THIS IS A DESTINATION WEDDING MUST READ POST!

DEAR BRIDE & GROOM:

photo by http://delsolphotography.com/blog/

You have decided to have your destination Wedding abroad.

This is NOT to be a legal or religious obstacle.

You can have your wedding as easy as you want it to be.

The secret: PLANNING

R E M E M B E R

You will need to know what the legal requirements are to

get married at your destination.

Your destination wedding expert knows all of the legal requirements

for the locations you are looking to get married at.

photo by http://delsolphotography.com/blog/

I am a Riviera Maya and cancun DESTINATION WEDDING EXPERT

so I will simplify in one post all requirements you need to know if planning a

DESTINATION WEDDING IN MEXICAN PARADISE:

Civil Wedding Ceremony

The Judge's vows are set and cannot be changed.

photo by http://delsolphotography.com/blog/

Legal requirements for a civil wedding:

• Copy of passports and tourist card ( issued at the airport upon arrival).

• Divorce papers, if applicable

• Blood test for V.D.R.L., H.I.V. and R.H. and health certificate, (the blood tests must be done in Mexico within 7 days before the wedding.)

• 4 witnesses:

Must be over the age of 18 and be present during the ceremony in order to sign the marriage certificate.

• Completed application form. (we will compete the application form for you). Once legally married, you will receive a certificate, but the legal act, called "Acta de Matrimonio", will be sent to Chetumal, the capital of the state in order to be annotated.

Once we receive the authorized copy we will send it to you via Fed Ex. This will take maximum 3 months.The ceremony can be performed in English or Spanish.

Approximate length 20 minutes

Mayan Wedding Ceremony

If you are planning your vow renewal or your wedding as a pure ancient blessing of love this is the right solution for you.This beautiful land offer you the perfect landscape to create the magic atmosphere for a Mayan Ritual.

photo by http://delsolphotography.com/blog/

This is the Ancient Mayan ritual that will start with the cleaning of the ceremony area, thanks to the Copal Tree (Mayan incense) and the sound of the Mayan Shell called "Caracol" (big horn-shell). Permission to the 4 cardinal points and the 4 elements is asked and the mayan ancient blessing will start. No documents are required.

The ceremony can be performed in English or Spanish.

Approximate lenght 45 minutes.

Symbolic Wedding Ceremony (sand ceremony)

The symbolic ceremony is a touching way to renew your vows,

photo by http://delsolphotography.com/blog/

or If you have already been married in your own country.

YOU MAY WRITE YOUR OWN VOWS.

• Religious ceremony (performed by a minister) No documents required.

The ceremony can be performed in English or Spanish.

Approximate length: depends on the kind of ceremony.

Catholic Wedding Ceremony

A Catholic wedding in Mexico is approved as official when all the proscribed documentation and requirements have been fulfilled. Catholics can be married in local Riviera Maya churches.

photo archive from Santa Maria del Secreto Chapel

Requirements for Catholic Wedding:First of all you need to contact your parish, priest or deacon and ask him about marriage preparation. He will be in charge for your marriage preparation and instruction. It is suggested to start all the preparation minimum 6 months prior the wedding date. You must complete your Pre-Cana classes, the required pre-marriage courses, and the Pre-Cana certificate is required 60 days prior to the wedding. The permission from your parish priest to get married outside of your parish. This permission must be approved by your parish's diocese.A current original copy of the Baptismal certificate of the Catholic party. The completed Pre-nuptial Investigation form used in your diocese. Once all requirements have been competed, your local church will send this documents to the Mexican parish.Bride and Groom must arrive minimum 3 days prior the wedding, in order to meet the Wedding Planner and submit all documents.The ceremony can be performed in English or Spanish.

Approximate length 30 minutes.

Many couples get married legally in the U.S. first,

and then have a symbolic ceremony at their resort.

Talk with your consultant to see if a legal,

religious or symbolic ceremony is the best fit for you.

photo by http://delsolphotography.com/blog/

WE HELP YOU OUT WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS

JUST RELAX AND START PLANNING!!!

Why do Brides love butterflies?

Working with the butterfly farm in Cancun has always raised a question in my mind:

Why do brides LOVE butterflies?

I know that butterflies symbolize beauty and truth

the real values of Love.

Butterflies are amazing creatures that live changes

from the moment they are born (metamorphosis)

They start by crawling their way trough life until finally

they become a beautiful and colorful spirit,

shining upon us with their grace and style.

Elegant and simple, the butterfly symbolizes among other things

HARMONY

Most Butterfly release in weddings

often occur based on a native american legend:

If anyone desires a wish to come true they must first capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it. Since a butterfly can make no sound, the butterfly can not reveal the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit who hears and sees all. In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its freedom, the Great Spirit always grants the wish. So, according to legend, by making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken to the heavens and be granted.

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun

And find your shoulder to light on,

To bring you luck, happiness and richesToday,

tomorrow and beyond.~Irish Blessing

If you are an animal LOVER don´t worry thinking

you will harm this wonderful creatures by

purchasing them for your event.

