Ceremony Types in your destination wedding
You are glowing after get the proposal! And have tons of ideas to work for your wedding, theme, décor, style… firstly you will spread out the great news with your love ones and starts to talking with you newly fiancé about the wedding, date, venues, honeymoon…everything goes well, until someone asks: “what type of ceremony are you planning?”
Then everything stops. What kind / type of ceremony are we having? Is there more than one kind? YES! Besides the ceremonies related to your own Religion; Buddhist, Jewish, Catholic, Hindi… There is a Civil Ceremony recognized only for your City Hall and based on specific laws.
Let’s go over the most common types:
Catholic ceremony
Performed by a Catolic priest; usually the length of the ceremony it will be similar than a mass, and the reading of bible scripts is very common.
Most of the Churches will requires:
- Baptismal certificate issued within 6 months prior to the wedding date.
- A record of Confirmation
- Letter of Free State issued by the parishes of both parties.
- 4 witnesses ( 2 for the groom & 2 for the Bride)
- Couple answers questions to make certain that they plan to enter marriage freely and they are fully consent to one another.
- Participate in PreCana conferences a session of sessions with other couples in a group format discuss and contemplate prayerfully the meaning of marriage and its commitment.
Legal Ceremony
It can be called the most popular ceremony type, performed at a City Hall by a judge following specific laws, in Mexico a legal /civil wedding will require:
- Arrive to the country at least 4 business days, arrival day, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays do not count.
- Present copies of your passports
- Have 4 witnesses – 2 for your fiancé and 2 for you – and they need to arrive basically the same time than you. Luckily anyone can be your witness.
- Present copies of your Tourist cards (you will get them upon you arrival to Mexico)
- Present copies of your Birth Certificates.
- Have a blood test done in Mexico.
Some places in Mexico will require that your Birth certificates are apostilled (special stamp that validate the document internationally) and translated prior to your arrival, other cities wont require this special stamp.
Symbolic Ceremony
This kind of ceremony starts to be the most common, especially for a Destination wedding, it is easy; you avoid all the paperwork, time and expenses for the legal requirements.
Also you can add some personal touches, like a sand ceremony, hand ceremony, or something extra meaning for you…that for a legal or catholic ceremony it might be difficult to have.
Best part, it has not requirements… at least in Mexico, most of the Ministers who perform the ceremonies speak English, and it has a small element of complicity… usually for symbolic ceremonies couples do a quick secret stop at their own City Hall.
For more detail info about requirements, please contact us! We are more than happy to assist you!
The type of the ceremony you decide to have it will based on what do you and your fiancé wants; talk to each other, communication will be the base of all long lasting relationships…
