WEDDING

Planning a Wedding in Mexico – A Complete Guide

mexican wedding

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If you’ve never considered Mexico for your destination wedding, now would be a perfect time.  Mexico has a lot of potential with its beach-front resorts, mountainside villas, and bustling cities that are definitely worth exploring. It’s also known for its beautiful locations which attract couples who want to have the ultimate romantic destination wedding. If you’re up for an adventure, here are some tips on how to plan your perfect Mexican destination wedding!

Why Choose Mexico?

Mexico is a beautiful country that offers so many different options for venues and catering, as well as unique traditions to incorporate into your ceremony. Besides, it proves a relaxing getaway for the couple and the family before beginning their married life. These and many more reasons make it an ideal choice to tie the knot in legal as well as symbolic wedding ceremonies.

Most couples who choose Mexico as their destination tend to have it on the beach as it’s a wonderful tropical experience but others prefer to have their wedding in the city instead. The country is also popular due to its location since it’s easily accessible for guests from the U.S.A, as well as Europe and Latin America.

Popular Wedding Locations in Mexico

Mexico is home to many resorts and hotels in popular locations, some of which have all-inclusive wedding packages. These locations are a treat to the eyes and ideal for an outdoor wedding. In addition, some may offer wedding-specific services and discounts.  Here are some possible wedding locations that you can consider for your Mexican wedding.

·      Cabo San Lucas

cabo san lucas

Located at the tip of the Mexican state Baja California Sur, Cabo San Lucas (also known as Cabo) is one of the most beautiful destinations for weddings. It’s known for its gorgeous, scenic beaches and resorts which are ideal locations for a wedding. If you want to have your wedding in Cabo while escaping the hustle-bustle of the city, you can plan your wedding in the town of Todos Santos, which is just an hour away.

·      Cancun

cancun mexico

Known as the ‘heart of the Mexican Caribbean’, Cancun is located in the Yucatan Peninsula north of the Riviera Maya (the Caribbean coast resort district). With its white-sand beaches, vibrant nightlife, and Mayan ruins, Cancun has a lot to offer. It’s an ideal location for those planning a gorgeous beach wedding. Some of the resorts offer all-inclusive wedding packages starting at $7,500.

·      Isla Mujeres

isla mujeres mexico

Isla Mujeres, or the Island of Women, is a small, beautiful island that’s only about five miles long and located in the Caribbean Sea. Due to its small size, this island has a cozy vibe and is ideal for a simple and charming wedding ceremony away from too much crowd. The place has the largest underwater museum with fantastic sea caves and reefs if you wish to explore. If your wedding is held any time from May to September, you’ll likely be able to see the giant sea turtles laying their eggs on the beach, giving you a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity.

·      Puerto Vallarta

puerto vallarta mexico

Puerto Vallarta has a lot to offer, with its ocean excursions, zip-lining, and bungee jumping being some of the most popular adventures that attract tourists. It lies between the Pacific Ocean and the largest natural bay in Mexico. A rich and dynamic beach resort city, it’s the perfect destination if you’re planning on having a nature-themed wedding  

·      Mexico City

mexico city

Mexico City is the ideal place for a culturally rich, vibrant wedding full of color.  There are several venue options to choose from including Old Convent of Regina, Franz Mayer Museum, and other luxury boutiques and the city also offers many scenic churches and ancient ruins, like the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. One of the most luxurious wedding boutiques in Mexico City is the Pug Seal in the Polanco region.

Best Wedding Packages in Mexico

beach wedding ceremony

One of the main reasons why Mexico is popular for weddings is because it’s an extremely affordable location. You can plan a wedding for around $8,000 which is much less than the average $33,000 in the U.S. You’ll also come across exclusive offers for the bride, groom, friends and family from various resorts and hotels. These wedding packages may cost between $4,000 and $6,000, depending upon your choice of services.

Like most couples, you can choose the all-inclusive options to avoid the last-minute hassle of any vendor cancelling. Besides, it will save you from overspending on things you don’t need. Let’s take a look at some popular wedding packages:

·      Royalton Riviera Cancun

Royalton Riviera Cancun will offer you everything you need for a contemporary wedding and you can invite a large number of guests to be a part of your big day. The package includes a kids club, buffet restaurant, teen club and nightly entertainment with live music to keep everyone in a celebratory mood. The destination also offers beach clubs and pools if that’s what you’re looking for.

You can choose various options starting from $2,999 with 20 guests. The package includes a wedding coordinator, bridal spa, symbolic wedding, solo music, cocktail party, and steaming service for your wedding attire. A two-tier wedding cake, rehearsal dinner, photographer and DJ services are also a part of this deal.

·      Hard Rock Riviera Maya

This is an excellent location with an aesthetically pleasing ambiance. The hotel décor is vibrant for weddings and can accommodate large family gatherings. It will be an ideal choice for your wedding since your guests (both adults and kids) will have an unforgettable time.

