Planning your destination wedding in Cancun / Riviera Maya
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Your wedding day is the one of the most important days of your life. Many couples are now opting to spend their special day in exotic locations, surrounded by their loved ones. There are many reasons to choose a destination wedding from budget limitations to wanting it to be as stress free as possible. Whatever your reason, a destination wedding is a great way to ensure your special day is filled with unforgettable memories.
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There are numerous beautiful options for a destination wedding. Couples can choose from a traditional small chapel venue to a sandy beach. Every couple deserves their wedding day to be special and unique. Create wonderful memories for years to come with your nearest and dearest!
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The most amazing part of a destination wedding is that it’s relatively stressfree compared to other weddings. After helping with the travel arrangements for your guests, you should have very little to do once you actually arrive at your location. The build up to your wedding day can be spent blissfully sipping cocktails on the beach rather than panicking over last minute seat changes.
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Planning a wedding should be exciting. You should be enjoying the build up to your big day. With a bit of careful planning you can have the wedding of your dreams in an idyllic location. Here are our top tips for planning your dream day – what you need to consider and hints to make it the special day you always dreamed about:
Cost
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Your wedding can be as low key or as extravagant as you like. The great thing about destination weddings is that they’re suitable for every budget. Couples can save a considerable amount of money by combining their wedding and honeymoon. With a destination wedding you’re already on your romantic getaway! Couples can get much more for their money with a destination wedding. What's better that a wedding and honeymoon combination? You're already in your dream location and can carry on the celebrations with your guests for the next few days.
Guests
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With destination weddings, guests tend to be very close family and friends, which means that couples save money on big elaborate receptions. It’s the
perfect opportunity for your nearest and dearest to stay on after the wedding and have a weeklong celebration! •
It’s recommended that you start working on your guest list well in advance – you should start as soon as you decide to get married. That way you can make sure you get the best rooms – you can reserve blocks of rooms for discounted rates.
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It’s useful to have a head count as soon as possible - it’s vital when choosing the venue as you may need to limit the guest list if you’re planning on getting married in a tiny chapel.
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Guests will want to have lots of time for planning their travelling. They’ll need to book time off work, organise passports and book flights well in advance. It’s good to send save-the-dates cards to them as early as possible with all the vital information.
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As your guests are making a special effort to travel to your chosen destination, you should provide them with detailed instructions on airport transportation and accommodation.
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Try to provide a few accommodation options for guests - they may all have different budgets so it will be good for them to have some options to consider.
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It’s nice to host a welcome party for your guests when they arrive. After travelling they’ll want some time to recharge and relax.
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Arrange a welcome basket for their arrival with a personal note saying something along the lines of “Hope you’ve had a nice journey – see you soon!” Place maps of the local area and a homemade guide of hotspots and attractions
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Arranging a day out to the local sites for you all as a group as a thank you to everyone is a nice touch
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Also, remember that most couples don’t have a gift list for destinations. Guests have already paid a lot of money on travel and accommodation.
Airfare •
If you’re helping to organise everyone’s flights then it’s a good idea to contact airlines and negotiate a group rate. Travel agents can also help find the best flights and hotels.
Accommodation
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A travel agent can negotiate a hotel rate for your group. They will be able to renegotiate nearer the date to try and get a better deal if the hotel has low occupancy. Final payment on rooms often aren’t due with an agent until a month prior which means you have more time to finalise you guest list.
On Location •
It’s vital to have someone at your wedding location to help you plan. Make sure they know your budget and your wedding style. Make your requests as specific as possible and as soon as possible.
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As well as planning the actual ceremony, it's also a good idea to think about other activities – that way your entire trip will be special! Plan your reception well and celebrate at a dinner or cocktail party customized to fit your needs.
Time Alone •
If you are combining your honeymoon and wedding then you may want to escape after a few days celebrating with your guests. It can be a good idea to venture off to another resort.
The Dress •
Consider the venue and the climate when choosing your dress. Nobody wants a sweaty best man in full tuxedo on the beach!
Event Planner •
The easiest way to organise your big day is to hire an event planner to take away all the stress for you! An experienced planner can walk you through everything. Make sure you give precise details about what you want.
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Choosing the right event planner is crucial. Be sure to do your homework! Ideally, you need to find a planner that is able to make your wedding customized and unique. Find one that has at least some minimum manufacturing capabilities or a large range of in-house equipment so that your time isn't taken up with last minute stressful shopping. It's best to hire a planner that has a range of items such as gazebos and centrepieces to choose from - that way the process becomes much easier as you'll be able to browse through the brochures at leisure and see actual photographs of what the entire sets look like. This is far easier than sourcing everything from a range of different suppliers. By choosing an experienced planner you'll be able to have the whole dazzling event designed for you!
Don’t micromanage
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Resist the temptation to become a control freak, intent on micromanaging the event. Help is at hand from someone with extensive knowledge of managing such an event, coupled with knowledge of local customs and the area.
Why Cancun / Riviera Maya?
