How to Elope in Costa Rica

How to plan a Costa Rica elopement, start to finish

Here is the whole process in the order I actually walk my couples through it. Each step gets its own section below, so think of this as the map for the rest of the guide.

1. Decide whether your ceremony is legal or symbolic. This one choice shapes everything else.
2. Pick your month, then pick the coast that is dry that month. This is the trick most guides miss.
3. Choose a region and one or two locations that match your energy and fitness.
4. Block 4 to 7 days. You can elope in a single day, but the country rewards a little more time.
5. Book flights into San Jose (SJO) or Liberia (LIR), whichever sits closer to your region.
6. Lock accommodation and a 4WD rental early, especially for dry season.
7. Sort the legal paperwork and any park permits well in advance.
8. Build a timeline around the light and the afternoon rain, not the clock.
9. Show up. Let me handle the rest.

If reading that list already made you tired, that is exactly why couples hire me. A full Costa Rica elopement involves a lot of moving parts, and I have done it hundreds of times. You will see how I take all of it off your plate in the cost section further down.

How to legally elope in Costa Rica

This is the question I get first, so let’s clear it up properly. When you elope in Costa Rica you have two completely valid paths, and there is no wrong answer.

Option 1: a symbolic ceremony (the simplest path)

You handle the legal paperwork at home, before or after the trip, and keep your day in Costa Rica entirely about the experience. No documents, no officiant requirements, no translation. Just your vows, wherever you want them. Most of my adventure couples choose this because it removes every bit of friction from the day itself. You are married on paper at home, and you celebrate it on a cliff edge in Guanacaste with nobody watching.

Option 2: a legally binding ceremony in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is genuinely one of the easier countries in the world to marry in as a foreigner. There is no residency requirement, no waiting period, and no blood test. You can legally marry on the standard 90-day tourist stamp you receive on arrival, and the marriage is recognized internationally, including across the US, Canada, and Europe.

Here is what the legal route to a Costa Rica elopement actually involves:

• An officiant who is a notary public. In Costa Rica, a notary public is always a licensed attorney, and only they can perform and register a civil marriage. I work with a few who are happy to hike a little, cross a river, or meet you on a beach at sunrise, so the legal ceremony still feels like yours instead of a courthouse appointment.
• Two witnesses over 18. They do not need to be Costa Rican, but they should be people who know you. If you are eloping just the two of you, your officiant can help you sort this out.
• Your documents. At minimum, valid passports and a sworn statement of your civil status (single, divorced, or widowed). Depending on your nationality and situation, you may also need an apostilled birth certificate and a civil-status certificate, with an official Spanish translation for anything not already in Spanish. The exact list depends on where you are from, which is why I have your officiant confirm it for your specific case months ahead.
• Registration. After the ceremony, your officiant files the marriage with Costa Rica’s Civil Registry, the Registro Civil under the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. That registration is what makes it official.

A note on same-sex Costa Rica elopements

Costa Rica legalized same-sex marriage on 26 May 2020, the first country in Central America to do so. The legal process is identical for all couples, and your marriage carries the same international recognition. Whoever you love, you are welcome here, and you are welcome with me.

One thing to know about your finances

Without a prenuptial agreement, Costa Rica applies a community-property regime to assets acquired during the marriage. It rarely matters for an elopement, but if you have specific asset planning in mind, it is worth a conversation with a lawyer before you sign. I am a photographer and planner, not your attorney, so I will always point you to a professional for the legal fine print rather than guess.

When to plan your Costa Rica elopement: the two-coast trick

Here is the single most useful thing in this entire guide, and almost nobody explains it clearly. Costa Rica does not really have a single best month. It has two coasts with opposite weather, so the right question for your Costa Rica elopement is not when should we go, it is which coast should we be on for the month we have.

The rain shadow, explained

A mountain spine runs down the middle of the country. During the December-to-April dry season, the trade winds dump their rain on the Caribbean side and leave the Pacific bone dry. In the depths of the green season, around September and October, that flips entirely: the Pacific gets soaked while the Caribbean turns sunny. The official tourism board lays out these patterns on their climate page, and it is the reason I can put a dry-weather Costa Rica elopement on the calendar in almost any month of the year.

