Costa Rica Wedding!!!

Our short visit to Costa Rica culminated with my cousin Mirta's wedding on Saturday night.  If you have been reading Beyond Voyage for a while, you may remember Mirta from when we randomly found each other in Barcelona one night. Fast forward one year and she is marrying the love of her life in her hometown near San Jose, Costa Rica.  After hours of dancing, laughing, eating, drinking, talking and smiling, all I can say is that there is no party like a Costa Rican party!  This fiesta was phenomenal! 

Firstly, we dressed up in formal attire which is always fun, especially when in another country.  Being Mr. & Mrs.  Type A, we arrived at the church in Escazu a half hour early.  No one was there and I had a slight panic attack that our navigation led us astray.  Soon we spotted a few dashing wedding guests in their formal finery and confirmed that we were, in fact, at the right place. We were also informed that in Costa Rica, weddings rarely start on time so we were WAY early. While we waited,  we strolled around the church, greeted a few nuns, and took this selfie in the garden:

The ceremony was in a beautiful stone church in the center of the neighborhood plaza.  There were gorgeous flower arrangements of lilies and hydrangeas lining the aisle and covering the altar.  I also loved the twinkling candle-lit chandeliers hanging over the pews.  Since we were there early, we watched an attendant light each candle individually. It was a nice change of pace from the battery powered "candles" we saw in all the European churches. 

The processional began just as the sun was setting, casting a gold light through the church doors.   The church was packed and, although we didn't know most of the people there, we could tell there was a lot of love in that room for the couple and families. 

After the ceremony we drove back to the hotel for the reception.  We had no idea what was in store for us that night! Having worked in the advertising & media world,  I've been to my fair share of nice parties and this one rivaled some of the best.  Not just because of the beautiful decor, the amazing band, the DJ, and delicious food  - but because of the people and the incredible energy in the room. Everyone was so much fun!  We enjoyed catching up with family we hadn't seen in a long time and meeting new family and friends.  Honestly, in Costa Rica, everyone might as well be family because they are the warmest, nicest and happiest people (which is no surprise CR is considered the happiest place in the world according to the World Database of Happiness). I wish I had taken more pictures but I was too busy dancing!  Here are a few Chris captured on his phone:

[Pictured Above] The newlyweds - Mirta & Mariano!!!! [Pictured Below] My cousins Angie & Jessica

[Pictured Above] Our table "Joy".  [Pictured Below] One of the many fun traditions that was new to me - all the girls joined the bride on stage for a sing-a-long.

One thing you may not know about Latin American weddings is that they last all night long.  Sometime after midnight, the party turned into a carnival theme.  Not the kind of carnival we have in the States with clowns and cotton candy - but the carnival they have in Brazil or Spain, complete with crazy hats, party favors and...wait for it... body paint. GLOW IN THE DARK BODY PAINT!  Black lights emerged from somewhere and the dance floor was aglow with swirling colors. They also passed out plush slippers for the ladies and served another round of food (including chifrijo!!!) to help sustain us through the next phase of the night.  The band signed off, the DJ tower came on and people literally started dancing on tables. 

[Pictured Above]  Signs of a GREAT wedding: body paint, boas and crazy head gear. I was glowing, literally!
[Pictured Below]  Flower power body paint down my back. Every wedding should have body painters! 

[Pictured Below]  We were dancing on couches at 2am. The last time I did this might have been the last time I was in CR ten years ago.  Also, you may have noticed that the body paint is not quite as fabulous without the black light...

Not surprisingly, we didn't make it to the end of the party.  Around 2am we retired to our room upstairs and slept soundly with full hearts & bellies.  

MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS to Mirta Sofia, Mariano and our Costa Rica family for an unforgettable evening. Our only regret was that we didn't stay in town longer.  Next time we will take more than just a couple of days off for our visit. Hasta la proxima vez!