How to plan a destination wedding in Costa Ricathat feels like you.
THE SHORT ANSWER
To plan a destination wedding in Costa Rica, start with three decisions: where you want to celebrate, which season suits you, and whether you want a large gathering or a small one. Then confirm the legal paperwork early and build a team of local vendors around those choices. Foreign couples can marry here, and so can same-sex couples.
A wedding that feels like you,
not a template.
Costa Rica offers jungle, coastline and volcanoes within one country, so it is easier to build a wedding around who you are than around a template.
Think of sunset cocktails with tamarind, fresh local ingredients, and settings that range from a quiet beach to a private villa. If you are a couple who wants something out of the ordinary, this is a place with room for it.
What the paperwork involves.
From Costa Rica’s civil registry (TSE), checked October 2026. Requirements and timing change, so confirm what applies to your date.
Foreign couples can marry here.
TSE publishes the documents foreign nationals provide for a civil marriage, so a wedding in Costa Rica is open to couples from abroad.
Expect apostilled documents.
For a civil marriage before the Registro Civil, TSE asks foreign nationals for a valid identity document, an apostilled birth certificate and an apostilled civil status certificate. The civil status certificate is expected to be issued within the last month unless it states its own validity. Documents not in Spanish need an official translation.
Name two witnesses.
You give the full names and ID numbers of two witnesses when you apply. They attend the ceremony with valid identification and are sworn in during it.
A public notice is part of that route.
The Registro Civil route includes publishing a notice (edicto) in the official gazette, La Gaceta, paid for by the couple.
Allow time, and ask about a notary.
TSE gives an average of 4 to 6 months for the Registro Civil route. Marriages can also be celebrated by a notary, who registers them through TSE’s digital marriage system. Ask your planner which route fits your date and how long it will take.
Recognition at home is a separate question.
Whether your home country recognizes the marriage is something to check with its own authorities. We are photographers, not legal advisors.
Choosing where to get married in Costa Rica.
There are many good options, and it comes down to your vision. Here are the places couples ask us about often.
A surf town with golden sand
Our home base. A lively beach town with long sunsets, suited to beach weddings with a social feel. See our story from weddings at sea in Tamarindo.
Quiet, green and yoga-minded
Known for yoga, eco-minded stays and quiet nature. It suits barefoot elopements and creative ceremonies.
A car-free beach town
A walkable town on the coast, popular with couples who want a private, polished setting.
Cliffside villas to beachfront resorts
The province that holds the towns above has a bit of everything, especially if you want convenience with a hint of wilderness. One resort in the province is The Westin Reserva Conchal, an all-inclusive resort.
Jungle meets ocean
Villa Punto de Vista is a private villa venue in Manuel Antonio, on the central Pacific coast.
For a side-by-side look at venues, read our guide to wedding venues in Costa Rica. Always confirm current availability and policies with the venue.
A local team around you.
Your vendor team shapes the whole weekend. These are collaborators we have worked with.
Mil Besos Planning
Detail-oriented and creative, with experience helping international couples.
We have worked with all of them. Check availability and fit with each one directly.
Wedding styles: cozy, upscale or adventurous.
Costa Rica gives you room to design a tailored experience for a wedding or an elopement. These are ideas couples ask about, not packages.
Low-key and simple
- Beachfront ceremonies in Nosara or Santa Teresa.
- Sunset vows followed by a family-style dinner under the stars.
- Local musicians, simple florals and barefoot dancing.
Romantic and upscale
- Private chef dinners at a cliffside villa.
- Designer florals, styled lounges and a live band.
- Special arrivals by boat or catamaran, champagne towers or a firework finale, where the venue allows them.
For the wild-at-heart
- A ceremony near a waterfall in La Fortuna.
- Zip-lining or horseback riding to the venue.
- A post-vows surf session or volcano hike.
More ways to make it yours
- Say “I do” beside a waterfall.
- Arrive on horseback.
- Host a beach bonfire the night before.
- Dance barefoot under the stars.
- Start the honeymoon with a volcano trek or a yoga retreat.
Places that photograph well
Some of these are in or near protected areas, so ask your planner what access rules apply to a ceremony or portrait session.
Rugged rocks and strong sunsets
A beach near Tamarindo with rocky shoreline and open sky for evening light.
Quiet sand framed by jungle
A calm, golden beach with greenery close behind it.
