Tropical Occasions Reviews
Reviews
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4.9 out of 5 rating
4.9 out of 5 rating
74 Reviews
99% recommend it
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![Anna]()
Anna C. Sent on 08/27/2024Exceeding expectations on our unforgettable Costa Rica wedding
Karen is a complete gem of a wedding planner. The whole experience was very straightforward from the start and easier to navigate than I had imagined. Karen laid out a detailed plan in Word format with clearly marked areas that would require my decisions or input. She provided me with several choices of the best vendors in the area as well as their costs, and I was able to chose the one that best fit our style, budget, and vibe we were seeking. She kept close track of our budget on a spreadsheet and provided great alternatives to cut costs on the right things, so that we could splurge on others. Several months after hiring Karen, I learned that we would have to change our wedding date due to work. Karen was very accommodating to this change and immediately got to work re-booking our vendors for our new date.
Our wedding rehearsal was to the point. Directions were very clear, and questions were answered in an upfront manner. I can say that I greatly appreciate Karens style of directing because you have so many personalities together for one experience, if done any other way things would get missed and go sideways. Because of her directing style I believe we were able to get through our rehearsal efficiently which in turn set us up for success the following day.
Day of: Everything was planned out to great detail, down to what I was going to have for a pre-ceremony snack, getting ready drink, and details for my wedding photography shoot, the timeline for everything..How long we had to get ready, when the photographer/videographer would arrive, when to go to the beach for sunset beach shots. I mean it was like clockwork. I was able to completely put all my faith in Karen, and enjoy my day and my guests and everything just happened, just as it should. When I say our wedding was perfect...thats exactly what I mean. We are over 6 months post wedding and that is the first thing that comes out of our mouths when we explain our wedding. It still blows us away how impeccably everything came together. I truly cannot express how grateful I am to have had Karen as my wedding planner. She is hands down the best decision I made in the wedding planning processes. I owe it all to her on how flawlessly everything came together on wedding day. -
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![Olivia]()
Olivia G. Sent on 03/09/202410/10 experience! Highly recommend Tropical Occasions!
Karen and her team were amazing to work with! She was incredibly organized and responsive throughout the planning process, and was always ready to answer questions and provide helpful information and guidance. She ensured that we stayed on budget and provided comprehensive and up-to-date documents outlining previous and upcoming payments. She also helped us identify sensible ways to save money, while still ensuring that our vision was met.
Our wedding was an absolute dream and it went off without a hitch, thanks to Karen and her team! No detail was overlooked and we are so grateful to Tropical Occasions for making our dream wedding a reality. I would absolutely recommend them! -
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![Olivia]()
Olivia R. Sent on 05/28/202410/10 Experience with Karen!
We got married in Manuel Antonio this May and couldn’t be happier with our decision to choose Karen as our wedding planner.
As foreigners flying into Costa Rica for the first time, and planning a wedding in a country we’d never been to, it took off a lot of pressure and gave us a lot more reassurance having Karen’s guidance.
Karen is extremely organized & she has documents for everything
- Guides - documents for specific processes we needed to understand (ex: how to DIY your own bar and bring alcohol from Costco to CR)
- Vendor List - the list of vendors she's worked with for years and TRUSTS (the best DJ’s, caterers, makeup and hair artists, etc. in the area) with links to their website, social media, and a photo of them/their work
- Budget Sheet - a very detailed and easy to follow budget excel sheet that she updated as we chose vendors
- Master Wedding Doc - this was EXTREMELY helpful. She uses a “master wedding document” where she keeps all necessary details so you’re always on the same page. Full transparency and a great guide to refer back to once you’ve made choices.
Karen’s also very prompt in responding to emails. Especially when she’s waiting for you to choose vendors - she keeps the ball rolling. We learned a huge part of the wedding process, when you have someone like Karen guiding you on deadlines and ‘what goes next,’ is really just knowing what you want - doing your research and making a decision that fits in your budget.
She’s also very straightforward and honest and we really appreciate that.
