Eloping in La Fortuna: 7 Things We'd Want Every Couple to Know
- Eric & Mel | Meric Moments
- 2 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 15 minutes ago
THE GUIDE
The Guide is our way of bringing what we've learned behind the camera into the hands of couples planning a destination wedding in Costa Rica — real experience, thoughtful perspective, and a little local knowledge gathered along the way.
And for our very first entry, we wanted to start somewhere we know well and love deeply: La Fortuna.
Seven things we'd want you to know before saying “I do” beneath Arenal.
La Fortuna has a way of making small things feel significant. A quiet morning beneath the volcano. A walk through the rainforest. Rain arriving exactly when you didn't expect it. The two of you, somewhere far from home, with nowhere else you need to be.
After photographing multiple elopements and post-wedding sessions in La Fortuna, we've learned that the most beautiful days aren't necessarily the ones with the perfect weather, the clearest volcano view, or the most elaborate itinerary. They're the ones that leave enough room to breathe — and enough room for the place to become part of the story.
So, before you book your venue, buy your dress, or build your Pinterest board, here are seven things we'd want you to know.
01 — LET THE VOLCANO BE A CHARACTER, NOT THE PLOT.
Everyone wants Arenal in the background. We understand why. But after photographing elopements and post-wedding sessions here, we've learned that the volcano works best as one character in the story rather than the entire plot. It may be sharp and dramatic in one frame, disappear behind clouds in the next, or show up only for a few minutes — and all three can be beautiful. The practical question is not simply, “How do we guarantee the volcano?” It is, “What else would make this day feel like La Fortuna if the volcano decides to hide?” That might be rainforest, water, a beautiful Airbnb, a private garden, or simply time to let the two of you be together without chasing the next view.
We've photographed couples who wanted the mountain to be part of the story while also giving themselves room for water, rainforest and quieter moments. One post-wedding couple knew they wanted mountain and water, but deliberately did not want the typical waterfall experience. They had done their research before arriving, and that clarity allowed us to build something around what they actually loved about the landscape rather than simply collecting the most recognizable locations.
They came during the dry season and had beautiful, clear weather. The volcano became part of the visual story, along with their Airbnb and the water itself. Most of the session was spent creating something much moodier and more cinematic than the weather might suggest — including images of her completely immersed in the water.
The lesson? A dry-season day doesn't have to produce a bright, postcard-style session. The mood comes from the place, the concept, the light and the way you choose to experience it.
02 — GIVE THE DAY SOMEWHERE TO BREATHE.
A destination elopement can be intimate without being rushed. La Fortuna rewards couples who leave space between the important moments — getting ready, a quiet first look, the ceremony, a walk through the jungle, portraits, an adventure and dinner. The mistake we see most often is planning an elopement as if every hour needs another “must-have” location. In practice, the day photographs better when there is room for the experience itself. A few extra minutes at the Airbnb can give you real portraits. A slower transition can turn into an unexpected moment. And if weather or traffic changes the plan, you have somewhere to move rather than feeling as though the entire day has fallen behind.
One recent couple knew they absolutely wanted La Fortuna Waterfall. They researched the experience, understood that it involved a significant walk, and planned their wardrobe accordingly. She chose a light dress that would be easier to move in and brought a second dress specifically for getting into the water.
Before leaving their Airbnb, they exchanged their vows in a more controlled and private setting. We also made time for individual portraits. Then we headed into the main adventure: the waterfall, followed by another private water location where they could have an experience that felt more secluded.
That preparation mattered. They weren't simply arriving at a pretty location. They had designed themselves into the experience. For an elopement, practical choices — the weight and movement of a dress, comfortable shoes, a second outfit, where you exchange vows, and how much time you allow for walking — can have a surprisingly large effect on how relaxed you feel in front of the camera.
03 — LET THE WATERFALL BE PART OF YOUR STORY.
La Fortuna Waterfall is spectacular, and for some couples it is exactly what brought them here. If that is you, we would never talk you out of it. The better conversation is about how to make the waterfall work for the kind of experience you want.
Sometimes the waterfall belongs in the ceremony. Sometimes it is better as part of the adventure afterward. And sometimes another corner of La Fortuna tells your story better.
The waterfall comes with a significant staircase and can be busier depending on the time of day, so thoughtful planning can make all the difference. A light dress, realistic timing, comfortable footwear and a willingness to move through the landscape are not small details here — they are part of the experience. For some couples, the walk, the movement and the energy are exactly what makes the day memorable. For others, a quieter rainforest setting creates the feeling they're looking for. And there is another option we love: the waterfall does not have to carry the entire session. It can be one chapter, followed by a more private water location or another environment that gives you a completely different visual story.
There is no single right way to do it. The important thing is knowing what you actually want to feel: adventure, privacy, movement, stillness, or a little of all four. Once we know that, we can help decide whether the waterfall belongs at the center of the day, somewhere in the middle, or simply as an optional adventure after the more intimate parts are finished.
This isn't about fitting the waterfall into your elopement. It's about letting the place become part of an experience that feels entirely your own.
04 — LEAVE ROOM FOR THE UNEXPECTED.
We've also photographed couples who changed their minds in the middle of the experience — and those moments are often the ones we remember most. One couple arrived with a clear ceremony plan and a few private locations in mind, but the day evolved once they were actually standing in the landscape.
