Barefoot Bride Megan T.’s Site Visit to Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica
Before diving into the specifics of the site visit, it’s important to understand why Dreams Las Mareas Resort is a top choice for destination weddings. Located in the lush, picturesque province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, this all-inclusive resort offers breathtaking ocean views, luxurious accommodations, and a range of amenities that cater to both relaxation and celebration. The resort is renowned for its impeccable service, stunning natural surroundings, and flexible wedding packages, making it a popular choice for couples seeking a tropical wedding experience.
Costa Rica as a country is beautiful and guests will be in awe of not only the resort but everything the country has to offer. From its adventurous activities like zip lining to hiking through nature to find a sloth or a monkey in the wild, there is something for everyone, which is why I chose this as one of my destination wedding options.
First Impressions
To start off, the resort is beautiful. I was in awe of the natural beauty that surrounded the resort, the super friendly staff and of course the howler monkeys hiding up in the trees screaming all day long! Featuring 3 beautiful pools, swim up bars and entertainment from the staff made this resort a great family spot. My fiance and I truly enjoyed walking around the resort, kayaking in the ocean, floating in the pool all day long and of course seeing more monkeys but this time with their babies on their backs.
While we were at the resort, we were lucky enough to see a few weddings, all in different locations, which helped us visualize what weddings at La Mareas were like.
The Venue Options
Dreams Las Mareas Resort in Costa Rica is a tropical paradise that offers a range of wedding venues, each providing a unique backdrop for your special day. Whether you envision a beachfront ceremony, a garden celebration, or an indoor reception, Dreams Las Mareas has something to suit every couple's taste.
1. Beachfront Ceremony
Imagine exchanging vows with the gentle sound of waves in the background and the sun setting over the horizon (the sunsets are just beautiful!). The resort’s beachfront venue offers a breathtaking location for a romantic seaside ceremony. With its pristine sands and panoramic ocean views, this location is perfect for couples who dream of a classic beach wedding.
My biggest negative about having the wedding on the beach was that it is not private. While sitting in the pool, guests at the resort can watch you as the bride walks alongside the pool to make your way to the aisle. They then have basically a front row seat to your wedding. It was very important to me to have a wedding that was as private as possible.
2. Garden Wedding
For a lush and vibrant setting, the garden area at Dreams Las Mareas provides a beautiful and serene environment. Surrounded by tropical foliage and colorful flowers, this venue offers a charming and elegant atmosphere for your ceremony and reception.
This location sits right outside the lobby, near an indoor bar with an outside small patio. This was the most private outdoor space out of all the options we saw. If I was to have my wedding here, this would have been the location I chose. But again, this location is not completely private as resort guests still had the option to sit outside the patio bar and enjoy the day.
If choosing this location for your wedding, I recommend doing so when the mountain in the background is in full bloom!
3. Terrace Reception
The resort features a spacious terrace area that is perfect for hosting a reception with a view. Overlooking the resort’s beautiful grounds and the ocean, this venue provides a sophisticated setting for dining and dancing under the stars.
The terrace was beautiful once the string lights were strung, the sun went down, the palm trees were swaying and the party began. This is a large outdoor space, sitting right outside the buffet (which I believe would be closed during your reception - I would ask and double check).
The negative is that this is a central location at the resort. If resort guests are looking to make their way down to the beach, the quickest and easiest way would be to pass by your wedding, which I did not like personally. Just below this location was also one of the pools, which do not close at dusk. During one of the ceremonies at this location, you could hear the kids doing cannonballs into the pool.
But I mean look at that picture, it is an absolutely stunning location!
4. Poolside Celebration
There is the option to have your wedding poolside, which again would just be beautiful among the palm trees with the sunsetting behind you.
If choosing this as your option, I would ask if that specific pool could be closed during your ceremony or reception!
5. Indoor Reception Venues
Similar to other resorts, the inside indoor reception room was sub par, and in my eyes would need A LOT of decorations to make it feel more wedding-ish. It is your typical ballroom with patterned carpets and basic walls. As a bride, I wanted to steer clear from that destination wedding or not.
If it was to rain during your reception, I believe the indoor ballroom is where your wedding would be moved too.
Accommodations and Amenities When All-Inclusive
Luxurious Rooms and Suites: At this all-inclusive resort you can find a variety of room types and suites. With options overlooking the tropical view to the pool, there are many rooms for your guests to choose from. You will even have the option to have your own swim out pool which is connected to the other rooms on the same ground level. I could see all friends or family choosing those rooms and hanging out in the pools outside your rooms all night long!
Dining and Drinks
Unfortunately, this is where the resort lacked excitement to me. The restaurants were always super busy and very strict with their dress codes. My fiance and I did not find the food to be that great, which could just be us being picky since we are from the east coast (we have high standards!) Plate sizes are typical of what you find at a resort, very small portions.
The drinks were good and I enjoyed how they had some specialty cocktail and mocktail options. My favorite part, which we didn’t figure out till late in our trip, was every morning you can get a fresh coconut cracked open for you by the beach! This took a while to wait for and it was not promoted or mentioned anywhere (another guest told us about it).
Things To Do
We took this wedding site visit and an excuse to have and enjoy a vacation! Since neither of us have ever been to Costa Rica, we decided to do some exploring. Seeing a sloth in the wild was on my bucket list.
It was very easy to book our excursion through the resort at the lobby. One of the staff members helped us choose which option would work best for what we wanted.
We decided to book a tour where we explored some of nature looking for animals that are found in Costa Rica and went swimming in a nearby river that was filled with minerals making it super light blue.
I really enjoyed how our tour guide brought all of his fancy photography equipment and took pictures of us all and the animals we found on our trip. For no additional fee, he sent everyone the folder of all the pictures he took during the day!
I could see our guests really enjoying the excursions that Costa Rica has to offer!
Overall, I did enjoy my stay at La Mareas but did not choose it in the end for the lack of privacy during our wedding events. My fiance and I both agreed that this would be a fantastic resort for a family, looking to do a little exploring and a lot of relaxing.
