2 years ago, when we were doing our research for starting our rental business in Costa Rica, we started exploring what vendors were currently servicing the destination wedding market in the country. Right away, we were struck with how limited the online resources were for those trying to plan their own destination wedding. Many of the vendors that we discovered worked primarily with word of mouth or only facebook pages for their business. Over the last few years, many Costa Rica wedding vendors have built more of an online pressence and it is now becoming possible, yet challenging, to plan your own destination wedding in Costa Rica.
For those go-getters out there, here are a few tips to uncovering the misteries of planning your own wedding in Costa Rica.
- Be aware of seasonal weather patterns. Costa Rica Guide is a helpful resource when learning about Costa Rica's tropical seasons.
- If you are considering having a beach wedding, research the tide for the day of your event. The pacific coast tends to have large tide swings, while the Caribbean has small tides. You don't want to pick your date and then later discover that there won't be any beach for your ceremony.
- Start the process by researching different areas of Costa Rica that are close to major airports. If you find a location that you absolutely love and it is also convenient for your guests, you needn't look any further.
- Consider working with a Costa Rica wedding planner that offers wedding consulting services. Four Winds Weddings & Events is a company that we work with frequently. This company works on an hourly basis and can help guide you through some of the more challenging aspects of wedding planning as well as refer you to the vendors they trust. If later, you decide that you require more help, they will apply their consultation services as a credit to a full wedding planning package.
- Look for wedding venues that allow flexibility with wedding planning and don't require a wedding package through their in-house wedding planner.
- Ask for vendor recommendations from the vendors that you have already booked. Costa Rica is a small country. Many talented wedding vendors would be happy to provide referrals for other vendors that they respect and trust.