Recap of our Retreat-Style Wedding in Costa Rica
I have sat down to write this post for months, and I don’t quite know where to begin. Andrew and I got married in Costa Rica on February 8th, 2020, and it was truly the most incredible week of our lives (so far). While none of us could have predicted the world events that would unfold, we feel so lucky to have had this adventure before all the shiz went down. Our wedding was the singular best part of 2020, and we’ve really held onto the pure love, joy, and happiness we felt in February throughout the super challenging months that followed.
While I could sit here and relive our wedding for days, I want this recap to be valuable for you as well! When I was researching destination weddings, I had a hard time finding any resources or examples of what I imagined in my head. We both knew at the end of the day, we wanted this to be a celebration with our favorite humans, while also being a reflection of us as a couple - we didn't want to do anything by "default".
Together, we are adventurous, outdoorsy, active, silly, conscious of our impact, and we love GOOD FOOD! With the help of some incredible vendors, we had a wedding that was beyond our wildest dreams.
Bear with me as I attempt to consolidate one year of planning & a multi-day destination event into a concise blog post. Haha!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Jump ahead if ya want!
I. The Venue
II. The Logistics
III. The Retreat
IV. The Details
More Wedding Content:
The Venue
Our wedding weekend was hosted entirely at Kinkára, a gorgeous regenerative sanctuary tucked away in the mountains about 4 hours from the San Jose Airport. We rented out the property from February 6-9, and it truly felt like we were on a retreat, sleeping underneath the stars in canopy tents surrounded by our favorite humans.
I stumbled upon Kinkára while researching locations in Costa Rica, and as soon as I went to their site, I fell in love and felt an immediate connection to their mission. From their regenerative farming practices and dedication to reforestation to banning single-use plastics and nurturing the community around them (read more here)... it has been a true honor getting to know the incredible people behind this operation.
Big thanks to Lucky Find Hospitality for helping jumpstart the planning process, as well as introducing us to the team at Kinkara. Check out their site to see other unique properties they represent - from treehouses, glamping, beaches, and more.
While we were Kinkára’s FIRST official wedding (and I’ll be forever proud to hold that spot!), their team executed every detail of the weekend to perfection. Katherine, Chef Kuntal, Leandro, Moises, and the entire staff went above and beyond any level of service we’ve ever experienced. By choosing Kinkara as our venue, we were able to cut down our waste, utilize most of what was already available on property, and spend multiple days soaking up the memories with all the people that came out to be with us.
I know I’ll be back to Kinkára one day, whether it’s to visit or to host a retreat with y’all reading this. If you are looking for a magical destination to host your wedding or wellness retreat, please do consider Kinkára. I know it will become one of the most special experiences of your life.
The Logistics
No matter how big or small the wedding, it’s a lot of freakin’ work. We had an intimate 34-person wedding (highly recommend, pandemic or not!), and we were lucky to work with some incredible businesses who brought our vision to life. Once we landed on the venue, we secured our planner and our photographer.
Leilani Weddings - a BIPOC Woman-Owned wedding planning + design brand located out of Los Angeles. Danielle Leilani is a true visionary, who designed and executed our entire retreat while staying true to our values. She made the magic happen. I could fully relax and be present throughout the entire weekend, because I knew Danielle had everything more than covered. Be sure to check out her lifestyle blog & Instagram!
Carmelisse Sanga is another brilliant woman whose work I found on Instagram after searching the hashtag #elopementphotographer. We wanted a photographer who could capture raw, candid moments with an authentic storytelling-style, and she blew us away with her work. Carmelisse, along with her second shooter Jon, documented our wedding weekend, and we couldn’t be more in love with how all of our photos turned out.
With these two gals, anything felt possible - and I gained two new girlfriends in the process! More details on all our vendors here.
Wedding Itinerary (at a glance):
Wednesday - Guests + fam arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica + stay at Aloft Hotel (20 mins from the airport).
