Destination Weddings, Wedding Photoshoots

November 29, 2010

stay in costa rica: creative synergy part II

{ pictured: most of the team in between shots on playa blanca beach in punta leona }

Hot off the heels of a beautiful sunset, we woke up early the next morning and headed to Playa Blanca in Punta Leona to set up for our colorful and playful beach shoot. We packed up the car, jerry-rigged our furniture to the top of the SUV with some pretty purple organza ribbon, and headed off. The beach was remote, private, and a little challenging to get to. Walking through the rain forest will all our gear (i.e. table, benches, glassware, desserts, flowers, silverware, bouquets, gowns, accessories, spanx… !) we emerged onto a white sand, drift wood filled beach. There were amazing textures everywhere, like black volcanized rock with fossilized sea shells, old drift wood in interesting shapes that replicated furniture, palm trees, and a shoreline littered in coral. We set up our base underneath an old tree that was practically striped of its rooted home by the tide and rain water. Next to our shoot location, a river flowed onto the beach from the top of the neighboring mountain. Prior to our arrival, Costa Rica experienced the heaviest rains in 60 years. The aftermath of those rains came down in a steady stream and channeled into the Pacific Ocean.

{pictured: tony puts finishing floral touches on our tablescape }

{pictured: tony and I fending off this overly friend raccoon. he was after our delightful french macarons prepared by petites bouchees }

{pictured: the deliciousness of petites bouchee after the shoot. a worthy reward! }

After our beach shoot we returned home, tired, excited, and ready for a little rest! Our personal chef, Jose of El Buen Sabor, prepared a delicious meal for us which was very much needed! Jose has a company in Jaco, Costa Rica and caters all types of parties and social events– including weddings.

On Friday, we packed up the car full of big ball skirt dresses and amazing paper props and set off to Cuidad Colon and The Crazy Horse Farm for a full day of shooting. Krysia Peterson, the farm’s owner, was beyond welcoming to our group. We shot in the waterfall, on the side of a mountain, in a river, on the edge of ancient vines weaving through the rain forest, in Kenyan grass, on the top of the mountain overlooking the hills of Ciudad Colon, in a hammock (which to me, is the essence of Pura Vida), and last but certainly not least, on a horse.

{ pictured: myself, beth, max-daddy, diana and lindsay. it was really hot out, which explains beth and my delusions of grandeur }

{pictured: tony paints the pretty horses }

{pictured: my BFF, partner in crime, and the captain of our crew, carla ten eyck }

{pictured: max-daddy in full effect. and yes, that’s a cliff to his left }

{ pictured: tony and max do some heavy lifting of a vintage type writer. we are staging paper created by coral pheasant and love*jenna in these gorgeous kenyan grass fields }

{ pictured: carla ten eyck and team at the last shot of our shoot. what would a photoshoot with C10 be without some drizzle? }

{ yes, that’s one of beth chapman’s amazing gowns on that horse. and yes, eventually the horse did the unthinkable }

We wrapped just as the rain began to fall pretty hard– perfect timing.

There is something to be said, again, about teamwork and creative synergy. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by the brightest and best minds in the business. A true testament to friendship and teamwork is the ability to rise above and make things happen when the unexpected (or unthinkable) happens. I think that’s one of the things this team does best.

Many people ask me how to pull together the editorial shoots that we’ve worked on over the past year +. There are a lot of tips and tricks I could share, but really, the most important piece of advice I could give is for you to find a team that makes it worth wild. Because at the end of the day, aside from any kind of publicity you might receive, business you might garner, or glory you might gain– it really comes down to that magic moment when the excitement is at its peek, the vision in your head is made into reality, and you realize that you worked on this project because of the team– your friends– and the experience you’ll always have.

Mad props to: Carol ?, Bali of Unique Model Management, Max, Diana, Lindsay, Dodie, Aryn, Mark, Krysia, Nicole, Michelle, Erik, Oscar, Ivonne, Jessica, Carla Ten Eyck, Katie Slater, Sara Code-Kroll, Beth Chapman of The White Dress by the Shore, Tony Palmieri of Datura: A Modern Garden, DD Nickel, Jim Altieri of Vintage Cinema, The Metal Mermaid, Paloma’s Nest, coral pheasant, love*jenna, petites bouchee, Resource One Inc, Eventos BoadiceaStay in Costa Rica, MMH Marketing, Kayak Jaco, and Finca Caballo Loco for making it possible.

  1. Tweets that mention a jubilee event :: wedding inspiration for the jubilant bride » stay in costa rica: creative synergy part II -- Topsy.com says:

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Candice Coppola, Candice Coppola. Candice Coppola said: NEW BLOG POST } part two of our costa rican adventure and the reason why I do this: http://bit.ly/hUxapH […]

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