Costa Rica Trash the Dress

Del Sol: Sol, you and Matt created the trash the dress concept more than 10 years ago in the Riviera Maya, Mexico. You’ve taken the concept all around the world: Panama, Argentina, Brasil, Caribean islands, Polinesia and of course Mexico. What were you particularly drawn to in the case of a Costa Rica trash the dress?

“The concept of trash the dress and the vision to shoot on a different day than the “real wedding” goes everywhere I go. I’m always avid to see new landscapes and “put people” in gorgeous nature landscapes connecting them with earth.” – Sol Tamargo

Del Sol: Mandi paid homage to her Indian heritage by wearing mehendi on her wedding day. She saved her colorful Sari for her Trash the dress session though!

The incredible bright yellow color plus the METERS of fabric looks like it was AWESOME to play with. However it probably wasn’t as easy as it looks laying with all that fabric in the wind!

“My heart changes color I believe. When I see traditional dress, color and fabric it is my dream come true! To amazing to photograph.”

“A Sari is a long and beautiful piece of fabric that wraps around the body and creates the dress. Mandy left a long piece for me to play and I was soooo happy!

“The wind was my friend! It helped moving the fabric and looked the way I wanted to look.”

Del Sol: Talk to us about why you like to use flowing fabrics in your photos and what it represents to you.

“Movement!! Flow! I’m an Aquarius, whether you believe in astrology or not I can tell you I need movement in my life.”

“I am air. I fly in my dreams, in the way I do things… and I translate that into my work. I show flow and movement: for me it means power. You can move gently or you can quickly change speed and bring a more dramatic move.”- Sol Tamargo

“Movement and flow translated into fabric is magical to me. Our life is a constant moving adventure.. even when we are still, the planet is moving us. I love it!!

Del Sol: Mandy and Aaron’s TTD was part of a multi-day destination celebration – more time with the couple for you. How did that influence photographing them for their final event – their Costa Rica Trash the Dress?

“The first two days, were mostly documentary. The mehndi party and then the wedding day. There was not much time to do creative portraits.”

“Making creative portraits is what I get to do on Trash the Dress sessions. It gives me the opportunity to focus on making art images. Connecting the couple with the place they chosen for their wedding. I always enjoy that opportunity!”

Del Sol: We loved that the end of the session culminated in everyone jumping on SUPs and hitting the water – not the normal way we end a TTD!! Talk to us about that!

“Mandy and Aaron had a very intimate group of family and friends. They all travelled from the other side of the ocean, England, all the way to Costa Rica. They flew, and took buses… a big trip and having an image to remember and commemorate their adventure was a must for me. They decided to paddle boarding at sunset, that was amazing!!!”

“The whole wedding group jumping on paddle boards was the perfect photo opportunity to commemorate the adventure that the group shared together. From the sky looking down at the ocean, the travelers that cross the sea to be together for LOVE. Totally romantic!”- Sol Tamargo

Tamarindo Stand Up Paddle – Costa Rica Trash the Dress

“Again.. movement! I always look for the way to show movement. And its not that hard to get off the board into the warm ocean any way… everybody was super happy!”

One of the greatest connections to the water is standing on top of a paddle board as you zoom across the waves.

The ocean comes at you from a different perspective and there is nothing more fun than to SUP in Costa Rica with your best friend(S).

This was a full on Stand Up Paddle Party and some of the most fun ever to photograph and experience, with a birds eye perspective. We are convinced the experiences we have form who we are as people.  Traveling to Costa Rica for a destination wedding so you can stand up paddle at sunset is the cherry on top of an excellent day.