In January of 2023, my husband and I took a trip to Cabo so I could photograph one of the most beautiful weddings and let me just say- we can't wait to go back!!! We had such a great time- I want to share our itinerary with you as well as how you can plan to have your wedding or elopement here!
How to legally get married in Cabo
Let's talk legalities- If I'm being totally honest, it's a pretty lengthy list to abide by to get legally married in Cabo. To ensure I'm not sharing any misinformation, here's the link to the official must-have list: U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico
Here's just a few requirements to give you an idea of what to expect:
- 4 witnesses over the age of 18
- Birth certificate translated in Spanish + permit issued by the Mexican Immigration
- Blood test (must be done in Mexico)
This isn't to scare you away! I just want to be transparent and give you a heads up that simply showing up with your birth certificate and ID's won't be enough.
What if you don't want to deal with the legalities, can you still have your ceremony in Mexico?...Absolutely! You can visit your local courthouse in the U.S. to complete your marriage license/ legal requirements and still have an international ceremony. Keep in mind, your official wedding date will not be the same as your ceremony in Mexico- just incase this is important to you!
So yes, you can choose to skip the civil ceremony for a symbolic ceremony and still exchange personal vows, choose your officiant, etc.
Resorts in Cabo
The cool part about choosing to have your wedding in Cabo is that you won't feel the need to leave for your honeymoon- there's so many beautiful all-inclusive resorts on the beaches!
Here's just a few resorts to get you started:
- Hacienda (this is where my couple had their wedding in January)
- Pueblo Bonito (my husband and I stayed at Rose and loved it!)
- The Cape
Something to keep in mind when booking your resort: If getting in the water is what you look forward to, check to see exactly where your resort is located. Some resorts (such as Pueblo Bonito Sunset) are on beaches that are unsafe to swim in. Anything located along Medano Beach is good to go!
Vendor Recommendations
Photographer
- Fill out my contact form and let's chat :)
Coordinator
- Rose Carrillo
- Oftentimes your wedding resort package will include a coordinator
Hair & Makeup
Florist
DJ
Sweets
Traveling to Cabo from the U.S.
Visiting Cabo was actually my first time traveling internationally! It can definitely feel overwhelming- so I'd love to help put those worries at ease :)
First things first, you'll need a passport. You can create an appointment online, but you cannot submit your application online, everything is done in person. You'll need:
- DS-11 Form
- Original birth certificate + a photocopy
- ID + a photocopy
- Passport photo
- Passport book and card ($160) + acceptance fee ($35)
Visit Travel.State.Gov to review more details and application locations.
Popular airlines that travel to Cabo from the US: Southwest, American, United, Delta, JetBlue and Frontier.
The Cabo San Lucas airport: Los Cabos, Mexico (SJD)
On your flight over, the airline will give you a document to complete and bring to customs. Once you arrive, the process is pretty smooth (as long as you're not traveling with anything inappropriate of course). When exiting the airport, you'll see multiple bars, shuttles and taxis.
BRING CASH! Taxis only accept cash... If you're wondering if you need to exchange your American money for pesos- nope!
What about cell service? Be prepared to not have any signal. My husband and I both have a plan with AT&T and for some reason, he had no issue sending texts and making calls, but my phone wasn't getting any signal. Thankfully, our resort had wifi. You can also download WhatsApp.
My experience...
My husband and I stayed at Pueblo Bonito Rose and we absolutely LOVED it!!! The staff was super friendly, it was clean, had a beautiful pool, was right on the beach and in walking distance from the rentals (kayaks, paddle boards, jet skis). We did the the all-inclusive and it was well worth it! The food choices were amazing and it was definitely great having access to unlimited drinks, haha. We were honestly so content with just swimming and relaxing, the only activity we did that wasn't related to the resort was taking a water taxi to Lover's Beach. We both feel motion sickness pretty easily, but the boat ride over was just the perfect amount of time on the water. The water taxi tour brought us around to see the Arch and we were able to explore the beach for a good hour before getting back on to head towards the resort.
Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have about my experience, or just about Cabo in general :)