A Costa Rican Wedding

6.3/10 · 1,021 ratings20241h 24mWeirdness 5/10Bingo card

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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

Show

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.

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)
Emily arrives in Costa Rica as maid of honor for her best friend Phoebe's destination wedding, carrying the emotional baggage of her recent breakup with Shane. She is determined to keep the weekend perfect for Phoebe and Jamal, especially because Phoebe's family wedding bands are irreplaceable heirlooms that Emily has been entrusted to protect. At the airport, Emily is picked up by Ryan, Jamal's cousin by marriage and a new tour company owner, which immediately puts her on edge because she has never quite trusted him. Once Emily reaches the beach house, the wedding party settles into vacation mode while Emily tries to hide how badly the breakup still stings. Ryan keeps turning up as the helpful local expert, but Emily and he exchange sharp remarks and awkward banter, revealing a long-standing friction between them. Phoebe and the others keep reminding Emily to relax, but she is still doomscrolling Shane's social media and obsessing over the possibility that he may be moving on with someone else. The weekend takes a wild turn when the bachelorette outing to Manuel Antonio National Park goes wrong. Emily's backpack is snatched by monkeys, and with it goes her phone, speech, and, eventually, the horrifying realization that Phoebe's wedding rings were still inside a hidden pocket. Emily and Ryan chase clues through the jungle, consult the park guide Esteban, and repeatedly get outsmarted by the terrain, the weather, and the monkeys. Their search becomes a forced-proximity adventure involving scooters, a boat, a bridge, a night in the jungle, a snake encounter, and a growing awareness that they are actually good together. As the chaos escalates, Emily and Ryan finally stop sniping at each other long enough to speak honestly. Ryan admits he has never avoided Emily because he dislikes her; he has been interested in her and has tried to stay away because of Shane. Emily, meanwhile, realizes that her fixation on Shane has kept her from choosing her own life, and she tells Ryan that she no longer wants to wait around for someone else to decide her future. Ryan responds with genuine vulnerability and tells her, "I would choose you. 100 times over I would choose you," which shifts their relationship from irritation to real romantic possibility. Emily and Ryan eventually recover the bag, and Esteban helps bring the missing backpack back from the monkeys' trail. Emily returns to Phoebe and confesses everything: the lost rings, the missing time, and the fact that the wedding officiant was booked for the wrong weekend, forcing a last-minute change of plans. The family is stunned, but the group rallies, Phoebe accepts the chaos, and Ryan steps in by presenting himself as an ordained backup officiant so the wedding can still happen. In the final stretch, Phoebe and Jamal marry on the beach, Emily and Ryan share the feeling that something new is beginning, and the story ends on a playful note as the wedding day is blessed by love, Pura Vida, and one last unexpected monkey.

Beat by beat

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

Rating 6.3 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.3567

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

    Lead

    school nurse

    loyalanxiousdeterminedself-sacrificingself-aware
  • Ryan

    Love interest

    tour company owner and local guide

    He is Emily's love interest and the groom's cousin by marriage

    patientcharmingadventurousobservantsupportive
  • Shane

    Antagonist

    Emily's ex-boyfriend

    Emily's ex who keeps her emotionally stuck

    self-centereddistantindecisiveemotionally unavailable
  • Phoebe Clark

    Supporting

    bride and Emily's best friend

    Emily's closest friend and the bride whose wedding Emily is helping plan

    warmcreativebride-focusedencouraging
  • Jamal

    Supporting

    groom

    Phoebe's fiancé and Emily's friend

    easygoingdevotedsteadyhumorous
  • Bonnie

    Supporting

    school colleague/friend

    Emily's friend who gives advice and encouragement from home

    practicalsupportivewittycaring
  • Ty'esha

    Supporting

    bridesmaid and wedding helper

    Emily's friend and fellow member of the bridal party

    helpfulorganizedcheerfulloyal
  • Sue

    Supporting

    Phoebe's mother

    Phoebe's mom and a source of wedding pressure for Emily

    traditionalproudprotectiveopinionated
  • Esteban

    Supporting

    park guide / local expert

    He helps Emily and Ryan track down the stolen backpack

    resourcefulcalmknowledgeablekind
  • Camille

    Supporting

    resort host / local friend

    A Costa Rican friend who helps Emily and Ryan when they get stranded

    welcomingcalmfriendlyobservant
  • Bruce

    Supporting

    Phoebe'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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