A Couple's Guide to Planning a Destination Wedding in Mexico

With white-sand beaches in Cancun and a bohemian feel in Tulum, Mexico has quickly become a top choice for couples who want to celebrate their wedding somewhere extraordinary. Beautiful beaches, luxury resorts, ancient culture, delicious food and how close it is to North America make it an ideal place to get married. But planning a destination wedding in Mexico involves much more than picking an exotic ceremony site.

You will want to think about guest accommodations, travel arrangements, wedding events, the legal side of getting married abroad, and the countless small details that come with planning your dream celebration.

If you are wondering where to start, here is what you need to consider.

Why Mexico is an ideal place for a destination wedding

Mexico's scenery, warm hospitality and resort accommodations make it an ideal destination for a wedding. Miles of white-sand beaches with clear blue water run along the Caribbean coast, including Cancun and the Riviera Maya.

Couples can say their vows on the beach, in tropical gardens, under a palapa or beside a natural landmark like a cenote. Mexico also lets you bring local traditions and culture into your wedding, from ancient Mayan sites to cultural festivals. Resorts range from large all-inclusive properties for big groups and families to smaller ones for more exclusive parties.

The country also has a lot to offer in food. From fresh seafood like ceviche to Mexican fusion and international menus, couples have no trouble finding something to serve at their reception. And Mexico is easy to reach from Canada and the US, with direct flights from most major North American cities to its main tourist destinations.

Choose where to have your destination wedding in Mexico

This early choice shapes many of the arrangements that follow. Where you get married in Mexico affects what your guests experience, what kind of wedding you can have and the activities you can include. Our Mexico destination wedding page shows the regions we plan in.

Cancun

Cancun is where the destination wedding experience really took off. It has established resorts with dedicated wedding services, an international airport with plenty of direct flights from Canada and the US, all-inclusive resorts for every budget, and calm, swimmable Caribbean water with resorts right on the beach. Its extensive facilities make it a popular choice for larger group weddings.

Riviera Maya

South of Cancun, the Riviera Maya coast runs through towns such as Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Akumal and Tulum. Many resorts here sit near natural cenotes, freshwater pools formed in limestone, which make for beautiful photos, and some couples hold their ceremony beside one. Many properties are set in mangrove and jungle surroundings too, a natural backdrop you could never recreate at a venue back home. The overall feel is generally more laid-back and boho than Cancun's big resorts.

Tulum

If a boho-luxe wedding is what you are after, Tulum is the first place that comes to mind. Known for turquoise water, jungle backdrops and ancient Mayan ruins, it gives you incredible photo opportunities. Its boutique and eco hotels are best for intimate ceremonies. A large wedding there can be logistically complex, though it can certainly be done if the style is right for you.

Los Cabos

On the opposite side of the country from the Caribbean coast, Los Cabos offers a dramatically different landscape, where desert meets sea among striking rock formations. It is ideal for dramatic golden-hour photography and has convenient flights, especially from western North America. For Canadian guests, it depends on whether flights from their city are direct or need a connection.

Playa del Carmen

In the heart of the Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen is a hugely popular wedding destination with some of the most luxurious all-inclusive resorts. If your guests want a different kind of vacation for the rest of the week, it is easy to step out of the resort and explore the town. That makes it a great fit for multi-generational groups who want some variety while they are away.

How do you want the ceremony to take place?

The type of ceremony you want, symbolic or legal, should also guide your choice of destination and the kind of resort you book. How many people will you invite? Will your guest list be limited to close family and friends, or will a whole wedding party travel for a full week?

The size of your ceremony affects which resort venues can accommodate you, in both space and staffing.

Resort type matters too. All-inclusive resorts serve most guests well with accommodation and meals in one plan, while smaller venues may offer more tailored food and service. A destination wedding planner can help you narrow down the choices based on your budget, your guest count and whether you prefer an all-inclusive or a more intimate setup. If you are hosting a big group, our guide to Mexico wedding resorts for 150 to 300+ guests compares the resorts that can handle it.

Legal requirements

A legal marriage in Mexico has to be a civil ceremony performed by an official of the local Civil Registry (Registro Civil). Many couples hold it on the same day as their symbolic or religious ceremony, but the paperwork has to be filed before the wedding, and some states have a short waiting period between filing and the ceremony.

Documents must be in Spanish, many states require a medical certificate based on blood tests done in Mexico shortly before the wedding, and your witnesses need government ID. There is no residency requirement, but because of these steps most couples arrive a few days early. Many couples skip the legal ceremony abroad entirely by marrying at home first, which we explain in our legal vs symbolic destination weddings guide.