For our rehearsal she made sure all 8 people in our wedding party understood what would be happening during the wedding - we had a few family members asking her pretty ‘silly’ questions tbh and she handled them like a champ. She made my husband and I the focus and we felt confident she wouldn’t let anyone get in the way.
On our wedding day she was there from 7am to 9pm and her assistant stayed with us until after midnight to make sure everything was sorted.
Our ceremony setup, dinner setup, my flowers, our cake, my makeup and hair, the DJ, the food - everything was awesome.
Also, we had some troubles with our hotel’s concierge a few months before our arrival (we were struggling to find a boat tour and arrange all 18 guests van transfers) and when we told Karen she jumped right in and got us sorted. She sent us a doc with all the best boat options and she arranged all of our van transfers to and from the airport - we did not expect for her to do that and so quickly too. She went above and beyond for us!
If you’re getting married in Costa Rica and want someone who has the professionalism, connections, and expertise, choose Karen as your planner! -
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Shannon K. Sent on 09/21/2023
Costa Rican, Tulemar Wedding
Very wonderful experience working with Karen & Tropical Occasion. Karen made the process very easy and delivered well beyond our expectations. Truly a magical and dream wedding for my daughter and her fiancé. Would highly recommend this location and team for your Costa Rican Wedding -
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![Jody]()
Jody C. Sent on 08/14/2023Tropical Occasions was Amazing!!
We working with Karen from Tropical Occasions an I cannot recommend her enough! She was attentive, easily accessible, and most importantly, she put together the wedding of our dreams. Every single detail was carefully thought out, and the result was a fairy tale wedding. Karen was such a pleasure to work with! -
![Brooke]()
Brooke Sent on 08/23/2023Amazing experience, incredible people!
The planning staff at Tropical Occasions are amazing, and there's no way we could have pulled off our wedding in Costa Rica without them! Karen was absolutely fabulous to work with, an absolute expert who made the most of the budget we discussed in the beginning. Our ceremony was gorgeous and the the dinner was absolutely magical, followed by a super fun reception fitted with full dessert table! Cannot recommend Tropical Occasions enough! -
Tayo Sent on 07/27/2023
Naija meets Costa Rica
Karen and her team were amazing! My husband and I decided on a twist on a traditional Nigerian wedding with a vibrant, yet elegant theme. We planned the entire wedding weekend sight unseen, (to the surprise of our friends and family) with Karen acting as our meticulous and discerning advocate in Costa Rica. Karen is responsive and detail oriented, and her excel sheets are unmatched! (Much appreciated by this fellow excel sheet/list lover!) The level of organization and coordination on my wedding day allowed me to relax and enjoy the day. I received so many compliments about Karen and her team and how well-run was the weekend. As someone who never really dreamed of what my wedding would look like, I can honestly say that Tropical Occasions created a wedding that I could not have ever envisioned! Choose them—they’re worth it. -
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![C S.]()
C S. Sent on 02/01/2024The best experience!
Extremely happy with our decision to go with Tropical Occasions. Karen is the epitome of a professional. The wedding day was stress free because we knew Karen was going to take care of everything. It was clear Karen truly cared, and I don't think our wedding could have turned out any better. -
![Michaela]()
Michaela M. Sent on 02/19/2023Tropical Occasions was the right choice!
Karen and team were phenomenal! We were married at Punto de Vista in September 2022. When we hired Tropical Occasions we needed a lot of help. Karen made the process so easy; we had multiple planning calls where she helped us talk through our vision, work within our budget, and brought it to a reality. The table décor and rooftop setup was so magical, it was exactly what we imagined. All the vendors she recommended were top notch. We even had a travel hiccup due to the rainy season and road conditions that she masterfully replanned the night of the wedding without us realizing. We'd highly recommend Tropical Occasions; Karen's efforts made the weekend seem effortless! -
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![Bridget]()
Bridget M. Sent on 10/02/2022Above and Beyond Service!
