Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica

Secrets Papagayo as a resort was great (food, rooms, activity options, pools, beach, staff-- all pretty great). Wedding team at Secrets are great (especially Natalia the onsite wedding coordinator, DJ Sergio, and Sarah and her partners on the DreamArt Photography team). The preferred lounge staff are all lovely- checking in n’ such were such a breeze and we love William, the bartender. We ended up getting our pictures relatively quickly (our wedding was Sept 19 and we got the edited pictures by Oct 2).
PLEASE be sure to do a makeup trial with the spa team. The woman who did my hair did a lovely job and my hair mostly stayed in place despite me headbanging and sweating. Makeup was rough. The artist is such a sweet woman and she worked with gentle hands. Unfortunately, I was extremely unhappy with it (it looked nothing like the picture-- wrong colors, placement, etc) and ended up re-doing my makeup 20 min before i was supposed to get pictures taken (MUA was open to changes, but due to misunderstandings, I figured it was faster for me to just re-do everything myself).
Decor was adorable and met my expectations. The main beach garden is such a lovely venue. Other guests at the pool can definitely see everything going on, but I totally forgot they were there as everything was happening. Food was a little hit or miss (the pork chops were quite dry, but I enjoyed the swordfish despite it being on the overcooked side. I understand catered high volume food can be difficult to control temps though) -- I would recommend going for a set menu rather than the wedding buffet if that is a viable option for you and your guests. The reception dinner was delicious.
The BAC payment system for the resort was a little annoying to deal with, but I think that's more-so on our banks and lack of user friendly error handling on the BAC website.
Setting up wedding details with the coordinator over email was a little bit of a hassle at times (i was trying to get confirmation for what time the rehearsal would be and what seasonal fruit I should be expecting for the wedding cake were not answered). Nati, one of the on-site wedding coordinators, is an absolute gem and I loved working with her. She got the answers I needed (the cake filling was red berry with a whipped cream icing and it was perfectly not too sweet) and she was able to switch gears quickly, like being able to change venues/rehearsal plans to account for rain. The reception decor was lovely though I did wish I knew gold was the "default" color-- it turned out great even though it probably would not have been our 1st choice. The florists did a great job with executing our ikebana inspired arrangements. DJ Sergio's social media content of his sets (or lack there of) made me a little worried, but he did a great job and kept the dance floor going. He did loop the same 6 songs during dinner til we asked Nati to fix it, but he was great with shifting as needed.
Overall, my husband and I are very happy with how our special day turned out and we are honored that we were able to work with so many great people to make our wedding so lovely.

We cannot say enough wonderful things about Jeanette, our wedding coordinator at Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica. From the very beginning, she was in constant communication with us, sending daily messages that made us feel completely prepared and at ease planning a destination wedding. Her support extended not only to us, but also to our family and friends who traveled to Costa Rica to celebrate our special day.
We had a 50-person wedding, and Jeanette handled every detail flawlessly. She guided us through all of our choices—from flowers, chairs, food selections, and venue options, to coordinating the DJ handoff and leading an incredibly thorough and reassuring rehearsal walkthrough. Her organization, professionalism, and calm presence made the entire process seamless.
What truly set Jeanette apart was her attentiveness and eye for detail. From the big-picture planning to the smallest touches—like the flower petals leading to the arches where we were married—everything was executed beautifully. She genuinely cared about our vision and made sure it came to life perfectly.
Jeanette went above and beyond in every way, and we are endlessly grateful for her dedication, patience, and passion. Thanks to her, our wedding day was stress-free, meaningful, and absolutely unforgettable. If you’re considering a destination wedding at Secrets Papagayo, you could not be in better hands than with Jeanette.

Our wedding was beautiful! We and our guest enjoyed our time at Secrets Papagayo Resort.

We had a great experience getting married at Secrets Papagayo. Jeannette handled everything and made it so easy for us. From the moment we arrived we felt special. We got preferred perks as the wedding couple and man did that make the week feel more luxurious! All of the staff at the resort treated us like royalty and remembered our whole group/names and room numbers. On wedding day everything was seamless. I had my hair done at the spa and they gave me a room to get ready in at the spa. Our garments were steamed and delivered to the rooms. The ceremony was so intimate and sweet. The photographers with dream art were great and did an amazing job. We also got to have dinner at Portofino after and it was delicious! the cake that came in the package was so good and enjoyed by all! I am so appreciative for the staff at the resort especially Jeannette. We will be returning to this resort one day!!

Jeanette was great to work with from the planning through the wedding day. She was very professional and responsive with answering all our questions along the way. All costs were transparent through the process for any extra services. The venue was beautiful and the set up on the wedding day was perfect! The flowers on the tables and my bouquet were beautiful. The food at cocktail hour and dinner was delicious and well prepared. We brought our own cake topper and the cake turned out perfect! Everything was amazing and we couldn't have asked for anything more perfect! We would highly recommend secrets of papagayo for a wedding venue!

We had such a great experience at Secrets Papagayo! We were especially impressed by the thoroughness and professionalism of Jeanette, our wedding planner. Her assistant, Yorleni, did an exceptional job running the music for our wedding ceremony, which was complex. In general, we felt like the resort went far above and beyond, and it provided a beautiful, intimate setting for our event. We loved it, and our guests have not stopped raving.