Where to elope in Costa Rica: my favorite locations

For your Costa Rica elopement you can say your vows on a golden Pacific beach, in front of an active volcano, inside a cloud forest, or at the foot of a waterfall you have to hike or ride a horse to reach. Here are the regions I send couples to most, and what each one is actually like to be in.

Waterfalls worth the effort

• Nauyaca Waterfalls (near Dominical and Uvita): a two-tier, roughly 200-foot cascade in the jungle. You hike in or ride a horse, which makes it feel earned. Cinematic, and a personal favorite for a Costa Rica elopement.
• La Fortuna Waterfall (Arenal region): an iconic 200-foot drop into a turquoise pool. The hike down is steep, and so is the way back up, but the payoff is enormous.
• Rio Celeste (Tenorio Volcano National Park): surreal, bright-blue water tinted by volcanic minerals. One of the strangest and most beautiful landscapes in the country.
• Llanos de Cortes (Guanacaste): a wide, gentle waterfall that is easy to reach and far less crowded. Ideal if you want the waterfall look without the strenuous hike.

Volcano and cloud forest

Arenal gives you a near-perfect volcano cone, hot springs, and rainforest in one area, which is why I love it for multi-day elopements. Monteverde and the surrounding cloud forest are some of the most biodiverse places on Earth, all hanging bridges, mist, and birdsong. Rincon de la Vieja in the northwest mixes volcanic terrain with turquoise pools and horseback trails, which is a brilliant combination for couples who want adventure and calm in the same day.

Beaches and the wild south

The Pacific gives you Guanacaste’s reliable sun and Manuel Antonio’s jungle-meets-ocean drama, where you can shoot in rainforest and on sand within the same morning. For something genuinely remote, the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce in the far south are raw, biodiverse, and quiet, the kind of place you go when you want the country almost to yourselves. On the Caribbean side, Puerto Viejo, Cahuita, and Tortuguero offer Afro-Caribbean culture, sunrise-facing beaches, and a slower rhythm that suits couples who want their elopement to feel less polished and more alive.

Permits for your Costa Rica elopement in 2026 and 2027

This matters more than it used to. Costa Rica protects roughly a quarter of its land, and access to national parks, reserves, and many beaches and waterfalls is increasingly regulated, even for a two-person Costa Rica elopement with no guests at all.

• Many parks and waterfalls now require permits for ceremonies and professional photography, and rangers do enforce it. An unpermitted ceremony can be stopped on the spot.
• Expect seasonal closures, daily entry caps, and timed-entry slots, especially during peak wildlife seasons and the rainiest months when erosion and flooding are a real risk.
• Some iconic spots close on short notice. The national park system, SINAC, is the authority here, and rules can shift between seasons.

None of this is a reason to worry. It is a reason to plan early and to choose locations with good backups nearby. Reading the access rules and securing permits is part of what I do for every couple, so you never find out about a closure on the morning of your vows. That single piece of work has saved more than one of my elopements.

What a Costa Rica elopement day actually looks like

People imagine an elopement is just a quick ceremony and a few photos. The good ones are nothing like that. Here is a realistic single-day flow, the kind I build for couples, so you can picture how a Costa Rica elopement actually unfolds when it is planned around light and weather instead of a rigid schedule.

• Before sunrise. We meet, get in the car, and start heading somewhere worth going while it is still cool. There is music. There is coffee with no Wi-Fi in sight.
• Early morning. You walk into a place that was not on any Instagram location tag, and you understand why I chose it. We use the soft early light for first looks or quiet moments before anyone else arrives.
• Mid-morning. The ceremony. No audience, no pressure to perform for anyone. Vows, maybe an officiant, maybe just the two of you and the sound of the forest.
• Midday. We keep moving. A waterfall, a viewpoint, a swim, lunch somewhere good. This is where an elopement becomes an adventure rather than a photoshoot.
• Afternoon. It rains at some point. We do not fight it, we use it. Costa Rica rain is not a problem, it is a backdrop, and some of the strongest images come from shooting in or just after it.
• Golden hour. The light goes warm and low. We find an open spot, a beach or a ridge, and slow everything down for the last frames of the day.
• Evening. A quiet dinner, hot springs, or simply going to bed knowing you did it exactly the way you wanted.

