Jenna and Brian wed in Guanacaste, Costa Rica at a destination wedding at The Westin at Reserva Conchal and Reserva Conchal Beach Club. The couple’s wedding planner, Barbara Broutin, of Four Nineteen Weddings, gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the beautiful big day on the beach!
“Jenna & Brian wanted to find a more upscale all-inclusive resort with a beautiful beach that had a lovely event venue… By far, this particular location fit their requests… they wanted their guests to be able to enjoy a lovely Costa Rican vacation, and have lots of fun as a group (and they did, all their 140 guests stayed at the resort!)”
“We were looking at two properties that offered what the clients were looking for (a more upscale all inclusive offering within 1 hour of an international airport)… ultimately, the Westin at Reserva Conchal had a nicer beach and the whole hotel was more in line with what they were looking for in terms of service and lodging, and the actual venue fit right with the classic yet beachy feel they had in mind!!!”
“After a week of lovely weather, on the day of their wedding, grey clouds loomed in the sky. We had to make a rain call decision, and our recommendation was to move the ceremony to our back up location under a tent… However, it was Brian and Jenna’s dream to say I do with their feet on the sand… and the chose to risk it and have a fully outdoor beach ceremony. Then as soon as Brian was up on the altar… rain started falling. Normally, when this happens, everyone runs for cover… but not this group (thankfully Jenna and her bridesmaids were all in cars, under cover)! Brian stood at the altar and the guests grabbed the chair cushions and used them as cover from the rain, and happily waited out the 5 minute rain shower…. after that, we were able to start the ceremony. However, the musicians had to run for cover, so all the guests hummed the Bridal March when Jenna walked down the aisle, to the laughter and eight of everyone.”
“Jenna and Brian wanted a wedding that had the relaxed laid back feel usually associated with destination weddings at tropical locations but with an added classic elegance that calls to more traditional weddings. The venue they picked was perfect for this, as it is a lovely beachfront locale, that has a bit of classic tropical feel. The couple had a very good idea of how they wanted their wedding to be: light, airy florals with a romantic feel, lots of white, feet-on-the-sand ceremony… We opted to go with a very light palette of whites with just a hint of soft peach, lots of vintage glass vases, and candles… I particularly loved the escort card display that incorporated photos of the bride and groom’s parents and grandparents on their wedding days… But my absolute favorite thing was how fun and what a fabulous attitude the entire wedding party and guests had!”
“Jenna showed us some photos of weddings she had liked, and the main thing we saw in them was the light romantic feel that was classic and a little vintage without being over the top. Based on that, we styled the whole event with that same feel.”
“We custom made favors for the guests that had some yummy passion fruit and coffee chocolates made in Costa Rica, and added live musicians that could play anything from classic music to local latin hits, to add a bit of latin music to the mix.”
To see more from this beautiful big day, be sure to check out their wedding video by Jonathan Yonkers.
Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Destination Wedding Photographer: Sylvia Guardia
Wedding Vendors: Videography: Jonathan Yonkers, Flowers: Floral Artflower, Wedding Venue: The Westin at Reserva Conchal, Ceremony + Cocktail Music: Ricardo Fonseca, Rentals: Costa Mesa Event Rentals, Cake + Desserts: Victoria Zoch, Celebrant: Marcelo Galli, Planning + Design: Barbara Broutin at Four Nineteen Weddings, Makeup: Tricia from Maravilla Makeup, Hair: Vicoria Alfaro
