2026 Wedding Trends: What We’re Seeing at Costa Rica Destination Weddings
Wedding seasons used to follow a familiar shape, with large guest counts, big productions, imported décor, and a fairly fixed timeline. The Costa Rica destination wedding of 2026 looks very different. Most of the weddings we are hosting at The Point Luxury Villa this year are now much smaller than they used ot be, although groups are staying longer. There has also been an increased focus and appreciation for local Costa Rican vendors and services, instead of imported ones. When Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt got married here last December, in a celebration that drew coverage from People to Bachelor Nation, almost every choice they made matched what we are now seeing as the new norm.
Couples in 2026 are arriving with stronger opinions about how their week should feel, and they are making choices around the experience they want to give their guests. Here is what we are noticing most often.
The Guest List Is Shrinking
For a long time, smaller guest counts were almost an accidental part of destination weddings. Not everyone could travel, so numbers naturally dropped. That does not seem to be the case anymore.
Now, couples are choosing to keep things intentionally small. The sweet spot we keep seeing is somewhere between 40 and 80 guests. Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt’s December wedding here at The Point landed right at 70, which felt just about perfect. There were enough people to keep the energy high, but still enough space for everyone to connect.
At that size, couples are able to spend real time with each guest. Conversations are not rushed, and the multiple-day event feels shared rather than highly managed. From experience, we know that once that number pushes past 150, the whole vibe shifts quickly, and couples seem to have become increasingly aware of it, too. So, many are making conscious decisions about who to invite, not out of obligation, but to protect the atmosphere they want to create.
Truth be told, a smaller wedding crowd also changes the pace of the entire stay. With fewer moving parts, everything runs more smoothly, and there is a noticeable difference in how relaxed everyone feels.
Couples Are Choosing Local Planners
Nicole Fernández, widely credited in the press coverage as Cassie and Brighton’s wedding planner, was at the time our VIP Concierge at The Point, covering both the concierge role and the wedding coordination from our side. The setup worked because she was already embedded in the property and the local vendor network. Couples got planner-level capability built into the venue itself.
That role has since grown. The Point now has two dedicated Concierges who handle the in-house coordination side of every wedding, and we work directly with a small circle of trusted local Costa Rica wedding planners across Guanacaste. For most couples, this combination beats hiring a planner from abroad. Our concierges manage the on-property logistics, a local planner brings the design vision, and everyone involved is already in the same time zone when something needs answering at 7am on the wedding day. We can also help with finding the right planner if you do not already have one in mind, since we know the people working in this part of Costa Rica well.
One thing is certain: couples in 2026 are coming in with a very clear sense of what they like. They are heading to Costa Rica for distinct reasons and want their planner to have intimate knowledge of their chosen destination.
Family Members Play More Important Roles
One of the more meaningful changes we have noticed is about how couples choose to involve their closest people. Instead of bringing in an outside officiant, many are asking someone they know well to take on that role. At Cassie’s wedding, for example, her brother Landon and Brighton’s brother Cole officiated together. What a stunning way to make your wedding personal. It changed the tone of the ceremony in a way that is hard to explain.
We have seen close friends officiate weddings, and in one case, a father who learned the entire script in just a few weeks. Each time, the ceremony feels less like a formal performance and more like a shared moment among people who know each other intimately.
This new trend also changes how guests engage, because people tend to listen differently when the person speaking is part of the couple’s life, not someone they have barely met.
Local Is Replacing Imported
A few years ago, it was common for couples to fly in vendors from abroad, be it florists from Miami, or décor from Los Angeles. We’ve seen entire production teams shipped in to recreate a particular look.
That approach has largely given way to something more grounded in the destination. Couples now want their wedding to feel like Costa Rica, not just happen to be in Costa Rica.
Cassie and Brighton’s wedding is a great example. Their flowers came from ArtFlower, a local design company, while Catering Costa handled the food. Guests were served shrimp cocktail in coconuts and sea bass that had everyone forget why they were even there! The music came together through Hinestra, with a live band that carried the evening well past midnight.
One of the more memorable touches was the local man who walks Tamarindo with his coconut cart. He was invited to open fresh coconuts for guests as they arrived. It was a simple yet very meaningful touch that no imported wedding planner would’ve even thought about.
This is where strong local relationships make a difference. The right planner knows which caterer can build a menu around regional ingredients, or which musicians can move easily between styles without it feeling forced. Those details tend to shape the atmosphere more than any large-scale production element.
The Wedding Has Become More Than a Short Weekend Away
Weddings abroad have never really been a one-day affair but we have noticed that they are becoming extended experiences that just happen to include a wedding. The main wedding moments are still there: a welcome dinner, the ceremony, the reception, and a brunch the next morning. What is changing, though, is all the time around them.
Guests are coming in earlier or staying on a bit longer, which always made more sense to us. Once people have traveled this far, it feels worth seeing more of the country rather than flying in and out for one event.
In Tamarindo, options for activities and experiences are many. It might be a private group surf lesson the morning after the reception, or a catamaran sail one afternoon, with people coming back sunkissed and happy. A day trip to Rincón de la Vieja for hot springs and waterfalls is always a huge hit with everyone.
Some guests like to keep things closer to home. Slow walks by the ocean, long and leisurely meals on our terrace, or slow mornings with coffee while the howler monkeys start up in the trees. Those shared in-between moments tend to stick just as much as the main events.
And by the end of the week, the wedding is no longer tied to a single day. It is now connected to an exquisite, shared experience no-one will forget in a hurry.
Letting Costa Rica Lead the Aesthetic
Another noticeable trend is in how couples are approaching design. There is less interest in building something elaborate from scratch, and more focus on working with what is already there. Soft color palettes, minimal floral structures, and simple lighting setups, like string lights through the trees, are becoming the norm.
At Cassie’s wedding, the décor stayed chic and understated, allowing The Point and its surroundings to do most of the work. With the Pacific as a backdrop, anything overly ornate tends to feel unnecessary.
Budgets are, naturally, also changing. Less is spent on large-scale installations, and more goes toward food, music, accommodation and capturing the experience through video.
What These Trends Have in Common
Across all of these changes, there is one common thread that appears time and again. Couples are simply making more deliberate personal choices. They think carefully about who they invite, how they want to spend time with them, and what kind of experience they want to create for those around them.
For us, this has meant stepping into a more supportive role. Instead of creating wedding itineraries, we are now adapting The Point around each couple, and we have built our team to make sure every wedding feels like it belongs to the people getting married.
On a more practical note: if you’re thinking of hosting your Costa Rica destination wedding with us here at The Point, we recommend a minimum stay of seven nights, to make the most of the experience. We also offer a 50% discount on the venue fee for wedding bookings, which makes a meaningful difference once everything else is factored in.
If you are planning your own Costa Rica destination wedding with us, it helps to think of The Point Luxury Villa as your ideal canvas. Bring your ideas, your special people, and your sense of how you want the week to play out. We will take care of the rest.
