Our Wedding Preparations, Part 1
Our wedding day is approaching fast. I can feel it in my chest every morning when I open my eyes here in Gothenburg, knowing that the place where I will say yes is thousands of kilometers away. The pressure has been growing, but so has the excitement. Suddenly it is all becoming real. I am marrying the man I love, and even though the distance complicates everything, plus having a full-time job, and two beautiful toddlers the joy is beginning to win.
If you have ever tried to build something meaningful from a foreign country, you know the feeling. The clock moves faster. The days get shorter. The lists get longer. In between changing diapers, joining to meetings, and cooking dinner, you want everything to be perfect, but you are also painfully aware that you are far away.
We decided not to hire a wedding planner and instead chose a small budget for a decorator because we needed to be careful and smart with our resources. And of course I am eight hours ahead of Costa Rica. I wish I could tell you that I discovered some magical solution. The truth is much simpler. I needed help. Real help. Family help.
My stepmom has been our rock in Costa Rica. She has searched for vendors and created budgets and spreadsheets for every decision we have taken. My dad has also supported her and us every step of the way. The honest reality is that this wedding would not exist without them. Because we want them to enjoy the day as guests, we also hired two coordinators who will take care of everything on the actual wedding day.
Still, I knew I wanted to take ownership of something creative. Something that felt like mine. At the beginning we were working with a decorator and florist who designed a full proposal. Her work was beautiful. Truly beautiful. But the budget kept growing and her schedule was overflowing. Sometimes I had to wait almost three weeks for a response. I felt like our wedding had no place in her calendar and that feeling stayed in my body. I could not continue like that.
So we changed paths. We hired a florist only for the essentials. The ceremony arch. My bouquet. The centerpieces for the dinner. And for everything else, my future husband and I decided to trust my creativity and my love for details. I will decorate our wedding myself. A little terrifying, yes. But deeply meaningful.
We will be 53 people in total, have one hour of live music, open bar, and a beautiful handfasting ritual that my mom is working on! My cousin is the one who will officiate the ceremony, we grew up together, just one year old apart, and I couldn´t imagine a better lawyer to do this than her. Our kids will walk down to the altar, spreading flower petals around, and we are convincing my father in law to help us with a “skål!” to all the guests.
Let me tell you about the place where all of this will come to life.
The Place That Felt Like Home From The First Second
Our wedding will take place in a beautiful house in Costa Rica, in a town called Ciudad Colón on the west side of the capital. Costa Rica has so many stunning wedding locations, but finding the right one was not easy at all. I wanted something that blended nature with the comfort of a welcoming home. I wanted a place that felt open and warm at the same time. We were not looking for something massive. Just something real.
We travelled in January to find the venue. We visited place after place. Nothing felt right. And when you live abroad, when you travel with limited time, that pressure hits hard. You start wondering if you will ever find the one place that matches the picture your heart has been holding.
Five days before flying back to Sweden, I woke up incredibly early one morning. Something pushed me to search again. I opened Google and searched for venues in San José. The first name that appeared was Casa Vista. I called immediately. They told me I could come that same day at 10:00am.
As soon as we stepped into the property, we knew. There was no doubt. Casa Vista is a magical place. It has a house, a pool, gardens full of tropical plants, and a beautiful rancho. The house used to belong to a family who often lent it to friends for events. Over time people kept telling them that the place felt special. That it felt alive. So they opened it to the public.
One of my favorite parts is a large wooden deck that looks out into the Virilla river canyon. The trees around it move with the wind, surrounded by orchids, Guanacaste trees, Cacho de Venado plants, fern, like they know they are part of something sacred.
Originally we wanted a beach wedding. We traveled to the coast and visited multiple venues. None felt like ours. But Casa Vista felt like it had been waiting for us.
The owner greeted us warmly and shared stories about the house and her family. When we left, we already knew our decision. That was our place. That was where we would begin this new chapter.
Our ceremony will start at five in the afternoon. We will say yes with the Costa Rican sunset behind us, surrounded by the trees and the warm air of home.
Sunset at Casa Vista´s deck. Here is where we will have our ceremony.
A cute and romantic path in the middle of the garden. This is where we will place the bar
The Decoration
From the moment we chose the venue, I could almost see the entire atmosphere unfolding in my mind. It felt as if the colors and textures of Costa Rica were whispering to me, reminding me of who I am and where I come from. Even though I plan everything from our house in the countryside of Västra Götaland, with autumn and winter light filtering through the window, I feel deeply connected to the land that shaped me.
I knew I wanted a decoration that felt tropical yet soft. Something that held the energy of Costa Rican nature but still honored the tenderness of a wedding. A style that felt alive and joyful, yet romantic and intimate. That is how tropical chic was born. A theme that blends vivid natural tones with calming white, allowing the setting to feel festive without losing elegance. The guests will be surrounded by a color palette that reflects the flowers and foliage of home. They can dress in flowing fabrics, vibrant colors, or anything that moves gently with the wind, just like the trees around us.
To create the atmosphere, we chose wooden dinner tables that echo the nature of the garden. On top of them I will place soft white cheesecloth runners paired with deep peacock green napkins that remind me of the forest after rain. The chairs will be Tiffany style in clear acrylic, keeping the focus on the beauty of the surroundings. Candles will bring warmth and romance to the evening. I have floating candles that will glow on the pool and others placed inside transparent vases on the cocktail tables so that the entire space feels embraced by soft light.
The swimming pool at Casa Vista, where I will place 10 lead floating candles
A real-life demonstration of the centerpieces for the dinner. There will be two designs, this is one of them.
A real-life demonstration of the centerpieces for the dinner. This is the second design
Bouquet Inspiration
Inspiration for the center piece of our table
I will come back with a second part of this article, showing you most of the missing important things! Such as the food, the drinks, menu decoration, some information about the dress, the honeymoon, cake, and more! I´m enjoying this process so much, and I´m so excited to know what you think!