Not wanting to inconvenience family with extensive travel for a stateside wedding, Rebecca and Joshua decided to jet set to the lush rainforests of Costa Rica for an exotic elopement at a wildlife refuge.

“Both of us have important family members who were physically unable to travel the distance either way,” says Rebecca.

With a cascading waterfall as their ceremony backdrop, the only guests who crashed the celebration were fluttering butterflies, majestic jungle cats, fleeting hummingbirds, and white nose coati.

“It was just beautiful and I’m really glad to have beautiful pictures by Comfort Studios to enjoy and reflect on that special day.”

Rebecca, 28 & Joshua, 31 

Varablanca, Costa Rica

Wedding Date: December 12, 2012

Number of Guests: 0

Wedding Cost: We wanted to cover as much of the cost as we could on our own so approximately $7,000 from our own pocket. Additionally we had lots of help and donations from our wonderful family because they understand that we want to stay out of debt.

Wedding Ceremony Location: La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Costa Rica

Wedding Reception Location: Texas and Florida to accommodate family and friends from both sides.

If you are looking for a wedding venue in northern Ontario, Nottawasaga Inn is a must see.

For brides with dreams of saying “I do” indoors, Nottawasaga Inn in Alliston, ON offers a variety of indoor options, including grand ballrooms, cozy fireplaces, and even an intimate chapel.

Brides who prefer to get married amidst the splendor of Mother Nature will be blown away by the “Wedding Garden”. Complete with a path surrounded by lush greenery and a serene pool in the ceremony area, your outdoor ceremony is sure to be unforgettable. The garden also features a number of rare photo opportunities, including a fully functional (and gorgeous) wooden water wheel.

Whatever you envision for your big day, the Nottawasaga Inn wedding planners are available to help make your event unforgettable.

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Photo One and Two: Raph Nogal Photography 

The interior of a barn is naturally neutral. If that isn’t the look that you want for your barn wedding, add color!

Adding color to a blank canvas like the interior of a barn can be a lot of fun. Whether you opt to bring in color through your tablescapes, the chairs, linens, lanterns or artwork there are tons of options for brightening up such a vast space.

I love this color palette! It’s perfect for a barn wedding and shows that you can still have a fairly neutral palette with pops of color coming from your chairs.

It’s no secret that wedding gowns cost big bucks these days. And while lots of brides have no problem shelling out thousand of dollars for a dress that they will only wear once, not everyone wants or can afford to wear a traditional wedding gown. So what’s a girl on a budget to do, you may ask? Well today’s your lucky day because we’ve scoured the internet, so you don’t have to, rounding up ten amazing alternative wedding dresses all for under $500!

1.  The Aqua Mary Maxi Dress from ASOS  $296.98

The Aqua Mary Maxi dress (also pictured above) is perfectly minimal and can be styled with the right accessories to fit just about any style of bride. In addition to this dress, ASOS has a great selection of white dresses under $500 and is a must-visit site for budget-savvy brides.