Crush on Destinating | Part IV

Welcome to Part IV of our Destination Wedding series for the traveling bride. Missed a post?
Part I : To Destinate or Not to Destinate?
Part II :  Disadvantages of a Destination Wedding
Part III:  Where to Start?
The first wedding we are showcasing in our destination wedding series is one that makes me pine to remarry Big Daddy Joshua all over again. With each trip to Mexico, our shopping bags are lined with Day of the Dead la catrina figurines. We love them.  We even commissioned an artist to make our very own catrina for the back yard. What is a catrina? She is a skeleton figure representing Aztec goddess Mictecacihuatl and a symbol of the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, celebration. 
Many who choose to have a destination wedding want the finesse and style of the culture of the country they are getting married in. 
In this post, you will be enjoying the works of photographer, Jillian Mitchell and the wedding planning and design of Yazmin Ramirez of Sea of Dreams. 
Sayulita, Mexico
Sayulita is on the western coast of Mexico, forty five minutes north of the Puerto Vallarta airport. The picturesque village of Sayulita is a surfers' paradise peppered with boutique hotels that are perfect for intimate wedding celebrations.

16 seconds of ads and then Sayulita on the Today Show.

This is what happens when you combine flair, culture, chichi, and romance into a Day of the Dead inspired wedding in Sayulita, Mexico.
Look at those two on the bicycle {SQUEAL----i LOVE them}. 

a mexican serenade {swooooooon } i love the romance and sound of live mexican song

made to order churros for wedding "cake"

Have you noticed the Lotería theme? Lotería is a game similar to Bingo but played with these wonderful artisan cards with images and names; la luna, la campana, el violoncello instead of letters and numbers. The table placemats are the Lotería game boards. The game cards were also used for lining the vials of Mexican tea (in a photo featured above).

All images have been used by permission by the photographer, Jillian Mitchell of Jillian Mitchell Photography. 
Thank you Jillian and Yazmin for letting us share your beautiful work!

What are the laws? As US citizens will we be legally married if we get married in Mexico?
Yes, but you do need to proper paperwork. A planner would have this arranged for you but be sure to have and ask about the following items and call the appropriate government office (embassy) for up-to-date information.
Here is the US Embassy in Mexico's URL http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/main.html
1) Passports (make several copies for paperwork filing)
2) Marriage application
3) Birth certificatess
4) Blood tests
5) Four passport holding witnesses who are 18 years old or older 
6) If remarrying, a divorce decree that is at least one year old, notarized or apostilled* and translated into Spanish. You cannot be remarried in Mexico unless you have been divorced for one year. 
7) If widowed, a death certificate translated into Spanish and notarized.
8) You need a civil ceremony to make it legal in the USA. The marriage certificate will be apostilled and your own embassy can translate the document into English
9) Arrive 3 days before your wedding date to finalize the paperwork and testing
*An apostilled document is a document attached to your foreign document to make it legal in the other  country.


For more on the laws read "How to Get Married in Mexico" from ehow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4443160_married-mexico.html

Crush on Destinating | part III

In Part I and Part II of our Destination Wedding series, we shared some of the advantages and disadvantages in choosing a destination wedding. One of the items made both lists; not having control over every detail. For some, this could be a great sense of relief or create high degrees of anxiety in others. Regardless, you will need to hire vendors from the local area and trust that they will provide the service you were expecting. 

Where to Start?
1. First, start with their online presence. If they are catering to destination couples, they know this is your first impression of them. The impression should be a good one. If it's lack lustre at this initial first step, it's hard to imagine they are going to go the extra mile for your special celebration. And remember, you need to have confidence in your vendors.
2. When you contact a vendor via phone or email do you receive a reply within a reasonable time? Don't be surprised if the response isn't immediate (within a few days). This is a good indicator as to how all your future inquiries will be handled by that particular vendor.
3.  Look at the online portfolios carefully. Make sure the images you are falling in love with are of the immediate location you are thinking of choosing and not stock tourism images from the entire area. Read as many reviews as possible from many different sources.
TripAdvisor is one of many that will help to determine the feel of resorts, and many, that are popular with brides, will have reviews that include their wedding experience. Very valuable information.
4. A planner is essential. If you are traveling out of your country, your local planner will speak the language and be able to communicate with all your vendors if you can't. She/He will know all the necessary permits and laws that will be necessary for being wed outside of your country. Many large resorts have a wedding department and a menu of services from which you can choose. Literally, boxes are ticked for the services you want. Bridal Bouquet (check). Photographer ( check ) 4-piece music ensemble (check).  You may not be offered a variety of choices within each category. For example, we wanted live music. Our choices were mariachi or jazz and we did not get to choose from a variety of musicians. It was either them or the other guy.  There were no style choices for a photographer or videographer. Only if we wanted one or not. If you are choosing a boutique location, a local planner is invaluable. He/She will organize all the details for you, including the marriage laws of that country. (stay tuned for a future post with advice from a professional planner in Mexico). The planner will also be able to make sure all the necessary permits are required if you choose to do #5.
5. Do you want to travel with your own talent? Some brides decide to hire vendors from their home town. They pay for their services and their travel costs. Why? Confidence in the product. Photographers, make-up artists, and hair stylists often get asked to come along. Many have relationships with the above people in their home towns and feel they can be trusted to deliver on their wedding day.

