Destination Wedding in Mexico: How to Get Married in Mexico

If you’re looking for an affordable wedding venue, a destination wedding at an all inclusive resort is the perfect solution. Even if your budget is on the smaller side, you can have a fantastic wedding for a lot less than you can at home. When you choose an all inclusive resort for your wedding, you’ll also choose an all inclusive wedding package. That means you pay one price and get everything you need for a gorgeous tropical wedding. Bonus: your honeymoon is included!

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Mexico Wedding Packages

To book a destination wedding in Mexico, you’ll do two steps. First you’ll book your trip: your flights and hotel. Second, you’ll book your wedding. This includes your ceremony, reception and any extras or upgrades you want to add. Usually, a travel agent will book the trip for you. Once you’ve booked your trip, you’ll contact the resort and book your wedding package.

Who Pays For a Destination Wedding?

If you’re planning a destination wedding, you’ll pay for your own travel expenses. Plus, you’ll pay for a wedding package at the resort. Usually the package includes your ceremony, with an officiant, chairs and decorations. The package might also include a dinner or reception in one of the resort restaurants. Your bridal party, parents and guests will all pay for their own travel expenses.

How Much Does a Destination Wedding in Mexico Cost?

It’s hard to give an average cost because actual prices depend on the time of year, the amenities at the resort, as well as where you’re flying from. Be sure to go on your favorite travel website and double check the prices you see here.

Cheap flights, red eye flights or a route with a lot of connections can usually be found for $300 or less. If you want better flight times or a direct flight, you’ll have to pay a bit more. Economy flights from most major cities start at $400 to $800. If you want to upgrade to premium or business, expect to pay at least $1,000 to $1,400 for the better flights. If you’re flying longer distances or from smaller airports your prices might be higher.

All inclusive resort hotels are available in every price range. No matter if you’re looking at Cancun, Riviera Maya or Cabo San Lucas, you can usually find a hotel that starts at $100 per night. If you’ve got a bigger budget, you can look at hotels with more amenities.

Amenities at a 3 star hotel will include 2 or 3 restaurants, a pool and beach, plus activities. If you’ve got the budget for a 4 star hotel, expect more amenities. A 4 or 5 star hotel will have more restaurants, plus cafes and specialty restaurants. They’ll usually have better shows and more luxurious rooms.

All Inclusive Wedding Packages in Mexico

Once you’ve found a resort you love, you can start looking at their wedding packages. Most resorts offer packages at a few different price levels. You can choose from a basic package, an upgraded package or a luxury package.

Typically, the basic package will include a symbolic ceremony for 10 guests. You’ll have the ceremony, an officiant plus a bouquet, a boutonniere, sparkling wine and cake. Your reception will be in a reserved area of one of the restaurants. If you have more guests, you’ll have to pay an extra per person cost, or upgrade to the next package.

An upgraded package will usually include a symbolic ceremony for 20 guests. As well as the bouquet, boutonnière, wine and cake, the upgraded package will usually include a private reception.

The luxury package usually includes a symbolic ceremony for 30 guests. You’ll get all the items in the other packages, plus a lot of extras. A luxury package might include more bouquets, boutonnieres, decorations, salon hair and makeup, plus a private cocktail hour and upgraded menus.

Sample Budget For a Destination Wedding in Mexico

$1,200 Flights to Mexico (2 people x $600)
$1,750 All inclusive resort (7 nights x $250)
$4,000 Upgraded wedding package
$1,250 Destination wedding photographer
$100 Legal marriage at home
$300 Wedding rings
$1,200 Wedding clothes
$200 Invitations

Grand Total = $10,000

If you’ve got a bigger budget you can choose a more expensive resort or wedding package. As well, most resorts offer upgrades and add ons. Once you choose your wedding package, you can consider all the extras, like a live Mariachi band, tequila tasting, fireworks and more. Once you’ve found a resort you like, check their wedding catalog to see all the options.

Destination Weddings on a Budget

If you’ve got a smaller budget, you can choose the basic package and skip any extras. Your reception dinner will probably be in the dining room instead of a private party. If you’ve chosen a nice resort, don’t worry about it. The restaurants are great and the food’ll be delicious. If you want a dance party afterwards, you can take all your guests to the resort nightclub. You and your guests have already paid for the amenities - you might as well enjoy them!

If you’re on a super tight budget, consider traveling at an off peak time of the year. If you travel in the off season or shoulder season, you’ll get lower prices. And as a bonus - there’ll be less crowds.

