Get Married in Riviera Maya

Mexico’s golden beaches, stunning turquoise seas and sun-filled days are the stuff of travel dreams. Add to all that a warm, authentic ambience, unrivaled hospitality and awesome Mayan sites dating from before the sailing of Columbus, and you’ve got the Riviera Maya—a storybook wedding setting on Mexico’s east coast. Stretching down the Yucatan Peninsula from Cancun to Punta Allen, plus the island of Cozumel, this Caribbean region is easily accessible, safe and perfectly primed for hosting your wedding fiesta.

Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort

Celebrity wedding planner Colin Cowie has created spectacular events for the top of the A-list (think: Oprah, Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman). Now he’s teamed up with the equally exclusive, all-inclusive Palace Resorts to offer star-worthy wedding packages at down-to-earth prices. Choose among the bold magenta and orange hues of Sultry Sunset, the sheer white and ruffled fabrics of Pure White or the glittering beachy themed Metallic Dune collection and more. Menus, music and other touches can also be arranged.

While the gorgeous wedding packages are available at all the Palace Resorts, we love Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort, a sprawling beachfront property with more than 2,000 rooms and a great variety of facilities and amenities to accommodate wedding groups big and small. Marry on the beach under a custom wedding arch or swap vows in the resort's romantic on-site chapel with views of the sea. You can even incorporate a horse-drawn carriage into your ceremony! (Colin Cowie Wedding Collection ceremony packages start at $1,500 and include planning services, ceremony set-up, chairs and covers, floral decorations, a bouquet and a boutonniere, a wedding cake and champagne; palaceresorts.com).

Photo courtesy of Palace Resorts
El Taj Oceanfront & Beachside Condo Hotel

With 57 one- to three-bedroom condos spread across two properties, the two-year-old El Taj Oceanfront & Beachside Condo Hotel in Playa del Carmen is perfect for larger wedding parties and couples looking for a more homey feel. The beachfront Balinese-inspired property boasts tropical gardens, waterfalls and Buddha statues set a block away from Playa del Carmen’s trendy 5th Avenue. Host your wedding here and you’ll have a team of local planners to customize your big day. Vow exchanges on the sand are popular, as are the traditional Mayan ceremonies, in which the bride arrives via canoe (eltaj.com).

Photo courtesy of eltaj.com
El Taj Oceanfront & Beachside Condo Hotel

Follow with a gourmet sit-down or buffet dinner at the exclusive Indigo Restaurant and Beach Club, where late-night revelry is sure to spill onto the sand (reception packages start at $36 per person for a three-course meal and include linens, personalized table menus, a champagne toast, a wedding cake and more; eltaj.com).

Photo courtesy of eltaj.com
Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun

This all-inclusive, upscale (no wristbands!), adults-only retreat is only 30 miles south of Cancun, but feels a world away. The whitewashed haven features eight restaurants, a picturesque infinity pool set at the edge of the golden sands and all-suite accommodations, many with soaking pools set on terraces. Wed under the resort’s gauze-wrapped arbor on the beach (secretsresorts.com).

Photo courtesy of Secrets Resorts & Spas
Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun

Then keep the party going oceanside or, for smaller groups, hold your reception on the Gazebo Terrace. The sea-view area can host dinner and dancing for a maximum of 60 people (wedding packages start at $949 and include an officiant, services of a wedding coordinator, a bouquet and a boutonniere, a wedding cake and sparkling wine. Complimentary wedding packages are also available; secretsresorts.com).

Legally Wedded: Most resorts can assist with paperwork to wed in Mexico and inform you on the rules in specific areas, since marriage requirements vary by city. All couples must be 18 or older and not currently married. You’ll also need to present a valid passport, tourist card (typically issued upon arrival at the airport), birth certificate, blood test results (done in Mexico), completed marriage application forms from the local registry and four witnesses. All foreign documents, with the exception of your passport, will need to be translated and notarized. The bride and groom, plus their witnesses, must arrive in Mexico four business days before the wedding day for legal ceremonies.

Photo courtesy of Secrets Resorts & Spas