Have your wedding plans been thwarted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and now you dream of an intimate tropical Playa del Carmen elopement?
Or maybe you are simply not the couple who fit the craziness of a big wedding, and prefer instead to run away, just the two of you, for a destination elopement?
Whatever your reasons, you are not alone. This year the wedding trend is for more engaged couples like you to turn towards a simpler solution: Eloping in Mexico.
While many countries are still locked down, making large events a logistical nightmare, the Riviera Maya will welcome you will open arms! No quarantine procedures. No social distancing restrictions.
Since nobody knows when the Coronavirus pandemic will be behind us, planning a big wedding around a moving target date can be a pain. So why not just plan to elope in Playa del Carmen?
But you may be wondering what is included in Playa del Carmen elopement packages?
We are a collective of Riviera Maya wedding professionals who will help you plan, coordinate and capture your intimate, and memorable wedding adventure. We will make this easy and fun for you. Read on for what to expect when you are planning a Playa del Carmen elopement.
(Nush & Abir’s elopement at Blue Venado Beach Club)
1. Do you want your Playa del Carmen elopement to be legal?
The first step in selecting the right elopement package is to decide between a civil (legal) ceremony or a symbolic (non-legal) ceremony.
What do you need for a civil ceremony?
- Passports, including copies, for both of you and FOUR witnesses
- Tourist cards (these are issued when you enter Mexico)
- Your birth certificates and copies
- Divorce or death certificates (You must be divorced for ONE year before re-marrying in Mexico)
- Blood test results, done no more than 15 days before your wedding day
- Marriage request form
Everything must be translated by a certified translator and notarized in Mexico. Then your ceremony must be performed by an officiant of the civil registry of the local municipality in Mexico.
So, in a nutshell, a legal elopement in Mexico will require you to invest a bit more time and money.
I know, this sounds a bit overwhelming at first, but don’t worry, this is why we have wedding planners! They will hold your hand through it all, and can even provide witnesses to sign the paperwork. (Contact us now to be connected with the best!)
*An important note: If you are a US citizen who wants to get legally married in Mexico, certain states will require your marriage certificate be translated into English to be recognized as legal. Find your state on the list here.
Our Playa del Carmen elopement package tip:
Would you prefer to keep it simple and not jump through all the legal hoops?
Plan a symbolic (non-legal) ceremony instead!
- Have anyone you want to officiate the ceremony, like a friend, a Mayan Shaman, or Yours Truly!
- No witnesses are necessary.
- Get married as soon as you arrive if you want! No restrictions.
- Keep all the legalities in your home country.
(See more from Vanessa & Mike’s Holbox elopement)
2. Do you want an all-inclusive resort elopement package?
Have you thought of a wedding venue for your Playa del Carmen elopement?
It is easy to get tunnel-vision and think that all-inclusive wedding resorts are your only option for eloping in Riviera Maya, Mexico, and yes, this can be a fantastic option with loads of resorts to fit your style and budget.
The upside to planning an all-inclusive resort elopement in Playa del Carmen is that everything is taken care of for you. You are assigned a wedding coordinator, and they take care of the rest!
However, the downside is that you will lose any creative control over your elopement package. You will need to use their wedding vendors, or be faced with an outside vendor fee, or what they might call a vendor penalty. In a nutshell, if you want to bring in your photographer and videographer, hair and makeup, florist or officiant, they will charge you a hefty price to do so. Read more about Outside Vendor Fees and how to handle them.
Our Playa del Carmen elopement package tip:
Book your all-inclusive resort so you can relax without lifting a finger on your holiday, however, hold your elopement ceremony off-site or off the resort. If you are the unconventional, adventurous types, you will find that the stretch from Cancun to Tulum is a playground for the bold and the brave!
Have your wedding ceremony in a jungle cenote, an authentic Mexican hacienda or private beach club. You can take the plunge on a private boat charter, or getting married under the sea. The world is your oyster! With so many fantastic, professional wedding planners in the Riviera Maya to take care of all the details for you, and cool wedding venue options to choose from, you are guaranteed a unique and unforgettable experience!
