weddings
BY IRENE KORN
In the burgeoning market for destination weddings,
Mexico is a winner among U.S. couples seeking an
exotic destination with familiar amenities—all within
easy access and at a price point that’s easier on the
pocketbook, meaning more value for the money. It’s
no surprise that Mexico’s first-rate well-developed
beach destinations attract the bulk of U.S. couples,
who flock to CANCUN and the RIVIERA MAYA, PUERTO
VALLARTA and the RIVIERA NAYARIT, and LOS CABOS
for fun-in-the-sun, but options abound through the
rest of the country as well, from the colonial cities of
MERIDA, SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE and OAXACA to newer
hotspots such as HUATULCO, IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO and
LA PAZ for those seeking something a little different.
CABO AZUL
SPIRITUAL
SITES
From quaint and traditional to
strikingly dramatic, Mexico’s
chapels and churches—many
available onsite at resorts—offer
a variety of settings for those
seeking a wedding with a spiritual touch.
For an intimate group, the
wedding chapel at El Dorado
Maroma on the Riviera Maya
seats 80 directly off the white
beach sands. For beautiful views
from on high, the Hacienda San
Angel in Puerto Vallarta features the Puerta del Cielo chapel,
a domed chapel with open-air
views overlooking the bay and
the city’s Guadalupe Cathedral.
In Los Cabos, for dramatic flair
overlooking the Sea of Cortez in
Cabo San Lucas, nothing tops
the soaring ceilings of the open-air five-story non-denominational
El Corazon (The Heart) chapel
at Cabo Azul (above), with
firelit walls and waterfalls, while
One&Only Palmilla features
a traditional white-washed
Mexican chapel among its many
possible wedding venues.
SPECIAL
TOUCHES
In addition to an opulent wedding day setup, ME Cancun’s
The Day package, priced at
$5,800 (until the end of the year),
features a free upgrade to a Loft
Suite for the bride and groom, a
SPA water ritual for the couple
and a gift certificate for two days
and three nights at the resort for
the first wedding anniversary,
among a host of other goodies.
In Los Cabos, an assortment of wedding packages
at One&Only Palmilla can
include a private beach cove
experience complete with a floating daybed, private dinners and
spa treatments for the couple,
while Capella Pedregal can
customize weddings with such
Mexican traditions as mariachi
music to end the ceremony, a gift
of 13 gold coins from the groom
to the bride or a lazo (rope) unity
ceremony.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Most of Mexico’s resorts offer their own onsite wedding planners, as well as multiple weddings packages, incentives and
special touches.
With seven resorts along the Riviera Maya, Karisma Hotels
and Resorts offers packages that range from the simple to
extravagant. For example, couples who stay a minimum of seven
nights and fulfill 15 additional rooms can take advantage of the
free wedding package at El Dorado Royale and Casitas
Royale, El Dorado Seaside Suites, El Dorado Maroma
and Azul Sensatori, or for $3,500 at all the resorts, couples
can go more extravagant with the Gold Wedding Package, which
includes a variety of value-added extras such as a spa hairstyling,
a romantic dinner cruise, half-hour massage lesson and much
more.
On the West Coast, at the Palladium Vallarta Resort
and Spa and the Royal Suites Punta de Mita, Palladium
Resorts offers packages starting at $1,600 for ceremonies
and receptions for 10 guests, along with perks for the couple
like a lobster dinner and free room upgrade. Similar options
are available at Palladium’s five Riviera Maya resorts.
mixing it up
In a recent webinar produced
by Travel Weekly magazine and
sponsored by the Mexican Tourism
Board, Marianne Braly of Now
Voyager Travel shared one of
her favorite destination wedding
itineraries, combining the colonial
charms of MERIDA with the beach
ELIZABETH MEDINA PHOTOGRAPHY
activities of the RIVIERA MAYA. She suggests flying
clients into Merida for a three- or four-day stay at
the HACIENDA XCANATUN, an 18th-century hacienda
transformed into an 18-suite luxury boutique hotel
that can accommodate up to 200 for a wedding.
From there, clients can fly or be driven to MAROMA
RESORT on the Riviera Maya, a luxury resort where
several packages and incentives are currently available, including resort credits, discounts of up to 25
percent, and several romance-themed packages.
The resort also has multiple sites to host weddings.
In addition to a host of beach activities, exploring
the area’s underground cenotes and a day trip to the
amazing Mayan ruins of CHICHEN ITZA are popular
excursions.