The package starts from $4,000 for 32 guests and includes organization services, symbolic wedding décor, fireworks, cake, wine and other optional services. There are different wedding packages for Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Same-Sex and vow renewal weddings as well.

·      AM Resorts

AM resorts offer exclusive packages for ceremonies and receptions, starting from $3,199 for twenty guests. This package includes a wedding coordinator, bouquet and boutonniere for symbolic ceremonies, ironing for wedding attire, hair and makeup for one. They also offer floral centerpieces, wedding cakes, sparkling wine, cocktail hour, wedding albums, and other optional items.

Legal Requirements for a Wedding in  Mexico

You will have to have your documents translated to Spanish for the wedding to be considered legal in Mexico.

You will also need to have the following:

  • Your passport with a valid visa
  • Your birth certificate
  • A blood test report (which also has to be written in Spanish)
  • In some Mexican states (eg. Riviera Maya and Cancun), you’ll need to have four witnesses at your wedding with official identification.

If you prefer to avoid all the hassle, you could always marry in your home state and then have just a symbolic wedding in Mexico.

Mexican Wedding Traditions

Some couples choose to incorporate Mexican wedding traditions to make their weddings more meaningful. Here are some popular options.

·      Mexican Money Dance

In Mexican money dancing, the couple’s relatives dance up to the couple and pin money on their clothes. This tradition is special since it allows the couple to spend a few minutes with each of their relatives, who wish prosperity and good fortune for them.

·      La Tornaboda

La Tornaboda is a small get-together that’s normally held after the reception and only involves close friends and family. This is usually the time for the couple to open their gifts and spend some time with their closest family and friends.

·      El Lazo

The wedding lasso is a fun yet highly symbolic tradition, which represents everlasting love and unity between the couple. After the couple says their wedding vows, a string of flowers or beads (the lasso) is placed around the couple’s shoulders, in a figure-eight shape. The couple typically wears this lasso until the end of the mass.

How to Have a Symbolic Wedding Ceremony

symbolic wedding ceremony

You can incorporate a symbolic wedding ceremony to celebrate your love story with personal vows and activities. Although this ceremony may not have any legal authority, many couples prefer to have one since it gives them the opportunity to share their story with their family and friends without the hassle of documentation required when having a destination wedding. This is also suitable for those looking to renew their vows or add some fun element to the ceremony. The ceremony is officiated by a non-denominational minister or a religious officiant of your choice. Before or after the symbolic ceremony, you’ll need to complete a legal ceremony with all the prerequisites for your wedding to be legal.

Dress Code for Mexican Weddings

mexican wedding dress

The dress code for your wedding is ultimately your choice and depends on your culture. Most of the time in Mexico, the dress code for a wedding is formal attire.  You can also choose from casual and semi-formal dress codes to add versatility for your guests.

Wedding Attire for the Bride and Groom

The type of wedding dress you choose to wear depends on your personal style. There’s no specific type of dress worn by Mexican brides.

Consider factors such as dress length, transportability, and fabric when choosing a dress, since you should be able to move around comfortably in your bridal gown. You can choose any type of gown you want, as long as you’re comfortable in it, whether it’s a designer gown, flowing dress, cocktail dress or even a pantsuit.

For the groom, a crisp black tux would be perfect for a formal Mexican wedding but it’s important to match the bride’s gown so that your looks are relevant to the theme. You can skip the tux for a beach wedding and choose a cotton or linen shirt in a lighter shade with formal pants if you’re wedding is going to be on the beach.

Consider the theme of your wedding, weather, and ceremony when you’re choosing your wedding attire. The most common Mexican wedding colors include red, yellow, green, orange, blue, and purple. However, if you prefer less color, you can always go for white, off-white, and beige.

Wedding Attire for the Guests

If your guests prefer, they can choose tropical prints instead of solids for a beach wedding. Vibrant colors such as blue, turquoise, orange, lime green, and yellow would go well with the exotic Mexican locations.

For the ladies, flowing gowns in light fabrics such as linen, lace, organza, cotton blends, and chiffon would suit perfectly. Men can choose to wear linen and cotton shirts with pants or they can pick tropical shirts for beach weddings. Your guests could choose lighter fabrics with soothing colors such as tan, beige, grey, blue, and cream.

What to Pack

The weather in Mexico is typically warm all year round so make sure to check the weather in advance to know what to pack. You won’t be able to carry any meats, seeds, fresh produce or anything else agricultural when you travel to Mexico, so remember to let your guests know in advance.

Wrapping Up

Planning your dream destination wedding in Mexico can be a fun experience that you and your guests will remember forever. While you’re there, have fun and enjoy the culture, beautiful locations, wedding coordinators and the all-inclusive deals that will help make your ceremony run smoothly. It will surely be an experience that will leave behind memories to last a lifetime.