Costa Rica is high atop many couple‘s wish list for destination weddings, and with good reason. It’s combination of amazing beaches and exotic rainforests means your guests will never run out of things to do, and you’ll have your choice of amazing backdrops for ceremonies and photo ops.  

One of our favorite wedding spots is Manuel Antonio. This funky beach town is the gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park, considered the crown jewel of Costa Rica’s elaborate national park system.

It’s also home to one of Costa Rica’s architectural gems: Villa Punto de Vista, a 10-bedroom estate tucked onto two and half acres of private rainforest just above a golden beach. This contemporary villa is seriously stunning; designed by architect and owner David Konwiser, its modern wood-and-glass design features five levels, all designed to point towards the sunset, recalling a bow of a ship. The design has received worldwide acclaim from Trip Advisor and FlipKey, and was most recently won “Best Property” and “Best Architecture” in Costa Rica from the Google/Bloomberg International Property Awards.

Best for wedding couples, the house was designed with events in mind with multiple venues all linked by an elevator and staircases. The entrance on the expansive ground level leads to a wide living room with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to outdoor patio, complete with landscaped terrace and infinity pool, ideal for an indoor-outdoor entertaining. A built-in bar and adjacent twin bathrooms make it perfect for receptions.

For ceremonies, nothing beats the open-air rooftop deck, which points westward to the sea, and is especially gorgeous at sunset. A triangular-shaped Jacuzzi pool sits at the point closest to the sea, making a natural focal point for the ceremony. Most couples hold the ceremony on the rooftop, followed by cocktails downstairs by the pool and then a seated dinner (up to 100) back upstairs, either in the glass-enclosed dining room or on the open-air rooftop.

The uniquely designed bedrooms are levels two to four and the separate Rock Cottage has an additional two bedrooms, ideal for kids or grandparents who want a little more quiet away from the action in the main house. And there is always action in the main house, often centered around the pool table (a big hit for groomsmen) and the theater/game room, with a flat-screen TV and comfy seating is great for watching sports or battling it out over Guitar Hero.

Architectural details of wooden floors, stone walls and copious use of glass all showcase Costa Rica’s gorgeous natural beauty, but are neutral enough to work with various décor styles, from colorful tropical flora brought in from the rainforest, to crisp white-on-white that shows off the view.

Best of all, although the villa is private it feels like a hotel, with a dedicated staff on- hand to handle everything from cleaning and arranging transportation to setting up group outings for guests; they even do nightly turn-down service. A preferred vendor list of planners, caterers, florists and entertainment options makes wedding planning easy.

Villa Punto de Vista only accepts one group at a time (four-night minimum), with a maximum capacity of 24 adults and three children under 12. They can host events up to 100 people, and can arrange accommodations for other guests at neighboring hotels. 2014 rates start at $2,750 per night (12 guests), with additional fees depending on the amount of overnight guests. For more info, go to www.villapuntodevista.com or call 888-890-8687. (They can do Skype calls too!)

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Photos courtesy of (in order of appearance): Villa Punto de Vista, A Brit & a Blonde, Clane Gessel, Villa Punto de Vista, Clane Gessel, and Villa Punto de Vista.