Amanda and Andy exchanged their vows in an elegant ceremony on April 27th, 2022 at the lavish Planet Hollywood Resort in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. With the lush tropical backdrops, Amanda and Andy exchanged their vows in an intimate ceremony with family and friends. From the elegant floral arrangements, to the thoughtful special touches, Amanda and Andy’s Costa Rica wedding was a dream come true!

About the couple:

Bride: Amanda Garofalo
Groom: Andy Balaj
Occupations: Amanda is a paralegal and Andy is a Sales Representative.
How you met: Modern love story – online!
What attracted Andy to Amanda: Her laugh and her smile.
What attracted Amanda to Andy: His sense of humour and his eyes.
Engagement Story: Amanda and Andy got engaged on Christmas day 2020. Andy told me to close my eyes and then I heard our song start to play. When I opened my eyes, there was the most amazing gift by the tree – Andy was on one knee holding a ring box!

The Wedding Day

Wedding date: April 27th, 2022
Number of guests: 20
Her most memorable moment: When I started to walk down the aisle and saw Andy standing there.
His most memorable moment: When I saw Amanda walking down the aisle.
Advice to other couples: A marriage is not 50-50, it is each person giving 100%. You both give everything you can.
Wedding song: Perfect by Ed Sheeran
Most unexpected moment: Surprise fireworks at the end of the reception.
Honeymoon Destination: Amalfi Coast!
The day in three words: Happily Ever After!

Wedding Info:

Ceremony location: Rooftop of the Planet Hollywood Resort
Reception location: Rooftop of the Planet Hollywood Resort
Bridal gown: Allure off-the-shoulder, sweetheart neckline sheath wedding dress
Bridal party attire: Blush pink fitted spaghetti strap dresses
Groom’s attire: Custom made Surmesure navy blue tuxedo
Favours: Flower bouquet fridge magnets
Music: DJ who played a mix of everything!
Flowers: A stunning mix of white florals and elegant eucalyptus greenery

Fun Stuff

Astrological signs: Gemini (Amanda) + Taurus (Andy).
Type of rings: oval cut diamond pavé halo diamond with a half eternity diamond band. Amanda’s ring is a stunning half eternity diamond ring, while Andy adorned a gold brushed flat beveled edge wedding band.
Wedding colors: white, green and blush.
Brides shoes: block heel in ivory leather, with handmade lace from Greece.
What was borrowed?: Amanda’s mothers pearl bracelet.
What was new?: Amanda’s wedding dress.
What was blue?: The garter belt.
Most romantic moment?: Our first dance.

Feedback

If you could give a couple tips to newly engaged couples about planning a destination wedding, or advice for the wedding day what would you say?

Planning a wedding is stressful, planning a destination wedding during a pandemic is a whole other level of stress! Just know that there are things that are out of your control and not to sweat the little things. A million things can go wrong so just focus on what is going right. It’s not every day that you get to plan your wedding, so just enjoy the experience because in the end it is all worth it!

Can you please tell us about your experience (prior to departure) working with your LUXE wedding planner and travel manager?

Working with Tiffany was a dream! She made sure to listen to all of our wants and needs, doing everything in her power to make our vision come to life!

Mohamed took excellent care of our booking arrangements for all our friends and family!

Thank you to Lizzie, Mohamed and Tiffany for all of your efforts and hard work!

Congratulations again to the happy couple!