In this guide
A Westin Reserva Conchal wedding is a relaxed, all-inclusive destination celebration on the Pacific coast of Guanacaste. Your guests stay together inside the gated Reserva Conchal community, the ceremony can happen steps from Playa Conchal, and the whole weekend runs from a single resort, roughly an hour’s drive from Liberia International Airport.
It works best for couples who want family and friends in one place, with food, drinks and logistics handled, and a beach that guests will talk about for years.
It is also a large resort. That scale is the main trade-off. Distances on the property, sharing spaces with other guests, and planning around a big operation all deserve some thought before you sign.
I have photographed weddings at the Westin itself, including Evon & Adam’s Westin Reserva Conchal wedding, so the photography and logistics notes in this guide are based on what I have actually seen on the property. For the official venue details, Marriott’s Westin Reserva Conchal weddings and events page is the authoritative source.
If you are comparing venues around Playa Conchal and Tamarindo, my Tamarindo wedding photographer guide gives the wider context for this part of Guanacaste.
Westin Reserva Conchal wedding at a glance
Location: Reserva Conchal, Guanacaste
Nearest international airport: Liberia International Airport (LIR)
Setting: Playa Conchal, tropical dry forest, large all-inclusive resort
Wedding spaces: Beach and garden, ballroom, semi-open restaurant and outdoor reception areas
Largest published capacity: Up to 800 guests in the Guanacaste Ballroom
Good for: Destination weddings with families, mixed ages and all-inclusive guests
Rain options: Large indoor ballroom and covered spaces
Style: Relaxed resort wedding with Playa Conchal access
What it feels like when everyone stays here
The biggest difference between this resort and a private villa or boutique hotel is that the wedding becomes a shared weekend rather than a single evening. Guests arrive, settle in, run into each other at breakfast, and by the welcome dinner they already know who belongs to which side of the family.
A mother of the bride, writing on Expedia in August 2026 after her daughter married at the resort, praised the wedding planner and the photographer, the decoration, the food and how helpful the staff were. She described it as an amazing experience for her daughter.
Why that matters: when a parent singles out the staff and the planner, it usually means the day felt looked after rather than managed. At resort weddings, the team running service, setup and timing has as much influence on the atmosphere as the décor. Relaxed parents are also easier to photograph, because they stop watching the clock and start enjoying the day.
The wedding spaces that matter
The resort offers more spaces than most couples need. These are the ones that shape the day most.
Guanacaste Ballroom
This is the resort’s largest published wedding space, with capacity for up to 800 guests. Most couples will never fill it, but its real value is security. If weather turns, a large covered room means your reception still has a home. Indoors, I plan lighting carefully so the photos keep warmth and depth instead of looking like a conference hall.
Zen Sky Garden
A garden space suits couples who want greenery rather than sand, or a more intimate ceremony or cocktail hour. Garden settings also tend to offer softer, more even light earlier in the afternoon, which is gentle on group portraits.
Outdoor reception areas
Beachside and garden lawns, plus the semi-open restaurant spaces, give the evening that open-air Guanacaste feeling. Semi-open spaces are a useful middle ground: guests feel the breeze while still having a roof overhead. Ask the planning team which areas are available on your date and how they are separated from other resort guests.
Playa Conchal changes the guest experience
Playa Conchal is known for its pale, shell-flecked sand and clear water. For a destination wedding, that beach is more than a backdrop. It gives guests something to do between events, and it turns free afternoons into memories.
A wedding guest who reviewed the resort on Tripadvisor in August 2026 said the wedding was beautiful, and mentioned enjoying the wildlife, snorkeling at Playa Conchal, the carts that move people around the large property, and the adults-only club area.
Why that matters: guests remember how the whole trip felt, not just the ceremony. Wildlife, snorkeling and an adults-only retreat give different groups their own version of a good weekend. The mention of carts is also a quiet reminder that this is a big property, and moving guests between spaces needs to be built into the timeline.
What families and mixed guest groups should know
Resorts like this are at their best when your guest list spans generations. Grandparents can rest by the pool, kids have space, and friends can find their own corner of the property.