Thursday - Group shuttle to Kinkara (4-hour drive), chill day to explore Kinkára, and Welcome Bonfire after dinner
Friday - Excursion day, Rehearsal, and Dinner with Everyone
Saturday - Wedding Day Adventures
Sunday - Farewell Brunch + drive back to San Jose
Monday - Guests fly home
The Retreat
Our wedding festivities technically began on Wednesday in San Jose, Costa Rica. Everyone had to fly into SJO airport and ride together to Kinkara the next day. For the sake of this recap, I’m going to focus on FRIDAY and SATURDAY.
Friday: Excursions, Slip n’ Slide, and Rehearsal Dinner
As a couple, we wanted our wedding to reflect who we are… so what better way than to spend the day hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, gettin’ shot down with water guns and sliding down a slip n’ slide until you dislocate your shoulder? Yup, that actually happened (see slide show). Things got a little wild on the slide, but thanks to the bumpy backroads, Justin’s arm popped right back into socket while in the car on his way to the hospital.
After a crazy fun afternoon, we all rested and cleaned up for a quick rehearsal with the family. Since our wedding was so small, everyone was a part of our “rehearsal dinner” that followed. We ate the most incredible food, listened to some super sweet speeches from our besties, and danced the night away. Honestly, our event could have ended there and it would have already been the best time of my life. I was on cloud nine, and while I didn’t think it could get any better, the next day (our wedding day) was even more magical.
Saturday: Our Epic Wedding Day
Despite the nerves and excitement, I slept so soundly. Andrew and I woke up together on our wedding day, and I remember just feeling so much peace, love, and excitement. There was even a rainbow! We documented a little cuddle sesh at 6am with Carmelisse, and then my future hubs and I parted ways from here on out.
One thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want to spend the whole day tucked away in a room “getting ready”.
I wanted to do things that I LOVED, so I started my morning with a yoga class taught by Natalie, my Swiss bestie I met in New York a decade ago. She led us through such a beautiful flow, and we ended with an intention-setting circle. All of my girlfriends went around and shared their intention for me and Andrew, and it was one of the most special moments I’ll remember forever. It was a complete cry-fest. After yoga, we all ate breakfast together topped off with my favorite drink… MATCHA, of course!
I parted ways with all the gals, but my two childhood best friends, Grace & Hope, came with me to get ready. While I didn’t have a formal bridal party (because every girl at my wedding is close to me), these two girls are like my sisters that I’ve known for over 15 years… maybe longer. So, we went up the road to get ready at a beautiful house my parents were staying at.
On the way over, I stopped by Ilana’s house for a 30-minute sound bath session. Ilana is an incredibly sweet woman whom I met when I first visited Kinkara. I was completely blissed out afterwards, and hung out chatting for quite a bit… but then Grace was like, “Jules, we need to get ready.” Woops, at this point it was already 11am and I had photos at 12:30, sooooo off to the races since I was doing my own hair and makeup!
Read all about the process of designing my conscious + ethical wedding dress by Loulette Bride here.
The First Look
I went back and forth with whether to do a first look with Andrew. Ultimately, we decided it was a good idea, since that would give us more time to get photos together and not feel as rushed. Plus, the weather was a bit iffy, and if it rained, that would also cut into our photo-taking time. Looking back, I am truly so glad we did a first look. It was an intimate, quiet moment for us to check in with each other midday. I think I would have keeled over with an overwhelming amount of emotions if I waited until the ceremony to see him, haha.
And then, it suddenly POURED.
But, it ended up being the best thing ever. The rain cooled down the temperature and created the most beautiful halo effect in the sky. I admit, I was worried about how long the rain would last, but I didn’t have to worry long, because it only rained for 30 minutes.
The Ceremony
I remember walking down the aisle and seeing the most beautiful halo glowing around all of our guests. It looked like pure heaven, and I’ll never forget it. My Uncle Dean married us, which was really special to me. My Matron of Honor, Grace, read a beautiful passage during the ceremony, and Andrew’s Best Man, Josh, led us through our tree planting ceremony. *A little somethin’ somethin’ that symbolizes us growing roots together. We exited the aisle to “Shut Up & Dance with Me” by Walk the Moon. Very fitting.
