This wedding weekend was jam-packed with fun and adventure. Two days before the wedding was actually the groom's birthday so they had a bunch to celebrate. On his birthday, they had a quick wedding rehearsal followed by a catamaran cruise along the coast of Tamarindo to explore the beautiful sights in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Everyone enjoyed cocktails and snacks on the boat before coming back to shore to see the town at night!
The next morning, they headed out for their next adventure! They started their day with yoga at the resort and a relaxing brunch on the beach watching the waves come in. Then everyone headed to get massages! It was exactly what they needed to turn vacation mode all the way up! In the afternoon everyone gathered again to ride ATV's and go ziplining through the treetops. It was a nonstop day of thrills, sights, and relaxation. What a perfect trip.
After they came back from exploring, everyone showered and headed to the beachfront welcome party. We decorated everything in a boho style with naked teepees with pillows and lanterns. The tables had floating candles and colorful flowers in corals, pinks, and greens. On the shore, we set up cornhole games in the sand which helped everyone mingle as they played. There was only a small guest list, so most guests knew one another which made it feel extra intimate. Everyone chatted over the hors d'oeuvres of fresh ceviche, chips with guacamole, shrimp, chicken skewers, and picadillo. They sipped passionfruit mojitos, Moscow mules, and sangria while enjoying the sunset. Everyone headed to bed early after such a packed day. The biggest adventure yet was the next day!
The morning of the wedding was beautiful. The sun was shining as everyone started to get glam. The girls were all dressed in fun floral robes before getting into their blush gowns. The bride braided in a bunch of wildflowers into her sunkissed hair and well as their younger daughter's hair and all of the wedding party had a few too! Her finely beaded gown with a flowy skirt fit her so perfectly. Her personality matched, she was so poised yet fun and free-spirited.
The guests started heading to the beach restaurant ceremony location and were welcomed with coco locos. They relaxed on dusty blue lounge furniture and took photos by a green VW bus. They enjoyed the hot sun and ocean breeze before taking their seats in front of the infamous Pangas tree with the blue water sparkling behind.
The ceremony was decorated in a beach-chic boho wedding style. There was a beautiful green rug at the alter under a modern gold metal arbor decorated with brass potted plants around the base. The geometric arbor was accented with white flowers, greenery, and small touches of pampas. A lantern shined in the sun on one side of the couple and a large basket vase with pampas grass on the other side helped to balance the setting. The guests sat in their wooden chairs and the celebrant reminded them that this was an unplugged ceremony.
As the bride showed up, all of the guests stayed steaded because guests do not stand when the bride enters at a Jewish wedding. She glided down the aisle to the sandy shore to meet her handsome groom. Wes wore a beachy hat and had the biggest grin on his face. They exchanged vows that reflected their personalities and love story, then smashed the glass as in Jewish tradition. After their first kiss as husband and wife, they headed straight to the beach to watch the clouds come in.
Beach Chic Wedding Playlist
Processional: Canon in D by Pachelbel
Bridal Entrance: Instrumental of 1,000 years
Mr + Mrs. Announcement: “Now that we found love”
First Dance: Mirable by Foo Fighters
The sky turned a moody slate blue and the water was choppy and flat. They had the whole beach to themselves on this side of Playa Tamarindo. Everyone mingled at the wooden high-top tables and lounge furniture to talk about the weekend full of activities. Early in the day, there was an unseasonal spout of rain so we did shift the dinner indoors to the second-floor space of the restaurant. The guests loved this because of the air condition and privacy upstairs.
The couple had a great idea for the seating chart - find your face to take your place. They printed their favorite, funny memories on a big board and on their plates. The best part, while everyone was looking around, the photos became a great conversation starter.
Since this was a micro wedding with a more intimate guest list, the couple decided on a served dinner where guests could make their dinner selections at the table. All 32 guests sat at one long teak table with a tablescape mixed with amber glass elements, vintage brass vases, and gold prisms with mixed candles. There were macramé table runners with starburst chargers and gold flatware. Palm leaf napkins for that pop of green. It was a beach chic wedding dream.
Beach Chic Wedding Menu:
Hors d’oeuvres:
Glazed wings
Coffee rubbed beef skewers
Mixed Seafood shot
Pulled Pork Empanadas with Tamarindo sauce
Pico de Gallo on tortilla chip
Dinner:
Mixed green salad
Goat cheese salad
Black Angus ribeye grilled on an open fire served with a yucca croquette, grilled vegetables, and Pangas signature Chimichurri sauce or Béarnaise sauce
Fresh Sea Bass served over wild rice with a watercress buerre blanc sauce and julienne vegetables
Grilled chicken skewers served in a coconut with a coconut curry sauce and yucca puree
After dinner, everyone headed back to the breezy shore for the rest of the reception. They stood under the string lights on the beach and gazed up to the stary sky. Everyone was drinking cocktails and taking silly photos with the VW bus photo booth. We placed two leather poufs outside of the bus and a pampas grass vase which looked awesome in the night light. For dessert, there were donuts of all kinds - glazed, chocolate, and lemon decorated with dots and stripes in ivory, blush, light pink, and light green.
We decorated the swing under the tree with floral touches and the bride swang whimsically in the moonlight. It was a great intimate beach wedding and ending to a weekend full of celebration.
Jess + Wes Beach Wedding in Costa Rica Featured on Boho Weddings
We are so excited to feature Jess + Wes on Boho Weddings!