Karen with Tropical Occasions was an amazing wedding planner! She answered all of our emails promptly (and there were a lot of them) and she completely went above and beyond. She was able to make anything we asked for happen, like getting 6 pounds of coffee beans for our table gifts, arranging late night snacks, or even delivering our welcome gifts to 4 different hotels for all of our guests. She took our dream wedding and absolutely made it a reality. The design she put together for our reception was everything we wanted and it was beautiful. We did not feel stressed at all planning our destination wedding in Costa Rica, thanks to Karen! I would highly recommend working with Tropical Occasions if you are planning a wedding in the area. -
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![Katie]()
Katie B. Sent on 09/22/2022More than I could ever ask for
Karen was absolutely amazing. She was so organized and had every single detail dialed in. I has minimal stress knowing she had everything taken care of. She is also a creative genesis when I comes to design, everything was more beautiful than I could ever imagine! -
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![Kelsey]()
Kelsey M. Sent on 10/05/2022Highly Recommend
Karen Ogden from Tropical Occasions was terrific. We had never been to Manuel Antonio CR before, never seen our venue or met any vendors. Karen was able to pull off a wedding event that was somehow even better than we imagined - we were thoroughly WOWed! Karen was a very responsive and clear communicator throughout the planning process. Karen gave us options for each planning category along a spectrum (budget ranges). We used pintrest boards and whatsapp calls to communicate our vision and get her ideas. It rained for most of the day on our wedding, but Karen clearly communicated our options so that we could decide the best option for us given the information we had, we really appreciated her clear and calm demeanor. Every element of our wedding was amazing - which made for a very memorable experience; thank you Karen and the Tropical Occasions Team! We would absolutely recommend. -
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![Natalie]()
Natalie L. Sent on 06/25/2022Wedding planning you won’t regret!
Tropical Occasions made our dream wedding come true and it was so smooth and easy. Karen is the wedding planner you need! So worth the money and went above and beyond in every regard. She helped answer questions along the way, gave expert advice, coordinated not only the wedding but events leading up, transportation for our guests from the airport even with last minute flight changes. Everyone kept telling us how stress free we seemed even the day before and day of the wedding and that is because of Karen. We had the most amazing experience. Aimee also looked at my Pinterest and made our vision truly come to life. Would definitely recommend!! -
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Amanda Sent on 05/26/2022
Above and beyond!
Natalie + Aimee planned our dream wedding!! I had booked Tropical Occasions pre-pandemic and Natalie helped us so so much with being accommodating and helping us reschedule our vendors. I only had one phone call (pre-pandemic, so probably over a year in between) with Aimee about what we had envisioned for our wedding and I was blown away. Not going to lie, I was very nervous the couple months leading up to it but with a little faith and a lot of trust, Natalie bought my Pinterest board to life!! Every single detail was perfect. Cannot thank Natalie enough for her help and her calming presence. One of my guests told me that a candle blew out during dinner and Natalie, within seconds, was there with a replacement. Three months later and everyone is still talking about the wedding! It really was the perfect wedding. -
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Kelly F. Sent on 06/22/2021
Absolutely amazing service!!
I couldn't say enough good things about Tropical Occasions, specifically Karen and Aimee. Aimee was in charge of our wedding design and after a 45 minute phone call and 5 pinterest photos she completely went above and beyond my expectations with floral and design. Karen was always so quick to respond and took care of every concern we had prior to the wedding. On wedding day she kept me so calm and handled every single detail, so that we could enjoy our special day. I cannot thank Tropical Occasions enough for the amazing experience and the delivery of our perfect day!!! -
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![Amber]()
Amber N. Sent on 06/08/2021Karen was extremely Organized and great communication
Karen was so amazing. I used her as a same day coordinator but she actually helped me out SOO much along the way. She was extremely professional and made sure everything and everyone was in the right place and the right time. I never had to worry about a single detail on my wedding day. Would definitely recommend Karen to anyone looking for a wedding coordinator with great communication and someone to get the job done. -
![Vanessa]()
Vanessa G. Sent on 02/16/2021Alvarez Wedding at Punto de Vista Villa
I would have to say that Tropical Occasions especially Karen was a godsend when coordinating for our wedding! Since it was a destination wedding and during COVID, there was definitely added stress and hurtles. Thankfully Karen was there every step of the way and couldn't have had a better wedding. The overall look of the ceremony and reception was more than we ever dreamed of! You always have and idea or something in mind but truly Aimee and Karen made it happen. Thank you again, there are no words to describe our feelings and emotions towards our once in a lifetime wedding! -
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![Alex]()
Alex Sent on 03/28/2019The BEST destination wedding planners in the game!
