Vows abroad: How does it all work?
You’ve decided to have a destination wedding or vow renewal…to be married in a beautiful destination and eliminate the formality and preparation of a traditional wedding. Great choice! Here are our frequently asked questions about important preparations.
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What are the legal requirements when getting married out of the country?
Every country is different. Usually, standard documentation such as passports and birth certificates are required. Other times, tourist cards, police records (Costa Rica), and a single status affidavit (in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica) are also required. If applicable, an adoption certificate, divorce decree (if previously married), and death certificate (if widowed) are necessary, as well as an information sheet with items like your full names and addresses, occupations, level of education, nationality and full names of parents, wedding location, and name of officer performing the wedding (Cuba, St. Maarten, St Lucia). The points addressed here should not be regarded as legal advice and are used as general examples. Your wedding travel specialist can advise you of the destination wedding requirements for your chosen country. We recommend finding out the details before making any travel plans — but don’t worry, we will help you with that!
I’ve heard about needing to do medical tests to get married. Which countries do this?
In Mexico, prenuptial medical certificates with bloodwork are required. They are issued within 15 days of the ceremony to show that neither person suffers from a contagious disease. In Panama, a VDRL test issued by a Recognized Canadian Health Centre is required, no more than 10 days before getting married (or these tests can be performed in Panama).
Do documents need to be translated?
Yes, if you are visiting a non-English speaking country. Sometimes translation of documents is included in your wedding package. In Spanish-speaking countries, your documents (such as birth certificates, divorce decrees, etc.) will need to be translated to Spanish by a certified translator, sent to destination, and sometimes stamped by the court. This is the responsibility of the couple. (We can recommend a reliable translator for you to use.)
When should we inform our guests?
Once the contract has been signed and your wedding is booked, we will put together a private, password-protected wedding website for you to invite your guests. We recommend inviting your guests 6-18 months ahead of time to give them a chance to budget and book their spot in the sun. You should also leave yourself enough time to follow up with them a few months later.
How many days do we need to arrive in destination prior to the ceremony?
This depends on the country. In Jamaica, visitors can be married just 24 hours after arriving to Jamaica, providing they have already applied for their marriage licence. In Mexico, the bride and groom must be in the country at least three business days prior to their wedding, and their witnesses must be in the country at least 2 business days prior. In other countries, this isn’t an issue. Your destination wedding specialist can advise you of the requirements.
What language will the ceremony be in?
Many resorts offer English speaking officiants however in Spanish-speaking countries, sometimes the ceremony is in Spanish and translated live to English. The wedding coordinator will be able to confirm the language.
Who will plan and coordinate our wedding ceremony and details?
The wedding planners at the resort are the pros and the ones who can actually ensure things are booked and confirmed onsite. They will work closely with you to iron out the details. tripcentral.ca agents do not generally get involved in the specifics of the wedding ceremony. We put you in touch with the wedding coordinator at the resort and it makes for far better communication. Occasionally, we are required to intervene if a coordinator is not getting back to our customers in a timely manner or if communications are challenging. The volume of business we do with tour operators and resorts allows us to play an effective role to get things back on track if problems arise. However, in the end, it is the resort that is responsible for the details of the wedding ceremony and details around the wedding package.
Who will conduct the service?
A judge or officiant from that country.
Does the hotel provide the officiant?
The hotel books the officiant for you. If the resort performs a lot of weddings, sometimes they have an officiant on staff. Punta Cana, for example, uses judges.
What preparations should we make in advance?
The first step to any vacation is ensuring you have a valid passport (sometimes valid for six months beyond your intended stay). You’ll also want to be sure you fullfil all the legal requirements for getting married in that country. Sometimes original documents are required, sometimes they can be mailed ahead of time, and sometimes you can bring them with you. After you book, you’ll need to think about invites (online or print), decor, cakes, and all the other fun stuff that goes into planning!
What happens if it rains on the day of the wedding?
If it rains on your wedding day, there is usually a backup location whether it be a conference room or a la carte restaurant. Depending on availability, the hotel may be able to hold your wedding on another day. Keep in mind that June to November is hurricane season, when tropical storms may develop in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans. That said, the peak hurricane period is mid August through early October. During this time of year it is common to have a couple of days of overcast skies during the week, even for just part of the day. Pricing is usually lower, but there is a good chance of overcast weather and some rain.
In the rare occurrence that a hurricane is headed for your resort, tour operators are obligated by provincial regulation to offer an alternative or a full refund. They are not about to send guests into a dangerous situation. Sometimes it can shift direction and head toward a destination, and in this case, there are requirements to return travellers to Canada if a travel advisory is issued by the Government. Should this happen, we will do our best to help make alternative arrangements for your wedding. For these reasons, most couples decide to have their wedding outside of hurricane season. If you’re someone who can “go with the flow” (and your guests), you can save a lot of money though!
Will there be weddings other than mine on the same day?
More than likely, yes. We know your wedding is very important and you would like to be the only wedding of the day, however the resorts try and make this possible for other couples as well. The resorts do a great job of allocating enough time for each wedding and sometimes even place a maximum number of weddings per day. There are different venues usually available on the property to make your wedding special. There are resorts small enough to limit to one wedding, and it’s always possible to buy premium packages to increase privacy. However, at some point, the costs mount and start to approach the cost of an at home wedding in a hotel or banquet centre. The whole reason for going away is to keep things relatively simple and stress free and enjoy the resort setting.
Continue to Part 3: Budgeting Stage ♥ How much will it cost?
