Real Wedding-Daniela and Ryan, Playa Tambor

Well, they say better late than never and thanks to our fabulous new intern, Natalie (from Austin, Texas y'all!), we're featuring past events of Weddings Costa Rica on the blog. Yay!This is one of my favourite weddings ever. Really. I mean, just look at it! Can Daniela, the fabulous bride from Brazil, be any more gorgeous? The dress! The hair! The amazing smile! Love to nth degree. The publishers at Elegant Bride Magazine loved it as well and featured this wedding - in the edition that never was since Conde Nast pulled the plug on the mag just before it went to press. *sigh* Oh well. Enjoy the yummy eye candy the follows!Then there is the story behind the location - two years before Daniela and Ryan tied the knot, I planned the wedding of another couple who had built this incredible home on the cliffs overlooking the ocean at Tango Mar resort in Playa Tambor. Shortly after the wedding, they sold the house to Ryan's parents. When they mentioned the upcoming nuptials of their son, the first couple said 'you have to hire Larissa'.  I planned two weddings in two years at the same house for two different owners - very different weddings but both fabulous.Using a color palette of turquoise and cream with punches of chocolate brown, we wanted a soft, romantic yet modern look. I love the giant cross made out of flowers for the ceremony, the huge floating flower balls in the pool. Check out the 'vases' featuring black and white photos of the couple that adorned the guest book table - a crafty friend of the bride made them and I think they just might be the next best thing after sliced bread. A seaside Anglican wedding ceremony in Nature's cathedral! The cross out of bejuco vines covered in hydrangeas and orchids is a true showstopper. Love this shot!White orchid bouquet that is alllmost as lovely as the bride.After the ceremony, guests moved to the front lawn for cocktails and then entered the house to find this majestic orchid arrangement surrounded by 90 blue martinis which were actually seating cards. Each glass featured a ring with their corresponding table number charm and their name. Memorable details are all about the creativity.Guests headed out to the back yard where long tables were decorated with chocolate brown runners, turquoise napkins and a tablescape of white flowers with cylinders of floating candles. Turquoise and brown ribbons were wrapped around the flower vases to give a punch of color.At the end of the night, small boxes of bemcasados, a traditional Brazilian wedding sweet, awaited guests on their way out.The stunning all-white cake featured sugar flowers and lace applique work to echo the bride's veil and dress detailing. Beautiful!We couldn't find the right lanterns so we had rectangular lamps made that were strung over the tables. Over 100 hollow wax candles of varying sizes dotted the lawn while the dance floor featured geometric fabric tenting.How WOW was this wedding? The bride's brother is a circus performer who has opened for stars like Shakira and treated the guests to fire juggling. And if that wasn't fabulous enough, a massive fireworks display amazed and delighted the 90 guests who'd travelled from the US and Brasil to celebrate in style.A huge thanks to Dan Power for capturing the incredible day in such detail. And wishing dear Daniela and Ryan all the best with your new family (yes, two have now become three). Parabens!