Destination Weddings

Does the idea of a traditional Mayan ceremony or a Christain church ceremony or a spiritual church ceremony or a Jewish religion ceremony in a place that is not your hometown meet your fancy? Formerly the exclusive domain of celebrities and the ultra-rich, destination weddings in recent years are a new trend that are accessible to more and more couples looking to add an exotic twist to their special ceremony.

Within the past five years Merida and the Yucatan with its majestic, century old haciendas and beaches on the Gulf of Mexico have become the setting for many a destination wedding for both foreigners and couples from other parts of Mexico. Being near they magical energizing pyramids of Chichen Itza is another option that brides and groom like.

Properly planned, a destination wedding will not only save you upwards of $20,000 off the cost of a traditional wedding in the US or Canada, but also turn your wedding day into an unforgettable mini-vacation for you and your guests. And what better place for a vacation than the Yucatan - the land of the Maya!

Destination weddings are usually smaller than what you might have at home. A typical destination wedding has between 20 and 120 guests. A DW in Yucatan can have either a traditional religious wedding theme or a Mexican or Yucatecan theme with the bride and groom dressed in Mayan wedding attire - white or full colored terno for the bride and white linen shirt and pants for the groom, with Yucatecan cuisine for the menu, Mexican décor and Mexican music with mariachis, trios, marimba, or salsa bands. There is also the Mayan wedding where a Xaman performs the spiritual Mayan ceremony. This particular ceremony is not legally binding. A local company produces butterflies especially for weddings.

The various haciendas in and near Merida for wonderful setting includea Haciendas Teya, X-Canatun, San Jose Cholul, Ochil, Temozon, San Antonio Cucul, and Chi-Chi Suarez. The Quinta Montes Molina mansion on the majestic Paseo Montejo is another desired location. The beaches of Celestun and Telchac Puerto are options for those who dream of a sunset wedding on the beach. You will find different budgets at each of these sites.

When planning your destination wedding, we have been told it is wise to start planning eight to 12 months in advance and plan a site visit six months before.
A DW has two parts - the wedding part and the vacation part. The vacation part offers excursions and day trips for the bride and groom and their guests. There are lots of options here!

For a DW, the bride and groom can either pay everything for their guests - transportation to Merida, hotels and excursions, or offer them detailed information and options for transportation to Merida, hotels and excursions and let each guest pay their own way.

There is a lot of background work to do, but it sure pays off when you have a lovely wedding in a unique spot. For most couples making sure their guests are properly taken care of and are able to find suitable accommodations, is just as important as taking care of their own plans. When guests are left to "fend for themselves" it is difficult to make sure they get plans that are convenient, affordable, and that they get to see all there is to see in this wonderful area.

In Merida we talked with two DMC (Destination Management Companies) Amigo Yucatan and Turistransmerida. These are travel agencies that have or work with local wedding planners who do all the details for the wedding, while the travel agency works on the hotel reservations, transportation, and plans a menu of excursions for all.

Planning a wedding in Merida and its surrounding areas is easy when you work with the locals who have experience planning the wedding of your dreams within your budget.

The list below are serious and professional companies that will help make your destination wedding special. They know everyone in the business, they know how things work here, they know what works and what doesnÕt and they also want your day to be super duper wow!

Organizing companies

Amigo Yucatan (DMC - travel agent)
Linda Schram
lschramm@amigoyucatan.com
www.amigoyucatan.com

Turitransmerida (DMC-travel agent)
Irene Kirwin marketing@turitransmerida.com.mx
congresos@turitranmerida.com.mx
www.turitransmerida.com.mx

Hacienda Chichen (Chichen Itza)
belisa@hacindachichen.com
info@chichenservices.com
www.haciendachichen.com

Haciendas Temozon,
San Jose Cholul, Sta. Rosa
annabel.montes@thehaciendas.com
temozon@thehaciendas.com
www.thehaciendas.com

Hacienda Xcanatun
Cristina Baker
hacienda@xcanatun.com
www.xcanatun.com

Quinta Montes Molina
www.laquintamm.com
Agustin Illescas

Hacienda Teya
Ignacio Avila
ignacioavila@haciendateya.com
www.haciendateya.com

Mayaland Resorts (Chichen Itza)
Kris Barbachano
www.mayaland.com

Hotel Reef Yucatan (Telchac Puerto beach)
Lili Escobedo
www.reefyucatan.com

Hotel Los Manglares (Celestun beach)
Rodrigo Solis
www.hotelmanglares.com.mx

Hacienda Chi-Chi Suarez
Gabriela Gomez
haciendachichisuarez@hotmail.com
www.haciendachichisuarez.com

Photography
Liz Medina
www.elizabethmedina.com

Eduardo Cervantes
www.eduardocervantes.com

Limousines
Transportadora Carnavalito
carlosgamboamorales@prodigy.net.mx

Wedding dresses
Mexicanisimo Wedding dresses in raw cotton
Roberto Abimerhi
abimerhi@prodigy.net.mx

Marriage Requiremens in Mexico
Read about marriage requirements in the Yucatan.

Events & Activities Calendar
Click Here for a complete description of the activites, events and attractions in the Yucatan.