A Tropical Wedding in Jaco Beach Costa Rica

At some point in every young woman’s life, comes the day when wedding bells start to chime in her ears relentlessly, when in a romantic relationship of reasonable length in which there is a good amount of trust and love present. Well, I noticed that silent yet inconsolable chiming of wedding bells in my girlfriend of seven years, about a year ago, and about six months ago, I decided it was time – I was ready. I proposed to her on a hot, summer night in the middle of a crowded seaside restaurant, and after the enthusiastic “yes”, we immediately started with the wedding plans. Naturally, the biggest question to be answered and decided upon was the location of the said wedding – well, after extensive research and debate, we decided to have a winter wedding in the exotic and Tropical land of Jaco, Costa Rica. Upon recommendation, we got in touch with Jaco VIP in Jaco Beach, a local full-service agency that would be organizing our entire trip, taking care of details such as transportation, accommodations, VIP services, and tours – we were pumped, and looking forward to getting married in the Tropics!


The months went by in the blink of an eye, time lost in the ever-present and all-consuming wedding-planning dimension, and before long, the big day was around the corner. On a cold January morning, my fiancée and I took a cab to the airport, alongside our parents and closest friends. All of us excited and quite in the mood to begin the festivities, we took our six-hour flight from the snowy northeast, down to the heat and humidity of the Tropics. Upon arrival in Costa Rica, we were greeted at the airport by an Air-Conditioned Mercedes Benz Sprinter van, as well as our very own Personal Concierge who would be taking care of us during our special weekend; two of the many perks of the all-inclusive vacation package Jaco VIP in Jaco Beach had provided for us. After an hour’s drive, we arrived in sunny, warm Jaco.


While my fiancée, our parents and friends were all cooling down in the pool with a cocktail, I walked around the amazing Beach House we had rented out for the weekend to make sure everything was in order. It was a mansion of 15 bedrooms and bathrooms, games rooms, living rooms, a large fully-equipped kitchen, TVs and Air-Conditioners, stocked bars, and a beautiful pool deck with a BBQ and an outdoor swimming pool facing the beach. I called and checked in with all the coordinators and planners regarding details about the wedding the following day; everything seemingly on point, I too grabbed a cocktail and took a relaxing dip in the pool. I took a deep breath, sighed and smiled as I stared out into the ocean – Jaco Beachwas beautiful, and I was so glad to have landed on Costa Rica as our wedding destination.
Evening came, and the air was filled with the smell of grilled seafood. Hungry and drooling, drinks in hand, we all approached the BBQ being professionally handled by a couple of the Private Chefs provided for us – the fire was hot, the shrimps were sizzling and the fish smoking. Before long, we all took a seat at the long table by the pool, the music started, bottles of wine were uncorked and poured, and then food started coming dish by dish. My Best Man made a quick speech, as well as the Maid of Honor, and then our parents a toast – and we dug right in. The food was delicious, the seafood was fresh and recipes were unique. After an amazing dinner, I had a glass of scotch with my father and father-in-law-to-be, sat on the beach and enjoyed the starry skies and the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore in the darkness.


The next morning, bright and early, we were all up for a family breakfast. The Chefs prepared for us an amazing combination of different types of eggs, pancakes, fruits, juices, and coffee. Afterward, the Massage Therapists we had booked arrived and the ladies all went over for a nice rub to relax before the big evening. Meanwhile, I checked in with my coordinator and planners to make sure things were on a roll for the ceremony, and everything was going according to plan. My mind in ease, all the boys and I took our ride over to Los Suenos Marina 10 minutes away, to go onboard the Fishing Charter I had booked for the day. We sailed out into the blue waters of the Pacific, the wind in our hair and the sun in our eyes, cracked open a few beers and did our guy-stuff in complete comfort and freedom before having to penguin-up for the ceremony. I ended up catching a medium-sized yellow-fin tuna, which was great – something I had all intentions of giving over to our Chefs back at the house to cook and include in the evening’s menu. We headed back to shore two hours before the sunset.


The wedding march started, being played on strings, and so began the walk of the bride-to-be and her father down the aisle, while my Groomsmen and I, as well as the Bridesmaids, all waited by the altar. Unusually yet fashionably dressed in our short-sleeved pseudo-tuxedos, we watched the beautiful, blushing bride and her tearing-up father approach. As the sun set behind us at the altar, clearly visible in the middle of the arch covered in flowers, towering over us, we said our vows, exchanged rings, kissed – and it was a done deal. Everybody clapped and cheered, some people cried and laughed, and dusk took over as we all sat down to eat. The flower arrangements were beautiful, the meal was spectacular, a menu consisting of fish, chicken and beef, champagne, wine and liquors going all around – not an expense had been spared. After a short and ridiculous speech by both the Best Man and the Maid of Honor, we all hit the dancefloor, led by my Bride and I, of course! At the first opportunity I whispered in her ear, “We’re married.” She smiled at me and whispered back, “We’re married”, and we danced the rest of the night away under the moonlit sky in this Tropical Paradise.