BoOm’s guide to wacky weddings in Mexico
Story and photos by Bob Schulman
So you're going to get married…again. Maybe this time you're toying with tying the knot in a place that’s, well, a little different. BoOm unearthed 10 spots south of the border that promise to thrill.
Bring your alibis: Still popular with musically-minded couples after all these years is the Hotel California in Todos Santos, about an hour's ride from Cabo San Lucas in Baja California. Some say it's THE Hotel California, the one in the Eagles' song from the '70s. Some say it isn't – but it's still a fun place to wake up in the morning…married.
A nice surprise in Todos Santos
Andy and Meg were here: For thatched-roof luxury, it's hard to beat the La Casa Que Canta resort overlooking Zihuatanejo Bay. Nuptial-minded couples have been coming to this Pacific Shangri-La ever since Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan burned up the silver screen at the hotel in the 1994 hit, When a Man Loves a Woman.
Promises on a pyramid: Exchanging vows atop the immense Mayan pyramid at Coba out in the Yucatan jungle is a real high. Be prepared to shell out hefty tips to the person performing the ceremony and to the four official witnesses (required by Mexican law) for climbing up the 140-foot-high pyramid.
Hup, two, three, four: Among Mexican hotels specializing in weddings is the Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort on the golden sands of the Riviera Nayarit. Here, guests enjoy amenities ranging from exotic spa treatments to “bridal boot camps.” Wedding packages at the Grand Velas range from $1,800 to $19,850.
Underground alters: Ancient ceremonial caves thought to be paths to the ancient Mayan afterworld lure some couples to Merida on the west side of the Yucatan. If bats, spiders, scorpions and the like turn you off, “wet” marriages can be arranged in the underground streams and rivers crisscrossing the peninsula.
11,000 virgins: Make your wedding a legend. Swap your vows at the little village of Cosala in the hills of western Mexico at the Church of St. Ursula – so named for a legendary 4th Century British princess said to have had 11,000 virgin handmaidens.
A little insurance: Thinking about having a family? Consider getting wed on a site full of the sacred alters, shrines and temples of the Mayan fertility goddess, Ixchel. Her sanctuary is on the island of Cozumel (nowadays famous as a diving Mecca) about 12 miles off the Caribbean beaches of the Riviera Maya.
Guahdahlah-harrrr-ah: Wouldn't it be fun to hitch up surrounded by dozens of mariachi bands belting out such brassy favorites as Cielito Lindo, La Bamba and Guadalajara? You'll find a block-full of bands lined up sombrero to sombrero at Guadalajara's Mariachi Square, where they audition for parties, weddings, bar mitzvahs and the like.
Where the action is: Share your joy with just about everyone in town at Marimba Park in the balmy city of Tuxtla Gutierrez down in Chiapas. There, among thousands of dancers who show up every night, you can say your vows while musicians bat out hip-shaking salsas and merengues on the wooden slats of their xylophone-like marimbas.
Where the action isn't: It's usually pretty quiet in Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico. A perfect spot for a private wedding ceremony is on a three-story-high wall built around the city in 1704 to protect it from pirates. Instead of walking down the aisle, you can stroll off into the sunset on a mile-long walkway studded with cannons.
Before heading south, you should be aware of Mexico's laws on civil and religious ceremonies, rules on blood tests and the documents required for divorced and widowed persons. A good source is the Mexico Tourism Board's website (www.visitmexico.com). Link to the Travel Experience tab, then Weddings, then Regulations for Marriage in the box on the left side of the page. Among commercial sources, one of the best is www.mexperience.com. Link to Travel Guides, then Weddings and Honeymoons and then Complete Guide to Getting Married in Mexico.