Sure, an outside venue will carry an additional fee, but so will the outside vendor fee at your resort. Be sure to do your research before you book.
Do you want to explore your off-resort options? Contact us now. We can help.
(Christie & Juan eloped at Now Jade Riviera Cancun)
3. Do you want any wedding decor?
When you picture yourself saying “I Do!” in Mexico, is it just the two of you under a flowery wedding arch with the salty breeze on your sun-kissed skin?
If you are nodding your head YES! then just know that you can have and do pretty much whatever you want here in Playa del Carmen – you just need to select the venue that will allow your dream to become a reality.
Our most basic Playa del Carmen elopement package option puts you on a quiet piece of the seaside on a public access beach with your officiant. However, the beaches in Mexico are all federal property, and public, so although a short, sweet barefoot elopement is easy with no bells and whistles, you will not be able to have an arch, chairs or decor on a public access beach.
Don’t worry, in this basic elopement package option, you can choose to hold a bouquet, cut a cake, and pop the champagne.
But for anything more than that, you will need to reserve a private wedding venue. (See above)
Our Playa del Carmen elopement package tip!
Don’t buy anything on Etsy before you have nailed down your wedding venue. It would be shame if anything was to go to waste!
Besides, we have wonderful local wedding vendors we love and trust who can create whatever you dream of…and then the only item you will need to pack and travel with is your wedding dress.
(Why not have a first look at your elopement?)
4. Do you want a unique elopement package?
Maybe holding a bridal bouquet seems like a no-brainer to you?
But perhaps you would prefer to invest only in what you need, without paying for things you do not really want?
This is why we keep most elements as a-la-carte options in our elopement packages. Here is just an idea of what we can offer you:
- Bridal bouquet
- Hair and Makeup
- Officiant – Traditional or Shaman
- Wedding cake
- Mariachi
- Decor elements, like personalized maracas, fans, or signs
- Transportation
- Paddleboards and scuba diving
- Dinner or lunch reservations
Our Playa del Carmen Elopement Package Tip!
Dream big! Get clear on your vision, share it with us, and then trust us to make solid recommendations and take care of the organization for you.
(Get inspiration for decor and details)
5. Do you want photography and videography coverage?
Obviously capturing the memory of your wedding day is super important, right?
To give you a ball park idea of your basic needs, our Playa del Carmen elopement packages start with coverage of 45 minutes to one hour. This is if budget is top of mind and you are only looking for ceremony coverage, plus some Newlywed photos.
We recommend photo and video packages of 1.5 to 2 hours of coverage if you want several different backdrops, such as bright, colorful city streets, Mayan ruins, lush jungle and of course, tropical beach locations. More time will also offer the opportunity to get playful with a sexy Trash the Dress session if that appeals to you!
Dramatic drone photography and videography is also an a-la-carte option, and gives you a whole different intimate perspective on the adventure.
Either way, any former bride will tell you that photo and/or video coverage are the MOST important element of your elopement package. Your loved ones will want to share the moment with you, and professional photos or a romantic film are the best way to do that.
And ultimately, when the day has come and gone, and the memories fade, your photos and video will be all that remains.
Our Playa del Carmen Elopement Package Tip!
Choose a Videography team who can live stream your elopement ceremony, that way any friends and family who could not share the big moment can actually ‘be there’ as you say your vows.
Yes, we can help with this too! Contact us now for more information.
By now you must realize that Playa del Carmen elopement packages are completely customizable, and can be as unique as the two of you. A destination elopement is a perfect solution to your thwarted wedding plans, and a dreamy boho elopement is easy to arrange now that you have found Fun In The Sun Weddings!
We wish you the best of luck on your elopement adventure, and if you have questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us directly, or comment below.
Would you like to learn more about Fun In The Sun Weddings?
- Go to our Wedding Photography Service Page now.
