A Hotel Costa Verde wedding in Manuel Antonio gave Joelle and Levi a different kind of Costa Rica destination wedding. With around 150 guests, they chose the hotel’s terrace instead of a beach ceremony, brought in a traditional Costa Rican folklore performance because Joelle is originally from Costa Rica, and finished the night with a DJ who was also a friend of theirs.
It was a wedding with two very different kinds of energy. The evening started with traditional music, colorful costumes and dancing, and later turned into a full dance floor that stayed busy until midnight.
The Story: A Costa Rican Wedding With a New York Twist
Joelle and Levi came from New York, but Costa Rica was an important part of their story. Joelle is originally from Costa Rica, so having a traditional Costa Rican folklore performance was a meaningful part of the reception.
The wedding took place on the terrace at Hotel Costa Verde, with around 150 guests.
Rather than having a traditional beach ceremony, they chose to celebrate at the hotel. That gave the wedding a different atmosphere from many of the beach weddings I photograph around Manuel Antonio.
The folklore performance took place during the reception, from around 7:00 to 7:30 in the evening.
The dancers arrived in traditional outfits, accompanied by live instruments, and performed traditional Costa Rican dances. The colors, movement and music completely changed the atmosphere of the terrace.
Then the party changed direction.
After the folklore performance, the DJ took over and kept everyone dancing until around midnight.
The DJ was also a friend of Joelle and Levi, which helped give the reception a very relaxed feeling. Joelle and Levi themselves were super cool and relaxed throughout the wedding, and over time they became great friends of mine.
And then there was Levi’s father, who was a character in his own right and added plenty of personality to the day.
The Photographer’s Perspective: Photographing a Wedding That Keeps Changing
One of the things I like about weddings is that the atmosphere can change completely within a few minutes.
At Hotel Costa Verde, the evening moved from a traditional Costa Rican performance with live instruments and colorful clothing into a completely different kind of celebration with music, friends and a packed dance floor.
My approach was to let the light that was already there do as much of the work as possible.
The terrace had plenty of existing light, so I used it whenever I could. For the reception, I introduced flash when it was needed, using a Canon 600RT.
The idea wasn’t to make everything look like it had been lit by a flash. I wanted to keep the atmosphere of the room and the light that was already part of the wedding.
That became particularly important once the dance floor filled up.
The Technical Side: Canon 5D Mark III and Fixed Lenses
I photographed the wedding with a Canon 5D Mark III and Canon L-series fixed lenses.
My approach was simple: work with the existing light as much as possible, and introduce flash when the reception needed it.
For the folklore performance, the existing light and the atmosphere of the terrace were important. The colorful traditional clothing, live instruments and movement already gave me plenty to work with.
Later, when the reception became darker and the dance floor took over, I used the Canon 600RT flash.
Flash can sometimes make a reception feel disconnected from the environment if it is used without considering the existing light. I prefer to first understand what light is already there and then use flash to support it.
The goal is still to photograph what the wedding actually felt like.
An Insider’s Look at Hotel Costa Verde
One of the things I like about Hotel Costa Verde is that it offers a strong alternative for couples who don’t want their ceremony on the beach.
The terrace is particularly interesting because of its relationship with the surrounding Manuel Antonio landscape. It also has beautiful light around sunset, which makes it a natural place to continue photographing the couple after the ceremony and during the transition into the reception.
The gardens around the hotel are another useful part of the property.
They give you a chance to photograph the greenery that makes Manuel Antonio such a distinctive place without needing to leave the hotel. For couples who want photographs that feel connected to Costa Rica but don’t necessarily want every photograph to be on the beach, that is a real advantage.
We photographed around the hotel and used those different environments throughout the day.
The terrace gives you the views and the changing light. The gardens give you the tropical greenery. And then the reception brings everyone back together.
That variety means you don’t have to build the whole photographic experience around one location.
Why a Hotel Wedding Can Be the Right Choice in Manuel Antonio
When people think about getting married in Manuel Antonio, the first image that often comes to mind is a beach ceremony.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Hotel Costa Verde offers another option. You can have your ceremony and reception in one place while still having access to the landscape and greenery that make the area special.
For Joelle and Levi, that worked particularly well because the wedding itself was the focus.
The terrace provided a beautiful setting for the celebration, the gardens offered another environment for photographs, and the reception gave them enough space for a large group of around 150 people.
And because the folklore performance was part of the reception, the venue became more than just a backdrop. It was the place where their New York life and Joelle’s Costa Rican background came together.
What I Would Tell a Couple Planning a Wedding at Hotel Costa Verde
Don’t assume you need a beach ceremony to have a Costa Rica wedding.
If you like the idea of being surrounded by tropical greenery but want something different from a ceremony directly on the sand, Hotel Costa Verde is worth considering.
I would also make time for portraits around the property, particularly around sunset.
The terrace can have beautiful evening light, and the gardens give you a completely different look. You can get the tropical feeling of Manuel Antonio without turning every photograph into the same beach image.
For a larger wedding, I would also give the reception program its own space in the timeline.
A performance like the Costa Rican folklore show isn’t just another five minutes between dinner and dancing. It is an experience for the guests, and it deserves enough time to happen naturally.
In Joelle and Levi’s case, it created a memorable part of the evening before the party moved into a completely different rhythm with their friend behind the DJ booth.
A Wedding That Brought Two Worlds Together
Joelle and Levi’s wedding wasn’t trying to look like a traditional destination wedding.
It was personal.
A couple from New York. A Costa Rican folklore performance because Costa Rica was part of Joelle’s story. A friend providing the music later in the night. Around 150 people celebrating together on a terrace overlooking Manuel Antonio.
For me, that’s what makes a wedding interesting to photograph.
The venue matters, but what people bring to the venue matters even more.
Hotel Costa Verde gave Joelle and Levi the terrace, the gardens and the Manuel Antonio landscape. They filled it with their people, their music and their own connection to Costa Rica.
And that’s what I remember most about the day.
Planning a Wedding at Hotel Costa Verde?
If you’re considering Hotel Costa Verde for your Manuel Antonio wedding and want to know what the day can look like from a photographer’s perspective, I’d be happy to talk through your plans.
0 Comments