Costa Rica vs. DR??

[krisj40]

Hello all,

 

My fiance have decided on a stress free destination wedding where hopefully we can save some money.  Now we're weighing the options between Costa Rica and DR (Punta Cana) but we haven't visited either before.  Any feedback from people who've been to either/both is very appreciated! 

[JayKay]

I would suggest reading some threads on the DR and Costa Rica areas to get more information about past and future brides.  Also, working with a travel agent might help you along in providing some pros and cons to each location.  Happy wedding planning!

[principessa]

I don't think you can go wrong with either choice!  I haven't been to Costa Rica but I LOVE Dominican (that's where I'm getting married). 

[Brad Moodie]

I love both countries! I visited Riu Mambo in Dominican a few years back and thought it was great. But I've lived in Costa Rica for four years now and I'm very happy here. I am a wedding musician and I've played all over the country. There are dozens of excellent venues for weddings on the beach or in the rainforest with the spectacular Arenal Volcano as a backdrop. You can choose from large all-inclusive resorts, small boutique hotels or private villas. I recommend using a planner to save you a lot of hassle. 
 

[Moments That Matter]

Congrats Krisj40 - and welcome to the forum. You've come to the right place to get lots of info from fellow brides to make a well informed decision........all the best with your wedding plans and exciting time ahead!

[PuraVida2014]

hey krisj40 welcome and congrats on your engagement!! My fiancé and i are avid travellers and we have been to the DR (punta cana) for his brother's destination wedding. We stayed at the Dreams PC which was a very nice hotel and had many restaurants as well as casino and stage for entertainment. The dominican republic is more carribbean in regards to the foods and atmosphere. It just all depends on what type of wedding you would like to have. The resort was wonderful however the wedding was held at another location quite far away called Cap Cana. Although there were many weddings happening during our stay at the dreams PC. My fiancé and I are getting married in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. We have travelled to many parts throughout costa rica and fell in love with santa teresa!! not to mention Tom Brady and Giselle Bündchen also got married there!! We don't prefer the huge all include type reosty type of accommodations and we are choosing to stay in the beachside Villas. however it is a bit more of an adventure, but well worth it. costa rica literally means "rich coast" and it has such natural diversity from wildlife; the howler monkeys are swinging through the tree and the Macaws are flying by your doorstep... the range of flora and fauna there is one of the most diverse places on earth. which is typically important to me since i love orchids and want to have orchids in abundance at my wedding, making them much more affordable .... i could go on and on about either country but if you have any more questions feel free to ask away. there are many other beautiful places in costa rica such as manuel antonio and the province of Guanacaste. 

hope this helps

happy searching

 

Shanel

[CreativeWedding]

Good Morning:

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[KatyaNova]

Pura Vida Shanel! 

 

My beloved & I just came back to our Punta Cana home from Costa Rica... and we're in LOVE with the whole country... Santa Teresa is an absolute dream!! We are wedding photographers in Punta Cana but really want to start spending more time documenting love in Costa Rica (and eventually move there, hehe!) Could you please share, did you seek out a wedding planner to help you choose venues / details? How did you choose a photographer? 

 

Hugs, 
Katya. 

[KatyaNova]

We live in Punta Cana and photograph a ton of weddings here. We also had our own wedding here last April (http://www.katyanovablog.com/punta-cana-bride-jellyfish-dreams-review/) BUT Rob & I just came back from Costa Rica and are absolutely enamoured with the whole country. The biodiversity, the way they care about the environment, the people... the list goes on and on!! 

 

My conclusion thus far - Punta Cana weddings are easy and cost-effective, but are mostly very cookie-cutter. Punta Cana is like a wedding factory! Making choices is easy here, but if you want something out of the box, you really have to work hard to manifest your vision. Having a wedding in Costa Rica is more conducive to a creative vision I think... but is a little bit harder to plan from afar unless there's a wedding coordinator you trust or if you go there yourself! 

 

We really LOVE Costa Rica and want to move there soon... to document love there!

 

Hugs from the Caribbean, 

Katya. 

[Kristen112808]

Congrats and welcome!!