Probably our final post from Cameron.  Thanks for sharing your Costa Rica wedding adventures Cameron! 

After we were officially man and wife, it was time to see the country and let our adventurous spirit flow! 7am the next morning we were off canyoning. To those who are not familiar with this activity, it means rappelling down the side of a mountain. After our first rappel, my sister and husband both concluded that this was the most fun that they have ever had and that I would have to plan all future vacations. It really was an amazing experience..until we had to hike back up to the top of the mountain!

The following day, we said goodbye to our wedding crasher and my sister, then Scott and I headed to Manuel Antonio, a little town on the Pacific Ocean. We stayed at Issimo Suites, which was as fabulous as our specialist Andrea had told us it would be. The rooms were amazing and the monkeys were plentiful. I swear, the monkeys would eat food off your plate and I actually swam with a monkey (well, he dipped each hand in the water while I swam.) The video below shows our monkey friends. 

While there we did every activity we could, white water rafting, sailing, snorkeling and we hiked through the national park. If I could offer advice to a new bride it would probably be to make sure that you schedule some time for rest and relaxation, this is your honeymoon!!

To all budding brides, I hope that you have fun planning the wedding of your dreams. If are just checking the site out and have not yet decided on destinationweddings.com, I'd encourage you to "go for it!" I know that I could have planned a basic destination wedding on my own, but it would have paled in comparison with the amazing wedding that I had.

 The wedding day post from Cameron on planning a Destination Wedding in Costa Rica.

One of the primary reasons for our Destination Wedding Planner and I  deciding on Tropical Occasions to coordinate the ceremony details, was because of the photographer, Juan Carlos. When he arrived he just took care of everything. It was obvious that he had shot over 400 destination weddings!  Within minutes we were off to the ceremony, yet ran into a farmer who was leading the cattle through the road. How many brides have to stop for a herd of cattle?? I choose to look at this as an opportunity and jumped out of the car to have my picture taken. When we arrived at the national park we were informed that we could not get to the ceremony site due to dangerous volcanic activity. I was ready to chance it, but Juan Carlos informed me that going to jail in Costa Rica for destination wedding pictures was probably not a good idea. Oh well. The ceremony was still beautiful. God must have been looking out for us, because the clouds parted and we had a beautiful view of the volcano for the ceremony. Although my mother and sister were the only "invited" guests, we had a host of other people watching us from the volcano viewing area. Our guitarist was amazing, he has won a Grammy Award in Costa Rica and it was obvious why. The ceremony was beautiful and moving, even though Jose's English was sometimes a bit off... he asked me to take Scott as my husband through idleness and health. We heard the volcano rumbling throughout the ceremony. I chose to think that the volcano was supporting our union and adding additional ambiance, instead of thinking that we were witnessing a huge explosion that was going to result in all of our deaths!  However, the best part of the ceremony came when Jose asked for the rings, I looked at Scott, Scott looked at my mother whose face went white. My sister then exclaimed, "Mom, where are the rings?"  Then we all burst out laughing. Luckily the rings were just in the car and we resumed the ceremony shortly. The video is hysterical, and my mothers faux pas has been told time and time again! After the ceremony, we drove to a little restaurant with a fantastic view of the volcano. We said our goodbyes to our new friends and I gave them little presents I brought for them from North Carolina. Even at lunch we were treated to more explosions from the volcano. At least this time we were watching from a safe distance! Strangely enough, that afternoon the clouds returned, the rain began and we never again saw our volcano.  Below is the infamous video of the volcano eruption, and the view from our lunch:

Planning a Destination Wedding - Volcano:

One of the benefits of a destination wedding is that you can be as non-traditional as you wish! Since we really didn't have guests to entertain, we booked a private reception just for us. Tabacon offered something called a Romatic Gala Dinner which was expensive, but nothing in comparison to what most people pay for a wedding reception. It was one of the best experiences either of us have ever had!! The dinner took place in a private bungalow on the edge of the rainforest. Streams of hot springs ran on either side and three sides were open to the gardens. There were lit torches, rose petals on the table, a private chef and waiter and food which melted in your mouth.  Below is a video of the dinner:

Planning a Destination Wedding - Dinner:

The fifth post from Cameron on planning a Destination Wedding in Costa Rica.

