country full of sunshine somewhere! Intrepid couple Shawn Marie and Thomas wanted the lush greenery and laid back vibe Puerto Viejo is famous for. We headed to the Shawandha Lodge in Playa Chiquita, where a thatched roof palapa played home to the vibrant wedding reception.

A sweet vintage feel for the festivities saw lots of antique doilies Shawn Marie collected mixed with with driftwood and succulents.

Shawn Marie was the Queen of Etsy – seriously, this girl can give workshops! Check out these crocheted rocks made by a woman here in Costa Rica. Queen of Etsy, I tell you!

A sweet bouquet of hydrangeas, phaeleonopsis orchids, succulents and vines.

The wedding canopy featured trees, orchids, hydrangeas and a rosette topper. Thomas is a landscape designer so trees played a central role in all of the decor. And of course, it wouldn’t be a beach in Costa Rica without a stray zaquate hanging out!

Adorable flowers girls in eyelet lace.

An upcycled book held the vows (another Etsy score!).

Detail of the table decor, which had lace runners, hydrangeas, floating orchids, driftwood and succulents.

Handpainted names on a wooden board on a lace runner.

Lovely little detail – paper doilies with Bride and Groom hand calligraphied – another Etsy find.

Chargers (base plates) were slices of wood topped with a doily-backed menu topped with a crocheted stone with guest’s name hand written on a leaf.

Talk about a cake! We created a special stand housing glass cylinders 3 feet tall filled with branches and orchids, lit by LEDs on which sat the cake (driven in all the way from San Jose!) on a bed of orchids. Spectacular!!

We converted a concrete alcove into a display of floating candles, creating a warm glow to the room.

And how cute is this baby sloth?? Shawn Marie and Thomas took all their guests to the Jaguar Rescue Center up the road in Playa Chiquita (highly recommended!!) and then gave a donation to help them in their quest to rehabilitate injured wild animals. We were extremely lucky to have a baby sloth from the center come to the wedding for a short visit (please note that due to the new laws in Costa Rica, wild animals are no longer allowed to be housed in zoos or privately nor used for display purposes).

Felicidades to Shawn Marie and Thomas! Many years of happiness to you both! Thanks to Dan Power for the lovely photos!

Christine and Bryan are a couple head over heels for each other. Truly, madly, deeply in love, the kind that warms the cockles of your heart just being around them. *sigh*
Originally, they were looking at the Mal Pais/Santa Teresa area for their early October wedding. Now, I’m going to let you in on a little secret – the locals tend to hightail it out of town in September and October since those are the peak months of the rainy season, with many businesses opting to just close up until November. But while the Pacific is wet, the Caribbean is dancing in the sun, enjoying summer those same months. Crazy, I know, but that’s what makes Costa Rica such a cool place to live. Luckily, Christine and Bryan decided to move their elopement over to the funky Caribbean town of Puerto Viejo. As you’ll see, it was a sunny, beautiful day with deserted beaches and colourful backdrops galore!
Simplicity was the key word for this intimate celebration. A few touches was all this gorgeous beachside setting needed.
Um, can you say STUNNING?!! I think Christine looks like legendary actress/performer Bernadette Peters.
Blue skies, nothin’ but blue skies…
A sand ceremony is such a lovely addition to a wedding.

Oh happy day! The newlyweds moments after making it ‘official’. The red anthuthiums (also called the ‘Flamingo Flower’) and red ginger add a great punch of color against the white dendrobium orchids.
Miles of palm-fringed beaches with nary a soul around – the Caribbean coast is a fabulous setting for a wedding. Although there is no sunset with the sun sinking into the horizon, the stunning setting doesn’t need it.
Yum!! Sweets for the sweet…
Just a few minutes up the road from the hotel is the main street of Puerto Viejo, with the beach on one side and small shops and restaurants on the other. Traffic is as languorous as the chilled reggae beats that permeate the aural landscape. Everything is tuanis (local slang for ‘cool’, ‘groovy’ – comes from ‘too nice).
Looks like Bob agrees that Christine and Bryan are one lucky couple in love.
Congratulations again and many thanks to the fab team of El Velo Photography for capturing all the magic.

Real Wedding- Shawn Marie and Thomas, Puerto Viejo

Real Wedding-Christine and Bryan, Puerto Viejo

Top 30 Destination Wedding Planners in the World