For more money saving tips, read this next: Cheap Destination Weddings at All Inclusive Resorts

Getting Married in Mexico

If you want to have a legal wedding ceremony in Mexico, you’ll need to do a few extra steps. Your resort wedding planner will usually help you with all the requirements.

You’ll need to get your birth certificates and other documents translated into Spanish and notarized ahead of time. Then, when you arrive in Mexico, you’ll file your documents and apply for a marriage license.

You’ll also have to get a blood test done 3 days before your wedding. That means you’ll have to be at the resort for at least 3 days before you can have your wedding. On your wedding day, the legal ceremony has to be done in Spanish.

Should You Choose a Legal Ceremony or a Symbolic Ceremony?

The paperwork for a legal wedding seems like a lot, but your wedding planner will walk you through it. Usually the doctor will come to the resort for your blood test, so it’s not as much of a hassle as it seems. It will cost extra, though. Most wedding packages only include a symbolic ceremony. There’ll be extra charges for the blood tests, the documents and an officiant.

In order for your wedding to be legal, the ceremony must be performed in Spanish. If your guests don’t speak Spanish, a legal ceremony might not be as meaningful as a symbolic one. Most couples have a legal ceremony done at home, before they go to Mexico. That way you can choose any type of ceremony for your beach wedding.

Ideas For a Destination Wedding Ceremony

If you choose a symbolic ceremony you can have a friend or family member perform it. You could follow a traditional wedding ceremony or you could write your own vows. You could plan a unity ceremony or a spiritual blessing. If you want something more unique, you could even book a Mayan ceremony with a Mexican shaman. If you want a Catholic wedding, some resorts have chapels on site and religious wedding packages are available.

Best Locations to Get Married in Mexico

For the best all inclusive resorts, Mexico has 3 main areas: Cancun, Riviera Maya or Cabo San Lucas. There’s great resorts in every price range, so choose the location you like best.

Cancun Destination Wedding is Best For:

Cancun is postcard perfect - this is where all those white sand beaches are. If you want wedding photos with a turquoise ocean background, come to Cancun. Cancun has resorts that are family friendly, adults only, or a mix of both.
At a Cancun resort you can have your wedding right on the beach. Most resorts can also offer an ocean view terrace, a tropical chapel or a ballroom setting for your wedding ceremony and reception.
If you want fun shopping, restaurants and a lively nightlife, Cancun has everything you’re looking for. You can walk or take a short taxi ride from most resorts and be at shopping centers, shows or nightclubs in a few minutes.
Cancun has tons of fun excursions, from a pirate ship dinner to catamarans and snorkeling.
Short travel time - especially if you’re on the East coast. Direct flights from New York are less than 3 hours. The drive from the Cancun airport to hotels is short, too. Most hotels are only half hour to 45 minutes away.
Thinking about getting married in Cancun? See some of the best resorts and wedding packages Mexico Wedding Packages: Best All Inclusive Wedding Resorts In Cancun

Riviera Maya Destination Wedding is Best For:

The Mayan Riviera has tons of resorts to choose from. There’s a variety of style, including boutique, luxury or specialty vacations.
Bigger resorts usually have a shopping center and entertainment areas right in the resort. You can enjoy tons of activities without leaving the resort.
The beaches in Riviera Maya are bigger, with more privacy for your wedding ceremony. Some resorts also have beautiful rocky areas, terraces or tropical settings especially for weddings.
Excursions in Riviera Maya include catamaran, snorkeling and diving tours. Plus there’s tons of adventurous day trips like swimming in a cenote, driving a 4x4 on jungle trails, or zip lining through the jungle canopy.
You and your guests fly to the Cancun airport, then take a hotel transfer to your resort. The drive from the airport is usually 1 to 2 hours.

Cabo San Lucas Destination Wedding is Best For:

Cabo San Lucas has a range of resorts with golden beaches and beautiful scenery.
Cabo has some incredible locations for a wedding. The cliffs and the ocean are a perfect background for a ceremony on the beach. As well, most resorts offer ocean view terraces and balconies for your wedding ceremony and reception.
Excursions include whale watching in the winter, jeep or dune buggy tours in the desert. Plus catamaran trips for snorkeling and diving.
Flights to Cabo are short if you’re coming from the West coast. Travel time from Los Cabos Airport to Cabo San Lucas hotels is 1 to 2 hours

Destination Wedding Planner Book

Ready to start planning? Set your budget, choose your location, your resort and more with the Destination Wedding Planner: How to Plan Your Beach Wedding at an All Inclusive Resort