St. Michael and All Angels Anglican (Episcopal) Church
Cancun is a wonderful location for holding a wedding -- or the renewal of wedding vows !! Our gorgeous Caribbean beaches and bright tourquoise waters are just about as beautiful a backdrop as you could find for your wedding.
Now that we have that established, there are a few details to cover before you get to that very special day.
In Mexico, the only legally binding marriage is Civil Marriage performed by a judge. A religious wedding performed in Mexico does not change a person's civil status from "single" to "married". For this reason, the bridal couple should be married by a civil authority, preferably before the religious marriage. This can be done either here in Mexico or in your country of origin.
Our congregation has a hotel chaplaincy in Cancun. We do not have our own buildings, but this should not be a problem. Most hotels have locations designed for holding outdoor ceremonies and the beaches are legally federal zones with open access for everyone. Contact the Guest Relations department of the hotel in which you will be staying; they or their Concierge can usually make the arrangements necessary for holding you marriage ceremony.
When your wedding party is large or if you want to have an elaborate ceremony or multiple event wedding holiday, then we recommend that you consider using the services of a professional wedding coordinator. (See our Links page)
The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage
The normal marriage ceremony is performed when the bride and groom have just been married by a civil judge - or were married immediately before arriving here. This is the same as the liturgy used by the Episcopal Church in the USA. We can send you a copy by E-Mail so that you can be familiar with what will be happening and so that you can choose from among the authorized readings.
(Please note: The ceremony allows for many variations, especially for the addition of music but the wedding vows indicated in the liturgy must be used.)
The Blessing of a Civil Marriage
When the bridal couple have been married by a civil authority and have been living together for some time prior to coming tothe Church for the blessing of their union, then the appropriate service is called "The Blessing of a Civil Marriage". This is similar to the normal religious wedding, but there are some changes. The Church's requirements are the same for performing this service as they are for the normal marriage ceremony.
The Renewal of Marriage Vows
A beautiful way for a married couple to confirm their commitment to one other is to celebrate the Renewal of Marriage Vows. There are no special requirements that apply to this option, other than proof of identity. Proof of marriage is only required when your personal identification indicates a surname different from that used by your spouse. The liturgy used for the Renewal of Marriage Vows is very specific in that the couple confirm the promises they made when originally married.
1.- Before a couple may be married by the Church (or receive the Church’s blessing) they must have been married under civil law by a judge or justice of the peace. It does not matter whether the civil ceremony was performed in Mexico or in some other country, but proof of the marriage must be presented.
2.- To be married under civil law in Mexico, if one of the spouses is a Mexican national, permission must be given by the Secretaria de Gobernación; this request may require several months to be processed. In the case of two non-Mexicans (or two Mexican citizens), the process is much less complicated and designed to eliminate undue delay.
3.- A blood test must have been performed for each person no more than 14 days before the civil ceremony. If the report is not written in Spanish, a certified translation must be provided. (The blood work costs less in Cancun than the translation, so do this here.)
4.- The judge’s time must be scheduled in advance. A marriage license must be requested at least three days prior to the date of the ceremony. This is done at the offices of the “Registro Civil”. In Cancun, these offices are located on the northwest side of the downtown park known as Parque de las Palapas, about one block west of Tulum Avenue.
5.- The fees for performing a civil marriage between foreigners vary with the dollar to peso exchange rate, but are around $450 Dlls. U.S. The ceremony can be held at the Registro Civil or at a location of the couple’s choosing. Four witnesses must be present.
6.- At the time of entering into the civil marriage, the couple must declare that they are being married either :
(a) with all goods and property in common (all goods held as “community property”) or
(b) under the regime of "“separación de bienes”" which means that each individual will maintain ownership of their pre-marriage property.
7.- Proof of identity must be provided as well as proof that both individuals are in Mexico legally. This requires photo I.D., or a passport, plus your “Tourist Card” immigration papers. The identity documents must be certified in the country of origin using the "apostille" protocol. (United Nations Apostille Treaty) (There is usually only one state government office per state or province authorized to do this.)
8.- If one or both individuals has previously been married to a person still living, then proof of a legal divorce must be provided. These also must be certified under the "Apostille Protocol".
1.- For a couple to receive the blessing of their civil marriage (or to participate in the normal wedding ceremony) they must have been married by the civil authorities, in accordance with Mexican law (either in Mexico or elsewhere).
2.- At least one of the persons must be baptized a Christian in some Church, not necessarily in the Anglican or Episcopal Church.
3.- That both parties enter into the marriage freely and knowingly, without fraud, coercion, mistake as to identity of a partner, or mental reservation.
4.- That both parties have been instructed as to the nature, meaning, and purpose of Holy Matrimony by a member of the clergy or other competent counselor.
5.- The couple must agree to sign the following declaration of consent:
"We, (Bride’s Name) and (Groom’s Name) desiring to receive the blessing of Holy Matrimony in the Church, do solemnly declare that we hold marriage to be a lifelong union of husband and wife as it is set forth in the Book of Common Prayer.
"We believe that the union of husband and wife, in heart, body, and mind, is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one an-other in prosper-ity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the pro-creation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord.
"And we do engage ourselves, so far as in us lies, to make our utmost effort to establish this relationship and to seek God's help thereto.
"We understand that religious marriage in Mexico does not change a person's civil status from "single" to "married", and that only civil marriage by the state can do this.
"Signed this __th day of ______ in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and _____ ."
6.- There must be at least two witnesses.
7.- That the couple shall have advised the priest of their intention to marry at least thirty (30) days before the ceremony is to take place.
8.- If either (or both) of the persons to be married have previously been married to a person still living, then the blessing of their marriage requires the authorization of the Diocesan Bishop. This is NOT automatic, and always takes time. So that the permission of the Bishop can be requested, you must supply the history and all of the relevant information concerning your previous marriage, such as:
a) When it was performed.
b) When and under what circumstances it was terminated (divorce, annulment), including why it was terminated. Documentary proof of termination should be provided.
c) If there are any children from the first marriage; if there are living children, please give their ages.
Both persons must also indicate that they will comply with the Church’s Canons (laws) which require that both of them must undertake to shown continuing concern for the well-being of the former spouse and of any children of the prior marriage.
The Bishop must be convinced that the prior marriage has no possibility of being re-established, renewed, or revived. One element which makes the re-establishment of the prior marriage impossible would be the subsequent marriage of the other spouse. Lacking this proof, the element of time elapsed is always a heavy consideration.