Hair Dos and Don'ts

Having a wedding in the tropics requires a bit of forethought on how you're going to wear your hair for the big day. Keep in mind that you are going to be dealing with hot and humid conditions, which will cause your hair to do some things it may not normally do in your home climate. 

If you have fairly straight hair, don't try to force it into curls. Due to the humidity here, straight hair tends to fall pretty quickly. 

If you have wavy or curly hair, pack a good conditioner and frizz tamer as you're going to need it! As a curly-head myself, I can attest to the frizz power of the beach. Be warned...

I find the best options are either a soft updo or a 'half up/half down' option.  Either of these works beautifully for a beach wedding, keeping you cool and not worrying about how your hair is reacting to the climate.

Another recommendation is to have a trial run a day or two beforehand with the hairdresser you'll be using for the wedding day.  Ask your wedding planner to set up an appointment and this way, you can take your time to work out exactly how you want your hair and you'll have no worries when it comes to the big day. 

And as a photo says a thousand words, it's helpful if you bring along a picture or two of what you have in mind as most of the hairdressers here speak little English.

Photos courtesy of Dan Power Photography

Costa Rica - Affordable and Warm!

Came across this article in Forbes, about affordable places to escape the cold. And Central America (including Costa Rica) is right up there. Here's an excerpt:

Central America and the Caribbean deliver a major cost-saving advantage, according to Tim Leffel, author of The World's Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where Your Money Is Worth a Fortune.

"If you're coming from the U.S., you don't have to pay very much to get there, and there's less jet lag, so you can really hit the ground running," he says.

Here are five more reasons why Costa Rica is at the top of the list for a destination wedding in Central America:

1. Goods and services for weddings are a fraction of the cost in North America. For example, a three-course plated wedding dinner at a 4-star boutique hotel runs only $42, including the tax and tip! Compare that to hotels in the USA and Canada charging $150 a plate! 

2. The only country in the Western Hemisphere without an army, it is safe and stable. 

3. Healthcare is universal, there are world-class hospitals (which are amazingly affordable) and the water is potable, so no worries of Montezuma's Revenge.

4.  Ticos (as Costa Ricans are called) are a happy lot who genuinely love visitors. They are proud of their country and eager to share it with the rest of the world. A warm, authentic welcome is guaranteed.

5. Thanks to a law prohibiting any structure from being built within 50 metres of the high-tide mark, the beaches are not a concrete jungle as found in Mazatlan or Hawaii. Standing on the beach in Manuel Antonio, for example, all you see are palm trees and sand. Beautiful and the perfect setting for a beach ceremony.

Photos courtesy of Lifetime Digital

Real Wedding - Lyn & Erwin!

A big 'felicidades' to Lyn and Erwin on their marriage December 6 in beautiful Tamarindo!

It was a perfect day, with blue skies and a gorgeous sunset. Over 40 folks made the trek down from New York to celebrate with the happy couple. The ceremony featured a full Catholic mass on Langosta Beach and then dinner and dancing by the pool at Villas Cala Luna.



What a great love story - their moms were best friends since the 1970s so the kids literally grew up together. Lyn was Erwin's first official crush as a kid but it wasn't until a couple of years ago that they realized they were really perfect for each other. During their slide show, there were tons of photos of them together over the years on family outings. How amazing will it be for their kids to see those old family photos!

And who doesn't love a cute ring bearer? What a sweetie!

Purple is Lyn's favorite color so we featured it in the flowers, linens, ink on the menus, in varying shades with silver to add a bit of bling to the overall effect. Orchids were the flower of choice, given their colors as well as hardiness and that Costa Rica is a major exporter of them.

Finishing off the party was the wild drumming and hip-shaking dancing of 'carnival' or 'comparse'. Think of it as a touch of Rio in Costa Rica. No one was immune to the infectious rhythm (even the priest was shakin' things up with the befeathered dancers). Good times :)

Many years of happiness to you both, Lyn and Erwin, and thank you so much for allowing us the honor to be a part of your wonderful day!

Photos courtesy of Richard May Photography

New Flights to Costa Rica on JetBlue!

Discount airline, JetBlue Airways, announced that it is now offering daily flights from Orlando, Florida to San Jose, Costa Rica beginning March 26. Buy your tickets before December 23 and you could pay only $99 per way - regular fares begin at $139 per way. Flights depart Orlando at 10:40 AM, arriving in San Jose at 11:53 AM.

Starfish Thank You Gifts

Here is a cute idea to tie in a starfish theme to your thank you gifts.

At Adjoa's wedding, she gave a beautiful starfish bottle topper from Weddingstar. This story was printed and included with each one...

Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf's edge and and the beach. Back and forth this person went. As the man approached he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide. The man was stuck by the the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.

As he came up to the person he said, "You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can't possibly make a difference." The person looked at the man. He then stooped down and pick up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said, "It sure made a difference to that one!"

Birds of Paradise Seating Cards

More from the wedding of Adjoa and Jorge, where Birds of Paradise took decor centre stage. For the seating cards, we placed each card in the 'beak' of the flower. The flowers were then placed in vases, guests found their names and then took the flower to the table with them. Definitely a big hit, as people had fun looking for their names amongst the flowers.

Beautiful, different and functional. Who said seating cards had to be boring?

Photos courtesy of Lifetime Digital

Adjoa & Jorge - A Wedding in (Birds of) Paradise

Great time was had by all at Adjoa & Jorge's wedding at the Tamarindo Diria last week. Wow, do those folks know how to shake a tailfeather!! Mix folks from Ghana and Portugal together and you get a non-stop rockin' time!

Taking inspiration from their wedding invitations, we went with an orange and navy blue color scheme with starfish as the accent.

The result for the reception was a plethora of graceful Birds of Paradise (the bride's favorite and also a perfect match for the color scheme). We anchored the tables with an orange runner, then played up the blue with the frames, blue tinted water for the flowers and orange napkins (with a single dendrobium orchid bud). Rattan chargers, mahogany Chiavari chairs and scattered starfish finished the look. Simple yet elegant.


As wedding favors, Adjoa and Jorge chose handmade coffee mugs, made in the artisan town of Santa Ana, filled with Costa Rican coffee and a change purse made from traditional Kente cloth (the beautiful fabric worn as part of tradition dress in Ghana).

It was a wonderful wedding and we're so honored to have been a part of it. Felicidades, Adjoa and Jorge! Many years of happiness!

Photos courtesy of Lifetime Digital