Planning a Tulum Wedding

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Hi all! Newbie here, and I have a question about getting married in Mexico--Tulum, specifically. I have done a fair amount of research about all the rules and regulations, and I believe I understand them pretty well. But I am still unsure about a couple of things:

1. I know I will have to have my birth certificate translated/apostilled into Spanish (the fiancee's too), but is this something I should do in the US or in Mexico? I think the US would be better, but some sites seem to indicate Mexico. Also--do you get it translated by someone in the government of the state where you now live, or the state in which you were born?

2. We want to get married in Tulum. We can find a ton of information about getting married in Cancun and Cozumel, but nothing about Tulum. I know all the tests will have to be done in Cancun, but is it possible to get all the paperwork squared away with the Civil Registry Office in Tulum and get married there? Oh, we both speak Spanish--he better than I, but I still understand.I should have noted that although we know there are resorts in and near Tulum that do offer wedding packages, neither of us are "resort people". We prefer to just get a local judge and see if s/he will come out to the beach where we plan on staying and marry us there. Is that possible?

Any information anyone can give me will be incredibly helpful! Thank you very much!

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! We’ve been doing some searching to find some answers to your questions. I wish we could be of more help; Mexico’s marriage regulations are very complicated and, like those in the states, vary from state to state. We did come up with some information:

Regarding hiring a judge rather than going through a resort: some judges will come out and do the weddings at various locations. We’ve never talked with a couple who made all the arrangements on their own although, since you speak Spanish, We think this could be done if you arrive several days early and make arrangements via phone before your visit. Another option is to work with a local wedding planner to assist with some of the paperwork issues. The office that you’ll need to speak with to obtain your license is the Registro Civil.

Regarding the apostille and translations, we believe all the translations need to be done well in advance of your trip. Your birth certificate needs to be authenticated by the Secretary of State’s office in the state in which you were born. There’s an excellent page on the Mexican Consulate’s website with more on the details. Also there a page about local legalities on Avalon Resorts’ website; they’re located in Quintana Roo so the regulations would apply:

That’s great that you both speak Spanish; by Mexican law, the ceremony does need to be performed in Spanish (although most wedding coordinators act as interpreters for couples). In terms of Tulum, we believe ceremonies can be performed at Tulum but we’ve never seen on in progress there. We’d suggest you talk with a local wedding planner. One in the area is My Wedding in Cancun; the company also plans weddings in the surrounding area and Cozumel. Here’s their contact info:

My Wedding in Cancun
Tel. 998 267 93 20
Cel. 9988 42 10 85

Best of luck and keep us posted on your progress!

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