Remember when I said that since you are planning a destination wedding in a foreign country, you should be laid back and prepare for anything? My philosophy sure was put to the test on my wedding day! I woke up, opened the curtain to admire the amazing volcano which inspired our wedding, but when I looked outside all I saw was clouds! I actually laughed, it may not have been what I wanted, but I was marrying Scott and that is what was most important. About 7:30 a.m. the stylist arrived at my room, but, "no habla Engles!" Oh.....! My sister came to the room and asked me if there was anything I needed, and I sent her in search of coffee and a Spanish/English dictionary. For some reason I did not bring a picture of how I wanted my hair, I just expected that in a Spanish speaking country they would be able to understand my directions. Ultimately, it was everyone else that was freaking out while I was laughing. It was ironic because I had stressed so much over my hair during the planning of the wedding. In the end, my hair and make-up were beautiful and I spent the morning reassuring everyone that everything was okay.

The fourth post from Cameron on planning a Destination Wedding in Costa Rica.

The next day I was calm, cool and collected as we made our descent into San Jose. This time it was Scott who was a nervous wreck. He was so worried about making it through immigration and customs. I don't know why one would worry about these things, you just follow the signs. I'll admit that I was a bit shook up when I, a social worker, looked up and saw a sign that read "sex with children is illegal!" I caught my breath, we made it through customs, found our driver and were off on our four hour journey to the resort. During the journey I seriously began to question our decision on planning a destination wedding in a newly-developing country...through the hills, in the rain, nearly hitting several cars and pedestrians who were intent to walk in the middle of the road. Then, we saw it, our volcano, as clear and beautiful as the pictures I'd seen...all was good. Then we arrived at Tabacon, which was amazing!! They evidently knew what a long, arduous ride it was and met us with a warm towel and a refreshing beverage.

Tabacon is a beautiful 5 star resort with one of the leading spas in the world and beautiful hot springs that flow along the side of the volcano. People come from all over Costa Rica just to enjoy these springs and this was going to be where I spent the next four days.  Take a look at the video of the hot springs below:

Planning a Destination Wedding - Hot Springs:

I was in paradise! We had a perfect view of the volcano from our room. I scheduled the four of us for a hanging bridges tour and a volcano hike. Both were incredible! On the hanging bridges tour we had a panoramic view of the lake and the volcano and saw toucans, monkeys, a blue jean frog and much more. On the volcano hike I was absolutely mesmerized! It began to rain and the visibility was minimal, but I enjoyed it anyway. We hiked as far as the park would allow and climbed on the volcanic rock. We stood on the rock, looked at the beautiful scenery, then it happened...it exploded!! Right before our eyes, the volcano was blowing its top!! Our tour guide explained that 80% of the time the volcano is covered by the fog and people sometimes come for days and never even see the volcano, yet it was blowing its top for us!! This was shaping up to be the best wedding ever, and I was going to be married tomorrow...yippee!! Since there were only four of us, there was no need for a rehearsal dinner. Instead my sister and I spent the evening being pampered at the spa. I had a the signature Tabacon massage, complete with volcanic mud and my own private hot spring, while my sister had a four hand massage, which further convinced her that life was all about her!  Check out the video of the spa below:

Planning a Destination Wedding - Spa:

The evening ended by pina coladas while sitting in the hot springs with my fiancé. This was definitely the best wedding ever.

The third post from Cameron on planning a Destination Wedding in Costa Rica.

When going to a foreign country, especially one you've never been to, you've got to expect the unexpected. I looked at every detail of the trip as a journey. I was prepared that something crazy would happen along the way and I'd just "go with the flow." Little did I know that my journey would begin prior to leaving the states. Scott and I traveled to Durham the night before so we would have a head start to catch our plane the next morning at some ungodly hour of the morning. So, we were in a new city and waiting for our table to be ready for dinner. We decided that this would be a good time for us to fill up the gas tank. We drove and drove looking for a gas station and ran out of gas right in front of the restaurant...then the buzzer went off letting us know that our table was ready, figures!!  So, we were in a strange city, hungry and out of gas. After about 50 cars passed us without giving us another thought, I began to miss our little town where people are so willing to stop and help others. I wish that I could say that I reacted with grace, but I must admit that I shrunk down in my seat in embarrassment (thinking what in the world am I doing a man that runs out of gas), while my fiancé walked down the highway to the nearest gas station.

