You know why I love A Brit & A Blonde?  Well, other than the fact that they are two of the sweetest photogs you will ever meet?  They are crazy talented.  In a way that kind of takes your breath away.  So, when this glorious Costa Rica wedding made its way into my inbox, it was akin to Christmas morning. Because this is a gift that not only features drop-dead gorgeous imagery, but a seriously stunning duo and the beyond beautiful stylings from Four Winds Weddings & Events.  See every last amazing moment in the full gallery.

 

From A Brit & A Blonde… Crystal and Daniel really wanted a simple and understated event with vintage details. They chose to marry on the beach in Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica and host their reception at a nearby mountaintop villa. For the ceremony they featured locally made teak benches. The aisle was lined with driftwood posts and green beach glass salvaged bottles tied with twine. They used bunches of star of Bethlehem for the post vases with a look that was fresh, but muted, as to not distract from the natural beauty of the stunning coastline. For her bridal bouquet, they used blown white roses, star of Bethlehem and mini kumquat fruit for an accent of color. Gotta love that. So fun!

Crystal and Dan live in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. And have the cutest baby named Beckett who was by mommy’s side for most of the ceremony as the guest of honour. Included in Crytal’s bridal bouquet was the perfect charm “I love you to the moon and back” – which is a quote from the much loved children’s book Goodnight Moon that Crystal has read to Beckett since the first day he was born. The mustaches that they had on hand for a group shot (and also seen on their save the date and for some fun shots of the two of them) have a personal backstory. It was a “Mustache Party” that actually got Crystal and Dan together back in 2009. Crystal and 3 of her girlfriends found themselves “mustache-less” and had to rectify the situation. Crystal came up with the idea that they could draw a mustache on their fingers – she went into the bar to ask the bartender if he had a sharpie she could use. That bartender was Dan!

The reception decor was designed to compliment the feel of the ceremony. Lovely blue satin napkins, jute burlap and a collection of green beach glass mason jars and bottles that acted as vases. A ceiling of warm cafe lighting and crackle glass candle votives were used at the head table to provide soft lighting for dining. Guests indulged in a three tiered chocolate ganache cake and danced under the stars.

Wedding Photography: A Brit & A Blonde | Event + Floral Designer: Four Winds Weddings & Events | Reception Venue: Villa Paraiso | Wedding Dress: Caroline DeVillo Couture Bridal | DJ: XDJ Costa Rica | Rentals: Eventos Artesanos  | Shoes: Dolce Vita | Groom’s Attire: J. Crew | Catering: Tropical Gourmet

A Brit & A Blonde and Four Winds Weddings & Events are members of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

A Brit & A Blonde

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Four Winds Weddings & Events

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Costa Rica.  The land of breathtaking beaches, mesmerizing rain forests and beautiful scenery as far as the eyes can see.  And also home to the wonderful new advertiser joining our SMP family, FourNineteen Weddings, a wedding design and coordination firm that knows a thing or two about throwing THE perfect Costa Rica wedding.  Which makes this Saturday morning beyond amazing, because we have the privilege of spending every last second getting to know this spectacular team of planners AND their fab services.  I’m talking design, logistics, translation AND planning.  Excited about today’s special meet and greet?  Us, too.

From FourNineteen Weddings… FourNineteen Weddings is a wedding design and coordination company specializing in Costa Rica destination weddings. We are dedicated to helping couples from all over the world have the perfect wedding in Costa Rica, making the whole planning process simple, stress-free and enjoyable. Our company is based out of the Northern Pacific area of Guanacaste (one of the top destination wedding areas in the country) and our Senior Planner is one of the few Costa Rican wedding planners around, which is a definite advantage as she is familiar with local customs, traditions and the basic way things work in Pura Vida land.

At FourNineteen Weddings, we will help you out with as little or as much as you want us to. We know many couples already know exactly what they want, but when getting married in a foreign country, they need help with logistics and planning. Others need help in translating what they want into a reality and finding the right vendors. Some couples ask for help with everything, from the initial design proposal to the actual outline of the big day. With this in mind, we offer various Costa Rica wedding and event service options for our clients, never forgetting that every couple has their very own vision of what their wedding day should be like.

Welcome to the family, FourNineteen Weddings!  We are so very happy to have you! xoxo

FourNineteen Weddings is a member of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

FourNineteen Weddings

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When people ask me for advice on planning their big day, I always say – hire people you absolutely love, trust and admire and you won’t have to worry about a thing. This couple researched away until they could do just that, and came out with a team of talents including Ale Sura Photo, Costa Rica Destination Weddings and Art Flower that made their dream destination wedding a reality. It’s too gorgeous to miss, so join me in getting lost in all the lovely – right here.

 

From the Bride…Our wedding theme revolved around the colors Coffee, Wood and Green Apple. These are all colors that reminded us of this great country, and joining together on the sand, under an open sky. We were very, very, very picky about our service providers – with the actual attitude of a company mattering just as much as the aesthetics of the event. Relatively simple meetings would turn into 5-hour conversations with companies like Arte Flor (the best Floral company in Costa Rica!). We didn’t want cheesy, overly melo-dramatic wedding photos, so we went with the coolest photographer who basically told us “just let me do what I do and you’ll like the result”. Cool. Sold. We chose a club DJ to do the music at our ceremony. And so on it went. From the smallest detail to big decisions like table settings, we went out of our way to choose something that reflected how unique – and overly picky – we both are.

Despite all this though, we realized that the most important thing for us was that our wedding was FUN. We set up a stand for people to get pipas (think coconuts), a photo booth for silly pictures, a fun lounge for the older attendees, burlap bags of lavender for people to throw half at us as we walked down the aisle and keep half for their baggage. We made everyone a jar of homemade Guava jam. The music started as soon as Mike walked down the aisle and didn’t stop until late at night. At around 10 o’clock we had a Costa Rican specialty – the Carnivale – where costumed dancers, drummers and trumpet players play Rumba music in the midst of the crowd. It got everyone out of their seats, and for the first time ever saw our mothers dancing like they were teenagers.

The weather was perfect. Sunny skies and a light breeze greeted guests throughout the day. Right as the Pastor began to speak the clouds opened to reveal a gorgeous sunset. Some guests even gasped. If we could give any advice to couples looking to get married, it’d be to handle as much yourself as you’re comfortable with, and then trust the people you hire. After all, you know better than anyone what your special day will look like, so fret the details but then as it gets close to the wedding day, relax. It’ll all go awesome. Also, don’t listen to anyone who cares more about selling you stuff than about the love you two share.

Finally, just know that it really is all worth it. As we lay in bed the morning after, slightly hungover but happy as can be, we smiled and said to each other “we did it.” We had gone through all the trials and tribulations a couple could go through: distance, difference of cultures, work issues, illnesses, money problems and still managed to have the perfect Wedding. Moving outside to the balcony we sat on our deck chairs and closed our eyes, the sound of the waves crashing against the beach in our ears. With a lot of work and a lot of help, we did it. 

Wedding Photography: Ale Sura Photo / Wedding Venue: Langosta Beach Club in Tamarindo, Costa Rica / Event Coordinator: Maria Eugenia Roldán from Costa Rica Destination Weddings / Floral Design: Art Flower / Cake +  Pastries: Victoria Zoch / DJ: Marcelo Matos / Wedding Dress: Kitty Chen Couture / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Groom’s Attire: Island Importers / Groom’s Shoes: Kenneth Cole

Ale Sura Photo and Artflower are members of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

Ale Sura Photo

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Artflower

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