Mountain views for adventurous portraits
Dramatic scenery for couples who want a landscape-led session.
A blue-water waterfall
A well-known waterfall for adventurous elopements and portraits.
A walkable town by the sea
Pedestrian streets and a seaside setting, with no cars to work around.
Planning a small destination wedding.
Not every wedding has to be large. Some very emotional celebrations are small and intimate. A few tips for keeping a small wedding focused on what matters to you:
- Choose the season on purpose. On Guanacaste’s Pacific coast, IMN describes the dry season as December to March and the rainy season as May to October. The green season brings lush scenery and needs a rain plan. See the months to get married in Costa Rica.
- Work with a planner who knows international couples. They know the process and the local suppliers.
- Look at private villas or boutique hotels in Nosara or Tamarindo.
- Plan group activities such as surf lessons, coffee tastings or waterfall hikes.
Small does not mean simple. It means you can focus on what actually matters to the two of you.
Plan a destination wedding in Costa Rica in seven steps.
A quick checklist for international couples, so nothing slips.
Seven steps, in a sensible order.
Some steps overlap. Paperwork and venue decisions often move together.
- 01
Choose a date and secure your venue
Season, region and guest count shape everything that follows.
- 02
Hire a local planner and vendors
A planner who works with international couples can explain which paperwork route applies to you.
- 03
Find your photographer and videographer
Ask to see full galleries and films. Our guide on how to choose a Costa Rica wedding photographer and videographer has a checklist.
- 04
Send invitations and plan guest travel
Share travel details early so guests can plan flights and lodging.
- 05
Gather your legal documents
Passports, apostilled certificates and witness details. Start early: the civil registry route can take months.
- 06
Finalize ceremony details
Confirm timings, the rain plan and who is speaking.
- 07
Pack and travel
Keep your documents together in your carry-on.
Planning from abroad?
Short answers, with the source behind each one.
Can foreigners get married in Costa Rica?
Yes. Costa Rica’s civil registry (TSE) publishes the documents foreign nationals provide for a civil marriage, so couples from abroad can marry here. The exact route and paperwork depend on who celebrates the marriage, so confirm with your planner or officiant.
Can same-sex couples marry in Costa Rica?
Yes. Same-sex marriage became legal on May 26, 2020, and Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to legalize it (Human Rights Watch).
Which documents do foreign nationals need?
For a civil marriage before the Registro Civil, TSE lists a valid identity document, an apostilled birth certificate and an apostilled civil status certificate, with an official translation if they are not in Spanish. You also name two witnesses. See the TSE procedure sheet and confirm what applies to your date.
How long does the paperwork take?
TSE gives an average of 4 to 6 months for a marriage celebrated before the Registro Civil, depending on agenda availability once your application and notice are complete. A notary can also celebrate a marriage and register it through TSE’s digital system, so ask your planner which route fits your timeline.
When is the dry season on the Guanacaste coast?
Costa Rica’s weather institute (IMN) describes the dry season on the northern Pacific as December to March, with April as a transition month and rains settling in from May. Our guide to the months to get married in Costa Rica has the monthly figures.
Do we need a local planner?
We recommend one, especially for couples marrying from abroad. A planner who knows the local process can explain which paperwork applies, coordinate vendors and help with the rain plan.
Which part of Costa Rica should we choose?
Start with the feel you want: a lively beach town, a quiet and green setting, a private villa or a resort. Then compare venues, travel time for guests and season. Our guide to wedding venues in Costa Rica compares places side by side.
Where do you photograph weddings?
We are based in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, and work throughout Costa Rica, and we also take selected destinations. Tell us your plans and we will say honestly whether we are a fit.
- TSE, Celebración de matrimonio civil: identity documents, apostilled certificates, witnesses, notice and average timing for the Registro Civil route.
- TSE, Matrimonio Civil Digital user manual for notaries: notaries declare the marriages they celebrate through TSE’s digital system.
- IMN regional climate study, Pacífico Norte: dry and rainy season months.
- Human Rights Watch, May 26, 2020: same-sex marriage legalization.
- A third-party planner’s overview of Costa Rica marriage laws: additional reading, not used for our figures.
Photography and film · Adri & Lucas
Planners, makeup and florals · as linked in section 04
Written by Adri and Lucas. This guide is general planning information, not legal advice. Official requirements and timing change, so confirm them with your planner, your officiant or TSE for your own date.
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