A Bohemian-Meets-Tropical Wedding at a Private Resort in Costa Rica

One of a Kind

April designed the couple's invitation suite using a palm leaf print for the background of the invite, a geometric border that inspired the ceremony décor, and beachy pink envelopes that contrasted with the blues and greens of the floral motifs. But she printed just one copy—so she'd have something to photograph—and went digital for the guests. "The invites themselves were online only," she says, "but I still felt it important to have a well-designed invite and not just an email."

Adventure Awaits

April worked the palm leaf print on the stationery onto the welcome bags, which included "Do Not Disturb" door hangers in custom totes.

Love at Last

For April, finding the perfect wedding dress presented more of a challenge than she anticipated: She had visited 15 stores in a single month, with salespeople pressuring her to place an order immediately, and still hadn't found the gown of her dreams. "Looking for a dress was one of my least favorite things to do," she says. "It was exhausting and disappointing because Toronto and Canada do not carry any—or very few—of the designers I love." Eventually she found her spaghetti strap sheath Allure

gown, which charmed her with its low back and intricate Aztec lace detailing. "It wasn't what I had envisioned, but I was tired and realized it was the best dress I had seen," she says. "I threw away yet another 'vision' and made a new one."

She customized the gown with a few small tweaks and ended up thrilled with the final result. "I was happy with my choice," she says. "It made me feel beautiful and Soul loved it, too."

Women in White

April and Soul chose to forgo a traditional bridal party, but they did ask their mothers and a few of their closest friends to walk down the aisle and participate in the ceremony. The women each chose their own white dress, creating a cohesive look without the stress of coordinating matching outfits.

Her DIY Bouquet

After researching local florists, April realized she couldn't find someone to construct the look she wanted at her ideal price—so she made her own bouquet, and smaller ones for her friends walking down the aisle, with plants that included mini pineapple, fan palms, mini roses, calathea, orchids, and pampas grass. "I ended up ordering the flowers I wanted from a wholesaler in San Jose and paying a crazy price for them to be delivered," she says. "It still ended up being half the price of what florists in the area were charging."

Sticking to Tradition

Soul chose a traditional outfit, sourced from Etsy, for the ceremony. "I wanted to keep with my Malian heritage for the wedding," he says, "so I selected a white African Dashiki shirt for the main part of the wedding and a burgundy one for later in the night." His black Stacy Adams loafers and hat complemented both looks.

Their First Look

April and Soul shared their first look before the ceremony, meeting each other next to the pool for a private moment before the service. "I was excited to see Soul," says the bride. "I had no anxiety—I was just excited to get it all going!"

Staying Cool

As guests arrived for the afternoon ceremony in the mangrove, they were met with fresh chilled coconut water on each chair. "It was piping hot and sunny!" says April—who, when she changed her outfit before the reception, snuck in a quick moment to freshen up: "I took a shower halfway through!"

Heartfelt Emotion

April's father escorted her down the aisle to "Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzalez, chosen, she says, "because the lyrics are beautiful and it set a calming and romantic mood." But she wasn't expecting the effect that the experience would have on her dad: "My dad was very emotional, which is not often seen!" she says. "It was quite special."

It's All Relative

April and Soul asked several friends and family members to give speeches during the ceremony in place of readings, poems, or quotes that were less personal. "Our ceremony took so much time to plan and a lot of favors to ask of friends but it was exactly our vision—it came together seamlessly," April says. They included translations between French and English so every guest could follow the ceremony, and introduced their participants with a unique twist. "Instead of having music invite the bridal party down the aisle, we had personalized anecdotes said aloud about each friend as they walked down."

Words of Love

The couple exchanged vows after the speeches, trading rings in front of a custom septagon-shaped altar flanked by dried palms, pampas grass, and bright tropical flowers.

Happily Married

Soul and April both name the ceremony as the most memorable part of the whole day. "Listening to Soul's vows and hearing what he promised and shared made my heart melt all over again," says April. Soul agrees: "The vows—with all of the guests watching, the atmosphere, and energy—are the moments that I will never forget."

Post-Wedding Portraits

April's background as a wedding photographer makes her "obsessed with shooting at sunset," she says—so to capture her ideal shots without missing any of the reception, she and Soul put their wedding outfits back on a few days after the ceremony for a second photo shoot that was relaxed and unhurried. "I made a fun headpiece and wore my handmade earrings to change it up," she says.

Ready to Celebrate

The couple took full advantage of the property at Finca Austria and rentals from Costa Mesa and set up their reception outside among the palm trees, with sweeping views of the ocean and the sunset. "There was no assigned seating, and the focus was on dancing and connecting two families that speak two different languages," says April.

Natural Beauty

Florist Phyllis Kramer put together centerpieces for the long harvest tables using natural elements with a tropical vibe. "Broken coconuts with white florals and terra-cotta pots were added to ground the installation and add to the organic feeling of the design," the bride says. Kramer decorated the other tables with hurricane candles and palm leaves.

Cheers!

Instead of a seated dinner, April and Soul opted for a reception of barbecue stations from Finca Austria that included beef, chicken, and fish—and a bar that offered his and hers signature drinks. April made menus using paint pens on thin sheets of acrylic, which solved several potential problems: "These were simple to make, inexpensive, and light to carry in luggage," she says. "My brother made wooden holders to display them."

Up All Night

April and Soul changed into more comfortable, dance floor-ready attire before sharing their first dance to John Legend's "Stay with You"—and then kept the celebration going with their friend DJ Kaynix, who provided music for an all-night party that lasted until 5 a.m. The proximity to the infinity pool led to one of April's favorite moments: "Everyone jumped into the pool with their clothes on later in the night—even my dad, which surprised me!" she says. "Pure joy!"

Sources

Photography, Lelania Little of Olive Studio

Location, Catering, and Lighting, Finca Austria

Event Concept and Design, Olive Studio

Day-of Coordination, Wedding Nosara

Flowers, Phyllis Kramer (reception and ceremony)

Stationery, Olive Studio (design); TPH (printing)

Music, DJ Kaynix

Rentals, Costa Mesa Event Rentals

Bride's gown, Allure (ceremony); Nagat Bahumaid (reception)

Bride's accessories, Coal Miner's Daughter earrings; Forever Soles shoes

Groom's suit, Etsy

Groom's accessories, Stacy Adams shoes