- Plan for distance. Older guests or anyone with limited mobility may need cart transport between rooms, the ceremony and the reception.
- Heat is real. Guanacaste afternoons are hot, especially in dry season. Shade, water and a later ceremony time help everyone.
- Use the adults-only option wisely. It can be a great spot for a quieter gathering or a friends-only evening.
- Keep the schedule simple. One clear itinerary shared before arrival prevents confusion across a large property.
The all-inclusive part is either a strength or part of the decision
For many couples, all-inclusive is the reason they choose this venue. Guests know what the trip costs, nobody worries about dinner reservations, and the weekend feels generous without you paying for every drink.
For others, it is a factor to weigh. Some guests prefer to explore local restaurants, and room rates for an all-inclusive stay may stretch some budgets. Ask the resort about group rates, minimum stays and how wedding-specific food and drink work alongside the standard plan. The answers affect how many guests realistically attend.
Tip: Share the room block details with guests early. Destination travel is easier to commit to when people can book flights and rooms months in advance.
What I learned photographing a wedding at the Westin
Evon & Adam’s wedding confirmed something I would now build into every Westin timeline: you do not need to move far to create visual variety.
Near the suite buildings, I found a small manicured garden that reads almost like dense tropical forest in photographs. We used it for bridal and wedding-party portraits because it gave us shade, cooler temperatures and a completely different look from the open beach without putting the couple on a long walk across the resort.
That matters in Guanacaste. The afternoon sun can be extremely hard, and moving people through a large property in formal clothes costs both time and energy.
My priorities here would be:
- Use shade before chasing scenery. The garden areas can be more useful for portraits than the beach in the hardest afternoon light.
- Keep portrait locations close to the actual route of the day. The property is large enough that unnecessary cart rides can quietly eat into the timeline.
- Protect the sunset window. I would rather use a short period of good Pacific light than schedule a long portrait session in the heat.
- Coordinate with the resort team early. Space access, carts and rain backup affect the photography schedule as much as lens choice does.
You can see the full context in Evon & Adam’s real Westin wedding.
Who Westin Reserva Conchal works particularly well for
I would look closely at the Westin if:
- you want an all-inclusive experience for most of your guests;
- families and different age groups are travelling together;
- having Playa Conchal beside the resort is important;
- you want substantial indoor backup options;
- you have a large guest list;
- you want guests to have plenty to do without scheduling activities for them.
I would think more carefully if:
- you want a small boutique-hotel atmosphere;
- complete privacy or exclusive use of the property is essential;
- you want guests walking independently into a nearby town every evening;
- your wedding vision depends on everyone feeling like they are staying at a very small, intimate property.
The Westin is not trying to be that. Its strength is almost the opposite: it can absorb a large and varied wedding group without requiring the couple to personally manage everyone.
It may suit you less if you want total privacy or a tiny elopement feel. In that case, compare it with other options in my guide to Costa Rica wedding venues. For the broader planning process, see my Costa Rica wedding guide.
Westin Reserva Conchal wedding photography
My approach here is documentary first, but the resort rewards a little preparation. At Evon & Adam’s wedding, the contrast between the shaded garden areas, the brighter open spaces and the beach gave us several distinct visual environments without turning the day into a location tour.
That is how I would work here again: keep the couple close to the people they invited, use shade and architecture when the sun is hard, and save the beach for the light that actually makes sense.
Because the property is large, I recommend coverage that includes getting ready and the full sunset window, so travel between locations never cuts into your portraits. You can compare coverage options on my Costa Rica wedding photography packages page, or see the real Westin wedding gallery.
Planning a Westin Reserva Conchal wedding?
In short: it is a strong choice for relaxed, all-inclusive destination weddings with families and larger groups, as long as you plan around the resort’s size, the heat and the sunset.
If you are considering the Westin and want photography that includes the experience around the wedding as well as the ceremony itself, I photograph destination weddings and multi-day celebrations throughout Costa Rica.
My wedding collections begin at $5,000, with travel within Costa Rica included.
