We had our dream wedding at DoceLunas!
The idea of planning a wedding during a pandemic was overwhelming and scary no matter what, so we decided to take a big risk with a destination wedding in Costa Rica and we’re so happy we did! We had the most amazing wedding at DoceLunas on July 24, 2021!
We chose Costa Rica because it was the first place we vacationed together as a couple and we both fell in love with the country. We also wanted to make our wedding as COVID safe as possible without having to put restrictions on our guests, so finding a secluded outdoor venue was important. We did a lot of online research and kept coming back to DoceLunas because they offered an affordable nearly all-inclusive wedding package, they could accommodate all of our 65 guests, and they were so happy to work with us! Chris answered all of our questions, Anabel gave us a wonderful virtual tour of the grounds, and everything just seemed to fall into place!
Leading up to the wedding we had numerous conversations with the hotel staff to ensure that the events would meet our expectations. We planned to take over the entire hotel for 4 nights and host multiple events in addition to the wedding itself. Patricia was an incredible coordinator and made sure all of the details like flowers, decorations, food, cake and drinks were in line with our vision. Carmen served as the main point of contact for our guests and was super helpful with booking rooms and arranging transportation. They were even willing to provide assistance to our overflow guests staying at other hotels in the area.
We were picked up at the airport by a very clean and friendly car service, which the hotel arranged for us. Our driver was waiting for us when we landed and we enjoyed a pleasant 1.5 hour ride from San Jose to Jaco. When we finally arrived at DoceLunas we received the warmest welcome from Jose at the front desk! Patricia also came to greet us, took the wedding dress to hang up in the bridal suite, and provided us with her direct contact info and instructions to reach out to her anytime for any reason. Despite the late hour, the kitchen made us a delicious dinner and the most amazing fresh pineapple juice we’ve ever tasted! We quickly settled into our comfortable, spacious suite and enjoyed our first night in our large, cozy bed which was beautifully decorated with swans and rose petals when we arrived! The next morning we enjoyed a delicious traditional Costa Rican breakfast and then had our first chance to explore the hotel. We were blown away by the immense beauty of this venue. The circular arrangement of the grounds provided easy access to everything, and it was truly nestled in the middle of the rainforest! In addition to lush greenery, colorful flowers and fruit trees, we also constantly encountered amazing wildlife like monkeys, toucans and leaf cutter ants throughout our stay.
We had a few days to ourselves to wedding prep and explore Jaco before our guests arrived. During that time the hotel staff helped us arrange mani/pedis, hair/makeup trials, massages, and last minute day trips. They also got us water bottles and a variety of local snacks for filling our welcome bags. All of the services they arranged for us were excellent!
We kicked off our wedding weekend with a welcome reception in the beautiful palapa style restaurant/bar area, which provided excellent protection from the rain and created a very pleasant atmosphere for everyone to socialize while enjoying the lush rainforest scenery. Lovely Costa Rican music played over the sound system, specialty cocktails were served by exceptionally friendly wait staff and a plethora of hors d’oeuvres were displayed on a beautiful wooden table which we were impressed to learn was actually built on site! The event was a huge success and a perfect start to the wedding festivities!
The next day we were mostly off site enjoying a full day catamaran cruise to Tortuga Island with Costa Cat Cruises. Upon returning to DoceLunas we hosted a rehearsal dinner in the covered bar/restaurant area which was set up beautifully! String lights and lanterns created an elegant ambiance, and a chiffon archway provided a perfect background for pictures! Since it was Friday night and we were having a Jewish wedding, we wanted to celebrate Shabbat. Patricia made sure we had everything we needed for the short service, including Shabbat candles, a kiddush cup with wine, and a huge, beautiful, delicious challah bread! The dinner itself consisted of a variety of local Costa Rican cuisine and everything was fresh and delightful! The hotel staff provided amazing service throughout the meal and everyone had a great time!
Finally the wedding day arrived. We began our morning with a wonderful yoga class led by Anabel. The yoga studio was fully equipped with plenty of mats, blocks and towels to accommodate our group of about 30 people of all ages and abilities. Anabel was an amazing instructor who managed to keep everyone captivated as she guided us through a flow that was both energizing and relaxing. Adding to the ambiance were the beautiful canopy views and the sounds of tropical birds and monkeys surrounding us as we practiced. The class was so much fun and we all left feeling mentally and physically prepared for the exciting day ahead!