That is one day. With a two or three-day Costa Rica elopement we can spread this across different ecosystems, add an engagement-style session or a day-after shoot, and give the weather far more room to cooperate. Time genuinely changes everything, which is the whole logic behind how my packages are built.

Unique things to do on your Costa Rica elopement

The beauty of eloping is that your reception can be an actual adventure. A few of the experiences my couples have folded into their Costa Rica elopement:

Cave rappelling, Venado Caves

Near Arenal, these limestone caves mean caving, narrow passages, and a rappel into the dark. An adrenaline hit and a wild contrast to the vows.

Bioluminescent kayaking, Golfo Dulce

Paddle the remote Osa waters after dark and every stroke lights up blue. An otherworldly way to end a wedding day.

Canyoning at Nauyaca

Hike into the rainforest near Dominical, then rappel the waterfall face or jump into the pool below. Pure exhilaration.

Horseback to turquoise pools

Ride through forest and volcanic terrain to the hidden turquoise waterfalls of Rincon de la Vieja, then swim. Adventure and calm in one trip.

Want less adrenaline and more soul? Sunrise yoga on an empty beach, a private chocolate or coffee tasting, a sloth-spotting walk with a naturalist, or simply a long dinner with your feet in the sand all work beautifully too. Your Costa Rica elopement should feel like you, not like someone else’s highlight reel.

What a Costa Rica elopement costs in 2026

Let me be straight with you, because most pages are not. There are two very different ways to price a Costa Rica elopement, and they are not really comparable.

The first is the piece-by-piece route. You find a budget resort photographer, book your own everything, and stitch it together yourself. On paper that can look cheap, often $1,500 to $3,000 for the photography alone. But you are the one doing the planning, the driving, the permit chasing, and the weather gambling, and the photos are usually a staff shooter with a short slot. That matters, because the images are the one thing you physically carry home from the day.

The second is the way I work. One person who plans the entire trip, guides you on the ground, and photographs all of it, with every travel cost already inside the price. Here is exactly what a Costa Rica elopement with me costs.

1 Day · The focused one

Selva

US$ 11,300

Up to 10 hours

One day, one area, a few spots that make sense in sequence, built around light and flow instead of a packed itinerary.

• Full planning & location scouting
• Day-of driving and guiding
• 200 to 400 edited images
• Private gallery, slideshow, accordion album
• All my travel costs included

See this package

2 Days · Most popular

Lluvia

US$ 14,800

2 full days

Day one to arrive and explore, day two for your ceremony, unhurried, in a spot that feels earned. Room to breathe.

• Everything in Selva, across 2 days
• Engagement-style photos on day one
• 400 to 800+ edited images
• Custom itinerary with hotel recommendations
• Better weather flexibility

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3 Days · Full immersion

Quetzal

US$ 16,900

3 full days

Three days, multiple ecosystems, zero obligation to be anywhere on time. A proper journey with your elopement woven through it.

• Everything in Lluvia, across 3 days
• Access to more remote, diverse regions
• Engagement and day-after photos
• Maximum weather flexibility
• Custom multi-day itinerary

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Every package includes the same core: full planning and location scouting, day-of driving and guiding, award-winning photography (I have 250+ international awards), a private online gallery, a cinematic slideshow, a printed accordion album mailed to your door, hotel recommendations for the multi-day trips, and all of my travel costs anywhere in Costa Rica. The price you see is the price you pay. You will never receive an invoice for something you did not know was coming.

Need hair, makeup, flowers, or a celebrant handled for you? Those vendor services can be added to any package for US$ 3,900, and I coordinate all of it. Payment plans are available too.

What you budget for on top

Because my travel is already included, the only costs you cover yourself are the normal trip costs that you would have anywhere. Rough 2026 ranges in US dollars:

I take a limited number of elopements each year so every one gets the attention it deserves, and I typically book 6 to 18 months out, though I have planned a Costa Rica elopement on as little as 7 days notice. The earlier we talk, the more dates and locations we have to work with.

