costa rica destination wedding : wayne & darlene

This post was just waiting to be written the moment I got off the plane. Traveling to another part of the world to photograph a gorgeous wedding. Destination: Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. Wayne and Darlene couldn’t have been any sweeter! Their warm smiles, and huge hearts set the foundation for a wonderful and fun celebration. Darlene is by far the most animated bride I’ve ever photographed, which made everything that much more fun. She always has a joyful spirit and Wayne couldn’t have been more thoughtful. They chose an amazing place to get married! From the moment I arrived here, I fell in love with the tropical weather, friendly culture, and exotic Costa Rican accent… I could go on. Even if it rained with thunder and lightning, the warmth will keep you cozy. It gave me the opportunity to brush up on my Spanish. And by that I mean… “Es muy traffico? Si! Gracias! Por Favor. Arroz y Frijoles? Uhhh… donde es am I?” I’m proud of myself… I understand pretty well, but I just don’t feel confident enough to actually form my own sentences to respond. By the time I had got the hang of the colones conversion and language patterns, it was time to leave. I left a big part of my heart there. It was a trip filled with love, adventure, lush green jungle, monkeys, sloths, three legged dogs, chance encounters, jumping into pools in the rain, thunder, lightning, laughter, and amazing company. The cherry on top? meeting everyone who came out to share the experience of this wedding extravaganza.

Wayne & Darlene got married at Vista Oceana, a private rental home, in Manuel Antonio. Ohmygoodness you need to see those save the dates that Darlene made. Cute Passport and boarding passes. I climbed on the roof to take those details shots… yes, I’m diehard. The RSVP card just tears off to mail in! The local florist in Quepos took care of their every flower needs, and their delicious (really!) reception dinner was at The Falls. Followed by an exciting after party back at the house. It started to rain as soon as the ceremony started, but that was just Costa Rica’s way of saying, “What’s a wedding without a little bit of adventure!” We were able to get some nice portraits all before I caught my taxi and had a sad break up with Costa Rica. Pretty sure, it misses me.

Take a look at the journey to wedded bliss…

There were many more adventures, but I’ll have to post a separate blog for those photos.
If you or someone you know is planning a destination wedding, just let me know :)

View the slideshow at the very bottom of this post, or feel free to scroll through them.. oh and don’t be shy… I’d love to read your feedback. So, all you “silent likers” come on out haha!

PURA VIDA!

The trip started out with some Pre Wedding Day formals at the beach!

The adorable little girl at the flower shop in Quepos

It started to rain, but it didn’t ruin this wedding! It only made it more interesting :)

Darlene designed and made these save the date invites, and I really really LOVED them. So creative and well put together. To RSVP all you have to do is fill out the card and tear off the end just like a real boarding pass. Then just mail it in.

Replica passports with all the wedding info inside! AHHH… so amazing.

Wayne’s pocket watch with a photo of his brother inside. Darlene had a locket with a photo of her father in it too

LOOK the lightning lighting up the background. I waited and waited to try and get some lighting bolts in the shot, but it just wasn’t a clear enough view.

Lightning again!

It was raining while everyone was jumping into the pool.

Heck, I even jumped into the pool! And there is the three legged dog that showed up to say hello. Quite precious. I hope he found an owner :/

This guy got off of the car to give us both flowers to put in our hair. And proceeded to try and steel a “third” kiss from me.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

SLIDESHOW