A Costa Rican Wedding
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The premise
A clumsy maid of honor gets help from her handsome nemesis when things go awry at her best friend's Costa Rican wedding.
How unusual is it?
A fairly classic Hallmark setup with a quirk or two.
Who’s in it
Behind the camera
ShowHide
Directed by
Wait, what?
The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.
- monkeys steal a backpack containing priceless wedding rings
- the leads spend part of the movie getting lost in a jungle and sleeping in a hammock
- a crocodile-filled and volcano-adjacent Costa Rican adventure interrupts a wedding weekend
- the backup officiant is revealed to be online-ordained at the last minute
- a monkey appears again at the final wedding ceremony
Every trope, all in one place
Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 21 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Setting3
Time & season2
Premise2
Romance5
Tone & quirks1
How it ends2
How it all plays out
Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.
Full story (spoilers)
Beat by beat
Opening
Emily leaves for Costa Rica to be Phoebe's maid of honor while still hurting over Shane and trying to protect Phoebe's heirloom wedding rings.
Inciting incident
Ryan picks Emily up from the airport and brings her to the wedding venue, where their old tension and Emily's distrust of him immediately surface.
Rising action
A monkey steals Emily's backpack during the wedding weekend outing, and she realizes the bag contains her phone, speech, and the wedding rings.
Midpoint
Emily and Ryan head deep into Manuel Antonio Park with Esteban's help, and their banter turns into honest conversation as they begin to understand each other.
Conflict escalates
The search leads to a jungle night, injuries, a bridge crossing, and Emily's emotional confession that she has been waiting for Shane instead of choosing herself.
Climax
Emily recovers the backpack and returns to the wedding just in time, revealing the rings and forcing the group to improvise a new plan when the officiant booking is wrong.
Resolution
Ryan serves as backup officiant, Phoebe and Jamal are married, and Emily and Ryan admit that a real relationship may be beginning between them.
21 tropes in one movie
We counted 21 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Higher-rated than 37% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog A Costa Rican Wedding belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“Not as unbelievable as spending another day without you.”
— ShaneA romantic opening line that quickly turns into a reminder of Emily's unresolved breakup feelings “Keep your heart open and your phone closed.”
— BonnieBonnie sends Emily off to Costa Rica with advice about staying emotionally present “I was a fool. And I made a mistake. Now, that that thing's over and I know what I really want. What I really want is you, forever.”
— ShaneShane's attempt to win Emily back at the start of the story “Pura what?”
— EmilyEmily reacts when Phoebe talks about the Costa Rican phrase that will become important later “I would choose you. 100 times over I would choose you.”
— RyanRyan confesses his feelings after Emily finally stops waiting for Shane “I don't do heights.”
— RyanRyan admits his fear while the pair try to cross a bridge in the jungle “You may kiss the bride.”
— RyanThe final wedding ceremony line as Phoebe and Jamal are married
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Emily
Leadschool nurse
loyalanxiousdeterminedself-sacrificingself-awareRyan
Love interesttour company owner and local guide
He is Emily's love interest and the groom's cousin by marriage
patientcharmingadventurousobservantsupportiveShane
AntagonistEmily's ex-boyfriend
Emily's ex who keeps her emotionally stuck
self-centereddistantindecisiveemotionally unavailablePhoebe Clark
Supportingbride and Emily's best friend
Emily's closest friend and the bride whose wedding Emily is helping plan
warmcreativebride-focusedencouragingJamal
Supportinggroom
Phoebe's fiancé and Emily's friend
easygoingdevotedsteadyhumorousBonnie
Supportingschool colleague/friend
Emily's friend who gives advice and encouragement from home
practicalsupportivewittycaringTy'esha
Supportingbridesmaid and wedding helper
Emily's friend and fellow member of the bridal party
helpfulorganizedcheerfulloyalSue
SupportingPhoebe's mother
Phoebe's mom and a source of wedding pressure for Emily
traditionalproudprotectiveopinionatedEsteban
Supportingpark guide / local expert
He helps Emily and Ryan track down the stolen backpack
resourcefulcalmknowledgeablekindCamille
Supportingresort host / local friend
A Costa Rican friend who helps Emily and Ryan when they get stranded
welcomingcalmfriendlyobservantBruce
SupportingPhoebe's father
Phoebe's dad, who worries about the missing couple and wedding logistics
curiousprotectivecomicnosy
Questions people ask about A Costa Rican Wedding
Where can I watch A Costa Rican Wedding?
A Costa Rican Wedding is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is A Costa Rican Wedding?
A Costa Rican Wedding runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2024.
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Data and sources
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