Coral Wedding Inspiration in Costa Rica

Last fall, Brendan and I spent two glorious weeks in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. With the amount of time we’d be spending down there, I really wanted to put together a Costa Rica wedding inspiration shoot with some local talent and the idea of a romantic coral palette had been on my mind for a while. We had a big vision for this shoot: ceremony arches adorned in local flowers, couple’s portraits on an intimate beach and an elaborate tablescape shaded by palm trees. Nature, however, had other plans for our shoot.

Determined to beat the typical October rains, we planned to start early in the morning to catch that beautiful sunrise light. But we went to sleep that evening with forecasts of strong winds and heavy downpours heading our way. On the morning of our shoot, we woke to the quant beach town of Tamarindo in the midst of a massive tropical storm.

They called it Nate, and within days it was a full-scale hurricane.

By the early dawn, torrential rain was pouring down and the skies were a dark gray. We had no choice but to postpone and wait out the worst of it, but the forecasts predicted that the next day, my last day in Costa Rica, was only going to be worse. What else could we do? The whole town was flooded, the beach had been swallowed by the ocean, all power was down, half our vendors were stranded by fallen trees and washed away roads… and more flooding! Between the chaos and heavy rain drops, we rounded up what we could, and made our way up the hill to a beautiful luxury home nestled safely away from the flooding below—a last minute back up plan made possible thanks to our friends at Stay in Tamarindo.

Though our upscale beachfront affair was no longer a possibility, our intimate and romantic alternative turned out beautifully. Our inspiration behind this shoot – warm-hued ocean coral – carried over wonderfully to our new venue. Perched along a hillside overlooking Tamarindo’s bay, Casa Puros Dieces gave us a modern and minimalist space that was the perfect backdrop for the elements of our shoot.

From start to finish, this shoot was a labor of love. Strong winds kept blowing everything all over the place, sideways rain blew into the small, dry space where we had set up— Brendan acted as a human rain shield while I photographed the place settings. It was a frenzy, but we managed. The images from this surreal day may not reflect what happened behind the camera, but we hope they can be a reminder that beautiful things can come out of such ugly circumstances. Even when weather tries to ruin your event, remember to stay positive and trust the amazing vendors you hired – love and beauty will always win!

Photography + Design: Emily March Photography | Coordination + Design: Tropical Occasions | Venue: Casa Puros Dieces via Stay in Tamarindo | Florals: ArtFlower | Calligraphy + Paper Goods: Alexis Aguero | Plates + Flatware: Eventos Artesanos | Glassware: Costa Mesa | HMU: Nadia Cambronero of Hathor Spa | Jewelry: EKArt Jewelry | Wedding Dress: Lulu’s | Linens: Pier 1 | Film Processing: Photovision