Manifesto
Weddings are often described as perfect.
Perfect light.
Perfect smiles.
Perfect timing.
But anyone who has stood inside one knows that’s not true.
A wedding is movement. Nerves. Family history. Relief. Chaos. Silence before vows. Laughter that erupts without warning. Wind that doesn’t follow the timeline.
It is one of the most emotionally charged environments a person will ever stand in.
I’m not there to polish it.
I’m there to witness it.
Not to manufacture a version of the day that feels smoother than it was, but to give shape to what actually unfolded. The quiet tension in a father’s hands. The friend who cries harder than expected. The moment after the hug, not just the hug itself.
There are photographs that reassure.
And there are photographs that reveal.
Both matter.
I don’t believe documentary means careless.
I don’t believe editorial means artificial.
I believe in presence.
In knowing when to step back and let the room breathe.
In knowing when to guide gently so that a portrait still feels human.
Costa Rica teaches this constantly. Light changes in seconds. Weather rewrites plans. Nature refuses control. You either fight it, or you let it shape the story.
I let it shape the story.
Because a wedding is not a brochure.
It’s a convergence of relationships, roles, expectations, history, and hope.
If everything looks flawless, something important was probably missed.
I’m not searching for perfection.
I’m looking for the intersection of light and truth.
That’s where photographs become something more than evidence.
That’s where they begin to last
I’m Christopher. I photograph weddings in Costa Rica, and increasingly across Europe, for couples who have travelled a long way to get married somewhere that means something to them.
After more than fifteen years and over three hundred couples, the thing I care about hasn’t changed: giving you the day back as it really felt. Not a smoother, more polished version of it. Yours.
Most of my couples come from the United States, Canada and Europe. They are often planning a wedding in a place they have never visited, in a country they may still be getting to know. So much of what I do begins long before the wedding day, answering questions, helping you navigate the unfamiliar, and making the process feel a little less unknown.
Where the Way I See Comes From
I didn’t come up through the wedding industry. My background is in photojournalism, documentary and editorial photography, and that is still how I approach a wedding day.
I studied documentary photography through an intensive course run by Magnum Photos with the London College of Communication, part of University of the Arts London.
In 2022, I was one of twenty photographers selected for the sixth VII Masterclass in Arles, led by Stefano de Luigi and Maciek Nabrdalik. The programme continued through 2023.
Both experiences taught me the same thing: patience.
The photograph worth keeping is often the one just after the moment everyone is watching. The hug is easy. What happens in the four seconds after the hug is where the story begins.
I photograph with digital and film side by side. 35mm, medium format, and sometimes Super 8. Film isn’t a filter or an upgrade. It changes the pace at which I work, makes me more deliberate about what deserves a frame, and asks me to pay closer attention.
That way of working shapes the photographs, but more importantly, it shapes the way I experience a wedding day. I’m looking for what happens naturally, in between the things you planned, and for the small moments you might not realise anyone noticed.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Based in | Heredia, Costa Rica |
| Also available in | Barcelona and throughout Europe |
| Specialties | Destination weddings, elopements, editorial wedding photography, documentary wedding photography, hybrid digital & analog film wedding photography, engagement sessions, family photography, wedding video |
| Photography Style | Documentary + Editorial fine art |
| Film Formats | 35mm film, medium format film, Super 8 |
| Clients | Couples from the USA, Canada, Asia, and Europe |
| Languages | English and Spanish |
| Available for | Weddings in Manuel Antonio, Guanacaste, Tamarindo, Arenal, La Fortuna, Monteverde, Nosara, Dominical, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, and worldwide |
My Journey: From Curious Observer to Passionate Storyteller
My story begins between Costa Rica and Colombia, where my dual heritage shaped my perspective from childhood. The Alpízar roots of Costa Rica and the Gaviria legacy of Colombia taught me to see the world through a lens of deep connection. My family, the lush landscapes, and the people around me were my first teachers in the art of storytelling.
After years of shooting everything from news to commercial work, I found my true calling in wedding photography. It was the perfect intersection of my skills: the authenticity of photojournalism and the creativity of fine art. It became a passionate pursuit to document the most intimate and important of human connections.
Today, my journey as a storyteller continues in the most beautiful way imaginable. I am a family man, married to a remarkable woman from Cataluña, Spain, and together we are raising our beautiful daughter.
She is the culmination of my life’s most profound story, a living narrative of love, heritage, and hope.
This experience has deepened my work immeasurably. I’m not just a photographer arriving at a job; I am a husband and a father who understands the weight and beauty of the promises you are making. I am, first and foremost, deeply in love, with my wife, my daughter, my family, and my friends. It is this belief in love that I am so thrilled to honor through my work.
My promise to you is simple: to capture your day with the same authenticity, heart, and reverence I hold for my own family’s story.
Published and Commissioned Work
The Times commissioned me to photograph Giles Coren and his family in Costa Rica for a travel feature.
The New York Times published my photographs in a 2017 feature on couples choosing to elope.
Iberia’s inflight magazine, Ronda, ran my coverage of the Costa Rican coffee harvest in its September/October 2023 issue, Destino Costa Rica.
HuffPost featured my work in its elopement story, “21 Couples Who Decided To Elope And Are Damn Glad They Did.”
Bored Panda asked me to comment as a wedding photographer on what separates good wedding photography from bad.
My work has been recognized by Fearless Photographers as one of the top wedding photographers in Costa Rica, and I am a member of ISPWP.
I am fully licensed in Costa Rica and insured for international destination events.
According to Fearless Photographers, I’m one of the Top Wedding photographers in Costa Rica
Here is my personal photography work,
what I do beyond being a wedding photographer in Costa Rica & Barcelona.
What Couples Say
“We absolutely loved working with Chris. He was such a calm and genuinely nice presence on the wedding day, which mattered a lot because we had some pretty challenging conditions with weather and logistics. Despite all of that, the photos turned out beautifully.”
Kelsey & Tucker
“We found Chris while planning our destination wedding and he was honestly the perfect fit. He understood the location, the light, and the pace of the day.”
Alyce & Daniel
Read more from couples I have photographed
If you are planning something in Costa Rica or in Europe and you are still working out what is possible, write to me. I am happy to talk through locations, timing and what actually works before anyone mentions a package.