Featured in Issue No. 30, the Hotel Villa Caletas was the gorgeous setting in Costa Rica for Altrina and Chris’ intimate outdoor wedding in paradise.
After meeting online during the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, Chris popped the question two years later with a surprise proposal on top of the Kula Mountains during Altrina’s birthday vacation in Hawaii and the rest is history.
The bride and groom’s event planner, CM Events & Design, transformed the venue into a luxury wedding paradise that overlooked black sand beaches. The couple’s floral team at Art Flower thoughtfully created colorful arrangements that echoed the surrounding natural blooms which gave the ceremony and reception a vibrant pop of color.
Not only was their location visually stunning but Altrina’s bridal gown from celebrity designer Ese Azenabor struck all the right notes with it being the perfect dress for her tropical wedding in paradise.
Coterie member Stanlo Photography and Cinematographer Ani Zemanko captured all of the extraordinary details from their formal nuptials and reception, which we hope sparks your very own dream wedding in paradise!
- Couple: Chris & Altrina Gibson
- Location of Wedding: Jaco, Costa Rica
- Wedding Date: April 16, 2023
Paradise awaits…
Quick Facts:
- Wedding Flowers: We worked with a local Costa Rican company called Art Flower who provided our wedding arch, aisle decor, reception centerpieces, and runner for our main table. They crafted my bridal bouquet in a loose style of colorful roses, snapdragons, and orchids and provided a white orchid boutonnière for Chris.
- Favorite item on the menu: My favorite was the risotto and the fruit tartlet. Chris’s favorite was the chicken supreme with merlot wine sauce and the mashed potatoes.
- Bridesmaids/groomsmen gifts: We opted out of having a wedding party, flower girl, and ring bearer.
- First dance song: “Nothing Even Matters” by Sir
Finding the one…
Over the time of getting to know Chris, it became evident he was someone I could happily spend the forever of my days with. I found a person who is one of a kind and there is so much to him rarely seen in others that I treasure and cherish.
Popping the question…
Chris and I met online during covid shutdown in 2020. I was in Georgia and he was in Maryland. Things were going well, so we decided to meet in person. My work allows me to travel to various locations across the U.S., so I decided to start working in Maryland so we could spend more time together.
Needless to say, we grew to be inseparable.
In 2022, I decided to celebrate my birthday on the big island of Hawaii. Chris told me he had a birthday helicopter ride for me. Originally, I was just going to wear jeans, but he insisted I dressed up. I had never been on a helicopter, so this was a new exciting experience for me.
We took off in the air and the pilot informed us that the man sitting next to him was a photographer looking to take advertising pictures for a hotel resort.
He asked if we minded him coming along. Of course, Chris and I did not mind and we continued to be in awe of the gorgeous scenes of Oahu from above. The pilot came on overhead and said, “On beautiful days like today, sometimes we ask if people want to land for a moment before heading back.” I had no clue where he would find space to land but I definitely wanted to.
We landed on top of the Kula mountains and it is there against the picturesque backdrop of Hawaii that Chris proposed.
I can’t think of a time my senses felt so overwhelmed with joy! I found out that the photographer was hired by Chris to capture our moment. We took proposal pictures with the mountains and the ocean in the background, had a cute little picnic, and flew back. I never envisioned such a beautiful proposal!
Our wedding style…
Modern, vibrant, and colorful.
My wedding dress…
I chose a sleek, sparkly, sunny destination wedding-friendly dress by the designer, Ese Azenabor. I added on-the-shoulder epaulets to bring out more character to my dress. My favorite wedding accessory was my hair comb. I wore my hair in an updo and I felt so regal in it.
Getting ready with the groom…
Our first look…
The best memories from our day…
My favorite memory from my wedding was standing in my wedding dress, arm and arm with my mom and dad right as the doors were swung open for us to walk down the stairs and down the aisle. I remember my dad’s smile and him saying, “You did good! You did good!” I could hear the muffled live music become sharper and louder as the doors opened.
Ceremony details…
Seeing the rays of the sun beaming through my veil shining down upon us felt like God was walking with me and my parents. I could also see the smiling faces of our close family. That was the moment when I felt my wedding was really happening and it is a precious memory I will always have of both of my parents.
Tropical vibes…
Celebrating our culture…
Our culture came out in the music we chose. We had some old-time classics with a little bit of Go-Go music, which is a style that originated in D.C.
Advice for engaged couples…
It helps that I didn’t feel like I had to control everything. Find someone you trust, who knows what you want, and leave the details to them. I kept an open mind to what things could look or sound like and made peace that whatever the outcome, it was still going to be beautiful. Don’t feel obligated to follow traditions. If you don’t care about something new, something blue, or something old, forget about it. If you really could care less about having bridesmaids and groomsmen, and it would be one last thing to stress about, let that tradition go. Last word of advice, do not have financial obligations hunting you. You have enough to think about. Scale back if need be, and pay everything well before your wedding day. There are things your guests are not going to focus on that you do not need to stress yourself over. Before everything else, spend money on attire. When you look like a million bucks so will your wedding.
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Vendors:
- Photographer: Stanlo Photography
- Videography: Ani Zemanko of Palmpalm Cinematography
- Wedding Planner: CM Events & Design
- Venue: Villa Caletas Costa Rica
- Florals: Art Flower CR
- Dress: Ese Azenabor
- Bridal atelier: Elegance by Roya
- MUA: Arica of Already Perfect Artistry
- Hair: Zoë Sky of Zoë Sky Salon
- Music: Dara Carter
- Stationery design: Sugar the Creator
These colors! Nice work. The couple looks stunning.
Right?! Stunning. Thanks for reading!