The Ultimate Guide On How To Get Married In Mexico: It’s Easier Than You Think!

We understand. The idea of planning a destination wedding in Mexico can be a little unnerving at first. Where do you even start? How do you get married in Mexico? How do you pick a venue? Can you even legally get married? And how will you ever be able to pull this off without completely stressing yourself out?

Relax. Deep breath. Woooooo-sah.

We are here to help. This is all much easier than you think, and believe it or not, will cause you less stress than planning a traditional wedding at home. The key to planning your dream wedding in Mexico ultimately comes down to categorizing yourselves with two little questions. (Can it really be that easy? Read on…)

Are all-inclusive resorts for weddings our best option?

In Mexico, all of your beach wedding venue options boil down to this; on resort or off-resort. When you figure out which one you want, the overwhelming number of options becomes more manageable.

But how do you figure out which is right for you? The Knot has some advice in deciding if an All-Inclusive is right for you, and here are some of our own questions that will help:

• Do you want a lot of hands-on control over all of the details of your wedding day?
• Are privacy and intimacy important elements to you on your wedding day?
• Do you hope to be in regular, constant communication with your wedding coordinator?
• Would it bother you to sense you are on a wedding conveyor belt?

If you answered ‘No’ to three or more of these questions, then you should be looking at all-inclusive beach wedding packages.

Getting married at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico will have you essentially just showing up with your friends and family, sharing a fantastic vacation together, keeping all your wedding decisions to a bare minimum, and saying ‘I Do’ somewhere during that week.

Sound good? Then you can move to choosing your resort with help from our ultimate list of best resorts in Riviera Maya.

However, if you answered ‘Yes’ to three or more questions above, then you are better suited to plan your wedding at a beach club or private villa. Maybe the vision you have for your beach wedding in Mexico is private and intimate, (ie. nobody is playing volleyball ten feet away) or you have Pinterest boards dedicated to all the little details you must have, or you expect hands-on attention whenever you pose a question to your wedding coordinator. If you are this type of bride, then a resort wedding is going to drive you mad!

You are best to hold your ceremony and reception at any number of excellent beach clubs or villas in Mexico. Here are our top five favorite off resort wedding venues in Riviera Maya. (And we have more since this was published! Contact us if you want more options!)

In our opinion, the off-resort option is not explored nearly enough because of the misconception that it is more expensive, but you might be surprised to hear that when the final bills are settled, they can cost you roughly the same.

Okay, with that question answered, now what’s the second thing you need to ask yourselves?

Is it legal to get married in Mexico or should we just have a symbolic ceremony?

Okay, hold on. Before you jump up and say “Well, of course, I want to get legally married on my wedding day!” we suggest that you consider the following first:

• Can you go on vacation for at least a week?
• Are you comfortable with the required blood test to get married in Mexico?
• Will you be happy with a stranger performing your wedding ceremony?
• Are you prepared to do a little extra paperwork for your wedding?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to all of the above then you can move forward with planning a civil (legal) ceremony in Mexico. To start with, you will need to make sure that your wedding date is set for at least four working days after you plan to arrive. And here is all the information you will need about the requirements for getting legally married in Mexico.

However, if you answered ‘No’ to any of the above, then you are probably a better candidate for a symbolic ceremony in Mexico, and a quick visit to City Hall back home for ‘The Real Deal’. Yes, yes, yes the idea of having two wedding dates might make you uncomfortable at first, but compare that to NOT having your Dad/Best Friend/Uncle Jim be the one to pronounce you man and wife if that’s what you had your heart set on. Or if you hope for a wedding date that happens to fall during a religious holiday season, like Easter, you may struggle for the required number of working days in the country. There are loads of reasons you might find a symbolic ceremony to be the better choice in the end.

And Psssssst! You can always get legally married at home, and nobody but the two of you ever has to know that your destination wedding in Mexico is only symbolic!)

Okay, now you know about the best places to get married in Mexico, and whether or not you should have a legal wedding to boot. These are the biggest decisions you will face when considering how to get married in Mexico!

Whew. Now it’s just the gravy; shopping for beach wedding dresses and getting excited about your vacation of a lifetime!

For the next steps to take then read our guide on how to plan a destination wedding, or leave your questions for us below.

And if you are looking for the best Playa del Carmen wedding photographer for your beach wedding, then contact us today! We are Fun In The Sun Weddings, the best Riviera Maya wedding photographers.

So, how will YOU get married in Mexico? Are you an all-inclusive resort bride? Will you be having a legal ceremony? We want to know your thoughts!