Source: www.journalcr.com
(Infocom) — The chance to wed in the midst of a breathtaking beach sunset, in the middle of a lush rainforest or against the backdrop of a furious volcano lighting up the night are certainly tempting options for having an unforgettable exchange of marital vows.
Costa Rica’s natural beauty and plenty of exotic locales are not only excellent hooks for attracting conventional tourism. Now they are also drawing the interest of many people who wish to get hitched in a romantic and stunning atmosphere.
This trend has been growing parallel to the booming influx of tourists here. Many hotels currently adapt their facilities for wedding ceremonies and even market packages that include thorough planning of the event. Through these packages, hotels offer food, decorations, stylist and photographer services and even take care of any legal paperwork, to mention just a few services.
Weddings are turning into their own tourism specialization here. Proof of that is that now there are companies dedicated exclusively to the planning of this type of events, taking the worries out of a Costa Rican wedding experience. That’s the case of Costa Rica Paradise Weddings and Weddings Costa Rica, which provide consulting services on all aspects related to tying the knot in style here.
These companies offer services such as negotiating with purveyors, developing Web sites with information for guests, creating unique designs for the decoration, wedding and dinner rehearsals, purchasing the bride and groom’s wardrobes and rings, coordinating travel plans for the couple and guests, honeymoon planning and overall consultation for the entire wedding process.
Why get married in Costa Rica?
Reasonable prices, high quality of services, variety of options and the country’s natural beauty are the main reasons motivating couples to choose Costa Rica to say “I do.”
“Our job is to help the couple find the ideal place for them and design both the ceremony and the reception, according to their budget, style and personality. We adapt to whatever to client wants,” said Sylvia Chaves, weeding planner for Costa Rica Paradise Weddings.
According to Chaves, her customers are mostly young couples between 25 and 35 years of age, upper-middle class, and from countries such as England, Canada and the United States.
Larissa Banting, president of Weddings Costa Rica, said that even though the country still hasn’t reached the popularity of other wedding destinations such as Mexico and Hawaii, it’s on its way to doing so thanks to multiple reasons: variety of exotic locations, frequency of flights coming here, quality of services, security, and the number of activities (whitewater rafting, canopy tours, etc.) the couple and their guests can enjoy as part of the trip.
Marcus and Marina Doherty are one of the couples that decided to tie the knot in Costa Rica. The Ireland natives said their wedding was all they expected it to be thanks to the amiability of the people and the “perfect paradise” they found for the event.
“We chose Costa Rica because of its rich diversity. We wanted a holiday in paradise, which meant it had to have beaches as well as rainforest. Also, Cost Rica is not too big so you can get around quite easily, which we did. Plus, the weather in February is terrific,” explained Marcus, who added that language and cultural differences were not a problem for them.
Moreover, Costa Rica offers certain advantages for this type of tourism other countries don’t. One is that Costa Rica doesn’t require blood tests for people to marry, which is the case in Mexico. And couples don’t have to live here during a minimum period of time before they can exchange vows — in Italy, for example, foreign couples must stay in the country at least 30 days prior to the wedding.
Banting said most of her clients are foreigners, though she also organizes weddings for locals.
“All the weddings we plan are personalized. We don’t offer pre-set packages, as we believe each wedding should be as unique as each couple,” said Banting, adding her company works together with the couples to coordinate all details, from the perfect location to the design of the reception space.
A complete wedding here costs between $10,000 and $50,000, depending on the clients’ preferences and budget. A simple, intimate ceremony is cheaper. Prices go up as the ceremony becomes more complex and luxurious and the number of guests increases.
According to Banting, that’s up to 50 percent less than what comparable weddings would cost in the couples’ countries of origin.
Among the most popular locations for weddings are Manuel Antonio, the Guanacaste beaches, Arenal Volcano and rainforest regions such Sarapiqui, Turrialba and San Ramon.
“I would say 99 percent of the couples look for the beach, especially Guanacaste and the Central Pacific, but some of them look for waterfalls or volcanoes also,” Banting said.
Although most couples prefer a traditional ceremony, the trend of having theme weddings — drawing on aspects of Costa Rican culture — is becoming increasingly popular.
Some couples like to enjoy a typical Costa Rican wedding, with marimba music, traditional clothing and food, and even masquerades accompanied by spirited cimarrona music.
Others have chosen an Indian-themed ceremony, complete with magic-religious rituals officiated by a shaman and Indigenous clothing and dances.
Fantasy weddings are also popular, featuring fireworks and magicians. Others pick a bird theme or concentrate on other flora and fauna typical of Costa Rica.
Also for the rich and famous
Costa Rica’s growing reputation as a wedding destination has also attracted celebrities. Last year, U.S. singer Pink and motocross racer Carey Hart chose to marry at the luxury Four Seasons hotel in Guanacaste’s Papagayo Peninsula.
Actress Bree Williamson, of the U.S. soap opera “One Life to Live,” also got married last year here, in Malpais, Puntarenas.
“I know there are many celebrities coming. What they like the most is that people in Costa Rica are discreet and don’t bother them. Here they can be an intimate wedding; in their countries, they know their wedding would become a circus,” Chaves pointed out.
Banting said her company has worked with high-profile clients, among them millionaires, writers, actors, singers and media executives — but company policies and the clients’ requests keep her from revealing their names
Posted by Roger Vlasos
Broker/Owner
Century21 At the Beach
Playas del Coco, Guanacaste
Website: www.century21incostarica.com
Website: www.northpacificproperties.com
Email: roger@century21incostarica.com
