"Pura Vida" - Costa Rica

The phrase "Pura Vida" (literally "pure life") is a ubiquitous motto in Costa Rica. It encapsulates the pervading ideology of living in peace in a calm, unclustered manner appreciating life surrounded by nature, family and friends.

As a freelance event-and-wedding coordinator, I have had many opportunities to participate in the planning of local wedding celebrations. Recently, however, I had the chance to assist Lisa Light, New York's premier destination wedding planner, in producing a wedding in Costa Rica for Style Network's Married Away show. Not only would we be coordinating a wedding in an exotic setting, we had just three days to accomplish it. The bride was very organized, a planner herself, but there were still many last minute tasks to be finalized including site selection at the resort, the welcome party and gifts, design of the reception space, and other details.

The trip from New York to San Jose, Costa Rica, was surprisingly easy and fast, approximately six hours with one connection along the way. Haslene Cordoba, the Event Manager at our host resort, Villa Caletas, and Paulo, our driver from CRT Transportation, greeted us warmly at the airport. We took in the beautiful landscape on the 2-hour drive from the airport to Villa Caletas clinging tightly to our seats as we traveled over the winding mountainous roads. We arrived at the entrance of Villa Caletas and took the long, steep driveway up to our resort 1,150 feet above the Pacific Ocean. As the bus made its way up the mountain we came to a narrow stone bridge just before the main entrance, which provided a truly jaw-dropping 360 degree view of both the coastal blue waters and the rainforest with its various shades of deep, rich greens and yellows.

A staff member greeted us at the registration desk with cool, refreshing lavender infused towels to soothe our somewhat tired traveler faces. We quickly checked in, excited to unpack and start exploring the resort. The walk to our villa resembled a mini-nature hike as lush flora and singing birds surrounded us. Our spacious villa incorporated rich island colors in shades of terra cotta and green. Bright white decorative tiles gleamed in the bathroom. A hot tub on the terrace looked like the perfect spot for relaxing. The resort boasts a number of standard rooms along with 14 villas and seven junior suites that include private swimming pools. After settling in and freshening up we were ready to start exploring the resort.

Our tour began at the Anfiteatro Sunset Restaurant and Bar providing one of the best views of the ocean above an amphitheater carved directly into the mountainside. The amphitheater is host to numerous wedding ceremonies as well as special musical concerts. A wonderful bar, outdoor café, and indoor seating in the dining room allows guests to enjoy the delicious tastes of Costa Rica. In addition to the accommodations at Villa Caletas, the property also includes the grandiose Zephyr Palace, home to seven large, luxurious, and elegantly designed suites with views of the ocean. Each suite has its own personality ranging from "The New World" to "Africa" and even an "Asian-Inspired" suite. The Palace is home to a beautiful ballroom with giant pillars and floor-to-ceiling windows allowing reception guests to admire the bright orange sunsets over the infinity pool on the terrace.

Day two of our adventure started off with a visitor outside the door, and it wasn't room service! A coatimundi, a diurnal member of the raccoon family was snooping around outside our door─not quite the welcome to the jungle we expected. We enjoyed a traditional Costa Rican breakfast, the Desayuno Típico, a plate full of eggs, rice, beans, a freshly made tortilla, and fried cheese topped off with the freshest avocado. We were soon preparing to review options for the welcome party, shop for welcome bags for guests and find a distinctively Costa Rican gift for each bag. Our journey started early with Michelle (the bride), Nona (the bride's sister and MOH), Lisa, Haslene, and me heading to the Rain Forest Aerial Tram tour where we would plan the welcome party. Manuel, the tram manager, greeted us and handed us over to Johan for our private tour. Johan pointed out all the wonderful details of the forest as well as facts on the Costa Rican economy and population. We were surprised to learn that the number one export is the microchip, the literacy rate is 90%, and that individuals can live comfortably on $5,000 a year. Due to so many such appealing attributes, the area is experiencing tremendous growth and development especially as it begins to draw retiring US citizens.

Following our aerial tram, we enjoyed a walk through the reptile exhibit and viewed a number of indigenous snakes, both poisonous and nonpoisonous; luckily for us they were all in glass cases. We all had a great time and decided the Rain Forest would be a perfect spot for the welcome party providing both adventure and a unique and memorable dinner venue.

Next stop was Jaco for shopping and lunch by the beach. Jaco has a small, but busy main street where we found some interesting shops with bags we could use for the gifts. We all were able to get a little shopping in buying some exotic jewelry, authentic Costa Rican coffee, and handcrafted pottery to bring back as mementos of our adventure. Our greatest 'find' of the day was a young local man named Nelson selling handmade pottery vases on the sidewalk. Michelle decided that these would be the perfect gift for her guests, and we hoped Nelson had more inventory than was on display. When we asked him, he brightened and led us along the beach to his home where he had many more for us to choose from. The welcome gift was officially checked off the list.

One of our most challenging experiences of the trip was the floral arrangements. We had originally thought we would take a quick trip to the floral shop with Michelle to pick out the designs for the bouquets and centerpieces. But we were surprised to discover that the shop was a 4-hour car ride away! Thankfully, our local vendor, Alvaro, was a dedicated professional; he drove a refrigerated truck full of blooms right to our doorstep so that Michelle was able to handpick her choices. The stunning arrangements incorporated the most luxurious and rich-colored orchids arrayed from bright pink to crisp white to a deep yellow-gold with purple accents.

Once we confirmed the flowers, it was time to start preparing for the welcome party. The rehearsal went smoothly and guests boarded the bus afterward to head for their Rain Forest adventure and dinner. When dinner was served, guests were excited when an authentic "Marimba" band with dancers entertaining and even providing a lesson for the bride and groom.

Lisa and I had a late night on the eve of the wedding assembling menus and seating cards, folding napkins, and hot-gluing cowrie shells onto everything. Michelle selected rich chocolate brown and lilac for her colors, and we made certain that the colors and traditional cowrie shells were incorporated throughout the ceremony and reception.

It was time for the big day, and after just three short days of planning, we were feeling prepared. The ceremony took place at the top of the amphitheater with the sparkling ocean and endless blue sky as a backdrop. Thousands of brightly colored orchids decorated the space from leaf cones filled with the flowers to an aisle created by bright purple blossoms. The bride and groom chose to integrate an African-American tradition into their ceremony known as "Tasting the 4 Elements." This includes a tasting of lemon representing the sour, vinegar representing the bitter, cayenne pepper representing the hot, and honey representing the sweet and delicious times of marriage. As Michelle and Gary shared their thoughts on each "taste" you could sense the love and support that their guests felt for their union. Once the couple "jumped the broom," another African-American tradition symbolizing their making a new home and life together, it was time to celebrate!

The reception hall at the Zephyr Palace was a remarkable sight. We created a one-of-a-kind table set up arranging large round tables in a long serpentine pattern from one corner of the room to the other providing a warm, intimate atmosphere for each of the 39 guests. The tables, accented in floor length linen of a rich chocolate brown with touches of lilac, were illuminated with candles from the grand rose-and-orchid centerpieces. The warmest feeling came from the bride and groom as they laughed, danced, and shared this special celebration with their family and friends. Clearly their Costa Rican wedding helped them to experience the true meaning of "pura vida."