Real Wedding- Shawn Marie and Thomas, Puerto Viejo
Welcome to September, which heralds the height of the Rainy Season for the Pacific Coast here in Costa Rica. However, over on the Caribbean side, it's summer. Gotta love this little country full of sunshine somewhere! Intrepid couple Shawn Marie and Thomas wanted the lush greenery and laid back vibe Puerto Viejo is famous for. We headed to the Shawandha Lodge in Playa Chiquita, where a thatched roof palapa played home to the vibrant wedding reception.
A sweet vintage feel for the festivities saw lots of antique doilies Shawn Marie collected mixed with with driftwood and succulents.
Shawn Marie was the Queen of Etsy - seriously, this girl can give workshops! Check out these crocheted rocks made by a woman here in Costa Rica. Queen of Etsy, I tell you!
A sweet bouquet of hydrangeas, phaeleonopsis orchids, succulents and vines.
The wedding canopy featured trees, orchids, hydrangeas and a rosette topper. Thomas is a landscape designer so trees played a central role in all of the decor. And of course, it wouldn't be a beach in Costa Rica without a stray zaquate hanging out!
Adorable flowers girls in eyelet lace.
An upcycled book held the vows (another Etsy score!).
Detail of the table decor, which had lace runners, hydrangeas, floating orchids, driftwood and succulents.
Handpainted names on a wooden board on a lace runner.
Lovely little detail - paper doilies with Bride and Groom hand calligraphied - another Etsy find.
Chargers (base plates) were slices of wood topped with a doily-backed menu topped with a crocheted stone with guest's name hand written on a leaf.
Talk about a cake! We created a special stand housing glass cylinders 3 feet tall filled with branches and orchids, lit by LEDs on which sat the cake (driven in all the way from San Jose!) on a bed of orchids. Spectacular!!
We converted a concrete alcove into a display of floating candles, creating a warm glow to the room.
And how cute is this baby sloth?? Shawn Marie and Thomas took all their guests to the Jaguar Rescue Center up the road in Playa Chiquita (highly recommended!!) and then gave a donation to help them in their quest to rehabilitate injured wild animals. We were extremely lucky to have a baby sloth from the center come to the wedding for a short visit (please note that due to the new laws in Costa Rica, wild animals are no longer allowed to be housed in zoos or privately nor used for display purposes).Felicidades to Shawn Marie and Thomas! Many years of happiness to you both! Thanks to Dan Power for the lovely photos!