Crush on Destinating | part II

Are you considering a destination wedding? 
Don't miss Part I - To Destinate or Not? The Advantages. 


Today, we are looking at why a destination wedding might not work for you.

DISADVANTAGES
The disadvantages to a destination wedding focuses mostly on the others who would attend your wedding. Typically, destination weddings save the couple thousands of dollars while the guests dish out a lot to attend. 

- Not all your friends and family will be able to afford to join you. Many cannot get the time off work or afford the cost of a vacation that you have chosen when and where it will be. Accept and understand that not everyone wants to join in on your travel plans and it has nothing to do with how much they care about you or not wanting to attend your wedding. Quite the contrary, using vacation time, acquiring passports, purchasing outfits that fit the locale, etc. can really add up. 
- What about children? Are you welcoming them along? This will substantially raise the cost for your traveling families. If children are not invited, what are the parents to do with their babies for a week while attending your wedding?
- What about health? Not everyone is in good health and may find the trip to be draining or impossible to make and would miss out on celebrating with you because of health, age, or disability.
- Plan for jet-lag, travel delays, and lost luggage. Yes, brides often carry their dress down the aisle. The aisle of the plane that is. 

- Be prepared to upset family and friends about this decision. From my experience, there are many conflicting opinions during any type of wedding planning. Whether you are destinating or not, keep in mind that while it is your dream day many key players in your life will want a say in how you do it. 

- Less control and more trust in the planner and/or vendors you have chosen. Be aware of inflated advertising. I know the photos online look wonderful, but most are not going to pay a visit to double check as you would do at home. Do your research and lots of it. Read lots of reviews from many different sites. Hold your vendors to the same expectations you have at home. Are they emailing, phoning you in a timely fashion? Is the website professional? Can you contact someone immediately? Are there guarantees? 
- You may not be able to get a particular service that you could at home. Pricing will be different--some will save you, some way more expensive. Photography and videography are a good example of this (we'll talk more about this in part III).

- You may have to plan much further in advance simply to allow for your guests to make travel arrangements that fit their life plans as well. 

- Etiquette states that you should never expect a wedding gift from anyone if they were not invited to the ceremony (or could not make it) and that includes if you throw a reception/party when you return home.  


Still thinking of destinating? Stay tuned for the third post in our series of destination weddings. Don't miss out. Follow the blog or join our Facebook page at Skye Snyder Photography. 

Crush on Destinating

Planning a Destination Wedding?

Almost six years ago, Joshua and I escaped to Xpu-Ha, Mexico (above).  I suppose that explains why I have a special spot for couples who "destinate" to share their vows and begin their married life together. Planning a distant celebration has its own challenges and joys. Having gone through the process and being a destination wedding photographer, I feel we may have some advice that could help engaged couples plan their first nuptial adventure. 

Our Wedding in Xpu-Ha, Mexico by Ruby, age 6

Our Wedding by Ruby, age 5. The star is a light. A HUGE light that hung
from the center of the main palapa. It floated above as we first danced as
husband and wife.  We bought a miniature one that hangs in our home's
entrance. A constant reminder to that moment together.

#1. Why Choose a Destination Wedding? 


ADVANTAGES
- Appeals to those afflicted with the travel bug and adventure
- Cost effective by combining the wedding 

and the honeymoon in one trip
- Your planner will do it all for you (which may be difficult for someone who wants to be a part of every detail) and can be virtually stress-free
- A more intimate experience because only your closest friends and family will be there
- You will actually get to visit with your circle of pals poolside throughout the week's stay versus trying to chat with each table at a formal wedding while "being in the moment" with your Love.
- Couples get to depart from the traditions that are expected in a more formal wedding
- Perfect for second marriages and renewing vows. A little more simplified, casual, and only about their union. 






This is the first of  a series of blogs regarding destination weddings. Don't want to miss the posts? Follow the blog to receive updates or join our Facebook page; Skye Snyder Photography

Did you have a destination wedding? Planning one? Been a guest at one? Please leave a comment for us. We'd love to hear from you.