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Timing Your Wedding Ceremony in Manuel Antonio

Costa Rica is near the equator so the sun will rise and set at close to the same time, no matter what month. The average sunset time for Manuel Antonio beach is 5:30 - 5:50 p.m. It's a very good idea to leave some time for sunset wedding photographs (the hour before sunset means you'll have more flattering light and everyone will look great!) and most people will have their ceremony at around 4pm.

Non-Religious & Religious Weddings

It's straightforward for you to have a non-denominational wedding in Manuel Antonio. Your wedding coordinator will have a list of fantastic marriage commissioners who can deliver a non-denominational or non-religious wedding. Costa Rica is a country with a large Catholic and Protestant population and there are many churches in Manuel Antonio and Quepos to hold your wedding, including the Parish at Quepos, Quepos Church and the Catholic Corpus Christi church in Quepos.

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Luxury Manuel Antonio Costa Rica Wedding hotels and resorts

Makanda by the Sea - $300/nt per room Set in a lush 12 acres of jungle 100 metres above the sea, Makanda is one of the most amazing places for a wedding in Manuel Antonio. The hotel has been offering weddings for close to 20 years and they have an attentive staff that will take care of you and your guests. Makanda is also gay/same-sex friendly and will host same sex gay and lesbian wedding ceremonies in Costa Rica.

Villa el Cantico Best Ocean View - $6,000-$12,000/week

This five star villa is surrounded by the rain forest overlooking the Pacific sea in Costa Rica's amazing wedding location, Manuel Antonio. This is my favorite sea side region in Costa Rica because it is home to a ton of animals, the beaches are untouched and the sea is great for a very good snorkle. This vacation private estate was designed for individuals who want a luxurious wedding destination. This private villa is perfect for a smaller wedding with under 20 guests.

Punto de Vista - $12,000=$24,000/week

Punto de Vista is a brand new private villa that is gated on 2.5 acres of untouched jungle. The private estate will offer your wedding friends a beautiful panoramic ocean view with the beach just a handful of footsteps away. This private villa is perfect for weddings and your butler and his staff will attend to every detail to assure you and your guests have a memorable stay. If you have a wedding guest with mobility issues, there is an elevator. The property has 10 boutique-style bedrooms with their own entrances and personal baths. What makes these rooms unique is the locally created organic bath products and rain showers. Looking to entertain your friends on the dance floor? Introducing a ballroom-disco off the pool terrace and main level bar. There is also a covered dining terrace and a bar with panoramic scenery. This estate is outfitted with Every thing, including an open-air roof outdoor patio with bar and a jacuzzi. Oh... and did I mention it is also equipped with a movie theatre?

Casa Bella Vista Postcard Views of Ocean - $5,000-$6,000/week

While the price tag might not be as excessive as other villas of its type, this is the largest of its kind in the Manuel Antonio area. The mansion is 9000 square feet and offers a crazy beautiful ocean view, nestled on a ridge extending into the ocean. The property consist of more than two acres of pristine rainforest for your visitors to enjoy. Think sweeping staircases and high vaulted ceilings.

Casa de las Brisas has a 750 square foot rooftop balcony, which is perfect for a smaller wedding. Casa Fantastica can accommodate larger groups of up to 75 people and Casa Nova can accommodate groups of up to 100 people.

Help Your Destination Wedding Guests Feel Welcome

Your destination wedding means a celebration and a vacation. What a perfect way to get married! While you may know the destination intimately, it may be the very first time your guests will have ever visited. Since your wedding guests have spent their vacation money and time to travel to your destination, here are some great ways to make them feel welcome.

1) Create a web site. There are quite a few free blogs and website makers for weddings. It's a good idea to post travel and accommodation information for your guests, including:

i) What airlines serve the country where you're having your destination wedding?

ii) How will your guests travel from the airport to the hotel? Is there a shuttle? An in-country flight? Post any applicable information. Some brides will hire an in-country travel company to help guests get to and from the airport at the destination.

iii) Let your guests know what they should wear. Let them know the average temperature and what to expect weather-wise.

iv) Post information about accommodations in all price lists in case your guests can't afford to stay at the place where you are getting married. Let them know the average taxi costs for getting around the town where you're getting married.

2) Create a welcome package. To save storage space, I've seen brides shop when they get to their destination wedding area. They will buy a beautiful beach bag crammed with wonderful stuff to help their guests enjoy their stay. Some great gifts you can give: a beach towel, a travel guide, a travel map, a special gift specific to that country (for instance, coffee from Costa Rica, rum from Jamaica), and some insect repellant and sun screen.

3) Plan out activities for at least four days. produce an itinerary so your guests can get together and enjoy group activities like excursions, a sunset cruise, a welcome dinner, rehearsal dinner, and post-wedding brunch. Create a comprehensive itinerary and let guests know where they should meet if they want to participate.

4) If you are having a number of dinners, put a menu card in your welcome gift bag. The menu card will allow guests to let you (or your caterer) know about allergies and meal preferences.

Christina Croft is a destination wedding photographer from Manuel Antonio Costa Rica. View Christina's award-winning Costa Rica wedding photography or her Costa Rica wedding photography blog.