The second post from Cameron on planning a Destination Wedding in Costa Rica. 

I was determined not to become a stressed out bride. Although I had my moments, in retrospect I've convinced myself that they were few and far between. This was a second wedding for us both. I've had the perfect, beautiful church wedding. This time, I just wanted to be married, wherever, whenever, it would be perfect as long as I was married to Scott. I tried to be laid back with all of the details, remembering that as long as we made it to Costa Rica and were married, nothing else mattered. I truly believe that this attitude helped a great deal with the stress of planning a destination wedding. Andrea and I were so in tune with each other that we both found the same company to coordinate the wedding...on the same day! I just conveyed what was important for me to have at the wedding, then took a step back and let them do their jobs. Scott and I eloped and my sister was to be our witness. I would probably say that my biggest stress occurred when my mother decided that she just couldn't miss her daughter's wedding...two weeks before the ceremony!!

Please join us in welcoming Cameron as our bride guest blogger for Costa Rica.  Although Cameron was married in August, she wanted to experiences while planning a destination wedding.  For those of you that saw the post about the volcano, that was her wedding, so you know you are in for some adventure here.  This will be a 4-5 post series, so more to follow.  Enjoy!

The difficulty we had as we began planning a destination wedding was deciding where to go.  We are opposites in many ways, I love the beach and my fiancé loves the mountains.  My fiancé loves to camp and for me "camping out" is spending the night at the Hilton.  Through destination weddings we were able to get both! Planning the wedding was easy and so much fun. As soon as we decided on Costa Rica we were all about the planning. We wanted to do something different and were exploring the idea of having the wedding in the rainforest. Then, as a fluke, I asked Andrea, our destination wedding planner, if there would be any way that we could make arrangements to be married at the volcano. I was so surprised when she quickly answered with "absolutely." From that point on, it was as if I were my own little volcano of destination wedding excitement!  My fiancé became so tired of wedding talk that he loved that Andrea was always there to share in my excitement. Unfortunately, one day I received an email from Andrea telling me that due to excessive volcanic activity there was no way that we could have the ceremony as planned. After a moment of panic, I sat down to my computer to look at other options. The phone then rang and it was Andrea, who was calling to check on me. After just a moment on the phone expletives began to pour from my mouth. It was then that I knew I had been had...my fiancé conspired with her and I was the victim of a cruel and unusual practical joke!!

So many couples have said that Costa Rica weddings are simply fantastic. This is because they provide a magnificent beach wedding setting in a country that has an excellent outlook on tourism and welcomes visitors wholeheartedly with amazing natural beauty.

Depending on what you seek for your wedding, you can either enjoy the tranquil seclusion of a beach wedding or you can consider the many other alternatives like volcanos, rainforests, etc...but lets stick with my favorite topic...the beach wedding.

Some of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica are found on the Niccoya Peninsula, which is said to be one of the most popular destinations due to its expansive coastline. For those seeking that perfect spot, the best locations for your beach wedding are:

• Playa Nosara;
• Playa Junquillal;
• Playa Hermosa;
• Playa Islita;
• Playa Conchal; and
• Playa Coyote.

Another equally spectacular location to have your Costa Rica wedding is on one of Manuel Antonio National Park's four picture-perfect beaches. Espadilla, Escondido, Manuel Antonio and Playita are all stunning beaches that could possibly provide the ideal setting for your beach wedding.

The jewel in the Costa Rica wedding crown is said to be Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula because it is classed as a convergence of dark sands and towering palms. There are many beaches here to select from and each offers you a special location for your beach wedding. All you need to do is decide on the beach for you, which can be difficult when each of them is equally as beautiful.

OK, it wasn't long after I mentioned the potential disasters that I avoided with my beach wedding in Nassau that somebody came to me with something to challenge my crown.

The video below is from a Costa Rica wedding.  I am not going to go into the details of how the actual wedding was, because the bride is going to tell you herself as a guest blogger shortly, and she can definitely tell it better than I can.  So stay tuned for that, you will enjoy her story.

Back to the volcano-they had their wedding on an active volcano, and had the luck (is it really luck?!?) to catch part of an eruption on film.  The couple has assured me that they weren't in any danger, but I say they are just more adventurous than I am!

Enjoy the video, and again-more to follow on this great Costa Rica wedding.