Renewal of Vows vs. Legal Ceremony...help!

is anyone really going to notice if you don't sign something? i mean, how often do wedding guests see the bride and groom sign something!?

A symbolic ceremony & vow renewal are essentially the same thing. It just means that you are exchanging vows in the presence of loved ones, it just doesn't follow the country's legal requirements for you to be considered legally married in that country. Make sense?

As I was married before, we are going the way of a symbolic ceremony, as the DR has the new fee, plus the translation of docs is going to make it more than I care to pay.

 

We are considering the at home marriage "taking care of paperwork" and actually his dad will be there because he is not well to travel. So he gets to see us get married too!

 

I have no problems with this, as we have said to our friends/family that are going that it's a wedding holiday.. just one day out of the 7 is for us, and it's a trip away for them just as much as to see us married.

 

I'm really trying to not make this such a big deal. But every little thing I see on here, I want, and it's so easy to get carried away with ooot bags, monograms, gifts for attendants, gifts for guests..... and and and and... The simpler the better I say (and cheaper!)

Just had a quick comment on this part...when I got married (in the states last year) we DID, of course, sign the marriage license. But it totally wasn't a big deal. We have to sign in front of the person that issues the license (at the office) so the only person that signs it the day of the wedding is the officiant. So we left it with him, he signed it and turned it in for us. simple as that. nobody in or at our wedding ever saw either of us sign it. SO, not sure how it works down in Mexico, but is it possible it could be the same case there?? Or even if it's not, could you just pretend it is...sort of make the license a "non-issue"? You know?

Not sure that actually helped at all...just thought I'd throw it out there! :-)

I'm bringing this thread back to life because this is what we will be doing as well (right now only my Mom and MOH know ... but Mom wants to be at the "real" wedding. Well, to us, our ceremony IS the real wedding. The other will just be signing paperwork to us.

But, for any of you who have already done the Symbolic Ceremony ... although my wedding is in the DR ... any feedback will be helpful to these questions of exactly what to expect with the Symbolic Ceremony?

I'm wondering if it will still appear "real" for all intents and purposes?

Is there a standard "vow renewal/symbolic" script or are we expected to take care of that ourselves?

Who will preside usually? Our WC or a minister?

I am thinking of doing the same thing. my FI wants to get married after mexico. he thinks it would be weird to be married legally before our wedding.

Dan and I are getting married in the states, and having Dan's brother do the ceremony in Mexico. If you have someone who would do this, I would recommend asking a close friend or relative. We didn't want to pay some stranger to lead our ceremony..and considering it's not legal we thought we would have a little fun with it. Dan's brother is so excited, and we are excited that he will be the best man/ master of ceremony!!!

Tami, we are doing the same thing at the resort next door to yours, the Melia Caribe. We were told by the WC that one of the staff of the hotel will preside over the ceremony, there will be a paper to sign (not sure what), so that part will look "real". We don't have to provide our own vows, they take care of that, although we are having a sand ceremony. Were were also worried that the symbolic ceremony would not look real; the WC assured us that it would.

Yes, and this is a money saver, for sure!

PPC provides us with a non-denominational minister who will perform the Symbolic Ceremony, withour WC translating (unless one of our guests speaks Spanish and can translate instead) ... and my Uncle is going to read our Hand Ceremony.

We are not given anything to sign, but I'm designing a "Marriage Certificate" that our Best Man and MOH will sign as our witnesses, along with our signatures - more of something Symbolic for us as opposed to anything else.

And we are not telling anyone -- an acquaintance of mine is a Notary and she will take care of the legal stuff back here at home before we leave.

I am glad this thread was brought back alive, as I have the exact same question. I am still waiting to hear back from the WC, but glad to see these posts.

 

For us, it was a coincident. Paul is catholic and his parents are moving back to China early next year, before our DW. So we're going to have a catholic ceremony here in the states in Dec. However, to me the April ceremony is the REAL one and I want everyone else to see that ceremony as our wedding. So for those who have gone through this already, other than the paperwork and officiant, the rest of vow renewal ceremony is exactly the same as a wedding ceremony? i.e. vow exchange, sand ceremony, etc, etc...