Where to even start with our experience with Aimee and Natalie at Tropical Occasions?! They absolutely CRUSHED our destination wedding in Hacienda Pinilla, Costa Rica! Every single detail of the weekend completely blew us away, and we are still on Cloud Nine. Like, was it even real?!?! It was the most EPIC weekend not only for us, but for every single one of our guests. There are SO many details and decisions that go into every wedding….endless vendor options, menu choices, types of flowers, floorplans, timelines, rentals, etc. It can be a lot for any bride & groom, but then when you add in coordinating travel to a foreign country and schedules and housing and transportation for 80 guests, it can take overwhelming to the next level. However luckily for us, we had the absolute BEST team in the game to keep all the stress at bay!!! Looking back on the whole planning process, yes there were plenty of decisions to be made and checklists to take care of, but I don’t reflect on our wedding planning with stress or tension. Tropical Occasions made it fun and exciting instead. My husband and I are both in the luxury weddings & events business ourselves in Atlanta, GA (Bold Catering & Design), so I know how it feels when a bride or client trusts you completely versus thinking that they know best. I’m so glad that we kept that in mind throughout the last year of planning. It was such a sense of joy and excitement going into wedding day NOT knowing every single little detail, and getting to experience everything for the first time right along with our guests. We trusted Aimee & Natalie to make our day & weekend magical, and what they delivered was far beyond anything that we could have dreamed of. I’m tearing up as I write this, not because we are sad that our wedding weekend over, but so content and overjoyed knowing that it was the absolute BEST week/weekend of our lives. Every vendor that Aimee curated was the perfect fit, every creative “wow factor” that they came up with was the perfect idea for our friends and family, every design decision that they made reflected our style as a couple completely, and every hour that they all spent on our wedding was filled with dedication, thoughtfulness, and care. My husband and I interact with planners and vendors of all personalities and styles on a weekly basis in our own careers, but there is only ONE Tropical Occasions. They are rare gems in this crazy industry, and it’s not lost on us how amazing they are at what they do. Thank you to Aimee and Natalie for all of the back and forth emails, after hours calls and texts with timezone differences between Atlanta and Colorado/Costa Rica, and overall attentiveness to us. Being in this business ourselves, we know that wedding planners all have families and lives outside of their jobs, and we are so grateful that the ladies of Tropical Occasions still made us feel like their top priority and that we were your only clients…..of course we know that we were not! Best of all, we connected instantly with Aimee & Natalie from a friendship standpoint. They both have infectious joy, passion for life, and hilarious senses of humor that my husband and I both were so drawn to and immediately comfortable with, both over the phone, in email, and most importantly in person. We feel like we have gained friends for life! We can't say enough about our experience with Tropical Occasions, and we would recommend them a thousand times over!!! - Alex & Lee Miller -
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![Pamela]()
Pamela B. Sent on 03/10/2019Get them! They're worth it!
We're so happy we hired Tropical Occasions for our wedding in Costa Rica. We absolutely loved our wedding and it was exactly what we wanted! Do yourself a favor and get a planner! -
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![Alexandra]()
Alexandra Sent on 03/25/2019Perfection
Aimee and Karen of Tropical Occasions helped me realize the wedding of my dreams. From the initial planning and design process of every single detail to the impeccable coordination on the day of, my vision was translated into an unbelievable event for us and our guests. I highly recommend Tropical Occasions as a planner! -
