Catholic Church Ceremony

If you are planning to have your ceremony in one of the lovely Catholic churches here in Vallarta, you’ll need to plan a few months ahead so you have time to gather all the required documentation and fulfill the church requirements.

One thing to keep in mind is that religious Catholic ceremonies performed by a priest are held only in the church itself.  The priests do not come out on location to perform ceremonies on the beach, or in villas or hotels or other locations.

Most of the churches prefer to communicate with the couple directly rather than with the wedding planner and your initial communications, reserving the date and time, usually will have to be done personally (by phone).  They do speak some English, so don't worry!   Your Weddings Vallarta by Barbara team will of course will be assisting and helping you as much as possible, every step of the way!

When communicating with the officiates of the any one of the churches here in Puerto Vallarta please be prepared to have some patience.   They want your wedding to go as smoothly as possible but sometimes all the documentation required, as well as their time frames, can seem a bit daunting.  Just like most everything in Vallarta, it all works out in the end, thanks to the powers that be, so relax and know that as long as you begin the processes well in advance, you'll be happily walking down the ailse before you know it.

During your initial communications with the church you choose here in Puerto Vallarta they will give you a list of their requirements and documents you’ll need to present to them.  After that the majority of your communications will be done between you and your own parish priest.  He’ll also confirm everything you need and lead you through the various processes.

Here is a basic reference list of the documents required.  These documents (copies only please) must be sent to the church here in Puerto Vallarta (either by fax or by courier - NOT REGULAR MAIL) a minimum of a month before your wedding date for verification, in case of any unforeseen problems, missing documents or necessary revisions.  Originals of all these documents must be brought with you and presented to the church at least a day before the wedding:

• Legal (Civil) Marriage License – you must be legally married first before you can get married in the church here.
  
  
• Certificate of completion of a Marriage course by both of you – held by your local parish.
  
  
• Letter from your parish priest to the priest of the church here, introducing you and confirming and outlining the steps you have completed towards your pending nuptials
  
  
• Completion by both of you of the full Archdiocese Prenuptial Investigation, including witness testimonials.  Depending on your situation there will be various papers to fill out together with your priest, ie. should one of you not be Catholic or have been married before. Your parish priest will be able to tell you everything you need.
  
  
• Copies of:
  • Birth Certificates
  • Baptism Certificates
  • First Communion Certificates
  • Confirmation Certificates
  • Witness ID's
  

For more information on a Catholic church ceremony, please download our guidlines HERE.