real weddings

This Destination Wedding Will Warm Your Heart

Waves broke gently against the shore as Mark and Longena exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony on the beach at Reserva Conchal in Costa Rica. The couple lives in Toronto, but, since they have so many friends and relatives living around the world, they thought it would be fun to have a destination wedding. Guests would have to travel to get to the celebration, anyway, so why not treat them to the stunning views and white beaches of Costa Rica. The couple wanted a simple, yet elegant wedding and everything from Longena’s classically beautiful gown to the fresh calla lillies that lined the communal dining table fit with their vision. One of our favorite details from this wedding is the anniversary cards that Mark and Longena asked each guest to write. Reading messages from their loved ones will be a lovely way for the couple to celebrate another year of marriage, while also remembering their special day. Scroll down to read more the bride and swoon over the images from A Brit & A Blonde Photography.

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From the Bride… “We wanted our wedding to be simple and elegant, something that represented us and wasn’t over the top. The simplicity also helped prevent me from stressing out in the months and weeks leading up to the wedding.

The natural beauty of Costa Rica, and everyone looking and laughing at the photos of us growing up were some of my favorite details. We have hung up our guest frame so it’s a nice reminder every day of all the important people in our lives that were able to join us at our wedding. We are also both looking forward to reading what people wrote on our anniversary cards — it’s something that captures what our guests were experiencing and thinking on our wedding day, and it will remind us every year of how lucky we were to have these people in our lives.

It is cliche, but seeing each other for the first time that day, especially after the unexpected and stressful delay, was our favorite part of the day. One of the great things about having a destination wedding (and being so lucky to have guests travel from all over the world) is that we really had a ‘wedding week.’ This meant we really were able to catch up with people that we hadn’t seen in years and to actually get to know people on either side of our families, which is so nice for us, as none of our extended family and few of our close friends live in Toronto.”

Image(s): A Brit & A Blonde Photography

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