Planning your wedding – Day #1… Where to start?!

Planning a wedding itself could be stressful enough, especially when everything comes together (short time, huge guests list, destination wedding, a lot of ideas but nothing solid, etc), that why we want to provide you with a quick list of tools that will help you to get the ball rolling.

Budget Breakdown: You may have tons of ideas, but the first step will be to define and set a real and solid budget, this will allow you to concentrate in option that you will be able to afford and that will not affect the rest of the planning.

To-Do List: Put all your ideas and steps together, make sure you set a sequence of actions you must take in order to not forget any important detail. Include all this on your list and make sure it is on a logical sequence. You don’t want to start looking at flowers and linens until you have chosen your colors palette.

Guest List: Based on a few items, like budget and location you can create the most convenient guest list, make sure you send invitation with enough time and request a RSVP that will allow you to move quickly if need it.

Wedding Timeline (Ceremony, Cocktail, Reception and Party): This step will require a bit of assistance from your wedding coordinator or location contact (Hotel Coordinator, for instance), as they will have a better sense of important and key points such as weather conditions, daylight, and temperatures.

Wedding Details (Menu and Deco): This one could take a bit longer as it included a lot of details; make sure you designed enough time to this one. You can also get some support from several ideas you find on the internet.

Seating Chart: Good thing here is that this will be your call… some couple doesn’t like to do seating charts and leave it free for every guest to choose where to seat. In case you definitely want to do a seating chart, make sure you get a good feedback from your wedding coordinator in terms of the location lay out.

Service Providers (Vendors) Agenda: Super important to have all your vendors up and running and make sure that everything will be on time and as planned.

Check and Go: Final one… just check out all the above and the rest you have to do is say “I Do”.

Stay tune… more to come!

Warm regards from Papagayo, Costa Rica.

Color Fusion: stylish and inspired

Deciding on the right color theme for your wedding may seem overwhelming. Color is most of the times the element that unifies the wedding details and it shouldinspire!

Holding the ceremony by the sea allows the colors of nature to combine with the rest of the color palette. And although having a wedding by the sea might suggest that the natural choice would be blue, that’s not written in stone!

Pastels are always a smart combination that works yearround, and they give a romantic and tender look to all set-ups.

Vibrant colors are naturally showcased through orchids and other tropical flowers, and are a fun statement that has endless combination possibilities with fabrics, napkins, center pieces, and personalized design touches!

Whether you decide to go with light coloring or if you have an adventurous spirit that makes a statement through color, be sure to use dark colors only for accents.

Make sure your color choices have the same intensity so you avoid despairing looks, and remember every color is beautiful but not every combination will capture the mood you want to evoke for your big day, so always keep focused on your theme.

If you want to change things up using a variety of color schemes, be sure to use a consistent color palette for each part of your special day, for example one palette for the ceremony, another one for the cocktail and a final one for the reception/dinner.

It is very important to take into account that most likely the colors should match the wedding flowers, so an idea is to pick your colors knowing what’s on offer in terms of flower availability.

Remember ambiance can also be evoked through lighting, and how it is used can make or break a space. Light colors often soften the ambience while strong color lights are more of a happening showcase!

So either if you go with your favorite color or a trendy one, consider first ihow it will come together with invitations, linens, accessories, centerpieces, reception tables, glassware and even you dress!

Stay Tune!!

A Rustic Charm in a Tropical Wedding..!

Having a rustic wedding is a wonderful challenge. There are many fantastic decorations and ideas to put together, often inspired by the country and forage from nature.

Therefore, essential rustic decorations can often pile up a lot of greens, yellows, and brownish colors along the arbor structure. But what if you chose to print your very own personal touch to pair these rustic options?

A superb way is to fill it with dazed splashes of your favorite color and play off with all the options that the beach and summer has to offer.

Create your bouquet between a playful mix of wildflowers, hydrangeas, and peonies, wrapped up with jute scarps, colorful ribbons, burlap fabric or a clean and fresh lace that matches other fabrics used for the set-up decoration.

Outdoor summer venues have endless possibilities when it comes to rustic decorations: garlands and candle-filled mason jars in jute hangers, suspended from tree branches fill the environment with charm and romance. 