What to wear for a Costa Rica elopement

It is hot and humid almost everywhere your Costa Rica elopement will take you, so comfort is not a compromise here, it is the whole strategy. What you wear genuinely changes how the day feels and how the photos look.

The dress

Go light and breathable. Thin, flowy fabrics move in the breeze and photograph beautifully, and a loose skirt lets you hike, climb, and wade without a fight. For a beach day, a sundress or a shorter dress is comfortable and gorgeous. Skip heavy structured gowns unless you truly love them more than you will mind the heat, because by midday you will feel every layer.

The shoes

If we are hiking, wear real hiking shoes and break them in first. A blister can quietly ruin a day. On the beach, barefoot is always on the table. Whatever you choose, comfortable and grippy beats pretty-but-precarious on wet rock and muddy trails.

The suit

A full three-piece will cook you. Linen trousers and a good shirt look sharp and let you breathe. Carry the jacket for the ceremony if you want it in the photos, then lose it for the adventure.

How to elope in Costa Rica responsibly

Costa Rica protects its wild places fiercely, and the whole reason it looks the way it does is that people treat it with care. I work to Leave No Trace principles, and I ask my couples to as well. It is genuinely easy, and it keeps these places elopable for the couples who come after you.

• Wear reef-safe, mineral sunscreen. Chemical sunscreens damage reefs, and you will be in the water. This is a small swap that matters a lot.
• Keep your distance from wildlife. Never feed or chase animals for a photo. A sloth or a monkey on its own terms is a better picture anyway, and I shoot with a long lens for exactly this reason.
• Mind the turtles. If you elope during nesting season near a nesting beach, we follow the local guidance on lights and distance. The animals come first, always.
• Stay on trails and pack everything out. No picked flowers, no stacked rocks, nothing left behind but footprints.

Doing your Costa Rica elopement this way does not make your day smaller. It makes it the kind of day you will feel good about for the rest of your lives.

Last details before your Costa Rica elopement

Renting a car (and why 4WD)

A car gives you the freedom to reach the spots tour buses cannot. The catch is the roads: mountain tracks, river crossings, and green-season mud all reward a real 4WD. Bring a valid license, and take the extra insurance for peace of mind. Costa Rica’s elevation changes fast too. You can drop 4,000 feet and gain 15°F in 90 minutes, so pack a layer for the cloud forest even when the coast is roasting. When you book a package with me, I handle the driving on your elopement days, so this only matters for the rest of your trip.

Visa and entry

Most visitors from the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, and many other countries get a tourist stamp of up to 90 days on arrival, with no visa needed, and that is plenty for an elopement. Always confirm your own nationality’s rules with the official source, Costa Rica’s Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria, before you book your flights.

Pack for the climate

Light, breathable clothing, moisture-wicking layers and long sleeves for jungle and bugs, a sturdy pair of shoes, a packable rain jacket, reef-safe sunscreen, insect repellent (dengue is present, so cover up at dawn and dusk), and a reusable water bottle. A small daypack makes the active days far easier, and it is the kind of detail I remind every couple about before they fly.

Pura Vida

You will hear “pura vida” everywhere, used as hello, goodbye, thank you, and “all good.” It means “pure life,” and it is less a phrase than a pace. Lean into it. The single best thing you can do for your Costa Rica elopement is to stop rushing and let the day breathe. That is also, not coincidentally, exactly when the best photos happen.

Planning your Costa Rica elopement with me

Hi, I’m Amber. I have spent 13 years planning and photographing elopements across 24 countries, and I built Zephyr & Luna for couples who want a deeply personal adventure in nature without the noise of a traditional wedding.

For a Costa Rica elopement, that means I do both jobs at once. I scout and vet your locations, handle permits and legal coordination, build a timeline around the country’s real light and weather, recommend where to stay and what to do, drive and guide you on the day, and document all of it. You get one person who has done this hundreds of times, not a venue’s spare photographer with a 30-minute slot.

If any of this is resonating, the next step is simple. Tell me your rough dates and the kind of day you are picturing, and I will come back with whether the timing works, which coast fits, and what your Costa Rica elopement could actually look like. No pressure, no hard sell, just a real conversation about whether we are a good fit.

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