Los Cabos Magazine article – Issue #10 – January 2006 – by: Sandra Berry
Wedded Bliss Cabo-Style
Everything you should know to plan your Cabo wedding, plus great advice from Cabo’s top wedding planners. Four Great reasons for getting married Cabo-style—True love… Lifetime companionship… She actually said, “Yes, I’ll marry you!”… Cabo’s incomparable wedding planners…
Los Cabos has become the “hottest” wedding destination in México. It’s accessible, more affordable than many other places, safe for families, and a great lure for wedding guests invited to this desert paradise for that badly needed vacation.
A destination wedding is great because not everyone invited feels compelled to travel to your wedding. This allows the bride and her family to plan something very intimate and romantic, saving money at the same time. Many couples, their families, and friends are looking for a great getaway. Los Cabos offers a backdrop unique to any other Mexican destination—our upscale resorts, quality service, five star food, intoxicating nightlife, and endless activities make Los Cabos a win-win situation for everyone.
If making memories is your goal for a picture perfect wedding, look no further. This seaside resort is the place, with its unique environment of swaying palms on pristine beaches, soaring mountain backdrops, and clear blue skies over azure blue seas. Simple or elaborate, on a beach, a yacht, in a private villa, or a resort hotel, whatever the budget, you can have the wedding of your dreams. How about exchanging your vows on a rock cliff overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean? Or, barefoot in the sand at a romantic and secluded beach? Families love to gather at the Josefina Chapel in San José del Cabo, offering the sanctity of a church, the beauty of a poolside garden, and the charming El Encanto boutique hotel, all within its walls.
“Over-the-top is no such thing,” says Colleen Fagan of Baja Weddings, “when it comes to answering and anticipating the requests of our bridal couples. But it takes some careful planning.”
From the moment she says, “I will,” to the blissful couple saying, “I do,” Los Cabos wedding planners, like Amy Abbott Wedding Events, can take care of everything in between. There is no ceremony too small or none too large, from budget to luxurious, from glitzy and glamorous to quaint and charming, every event can be customized. Each couple’s needs are unique. The top wedding planners in Los Cabos have handled hundreds of weddings and they know the ins and outs of what it takes to pull off a picture perfect affair, and make it look easy.
The schedule’s time-line is critical. The wedding planner prepares a list of all the tasks involved, beginning with the budget. “You have to be realistic, says Mary Bragg of Weddings in Paradise. “ Cabo is a resort and is not cheap, so don’t expect your coordinator to perform miracles when it comes to pricing.”
Next comes the wedding date, then the venue, locating the wedding officiate, selecting the music, planning the wedding rehearsal, the processional and recessional. Planners can suggest activities for the wedding guests before or after the big day. And, Los Cabos has an abundance of activities for the entire family, from half-day snorkeling tours to dinner cruises around the famous arch, to para-sailing, or a pirate ship with real buccaneers for the kids.
The majority of weddings here are civil but most religious ceremonies can be performed, or, you can fly in your own clergy. There are certain legal documents required: copies of birth certificates, divorce decree, if applicable, passport or driver’s license, tourist visas received on the airplane before landing in Mexico, and blood tests. The professional wedding planner can assist with everything to make it all legal. They know the customs, the language, and have made a career of accumulating the right vendors. They know the best and most reliable florists, musicians, caterers, and the photographer that knows all the great places to capture the happy couple. They know where to get the chairs, the altar, the champagne flutes, the Tiki torches, and can go from Plan A, to Plan B, and even Plan C, if it rains. Even though Cabo has 340 days of perfect wedding weather, Plan C has to be part of the overall detail.
Timing is critical. “It’s like we are the conductor for a large orchestra,” says Elizabeth Schoell of Sunset Weddings. “We are all playing in harmony. A successful wedding is made up of details, details, details, but we have to make it look flawless and perfect.”
Granted, many times the things that do go wrong are what come to mind when couples are reminiscing. Like the ring-bearer, who felt the flower girl he was following down the aisle was walking far too slow. In a loud voice for a five-year-old, the ring bearer bellowed out, “Hurry up, damn it!” to the horror of the wedding party, but grandpa and most of the guests thought it was hilarious.
Speaking of children, a beautiful touch remembered by one of the wedding planners was when each of the bride’s little girls walking down the aisle with their mother received a ring from the groom when he placed the ring on his bride’s finger.
Those who try to do it themselves often run into roadblocks, not to mention dealing with the stress factor. Whether the ceremony is for the young, a celebrity, or the more mature couple who wants to renew their wedding vows, it all takes careful planning. Which is why, in Los Cabos, professional wedding coordinators are the best at fulfilling the dreams of the happy couple, making their wedding their finest hour, and meeting and exceeding the expectations of the entire family.
“We never forget that for the couple, this is a “once in a lifetime” event, and we only have one chance to make it perfect for them,” says Sergio Morales of Perfect Weddings.
You don’t have to go to Santorini for a Greek wedding. It can be done in Cabo complete with ouzo and a shout of “Opa!” No need to fly to Hawaii; you can have a lei’d-back wedding in Cabo. Nuptials on the beach, followed by a terrace reception are a popular request, according to Adrian Solis of Los Cabos Wedding, who also specialize in organizing vows for couples already vacationing in Los Cabos. As for what to wear, it’s the bride’s choice. The wedding planner may have had doubts when a professional model chose black, but was in awe at what a stunning wedding it was with red roses everywhere. The groom had eyes only for his bride, and still does, eight years later.
Whenever a couple marries, someone is needed to oversee all the details to ensure the wedding is a success. That “someone” is the wedding planner. As an alternative, the top Los Cabos hotels and resorts have special events planning, and some destination management companies offer the service. Whomever you choose, ask for references, a detailed estimate of what your special day will cost, and what is and what isn’t included.
If you want a magical, romantic, and enchanting wedding, come to Los Cabos. From the kiss to the last dance, you’ll be swept away by the area’s many charms, and you’ll have a fairy tale story to tell your children and grandchildren. And for that dream honeymoon, why go anywhere else?