After a quick rehearsal in the garden we split off to get ready for the main event. The salon/spa area served as the bridal suite and provided a lovely space for all of the girls to hang out and get ready together. The salon setup was perfect for hair and makeup, and the adjacent sitting room was filled with snacks and champagne which everyone enjoyed. Cecilia Acquaroli and her team did a phenomenal job with everyone’s hair and makeup. During this time the boys all hung out together in our bedroom suite and celebrated with a round of tequila shots!
Just before the ceremony we met with the Costa Rican lawyer and our Rabbi to sign the marriage license and the Ketubah. The hotel made the legal process very easy and we received our marriage certificate in the mail about 3 months later.
The wedding ceremony can only be described as a dream! The beautiful rainforest garden provided a stunning backdrop as romantic guitar music filled the air, and a delicate flower petal path led us down the aisle to the gorgeous chuppah covered in vines and brightly colored flowers. The sound system worked great so everyone could hear the lovely ceremony led by our Rabbi. We said our vows, kissed, and our guests blew bubbles as the guitar player serenaded us and we made our way back along the flower petal path. The guests were then directed to the cocktail hour while we took pictures. Magically, the rain held out.
The hotel did a beautiful job setting up the reception with gorgeous lighting, tropical flowers and hanging foliage. The tables were arranged in a circular fashion around the perimeter of the covered area, creating a nice dance floor in the center. This made the whole affair feel intimate and inclusive. The size and layout of the space was just right for accommodating our 65 person party. The event staff took amazing care of us and all of our guests, making sure everyone was happy and having fun. All the food was delicious, and our white chocolate strawberry wedding cake from a local French baker was the best cake we’ve ever tasted! Gabriel and the rest of the bar staff did a great job keeping the drinks flowing all night, and the DJ kept the party going even after we were supposed to have finished. It was a truly magical night!
The day after the wedding we hosted a farewell brunch and pool party. Tito, the same DJ from the night before, set up karaoke on the pool deck, and the hotel set up a bar by the pool offering us cocktails and beer. We were served delicious snacks including fresh fruit, guacamole with plantain chips, and leftover wedding cake. The pool was clean, comfortable and filled with beach balls which everyone enjoyed. We spent the entire day swimming, singing, eating and drinking! It was a really fun way to end our wedding weekend!
Every single member of the staff provided exceptional service throughout our stay, but we want to give extra special recognition to Lis, because she truly went above and beyond in caring for us and our families. We became familiar with Lis because she served us breakfast every morning, and during the wedding reception she attended to us personally all night. At one point during the reception, Lis surprised my mom and me with gifts: beautiful handmade crochet bralettes! When she gave them to us she told us how thankful she was to be involved in our wedding because events like this bring her so much joy. It was such a wonderful heartfelt gesture that I’ll never forget! Later in the night she noticed my dad looking a little overheated while dancing and brought him a cold wet towel to help him cool off. Although seemingly simple, it was exactly what he needed at the time and he still talks about how happy it made him! We are so grateful to Lis for her remarkable attentiveness, immense kindness and generosity.
There are a few things we learned throughout our experience that should be considered when planning a destination wedding in Costa Rica. First, the humidity is no joke, so dress light and be prepared with bug spray. Second, “Tico time” is real, so it’s important to go with the flow and not be surprised when things don’t always happen right on schedule. Third, it’s important to clearly communicate your expectations, discuss details, and ask questions, because things that seem standard in the United States are not always the norm in other countries. For example, in the US it’s typical for a wedding DJ to also act as an MC, but our DJ told us he would not be providing this service. We informed the hotel that it was important for us to have someone making announcements throughout the night (wedding party entrance, special dances, toasts, cake cutting, etc.), so they offered to find us a bilingual MC (hired at an added cost) to help direct the flow of the party. This turned out to be the only real disappointment of the weekend because the person who showed up seemed to have a very different impression of what her job would be and didn’t feel comfortable acting as an MC. She ended up staying and helping to translate between our wedding planner and DJ, but our wedding planner ultimately ended up having to take over the job of MC. Although the situation was a little annoying, it had no major negative impact on the weekend overall.
DoceLunas was a fantastic place to stay and an amazing place to celebrate our wedding! Every single member of the hotel staff was super friendly, extremely helpful and supported us in every way possible from the moment we started planning and throughout our entire stay! They treated us like family and gave us the most magical wedding weekend we could have ever hoped for! It was an experience that we and all of our guests will never forget. Thank you to everyone at DoceLunas for making our dream wedding a reality!