One couple had a complete ceremony in front of the volcano with four guests and their officiant. Afterward, we explored a couple of private locations we know in the area. At first, they weren't sure they wanted to get into the water.
Then she looked around and decided she didn't want to leave wondering what it would have been like. They went into the water together, still wearing part of her dress and veil, completely excited about it.
When she saw the photographs later, she couldn't believe how beautiful that moment looked. Sometimes the best decision of the session is the one you make because you don't want to regret not doing it. That's one reason we leave room for couples to change their minds. We can guide you, but we don't want the itinerary to become more important than the experience you're actually having.
05 — LA FORTUNA DOESN'T NEED PERFECT WEATHER.
We've photographed La Fortuna in brilliant sunshine, under heavy clouds, between rain showers and during days when the rain became part of the experience. This is why we think expectations matter more than trying to predict one “perfect” La Fortuna. The same landscape can feel bright and expansive in the dry season, deeply green in the rainy season, or cinematic when clouds settle around Arenal.
One recent elopement arrived knowing they were entering the green season. They planned their vows under cover at their Airbnb, then went looking for beautiful spaces whenever the rain eased. At one point the volcano appeared through the clouds. Much of the rest of the session became intimate and atmospheric, with the environment framing the two of them rather than competing with them.
They knew what season they were choosing. So when the day looked different from a sunny postcard, it wasn't a disappointment. It was simply their version of La Fortuna. Their vows happened under cover, the rain dictated when we moved outside, and when the clouds opened for a moment we took advantage of it. The result was not a backup version of their elopement. It was the elopement they actually experienced. That distinction is important. If you arrive during the green season expecting uninterrupted blue skies, you may spend the day fighting the place. If you arrive understanding that rain, mist and intense greenery are part of what you came to Costa Rica for, the same weather can become part of the memory.
That's an important distinction when planning here: the goal isn't to force Costa Rica to look like a photograph from another month. It's to understand what the landscape can give you when you're actually here. And if you are planning more than the wedding day — a honeymoon, time with friends, or a few days of exploring Costa Rica — the season matters even more. The place you fell in love with in a photograph may look very different a few months later, and that is worth knowing before you book flights.
06 — LA FORTUNA IS A COLLECTION OF EXPERIENCES.
This is perhaps the biggest thing we'd want couples to know.
La Fortuna is more than the waterfall. It is more than the volcano. It is a mix of rainforest, water, mountain views, private spaces, gardens, architecture and little corners that don't necessarily appear on a standard itinerary. That variety is one of the reasons we keep coming back. A couple can have a ceremony with a dramatic landscape, portraits somewhere quiet, an adventure near the water, and an intimate final set without feeling as though they spent the day driving from attraction to attraction.
That means there are countless combinations. A ceremony can happen somewhere beautiful and accessible, while portraits happen somewhere quieter. A waterfall can be the main adventure, or simply one chapter. A post-wedding session can take the two of you somewhere that would never make sense for a larger group. This is especially useful for couples who want the wedding day itself to remain simple. You do not have to bring every dream location into the ceremony day. A separate post-wedding session can become the place where you go farther, get wetter, hike a little more, or explore somewhere that simply would not work with 60, 70 or 100 guests.
Some places we know are better for a ceremony. Some are better for portraits. Some are simply beautiful places to slow down for a few minutes. We don't publish every location we know — part of our job is helping couples discover the right experience without turning every beautiful corner into a checklist.
07 — CHOOSE THE EXPERIENCE BEFORE THE PHOTOGRAPH.
Research is valuable. So is leaving a little room for discovery. We actually encourage couples to research enough to know what they love — mountain, water, rainforest, privacy, architecture, adventure — without feeling that they need to arrive with every photograph already chosen.
We've photographed couples who arrived with a very specific vision and couples who trusted us to discover something along the way. Both approaches can be wonderful. The difference is that the best sessions usually begin with a conversation about the experience, not a list of Instagram locations. If you tell us, “We want mountains and water, but we don't want a crowded waterfall,” that tells us much more than simply saying, “We want the famous La Fortuna spots.”
What matters is understanding what you want to feel. Adventure? Privacy? Water? Volcano? Rainforest? Something cinematic and quiet? A little bit of everything? Once we understand that, La Fortuna gives us an extraordinary number of ways to build the experience around you. That is the part of our job couples don't always see before they arrive. We are not simply looking for a pretty background. We are thinking about light, weather, access, how much walking makes sense in your attire, where you will feel comfortable, what can be private, and how one location can flow naturally into the next.
These are the things we have learned from photographing elopements and post-wedding sessions in La Fortuna. Not rules. Not a formula. Just a little local perspective from people who have been there, camera in hand, watching the weather change, adjusting the plan and seeing what happens when couples give themselves permission to experience the place instead of simply checking it off a list. If there is one thing we'd want you to take away, it is this: La Fortuna does not have one perfect elopement. It has an extraordinary number of possibilities. The fun — and the expertise — is figuring out which one feels like yours.
If La Fortuna feels like the kind of place where you could see yourselves saying “I do,” we would love to help you figure out what your version of that day could look like. No formula. No checklist. Just a thoughtful plan built around the two of you, the landscape, and the way you want to remember it.
Comments