Situated in southeastern Mexico, Cancun and the Riviera Maya have everything you could possibly want in a wedding destination. The area is warm year-round for beach weddings and there’s an abundance of traditional churches to choose from. Surrounded by ocean, it provides an exquisite backdrop of turquoise sea and sandy beaches. Couples can swim with dolphins or go deep sea diving! The people are friendly, the beaches are gorgeous and the city is vibrant. This romantic and beautiful area is the perfect place for a memorable wedding. Both Cancun and the Riviera Maya are gorgeous locations for a wedding. Which one you chose will depend on the atmosphere you are looking to create. Riviera Maya has more of a tranquil setting with resorts set along the Mexican Caribbean Sea. Cancun is a bustling city, full of high-rise hotels. Whereas the Riviera Maya is a calm oasis, Cancun has excitement in the air!
With some thoughtful planning and the aid of an event planner you can experience a destination wedding that surpasses even your wildest dreams! Here are some hints on how to make the most out of Cancun for your big day: •
Use the beautiful landscapes of Cancun and the Riviera Maya to your advantage rather than spend money on expensive decorations!
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The Riviera Maya allows you to explore some of the world’s best cultural sights - arrange a group excursion for all your guests to a large Mayan city and take in the incredible history.
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Cancun and Riviera Maya are well known for having the beautiful spas. What better time to pamper yourself than before your big day? Instead of the stress that most people feel before their wedding, you can spend the days relaxing in one of the spas. Indulge in a traditional Mayan massage or relax in a steam bath. Make the most of your vacation and look the best for your big day!
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Cancun is a vibrant city with many venues. Decide on one that suits you. Beach wedding with dinner on the beach? Traditional ceremony in a charming chapel? The choices are endless. Each wedding is unique! The hotels in Cancun are amazingly beautiful. There are also gorgeous tropical gardens
that can hold intimate ceremonies and traditional Mayan villages if you want a very interesting location. The list of possibilities is endless.
What you should know when planning your wedding in Cancun or the Riviera Maya •
The main point of arrival for both Cancun and the Riviera Maya is Cancun International Airport, which is a two hour flight from Mexico City.
Wedding Ceremonies: • The wedding ceremonies that can be performed in Mexico can be split into three main types - Legal, Religious and Symbolic. Legal •
The legal ceremony, also known as civil ceremony, is the only one that is actually recognised as legal in your home country. They are legal in Mexico but must be also legalized your country of residence/birth. This means that you’ll have to register your marriage certificate at your local City Hall. Legal ceremonies are in Spanish with English translations done by a Wedding Coordinator.
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For those of you from the USA, you’ll also need the Apostille Seal. This can normally be done by your wedding planner as part of your Cancun Wedding Package.
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Remember to take your passport. They should be presented to your wedding planner on arrival. Make sure that your name on the Tourist Card, which is provided to passengers on the plane before arrival at Cancun’s International Airport, matches the name on the passport,
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According to Mexican law, you need a Health Certificate showing the results of your blood test. The tests must be taken at the resort. They’ll be ready within 24 hours. So you’ll both need to arrive at the hotel at least 3 days before the ceremony for the tests and to process documents etc. This will also give you time to find your bearings and relax after your flights.
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The Mexican government require a “Single Status Statutory Declaration” to conduct a legal wedding. This states that you are currently single and are able to get married. No additional documents are needed if the groom is divorced. If the bride is divorced then it must have been at least 12 months ago. The passport needs to be under her maiden name. If not then she'll needs to present her Birth and Divorce Certificate. She'll also need the Apostille Seal to issue a document from one country to the other. If either the bride or groom's spouse is deceased, a copy of the Death Certificate must be presented.
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Four witnesses are required for the legal ceremony. Your event planner will provide you with a Civil Ceremony Form to fill out about the witnesses if you're providing them. They'll also need Tourist Cards, passports or driving licenses. Like you, they will also need to arrive 3 days before the ceremony so that the legal document process can be completed. They will need to be 18 or over on the day of the ceremony.
Religious Ceremony •
You may choose to have a Religious Ceremony alone, or to have it in conjunction with a Civil Ceremony.
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The bride and groom need to provide : Birth Certificates, Baptism Certificates and Confirmation Certificates. You should also obtain a letter from your Local Priest to the Cancun Priest, with his blessing for your marriage in Mexico.
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Many couples who are already married prefer to have a Symbolic Ceremony which is not recognised as legal.
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The Riviera Maya is an excellent location for a destination wedding, with a mixtures of large all-inclusive resorts and charming boutique hotels. Fantastic restaurants line the highway and the beaches.
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A great idea for a group activity is to explore the second largest reef in the world, Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which starts near Cancun and stretches along the Riviera Maya. Whether your guests are looking to swim with dolphins, jet ski or scuba dive, there is something for everyone!
So, after careful consideration you’ve decided on a destination wedding and the magnificent city of Cancun or the Riviera Maya is your chosen location! You’ve thought through all the benefits such as cost and decided that you’d like to organise your dream event in this tropical paradise. You should now have a beautiful picture in your mind of your special day. It’s time to start planning! Use the checklist below as a guide in the run up to the event. Remember to enjoy this exciting process – you have an event planner to organise the details for you. It’s your job to make your dream a reality. Think again of the wonderful picture you have in your mind….and start making it happen!
