I am completely determined to talk one of my lovely friends into a week-long wedding adventure after spending a little time with this Costa Rica wedding snapped up by Slayleigh James and planned to perfection by The Special Day (complete with stunning florals from Elena Damy Designs). Can you imagine day after day of pure fun with your nearest and dearest? It sounds like the best idea ever, and after taking a peek at these pics, I’m pretty sure it was. See them all here.
And don’t miss their ah-mazing film from the ridiculously talented folks at Elysium Productions…
From The Special Day…Kei & Yusuke being world travelers and adventurers themselves, it was important to them to have a wedding where their family and friends could come together to enjoy a new culture & country together. But the priority was having a location that offered a little bit of everything for those with the more adventurous spirit several activities to choose from, to those that just wanted to relax at the beach. With guests that lived on both coasts of the U.S., as well as from Japan, Costa Rica was a nice central point being approximately 6 hours from either the West or East Coasts, and being on Central Standard Time, there wasn’t too much of a time adjustment, or jet lag. Manuel Antonio on the Central Pacific side of Costa Rica offered all the various activities and characteristics that Kei and Yusuke were looking for from surfing, scuba diving, white water rafting, hiking, the beach, wildlife, and logistically not hard to get to, plus being one of the premier destinations in Costa Rica. It was an intimate group of about 40 guests, and we planned a multi-day itinerary of events and group activities so that guests could experience Manuel Antonio & Costa Rica at its best. Late November was just tapering off from the rainy season or green season, but before heading into their peak season. We handled all the planning and organization of each activity & event, the logistics, and provided detailed information via the wedding website, the invitations, and email communication regarding what to expect, the packing list, as well as arranged airport shuttle transportation to/from San Jose Airport down to Manuel Antonio for all guests, which the bride and groom hosted. Even for the casual lunches or dinners, we made the recommendations, handled the reservations, as well as the transportation. This was just a short list, as with all destination weddings we plan, we take care of every detail we become the travel guide, the concierge, the tripadvisor guide, the consultant, the planner, the logistics coordinator, the translator sometimes the baby sitter, the driver, the wardrobe stylist, the chef, the bartender, the sommelier, as well as having the positive encouraging attitude to hold a hand and jump in the water together! While there were many group lunches & dinners that we organized for the wedding week, we share here several of the different events and activities pre and post wedding day of Kei & Yusukes Costa Rica Destination Wedding:
Day 1 – Family & Friends started arriving on Thanksgiving Day. Instead of having traditional Thanksgiving style dinner with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, and fixings, we had one of the best local restaurants in Quepos/Manuel Antonio La Esquina del Sabor cater the dinner, serving tipico Costa Rican cuisine and freshly made tropical juices.
Day 2 – After breakfast at the hotel we took the group for a morning hike to Manuel Antonio National Park, a must see in the area, in which you will see wildlife, flora & fauna, and amazing views of the ocean from various lookout points. Then you can enjoy and swim in the warm ocean, with a picnic along the beautiful beach. Along the hike, we saw sloths, white faced monkeys, a raccoon, lots of iguanas, and a crocodile! After the hike, in the afternoon for the more adventurous spirits, the guests went zip lining through the jungles.. exhilarating to fly atop and through the trees.
Day 3 – Wedding day! Kei & Yusuke didnt want a beach wedding, but a location with an ocean view would be perfect. Villa Vigia a private estate overlooking Manuel Antonio and the Pacific, set the stage & backdrop for Kei & Yusukes Costa Rica destination wedding day. An intimate wedding ceremony & reception for 40 of their closest family and friends was exactly what the bride and groom had in mind. Appetizers during the cocktail hour included 1. Costa Rican ceviche with coconut milk, ginger and bananas, 2. Patacones (fried green plantain) with refried black beans, 3. French live pate and onion jelly on baguette, 4. Carribean patties (Costa Rican spicy empanaditas) and 5. Trout tartare with berry caper on avocado toast. Wine for the evening was provided by Vino d Vino, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Carmenere, Malbec, and Merlot from Cumbres Andinas, Chile. With a plethora of tropical fruits, we had a juice bar to serve passion fruit, pineapple and mango juices, as well as fresh mint lemonade. The bamboo straws are made locally in Costa Rica. Salad: Fresh Hearts of Palm & Pineapple Salad, with Grilled Macadamia. The evenings menu included: Appetizer: Shrimp Tempura with Mango and Avocado Salsa, Entrees: Seabass in a Passion Fruit & Miso Sauce with Braised BokChoy, Beef Tenderloin with Guava and Red Wine Sauce
We ended the night with dancing and even had a salsa instructor to come in and teach guests how to salsa dance!
Day 4 – The day after the wedding, instead of a post-wedding brunch, we started the day a little later (knowing the guests would have a lot of fun the night before at the wedding). Kayaking through the mangroves was a nice and relaxed activity. Heres a description of the activity: Paddle through the smooth inland waterways of the Damas Island Estuary, one of the most unusual types of vegetation on the planet, and learn the importance of this delicate ecosystem. Mangroves thrive where the salt waters of the ocean meet the fresh waters of tropical rivers creating a periodically submerged forest of interlacing aerial roots. Your guide will show you the wealth of animal and bird life that lives in this unique habitat, such as mangrove wrens, swallows and an abundance of shore birds. On the banks of the estuary, youll see the main protagonists of the mangrove ecosystem; the Sally light foot crab, as well as boa constrictors tangled in the aerial roots, silky ant eaters and monkeys in the upper branches and crocodiles slipping in and out of the water. After a relaxing day paddling in the estuary, we headed back to the condos at Los Altos Resort and enjoyed time by the pool and watching the sunset which is one of the amazing scenes because the sky just lights up like fire
Day 5 – One of the activities the bride & groom had on their must do list was white water rafting, which I was happy to oblige with being a white water enthusiast myself. Near Manuel Antonio the Rio Savegre is only about a 50 minute drive one of the cleanest rivers in the country, with fun class 3 rapids. We took the adventure group for a fun day on the river, with a hike to the waterfalls. The drive to the river is scenic and beautiful as well. Rafting is a great team building & bonding exercise and definitely fun to do as a pre or post wedding activity. You dont need any experience or need to swim to be able to go white water rafting!
Day 6 – A great way to end the week of fun, adventure, and a lifetime of memories on a sunset cruise around Manuel Antonio (this cruise is also a great welcome event if timing appropriate)
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Photography: Slayleigh James, Alex Hill | Floral Design: Elena Damy Designs | Planning: The Special Day | Venue: Villa Vigia | Invitations & Stationary: Cherish Paperie | Cinematography: Elysium Productions | Linens: Wildflower Linens | Catering: Citrus Catering | Wine: Vino d Vino | Cake: Mariposa Bakery | Officiant: Jim Mears | DJ + Lighting: DJ Estif of Costa Rica Wedding DJ & Cabo Luna | Rentals: Costa Mesa | Hair + Makeup: Rachel, Costa Rica Hair & Makeup by Monica