Essential documents for marrying in Mexico

The documents you need depend on the type of wedding and the Mexican state where you marry. The ones most likely to apply are:

• Passports
• Your Mexican entry document, such as a tourist permit (FMM) or entry stamp, where required
• Original birth certificates for a legal civil ceremony
• Apostilled documents translated into Spanish, where required
• A blood test done in Mexico, where the state requires it
• Witnesses with government ID (four in Quintana Roo, which covers Cancun and the Riviera Maya)
• Apostilled proof of divorce or a death certificate if either partner was married before

Because rules change and vary by state, always confirm the current requirements with your Mexico wedding planning team. Our guide to marriage licence requirements in Mexico covers each document in detail.

Accommodation, food and guests

A destination wedding is as much a vacation and celebration for everyone you invite as it is for you. Keeping things easy for your guests matters a lot.

Share details with guests as early as you can. Once your destination and dates are set, send them information on transport, accommodation options and how to budget for the trip, along with the schedule for the wedding week or weekend.

Wedding website

A wedding website is extremely useful for sharing your plans and the event schedule. It can include:

• Resort and venue details, with travel and transport information
• How to RSVP, plus airport and transfer information
• Advice on attire and packing, general information, and answers to common questions, including what the wedding party needs to know about their responsibilities on the day

Arranging guest accommodation is another big piece. Securing your room block early helps guests plan and can keep their travel costs down.

Think beyond the ceremony

One of the biggest benefits of a destination wedding is the extra time you get with friends and family.

Instead of focusing only on the ceremony and reception, plan a full wedding trip or wedding weekend with extra activities for your guests. Consider:

• A welcome or cocktail party
• A rehearsal dinner
• The wedding ceremony and reception
• An after-party
• A farewell brunch
• A day trip or other guest activity

If you are planning a multicultural or multi-faith wedding, you will likely include additional ceremonies such as a Sangeet, Mehndi or Baraat. These take considerable extra planning, especially when venues, entertainment and caterers differ between events, when different guests are invited to different events, and when guests are arriving on different days. A professional destination wedding coordinator keeps every piece in place.

Work with a wedding coordinator

So many pieces come together when you plan a Mexico destination wedding, from booking accommodations and securing the resort to coordinating guest travel and making sure the day runs like clockwork. Expert help is valuable for:

• Concept creation, wedding plans and themes
• Budgeting for every part of your destination wedding
• Comparing resorts and wedding packages, including what is not included
• Booking guest accommodation and setting up room blocks at your chosen resort
• Carefully reviewing contracts from the resort, vendors and other suppliers
• Coordinating vendors such as the photographer, entertainment, florals and food
• Building a master plan for the wedding events on a tight schedule
• Listing the ceremony décor and party setups you want and how they are arranged
• Managing guest communication
• Arranging arrival and departure transfers around each guest's dates and times, so there are no mix-ups with airport shuttles
• Scheduling extra celebrations during the wedding week or weekend
• Full wedding-week and wedding-day coordination

Having one person to talk to simplifies communication.

Creating a realistic wedding budget

When the wedding is abroad, there is always more to factor in than the ceremony and reception. Be sure to budget for:

• Your guest count
• Wedding accommodation and resort costs
• Flights
• Catering for events beyond the main reception
• Entertainment, décor and florals
• Extra activities and guest excursions

Accommodation, flights and food become key considerations for larger wedding parties. If your guest list includes several large family groups, confirm how the room block will work to avoid mix-ups, especially if guests are paying directly rather than through a wedding package. Comparing what each wedding package includes saves you from pricing every small element one by one. Our breakdown of what a destination wedding really costs shows typical numbers.

Extras and add-ons

Confirm all your additional wedding requirements, since not every resort includes them. Compare agreements before signing anything, check that every included extra is listed, and confirm the price of any add-ons that seem out of range. Keep in mind that a destination wedding planner's package and the resort's own package are separate contracts, so compare what each one includes before you choose the lowest price.

Plan your dream ceremony in Mexico with DreamWed

DreamWed's destination wedding planners make it easy to choose the right resort in popular areas like Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Tulum or Playa del Carmen, organize group transfers and accommodations, and schedule your wedding events around the ceremony and reception. You can enjoy planning your day without feeling overwhelmed.

Our planners bring your vision to life, from concept creation and careful budget management to resort bookings, vendor coordination and day-of event coordination. We support you from your first questions all the way to the farewell brunch at the end of your celebration week. For any wedding in Mexico, from intimate celebrations to the grandest affairs, DreamWed gives you hands-on help to organize the occasion of a lifetime. Start planning with our team.