There’s a lookout point near Arenal Volcano, small and tucked into the rainforest. Grace stopped there. She pictured herself getting married there. And in March of 2025, she did exactly that.

This was always going to be a personal wedding. Not just intimate in size, but intimate in the way that every decision, from the barefoot ceremony to the brother-in-law who officiated, traced directly back to who Grace and Matthew actually are together.

HOW THEY FOUND EACH OTHER

They met in college…kind of. They were neighbors freshman year, their roommates hung out once, nothing happened, and when the boys tried to make plans again, Grace and her roommate let the texts go unanswered. That was that.

Ten years later, Hinge served them up to each other. Neither of them had any idea they’d already met.

“This time, the chemistry was instant, and the rest truly is history,” Grace says.

Matthew proposed in La Fortuna. Which is how a place that already meant something became the place where they got married.

WHY A DESTINATION WEDDING

Grace had always imagined something small and intentional, but with two large extended families, cutting a guest list down to a tight number felt harder than just choosing a different kind of celebration altogether.

“We leaned into what felt most us,” the couple says, “an out-of-the-country celebration where we could curate our dream-sized wedding, followed by joyful local celebrations with our extended family and friends once we returned.”

Twenty-one people made the trip. Getting to La Fortuna involves flying into one of two airports and then additional travel, so their planner, Mil Besos, mapped out every route and made sure no guest felt like they were figuring it out alone.

THE VENUE

Grace found the property on Airbnb that could sleep all 21 guests, which felt immediately right. Then she saw the lookout.

“One image stopped me in my tracks: a lookout perched near Arenal Volcano, tucked away like a little bird’s nest,” the bride says. “I immediately imagined us exchanging vows there, with the ease of walking straight from our lodging to the ceremony.”

A nearby restaurant, El Nido, could host the reception. The entire weekend, ceremony, dinner, dancing, all of it, would unfold in the same place. For a couple who wanted the celebration to feel like a long weekend together rather than a single day, that mattered.

THE LOOK AND FEEL

The volcano and the jungle were always going to do most of the visual work. Grace’s instinct was to frame them, not compete with them.

“The setting itself was the true décor, so I didn’t want to overdo anything that might distract from it,” Grace says.

Florals by Stylos y Flores wrapped the lookout point in softness, lush enough to feel romantic against all that green, restrained enough to let the landscape breathe. At the reception, circular tables were arranged in a flowing, connected formation, with candlelight and flowers woven through the whole thing. A harpist played as guests arrived. The moment Grace walked down the aisle became, by her guests’ account, the moment of the day.

THE CEREMONY

Grace’s father walked her down the aisle. She was barefoot, a practical decision that became something more than practical.

“I wanted to feel as grounded and present as possible,” the bride says. “It kept me centered, calm, and buzzing with excitement.”

Her brother-in-law officiated, which meant someone who actually knew them was the one guiding their vows. He read one of their favorite poems and worked personal stories into the ceremony script, keeping things traditional in structure while making it completely theirs.

When it was over, and they walked back down the aisle together, margaritas were already waiting.

PLANNING FROM AFAR

Grace is clear about what made the difference: hiring Mil Besos early and trusting them fully.

She and Matthew didn’t do a site visit. They didn’t need to. The portfolio, the communication, the trust… all of it meant they could let go and know it would be taken care of. They also made deliberate trade-offs: no DJ (a playlist), no videographer (just photos), so they could put that budget where it actually reduced stress.

WHAT SHE’D TELL OTHER COUPLES

Grace recommends a destination wedding without hesitation, but the thing she says most emphatically has nothing to do with logistics.

“Honor your vision, regardless of outside opinions,” the bride says. “We’re so grateful we stayed true to what we wanted and didn’t let others’ expectations steer our decisions. And yes, expectations, and even disappointments, were shared along the way, but in the end, we wouldn’t change a thing.”

She also says: Choose somewhere that already belongs to your story. And if planning feels like too much, invest in someone whose job it is to care about the outcome as much as you do.

Vendors: Photographer: Olivo Film; Planner: Mil Besos; Florist: Stylos y Flores; Rentals: Costa Mesa Event Rentals