Real Wedding - Maggie & Thibault, Hacienda Pinilla
Maggie and Thibault know how to have a lot of fun. She's Costa Rican, he's French, they live and work in London and have a joie de vivre that is universal. Not surprisingly, they had close to 100 people from all corners of the globe descend upon Hacienda Pinilla to celebrate this celebration de amor. Mil gracias to Madison Baltidano for her gorgeous photos.
Lisianthus, hydrangeas, orchids and baby's breath created an ethereal bouquet.
What a megawatt smile!
Love the structured lines of this dress. Did I mention Maggie is an architect? No wonder her wedding had such great design!
One stylish looking groom! Thibault relaxes outside the Church before the ceremony. Love his navy linen suit and bow tie.
Hacienda Pinilla has a small chapel on its grounds which we used for the Catholic wedding ceremony. The chapel features typical Guanacaste architecture and decor, with it's whitewashed walls, rich wooden doors and beams and clay tiled roof. 
Going with an all-white floral theme, hydrangeas, calls and baby's breath created simple yet structured arrangements for the Church entrance.
Guests were greeted with white Chinese fans and cones of rose petals.
Inside the Church, the wooden benches are carved in typical Guanacaste-style. Such a quaint chapel!
Being a ring-bearer can be a daunting task for a little girl but she did her job beautifully.
White-washed walls, wooden beams and a view to the mall lake make the chapel at Hacienda Pinilla a lovely space for a religious wedding.
Happy hour featured a mix of fun cocktails, including a lychee mimosa (recipe below).Lychee Mimosas
- 2 tbsp lychee juice
- 6 oz Brut Cava
- 1 lychee fruit
Place lychee fruit at the bottom of a champagne flute. Spoon lychee juice into glass. Pour champagne over fruit and juice.
Each dinner table on the lawn overlooking the beach featured ivory crinkled overlays, gold chargers, gold Chiaveri chairs and custom-made golden flower holders that evoked an Art Deco theme. A riot of light, fluffy flowers such as lisianthus roses, hydrangeas and orchids created a lush counterpoint to the architectural lines of the floral base.
White Chinese lanterns were strung over the tables and colorful LED lights lit up the trees around the dining area.
We set up a table just for the kids, covered in craft paper with small pots filled with markers, crayons, stickers and small toys. Professional nannies kept watch, allowing the parents to enjoy the party while the children had their own fun. Win win for everyone!
How beautiful is this all white cake with ombre pink rose petals? Fabulous design!
Cigars, get your cigars. As a surprise to their guests, the bride and groom hired a cigar roller to demonstrate the fine art of creating the perfect stogy. Fun fact - the tobacco in Costa Rica is grown from Cuban seeds, making these robustos smooth smoking.
Carnival!! The fun and surprises continued with a group of drummers and dancers known as Carnival or comparsa, similar to the tradition found in Rio. Befeathered and bedazzled dancers shook their tail feathers to booming drums and then had the wedding guests up dancing and shimmying in a conga line. Too. much. fun!
Everyone was up dancing, regardless of age!
What a celebration! Felicidades to Maggie and Thibault on one fun-filled festival of love.