Our florals were designed + executed by the talented Juan Carlos of Los Angeles Floral Couture. JC sourced organic, sustainably-harvested florals from a small Costa Rican farm, and we donated it to a local hospitals, churches, and nursing homes after the wedding so that none of it went to waste.
The Cocktail Hour
We had the the most epic grazing table by Chef Kuntal that dreams were legit made of. I always heard about brides not having a chance to enjoy cocktail hour because they are taking pictures, but I am so glad I had time to take photos AND tear up the grazing table. Pictures for proof.
Special Touches: We displayed a custom illustration of me and Andrew by one of my besties Andrea, as well as an illustration of our dog Luna by Hazel & Grace Illustrations (we didn’t have Clover yet). We had displayed photos of Andrew’s family that couldn’t make it to our wedding. I brought my late grandparents’ Korean Wedding Ducks to display on the table as well.
The Reception Details
I feel like I could do an entire blog post just on the FOOD we ate at Kinkára. Chef Kuntal Kumar developed the menu for the entire retreat, and it’s the best food I’ve ever had in my life. They source their ingredients grown on their land, from local farms, and from small local artisans and producers. It’s a true farm-to-table experience, and all food waste is turned into compost.
I had already visited Kinkára twice before our wedding, so I knew our guests were in for a real treat. Kinkára is so good with accommodating food allergies without making anyone feel left out. All of the meals were naturally gluten-free, and most of the dishes came dairy and nut-free (my cousin has a severe nut allergy and had zero issues/zero cross contamination). Our wedding cake was out of this world. I wish I could have eaten more of it. It was a gluten-free layered wildberry cake with sun-blushed strawberry icing! No refined sugar was used - just naturally sweet from the berries!
Dinner, Speeches, & Choreographed First Dance
After I took one tequila shot at cocktail hour (which I rarely do lol), the night starts to become a blur. Dinner was amazing. My Uncle Ray gave the most hilarious speech ever, and our besties Grace and Josh also gave epic speeches that made us laugh with hearts bursting.
After dinner, I had an outfit change! While I freakin’ loved my wedding gown, I AM SO GLAD I CHANGED FOR THE RECEPTION. With the way we tore up the dance floor, red wine spillin’ everywhere, and us laying on the ground at some point, I was able to move freely without worrying about ruining this precious dress. Although, the dry cleaner ended up being the one to ruin my wedding dress after the fact (very sad story….).
I bought my reception dress secondhand on Poshmark, and I had a tailor in Austin add a sassy slit! I also borrowed our wedding planner’s earrings - haha - thanks, Danielle.
For our first dance, we worked with Ebony (@drivingforce_) and Mindy (@mindyroe), two dancers based in Austin who choreographed the most beautiful n’ sassy mash up! If you have the chance, I highly recommend doing a choreographed dance. It was so much fun learning and practicing it together, and it was a fun surprise for our guests as well!
Dancing, dancing, and more dancing!
We had a pretty epic dance party with our lively and spirited DJ Lunakye who also emceed the entire weekend! The rest of the night is history, so I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves!
It was truly the most incredible, special, and joyful week of our lives - one that both Andrew and I will keep close to our hearts for the rest of our lifetime together.
Vendors + Credits
Venue: Kinkara | @kinkaracr represented by Lucky Find Hospitality
Planning + Design: Leilani Weddings | @leilaniweddings
Day-of Assistant Coordinator: Del Mar Weddings | @delmarweddingscr
Photography: Carmelisse Sanga | @carmelissephotography
Second Shooter: Jon Pingol | @jonpingol
Floral Designer: Los Angeles Floral Couture | @losangelesfloralcouture
DJ + Emcee: Kyle McAuley | @lunakye
Rentals: Costa Mesa Event Rentals | @costamesaeventrentals
Dress: Loulette Bride | @loulettebride
Hairpiece: Emma Katzka Bridal | @emmakatzkabridal
Hair & Makeup: Me! hehe
Mother of Bride + Maid of Honor Dresses: Fame & Partners | @fameandpartners
Welcome Bags: @alohacollection fanny packs, @gomacro bars, @rawelementsusa zero-waste sunscreen