Paula and Antonio

On a scale of 1 to 10 how confident would you say your partner (or you) was when you proposed? Did they know without a doubt that you would accept? Were you so positive that you were already making plans?

Would you be confident enough to plan an entire surprise wedding that the bride didn’t know about?

Antonio was and, lucky for him, everything went amazing. He and his bride, Paula, absolutely glowed for their picture-perfect surprise elopement at Tulemar Resort in Manuel Antonio.

Let’s take a closer look. 

closeup of the bride and her bouquet for her surprise wedding

Meet Antonio and Paula

Antonio and Paula came to visit us from Barcelona, Spain. I lived in Spain for two years so it was fun to reminisce. 

Antonio was confident that Paula would not only say yes to his proposal but would also be excited to get married the following day. Some people might think that’s a little unconventional, but he apparently knew Paula very well because she loved it!

Portrait of the bride

Planning the Surprise Wedding

Planning a wedding from afar always has its challenges. As you can imagine, this one was even more complex. The wedding planner for the day definitely rose to the occasion. 

Karen Ogden, from Tropical Occasions, couldn’t have done a better job. If you want your wedding perfectly organized and ready to go off without a hitch, Karen is the one to call.

Antonio kept everything on the down-low and even managed to bring Paula’s wedding dress, his suit, and both pairs of shoes in their luggage without her finding out. Apparently he told her that he had a romantic surprise for her and she was good enough not to snoop.

The bride and groom see each other dressed up for the first time
First Look before the ceremony.

Pulling it Off at the Tulemar Resort

The wedding was held at the Tulemar Resort here in Manuel Antonio. Tulemar is a community of luxurious vacation homes tucked away in the jungle and over looking the Pacific. It even has a private beach for the guests and residents.  

Antonio and Paula stayed in one of the three luxurious Bamboo Villas. A stylist came to help Paula prepare at the villa and then we headed down to Tulemar’s private beach for their gorgeous little ceremony.

The bride descends the stairs on her way to her surprise wedding
Portrait of the bride by the pool
Portrait of the groom
closeup of the arbor at the ceremony site on the beach
The bride making her entrance
The bride and groom sneak a kiss on a bench
The bride and groom during the surprise wedding ceremony
bride and groom pouring unity sand
pullback of the bride and groom with the officiant on the beach
The bride gently touches the groom's chin
Groom laughing during the ceremony
The groom carries his bride off toward the ocean
The bride wipes away a tear during the surprise wedding ceremony
Big smiles as they go in for a kiss
Bride and groom laughing and walking along the beach
The back of the bride getting sassy
The bride laughing
Bride and groom laughing at a cell phone
bridal portraits on the beach
bridal portraits on the beach, bride sticking out her tongue
The bride and groom getting playful on the beach!
bridal portraits on the beach
bridal portraits on the beach
bridal portraits on the beach
Closeup of the three birds tattoo on the bride's back
The groom leading the bride into the surf
standing close and watching the sun go down

A Surprise Wedding in Costa Rica

What do you think? Would you be excited if your partner planned a surprise wedding? It’s certainly not for everyone, but for Paula and Antonio it was perfect!

For more great images at the Tulemar resort check out this other intimate elopement I photographed there!

Here is a look at Paula and Antonio’s Highlight Album!

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