Costa Rica Destination Wedding

Imagine being whisked away to Carmel for a super sweet, surprise proposal…butterflies, right? That’s exactly the way it happened for Meghan! Our funny bride was totally floored when Ryon got down on one knee. Despite the traveling (details on that soon), she didn’t see the moment coming at all.

In short order, these two set about planning a fun, Costa Rica destination wedding with an accordion player.

Read on for the scoop on Ryon’s wedding must-have, how Meghan found her Madeleine gown, and what happens when the electricity turns off while you’re getting ready from our light-hearted bride below!

Costa Rica Destination Wedding | LABB Madeleine066

wedding dress: Lea-Ann Belter Madeleine via Nieman Marcus Dallas | photographer: Lister Photography | scroll down for full vendor list

How did your sweetie propose?

“Ryon had recently taken a job at Delta Private Jets, which meant we could fly non-rev anywhere we wanted. All we had to do was fill out some paperwork to prove we were living together and meet the requirements by the company. Not long after that, it was our three-year anniversary and he gave me a necklace…not the jewelry I was hoping for, but beautiful nonetheless!

A few weeks later, I got a new job offer and was in my last couple weeks at my previous job, which meant my workload was light. It was a Tuesday, and he asked if I thought I could “work from anywhere” for the next couple days. Since it was my last week, I was all for it. A couple hours later, we decided to go to Monterey, CA for a few days! We left that next day, had no problems with standby and even got upgraded to first class. It was such a last-minute trip, I really didn’t think anything of it. He had always talked about taking me there because it was one of his favorite places (his past job took him there often).

We got there Wednesday night, went to dinner and just hung out. Thursday, we planned to go to Carmel to shop, hang out at the beach and then do dinner. He also surprised me with a massage before dinner, which is one of my favorite things to do (especially on vacation). I got back from my massage and all seemed to be normal (he did have to run downstairs to the lobby a couple times), but still nothing unusual.

From there, I got ready for dinner and even asked if I needed to dress nice, although he insisted I would be fine in what I was wearing (thank goodness I looked cute!). We went to a great little spot called The Beach House at Lovers Point. We had a great spot in the corner overlooking the ocean. He was somewhat quiet at dinner, but nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing I did notice was that he refused a refill of beer (unheard of!) and that instead he thought we should get a dessert. I am not a huge sweets person (and neither is he), but he insisted we order something, so we got a cheesecake (I think, ha ha). I got up to use the ladies room and came back to the table, sat down and made some sort of corny joke (probably giving him a hard time about something) and then the waitress came back with our dessert.

As she set down the plate, I saw out of the corner of my eye some women giggling and taking a picture of us with their phones. I looked behind me and realized the hostess had a camera (his dad’s) and was prepping to take a picture. Once I turned around, there he was, on one knee. I kind of blacked out at that moment (I think most girls do), but I know there were tears, a giant hug and of course the word YES! Everyone in the restaurant clapped and the women sitting by us captured the moment (video and pictures), which they sent to us later. That whole day, the massage, the trips down to the lobby were all prepping for this moment, and I could not have asked for a more perfect proposal!”

Costa Rica Destination Wedding | LABB Madeleine075

Costa Rica Destination Wedding | LABB Madeleine093

How did you choose your gown?

“My mom and I were going to just “look” and see what was out there the first time we went dress shopping. Our second stop was Neiman Marcus, and after trying on a few dresses, none being anything I was too terribly excited about, I pulled up a picture that I had taken in a magazine (Brides) a couple days earlier, showed it to the associate and she brought out the exact dress. I put it on, it fit like a glove. I turned around and immediately my mom started crying and that’s when we knew the Madeleine dress by Lea-Ann Belter was the one!”

Tell us about your day! Did you have a theme or style in mind?

“We decided to get married in Costa Rica after a friend of ours recommended it (he used to live there) and who also happened to know a wedding planner there. It was perfect! We knew we wanted to be by the beach and after working with Laura (planner), we found the perfect villa, booked it and then the rest I can give credit to Pinterest and Instagram! My work schedule is always pretty crazy, so I really had to rely on Laura, my mom and Ryon to help with some of the details, but all I did was pick my colors and then share some inspiration that ultimately Laura pulled together!”

What’s your funniest wedding day memory?

“Ryon let me pretty much plan the whole wedding (with his input and agreement on most things), but at the end of the day, he only had two “must-haves” for our big day. 1. We couldn’t have our wedding on the day of a big sporting event, and 2. He wanted an accordion player. Yes, an accordion player in Costa Rica!

Everyone laughed when they heard it, and our planner didn’t even know if she could find someone, but lo and behold a few weeks before she did! They would play when we walked down the aisle as husband and wife and then during the cocktail hour before the reception. We had to hurry downstairs to get a big group shot before sunset, so we all had to hurry down the five flights of stairs. Once everyone gathered in the driveway of the villa, we realized the groom was missing. Nobody could find him, and finally we resorted to yelling his name as a group. After two or three times, his head peered over the balcony from the roof. He finally made his way down to take the picture, and his excuse…he wanted to meet the accordion player!

Also, before we even started getting ready, we zapped the villa’s electricity. We had to bring a giant fan into the room and plan cautiously around hairdos so we could actually finish without tripping the switch every 30 minutes (or having Laura and her team do it). It was hot and not so funny at the time, but it worked out!

Another highlight was seeing the look on everyone’s faces when we surprised everyone (even our parents) with carnival music and dancers (after we toasted with a tequila shot). It was pure shock and we all had so much fun!”

Describe your wedding day in 5 words or less:

“Fun. Perfect. Exciting. Sweaty. Beautiful.”

Three words that best describe Ryon:

“Funny. Smart. Passionate.”

Any advice for future brides/grooms?

“Don’t spend time worrying about the little things, it’s not worth the stress. Focus on trying to take in every single moment because people aren’t lying when they say it goes by fast! When you walk down the aisle, really take the time to smile at your guests (they traveled a long way for YOU), and of course look at the person at the end of it, save that image in your mind, really take a picture in your head, because it will be one you will never forget. It will be something you will always go back to, that moment where nothing mattered except you and him.“

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

“We haven’t gone yet! Although we did stay in Costa Rica for a full week, we stayed in the villa with our family and friends the entire time, which was amazing, but no privacy (ha!). We are going to Hawaii at the end of April, so can’t wait!”