GUANACASTE · WEDDING VENUE FIELD GUIDE
Hacienda Pinilla
Ranch land meets beach club — long roads, old trees, and wide Pacific sunsets. Full notes coming.
WHEN TO SAY YOUR VOWS
Ceremony timing at Hacienda Pinilla
The single biggest decision for your photos is the ceremony time. Our rule on this coast: end your ceremony as golden hour begins, so your first portraits as a married couple happen in the best light of the day.
THE LIGHT, MONTH BY MONTH
Sunset & golden hour at Hacienda Pinilla
Computed for this exact spot (Guanacaste) — mid-month times, accurate within a few minutes year to year.
| Month | Golden hour | Sunset | Ceremony we’d suggest |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 3:55 PM |
| February | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 4:06 PM |
| March | 5:26 PM | 5:54 PM | 4:09 PM |
| April | 5:25 PM | 5:54 PM | 4:09 PM |
| May | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 4:12 PM |
| June | 5:35 PM | 6:05 PM | 4:20 PM |
| July | 5:39 PM | 6:09 PM | 4:24 PM |
| August | 5:32 PM | 6:01 PM | 4:16 PM |
| September | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 3:58 PM |
| October | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 3:41 PM |
| November | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 3:32 PM |
| December | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 3:39 PM |
FIELD NOTES
What we’ve learned shooting here
Where the sun drops
Faces west over the Pacific — a true over-the-water sunset drop.
If it rains
Tropical rain here usually passes in about 20 minutes — and the light right after is often the best of the day. We always arrive with a plan.
Logistics worth knowing
Getting here: fly into LIR — approx. 1 to 1.5 hours (same general corridor as Tamarindo, roughly 20 minutes further south). Gated community entry.
Drone footage
Wind, rules, and permissions decide drone flights — we never promise a specific aerial shot, and we always ask the venue first.
What to avoid
Midday portraits (11 AM–2 PM) in harsh tropical light, scheduling anything in the 30 minutes before your ceremony, and a family photo list that says “and family” — name every person.
OUR PHOTOGRAPHIC POINT OF VIEW
“Ranch land meets beach club: long roads, old trees, Las Palapas on the sand, and wide Pacific sunsets. In our own words to a March couple: stunning sunsets, easy energy, real moments — and the two of you finally getting to enjoy all the people who showed up for you.”ADRI & LUCAS
QUESTIONS COUPLES ASK US
Planning a wedding at Hacienda Pinilla
When is the best time of year for a Pinilla wedding?
February is one of the best months here — full summer and beautiful sunsets. March runs a close second: stunning sunsets and easy energy.
How early should hair and makeup be done?
Fully done — not finishing touches — at least 2.5 hours before the ceremony. Hair and makeup almost always run longer than expected, and it is the number one thing that delays a wedding day.
Which planners do you love working with here?
Kristina Ullrich (Perennial Weddings), Erika Barreiro and the Amore Paraiso team, and Bajo Tu Sombra all run beautiful Pinilla weddings — we build the photo timeline together with them.
What time should our ceremony start?
Late afternoon — always. We build your day backward from sunset so the ceremony ends right as golden hour begins, and your first portraits as a married couple happen in the best light of the day. Roughly: 3:45–4:15 pm from October to January, 4:00–4:30 pm from February to September. Your exact times live in the Light & Timing tool.
What if it rains on our wedding day?
Tropical rain here usually passes in about twenty minutes — and the light right after is often the best of the whole day. We always arrive with a plan, and some of our favorite images ever happened because it rained first.
Can we get drone footage here?
Wind, venue rules, and permissions decide drone flights — so we never promise a specific aerial shot, and we always ask first. When conditions line up, we fly.
When should we arrive in Costa Rica?
Two or more days before the wedding. The buffer beats the stress: luggage has time to catch up, attire gets steamed, and you actually arrive at your own wedding rested.
Dreaming of Hacienda Pinilla?
We’d love to hear your plans. Our booked couples get the full private guide — timelines built around the light, checklists, moodboards, and every field note we have.
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