Tips for Planning a Destination Wedding in Mexico

It’s never too early to start planning your dream wedding in Mexico! Even under the current pandemic conditions, you can start preparing for your big day. In fact, the sooner the better, as the upcoming year is looking to be a big one for the wedding industry.

Combine the couples who had to put off their wedding due to Covid-19 with those who already have a wedding planned in 2021, and you have yourself a fully booked wedding season.

But before you dive into the endless ocean that is destination wedding planning, read over these tips for planning a wedding in Mexico.

Choose Your Mexico Wedding Destination

You know you have your heart set on Mexico, but have you thought about where in Mexico you want to exchange vows? One thing you’ll notice once you start looking for wedding venues in Mexico is that the country is abundant with beautiful locations. From Cabo San Lucas to Tulum to Cancun, Mexico has no shortage of dreamy destinations.

Once you have your location picked out, it will be much easier to find a suitable venue in the area. Maybe that means saying “I do,” in a cathedral, then waltzing around a ballroom in a chic hotel. Or perhaps you’d love to spend your big day on the beach and have a Resort at Pedregal wedding.

If you feel lost in the sea of options, it helps to do a little research. Check out destination wedding websites, read about other couples’ experiences, and think about what it is you’re looking for in a location. Reaching out to a wedding planner who is familiar with the potential area is also a huge help, as they know everything there is to know about a location and can help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Consider the Seasons

No matter where in the world you’re planning your wedding, the weather should be on your mind. Fortunately, Mexico is known for its pleasant weather, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think about what time of year you’d like to get married there. Not only because the weather may not be in your favor, but because Mexico is also known for its fiestas, holidays, and all kinds of celebrations, so you need to plan around such days.

For example, the best time to have a wedding in Cabo is in May and June because skies are clear and temperatures are comfortable. August, however, is ripe with rain and muggy conditions.

You can check out your chosen location’s weather patterns online to get a sneak peek at what to expect. You can also do simple searches for popular events and festivals happening around the time you’d like to tie the knot.

Let Your Guests Know As Soon As Possible

It’s always important to give your guests a heads up about your wedding date so they can plan accordingly. And it’s especially important when planning a destination wedding because there’s so much more that guests need to consider before they send in their RSVP.

Consider sending save-the-date cards and invitations to anyone you want to invite to your wedding in Mexico at least six to nine months in advance. This gives everyone plenty of time to think about work schedules, travel arrangements, and the like. Traveling to a different country is more of a commitment than traveling to a wedding a couple cities or states away, so giving guests plenty of time to make plans is appreciated.

It also helps to create a wedding website about your destination wedding that informs guests and keeps them updated about your big day. The more information you can give them, the better.

Hire a Destination Wedding Planner

If you decide to host your wedding somewhere like Los Cabos, hiring a Cabo San Lucas wedding planner can make a huge difference in how smoothly your destination wedding planning goes. Working alongside an established local planner will benefit you in so many ways, including:

• • Reducing the language barrier
  • Connecting you with the best vendors and venues in the area (minus all the research!)
  • Helps coordinate everything from afar (instead of trying to communicate with different vendors/venues)
  • Takes care of legal documents and travel arrangements
  • Allows you to focus on and enjoy your engagement

Trying to coordinate with handfuls of vendors (who may or may not speak English), researching the best wedding spots, and trying to wrap your head around what you may or may not need in order to get married in Mexico (plus everything else involved with wedding planning!) can be incredibly overwhelming. At some point you may even wonder if it’s worth having a destination wedding at all.

Don’t let the overwhelm stop you from having your dream wedding! Seriously consider a destination wedding planner to help you with all the big and little details of organizing an overseas celebration.

Understand the Legal Requirements

Mexico has its own requirements for getting married, and although it’s typically easy enough to obtain a marriage license, you’ll need to plan ahead. You may need to supply certain legal documents, blood tests, and paperwork before saying, “I do.”

You’ll also want to think about what kind of wedding you want to have: civil ceremony, religious, symbolic, Catholic, etc. Each has its own requirements and may or may not be official. For example, a civil ceremony is the official way to get married in Mexico and will legally change your marital status. However, a symbolic ceremony is not legally valid and will not change your status.

Stay Informed on Travel Conditions

Guests and couples alike have always had to keep certain things in mind when traveling to a wedding in Mexico, like putting important documents and valuables in the carry-on bag. But now, due to the global pandemic, there are many other considerations when it comes to traveling.

Although this won’t always be the case, at the moment you must keep up to date on what the Covid-19 situation is like in Mexico and what, if any, travel restrictions and requirements are in place.

Here, again, is where a destination wedding planner can take some of the stress off of you and your fiance. Instead of wondering what’s going on in a different country and trying to stay informed when things happen so quickly, you can hire a wedding planner who intimately knows the area and can communicate these things to you. You can then communicate relevant information to your wedding guests.