REMEMBER

Butterflies that are born in local farms (like ours in Cancun)

find exactly the plants they need to leave their eggs

and to hydrate from the flower´s nectar

before dying after their journey trough life.

for more information about butterfly release services in

Cancun or Riviera Maya email us:

aprendiendodelanaturaleza@gmail.com

Destination Weddings: planning your budget.

A very important part of your destination wedding is planning your BUDGET.

It´s important to have the correct idea of what you want for your wedding

starting from the Destination you have chosen.

Remember always to get more value for your money,

your Destination Wedding Planner must be an expert

to help you with this specific detail.

PLANNING YOUR BUDGET is a very crucial part, because it´s the begining. You need to sit down and write in paper two lists, your wants and your needs.

example of the list

Both Bride & Groom must discuss the items in the list and make a NEW list which we will call the REAL DEAL list and upon the items chosen you must first of all CHOOSE a Resort, venue or location to have your destination venue.

Ask for special deals or packages, and ask if there is an ON Site Wedding Planner. On site wedding planners are less expensive and sometimes are even complementary services.

PICK A DATE. MAKE SURE YOUR VENUE/RESORT IS AVAILABLE

BEFORE SENDING OUT ANY SAVE THE DATES OR INVITATIONS.

AND

START SAVING BASED UPON YOUR BUDGET.

Ask your wedding planner for payment options, also for

payment due dates. Most vendors will ask for 30% to 50% in advance

and take the rest of your payment a few days prior to wedding.

You can also find very helpful online tools like the one below from

www.vertex42.com were you can download for free excel spreadsheets

that can help you with your Budget organization.

SO have this advice in mind, before sending the save the Date

or any invitations; take a few days to plan your budget, make sure the

date is available and then start planning with your

DESTINATION WEDDING PLANNER.

HAVE ALL YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS COVERED AND

ALWAYS LEAVE A FEW BUCKS FOR ANY LAST MINUTE

THINGS YOU HAD NOT IN MIND BUT WILL SURE LOVE

TO HAVE ON YOUR WEDDING DAY

(like doves, butterflies, fireworks,etc)

The ultimate fairy tale Wedding

To finish my vacation posts about everything Disney Wedding related,

I really needed to visit Walt Disney World´s Wedding Pavillion.

Perfect photo spot with the castle on the background

in the garden of the pavilion

The Pavillion stands in between 2 magestic hotels the Polinessian and the Grand Floridian.

It is trully a mgical place and I was there to witness all f its magic.

They received me with a brochure and the minute you open it,

it just says:

WE WROTE THE BOOK ON FAIRY TALES.

LET US HELP YOU TELL your STORY.

main entrance to Pavilion

I couldn't believe I was walking down the same isle

many brides have walked before me and I couldn't help

to imagine their excitement and emotion of having

a dream come true at their DISNEY Wedding.

Imagine your fairy tale wedding, of course it is not for everyone you must really trully LOVE Disney and have a dream set on getting married with Cinderella`s Castle on your backround picture.

The entrance is amazing, there is a special room called the

BRIDES VESTIBULE for the bride to get ready.

Peonies center piece and a rice message under the table.

When the bell rings you now its time for the magic to start and get inside the amazing "pavillion" where dreams come true.

Out side on the garden we find a lovely spot for photos with the castle once again on the back and also there is a deck for famillies arriving on their yatch, or boats to the pavillion.

So if you are a true Disney fan and you have the money to live a Disney ONCE UPON A TIME, the wedding pavillion is one of MANY options Walt Disney World ofers; from islands, to cruises, venues and enchanted castles; SAY I DO TO YOUR DREAM COME TRUE.

Photo taken at Frank`s Bridal Studio at the

Wedding Pavilion in Walt Disney World Florida

ps. my baby sister insists she WILL get married in Disney (she is 14 at the moment) and after this vacation she decided to start saving for her wedding, so by the time she turns 26 she has enough money to make the Fairy tale come true!

Photos taken by my sister for her private

Mickey & Minnie wedding collection

Hope you loved all my Disney posts, vacation is almost over now

so next week I will be back to Destination weddings in Paradise.

xoxo ilse

gazebos and hats

I KEEP FINDING EVERYTHING WEDDING RELATED

FROM HATS TO GAZEBOS

THE MAGIC IS JUST EVERYWHERE

Im still on my vacations, but i can't help to find wedding inspiration in every corner, so at every hotel I get to go I exit to the graden and try to find their Gazebo.

So I leave you with some very pretty Gazebos that I ran into.

With a little imagination I can picture a beautifull ceremony.

This garden is a dream with colorfull flowers and butterflies

Butterfly Garden at the Hard Rock Hotel Orlando, Fl.

Amazing "hidden" gazebo on the middle of the garden

The gazebo at the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort

Very pretty in the middle of the Hotel`s garden

Not the amazing turquoise backround like in Cancun but

still very pretty surrounded by plants and flowers.