Tree branches can hold mason jars with flowers as aisle decorations complemented by tiki torches. Another way to use mason jars is in center pieces: filled with sand, sea shells, as chandeliers with wire handles or water tinted filled with seasonal flowers. Pair them up with the seating cards decorated with a few elegant marine essentials such as sailboats, sailor’s heart knot ties and maps.

  

One or two theme pieces that enlighten the set-up will be enough to avoid going overboard with these kinds of details!

Learn more of our Rustic Charm decoration package for 2014, contact us at sjopa_weddings@hilton.com

Stay tune for more great Tips!

Warm regards from Papagayo, Costa Rica.

Vintage Weddings: less is more!

The vintage wedding trend is an excellent option that incorporates a little bit of fancy, romance and charm, while also expressing the couple’s personal touch.

Vintage inspiration can be found in a number of places. Many couples opt to include family heirlooms and antiques into their decoration; others have a way of romanticizing through colors and small details, whether you decide to do one or the other it is important to keep in mind that not every aspect of vintage should have the same intensity, make sure you don’t overcharge the scene with decorations! 

We’ve put together a couple of ideas to give your celebration an old-fashioned flair!

·         Check out all time favorite romance movies for inspiration: Casablanca, The Notebook or Meet me in St. Louis and use your favorite quotes on invitations and reception tables. You can create a touch of nostalgia by using letterpress printing and tea-stained papers.

·         Accessories are a great accent to dreamy ceremonies, but make sure you pick the right ones so that they compliment the tropical surroundings and climate. Feathers, and Art Deco jewelry or cute parasols make adorable summer accessories that will be a perfect match with beach surroundings.

·         Take bride and groom’s favorite pictures as children from family albums, and place them inside mason jars to create personalized center pieces. Painting them with dust blue and gray colors, plus adding white flowers is a simple yet elegant idea that will make the arrangements be near and dear to the guests’ hearts.

·         Soft color handmade ribbon streamers are a great element for vintage decoration. Tied around chairs, flowers or spread out on tables for guests to wave throughout the reception toasts.

Keep always in mind that when it comes to vintage wedding decor, less is more. Be sure the elements included are well balanced for your big day. A smart distribution of antique items and soft color balance is what will add character and visual elegance to this romantic style!

Stay Tuned!....

Your love's soundtracks...

Music fits into our lives in the most various ways, every special occasion, every memory; every mood has its very own soundtrack that flips memories onto our heads whenever played again.

Music will indeed play a big role during your big day. Whether you are considering a playlist that includes the songs you love or a DJ or band that takes the lead on what to perform, here are some tips for you to consider:

• It’s always a romantic idea to personalize your walk down the aisle with a song that has a special meaning for the couple, consider one song for the beginning and another one for your walk back up the aisle, this will help you feel confident and release your anxiety!
• If you chose to create a playlist make yourself a big list of everything you'd love to hear at your wedding for every step of the way — check back every few days in order to make sure the list of songs fits for what you expect for yourselves and the wedding guests.
• Include a good set of instrumental tunes or slow music to play in the background during cocktail hour and/or dinner, this works as a nice transition for your loved ones to prepare before raving about the music!
• Wedding waltz was considered the symbolic first presentation of a young couple as “husband and wife’. As times have changed, it is now considered as a First Dance, often with the couple’s favorite song. You can always add a little touch of fun by starting traditional and then switching to your own style.
• Friends and relatives are always in the mood to participate in unorthodox fun entrances and surprise first dances or flash mobs, this is a perfect ice-breaker for people to get together on the days previous to the wedding, and a viewing pleasure for those who rather watch from their seats.
• If you chose to hire a DJ or band instead of using a playlist make sure you previously give them an idea on what style you are expecting. Have a 10-list must play songs, that should be performed and then they can take it from there, or explain they should focus on songs that will make it fun for everyone.
•  When choosing destination weddings, liven up the venue with local music bands from the country you are visiting, this is always a great way to celebrate in a creative manner.

Finally, for a little inspiration, here are some of the most popular songs newlywed couples have selected for their first dance at Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort & Spa: 

1. “Love and Some Verses” by Iron and Wine
2. “How Deep is Your Love” by The Bird and the Bee
3. “All I Want Is You” by Barry Louis Polisar
4. “Better together” by Jack Johnson
5. “I want to marry you” by Bruno Mars