This wedding was special in so many ways. Not only was it my first destination wedding in Nicaragua, it was also my first time to Rancho Santana, a location that I have been wanting to travel to for quite some time. I arrived early on the wedding day to scope the location and after walking the various event spaces, decided to grab my surfboard. I had one of the best morning sessions that I have had in the longest time, which stirred up all my creativity and prepared me for Daria and Arturo’s epic wedding. Everything that followed was simply magical, from the surprise performance from a close friend to the breezy ceremony location ending with and amazing dance party, this event did not disappoint.

Elizabeth and Jake were such a pleasure to photograph. They wanted a simple and sweet mountain elopement atop an active volcano. We ended up exploring the entire area. The ceremony location was only accessible via quad. Following the ceremony we went to the lowlands where there was a beautiful farm with stunning and dramatic trees. We ended the session by chasing the sunset light up the volcano for some epic shots. Special thanks to KC from Four Winds Weddings & Events for coordinating all of the details of the day.

Wedding Planning: Four Winds Weddings & Events

Floral Design: Eventos Artesanos

Location: Hotel Borinquen Mountain Resort

One of the reasons that I love photographing elopements is because the day is all about celebrating a deep connection- nothing more, nothing less. There are no distractions from the love and commitment that the two share. It is a beautiful sight to behold. Ashton, Adam and I meet up at their stunning hotel Rio Perdido. The two shared a first look on the suspension bridge on the property and read a sweet note that they wrote for one another. After that we went of site to do some exploring. The session ended with a waterfall ceremony and a super sweet picnic lunch supplied by their wedding planner Four Winds Weddings & Events.

Wedding Planning: Four Winds Weddings & Events

Floral Design and Picnic Basket: Eventos Artesanos

Officiant: Ana Castro

Almost every year, I travel back to Bellingham, WA for a month in August. It is really the absolute best time to visit the PNW because this weird bright thing appears in the sky and stays out for several weeks. This year, I decided to meet up with Jordan Voth, one of my favorite Seattle area photogs. Jordan and I spent the day talking about everything photography related and I learned a lot from our time together. At golden our, we grabbed our cameras and went out to shoot Alexa and Daniel’s engagement session in Discovery Park.

Kelly and Sean were brave enough to trust me to take them on an off-road adventure to a countryside location in the shadow of Volcano Arenal. We ducked barbed wire, walked through tall grass, got a little dirty (me more then them) and had a blast taking photographs together. Sean loves trees and Kelly has an affinity for water, so the Arenal area was perfect because we were able to capture two amazingly diverse locations within the short time that we had together.

Costa Vida Photography has been featured in Ego Magazine’s annual wedding issue. This photographer spotlight highlighting my experience in the destination wedding market here in Costa Rica. Que Bueno!! Here is the full interview in english:

Ego: When did you decide to become a Weddings photographer.

Costa Vida: Becoming a wedding photographer was something that I fell into. In high school, I took a black and white film class where I spent some time in the dark room developing film. I really fell in love with shooting photos at that time, but considered it a hobby. Many years later, upon moving to Costa Rica, I started shooting seriously again and eventually shot a wedding in 2011. I found the experience of documenting a wedding truly exhilarating and was hooked immediately.

Ego: Why did you decide to come to Costa Rica?

Costa Vida: Costa Rica has always intrigued me. Prior to moving here, I made many trips and was always impressed at the diversity and beauty that this country has to offer. For a small country, it is amazingly diverse with all of the little microclimates. I find the friendly people and beautiful countryside to be an endless source of creative inspiration. 

Ego: Why do you think Costa Rica has become such an attractive destine wedding place?

Costa Vida: There is truly no other place on earth that fuses life, love and nature like Costa Rica. It is this trifecta of qualities that draws the interest of the destination wedding couples and their closest loved ones. One question that I get more then any other from my clients is “how can I move to Costa Rica?”. It is a constant reminder of how lucky we are to live in such an amazing country. 

Ego: What are three pieces of advice you would give to a couple should know about planning their photo sessions

Costa Vida:

1. Set Up a Phone Call: I would recommend scheduling a time to speak with the photographer over the phone prior to booking their services for such a monumental day. Although photographers aren’t paid to speak per se, you want to make sure that your photographer makes you feel at ease and  understands your vision for the day. 

2. Send Inspiration: I always ask my clients to make a Pinterest board with images that inspire them from my website and blog. For me, it is really important to see what work of mine they best connect with so that I can exceed their expectations when I deliver their photos. 

3. Schedule a Creative Session: This is the absolute best way to connect with your photographer prior to your wedding day. I really do encourage my clients to book a 1 hour creative session the day prior to the wedding so that we can get comfortable with one another prior to the big day. It allows the photographer to capture the excitement and chemistry of the couple and can be an amazing source of creativity for the wedding day. 

Here is a link to the full magazine on Issue: https://issuu.com/casagaleria/docs/ego_41. Skip to page 129 for the feature.

Gracie and Elan’s wedding day was filled with laughter and love. It was truly a pleasure to document all of the beautiful chemistry that surrounded these two. Elan’s name means “strong tree” in hebrew, so it was only fitting that they hosted their nuptials in the shade of a beautiful tree skirted by the Tamarindo Estuary.

Wedding Coordination: Four Winds Weddings

Event Rentals and Floral Design: Eventos Artesanos

Location: Pangas Beach Club

If you have followed my instagram, you know that I love exploring new locations throughout Costa Rica. When Juana contacted saying that she wanted a waterfall elopement, I started thinking of new locations. Immediately, Llano del Cortez waterfall came to mind as it is one of my favorite locations in Guanacaste. This breathtaking location it is just outside of Bagaces, an area with a radical desert landscape. What contrast we achieved in just a mater of a few miles.

Wedding Coordinator: Four Winds Weddings & Events

Floral Designer: Eventos Artesanos

Sharon and Ernest were so fun to work with. They just exuded love and affection for one another throughout our entire time together. My talented wife (Four Winds Weddings & Events) and her team planned, styled and provided all of the beautiful floral designs. My good amiga Claire of Sv3nska created the gorgeous wedding film.

Event and Floral Design: Four Winds Weddings & Events

Event Rentals: Eventos Artesanos

Make-Up: Maravilla Make-Up

I am so lucky to meet and work with awesome couples from all over the globe. Like me, they are often adventurous types willing to go off the beaten path with me so that we can capture something great. Since, I am based in Costa Rica, an adventure vacation destination, I feel it is only fitting to incorporate these kind of shots into the wedding collection.

This little session was from a day after creative session with Lindsey and John. We spent the afternoon exploring the many stunning locations within the grounds Peninsula Papagayo. Towards the end of our session, Lindsey agreed to climb up this gorgeous sun drenched tree and something magic happened.