Just the 2 of you? Read on for our Special Offer!

Cancun Studios is now offering the

 "Just the 2 of us" wedding or renewal

 of vows package for

 only 599 USD instead of 850 USD 

for a limited time only!

Included in the price:

         ¥ Symbolic Ceremony

¥ 1 hour Photography

¥ Small Bridal Bouquet

¥ Boutonniere

¥ Decoration (Heart with Rose petals in the sand)

For only 599 USD instead of 850 USD!!

The offer is valid for all bookings made until the 31st May 2014 for weddings or vow renewals in Cancun and only applies for couples with no guests. 

A travel cost (40 to 90 USD depending on location) applies for weddings or vow renewals in the Riviera Maya, i.e. Playa del Carmen or Tulum.

¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥

And for all those who still need to pop the all important question, we also have a special treat:

Romantic Dinner Offer includes: 

¥         1 hour Photography

¥         1 Romantic Dinner in a VIP Location with Tiki Torches at the beach in Cancun

¥ Menu ¥

¥

Caesar Salad with Shrimps

¥

Beef Filet Medallions with Red Wine Sauce

¥

Cheese Cake with Vainille Sauce

¥

1 Bottle of Red or White Wine (Concha y Toro)

at a special Offer Price of 399 USD instead of 499 USD!

(Tax and Service are included in the price)

Transport, Life Music as well as other 'surprises' can be arranged at an additional cost. 

For bookings and Enquiries please contact Cancun Wedding Center or

Cancun Studios

We want to elope!

Help! It's just the two of us and we want to elope! We need information! Do we need a wedding coordinator? Where do we go and where do we start? These are common questions that we are asked frequently.

Don't worry, all you need is your partner,  a minister and a photographer to capture the moment!

Time and again we hear from couples that hotels are not keen or forthcoming on helping couples without guests and that they struggle to get information. It's a fair assumption that this is probably because there is no money to be made! 

Don't let this deter you!

Just contact a photographer or minister or check on +TripAdvisor! They are always pleased to help and some even have a package deal that includes all you need to tie the knot!

Having no guests at your wedding can be liberating and also gives you a lot more choices in terms of doing something unusual on your big day! For example, why not get married in a helicopter, a private yacht or in a parasailer over the ocean? That's sure something to remember!

These are just a couple of ideas you can do when you're on your own that wouldn't work if you had guests.

If you want more information or ideas, please feel free to contact us at cancunweddingcenter@gmail.com or on our cancunweddingcenter facebook page

Are you having wedding jitters?

Are you thinking 'Yes, No, Maybe?' You may ask yourself if it’s normal to get the feeling of ‘cold feet’ when you think of saying ‘I do’…Is it normal to be scared of thinking you may commit yourself to the wrong one, or to have panic attacks and a gut feeling that ‘the right one’ may not be ‘Mr or Mrs Right’ after all…?

Don’t worry! You are normal! It’s a very common phenomenon and perfectly justified to make sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for. According to US statistics, 2,096,000 couples tied the knot in 2010 and 872,000 couples ‘untied’ it (41.60%) so yes, your feelings are completely justified!

Over the last few years, it has been a growing trend between couples to announce and celebrate their engagement with friends and family and then have a ‘trial-run’ as a married couple. Even though they may have lived together already, they opted to celebrate a symbolic wedding that isn’t legally binding and after a ‘trial period’ or when children announce themselves, they do ‘the real thing’!

We think it's a great idea! According to relationship experts, the first 3 years of any relationship is classed as the ‘honeymoon period’, after that, the pink glasses have come off and we see each other as we really are, so why not go for a ‘trial run’ without the legal implications first? It makes perfect sense!

If you’re determined to do ‘the real thing’ without a ‘trial run’, just ask yourself a few questions:

Do the things that spring to your mind when you think about your wedding really bother you or are they actually insignificant? Does his or her way of doing certain things raise alarm bells? Is your gut feeling warning you? Is there a little voice in your head that makes you doubt your decision? Have your friends noticed certain things in your partner that you have also observed and warned you about them?  

If that’s the case, the best advice is to take a few days ‘time-out’ from your wedding planning and talk openly with each other about your worries. Getting married is an important step in your lives. It often completely changes your lifestyle and you have to ask yourself whether you are both willing to compromise and if you both pull on the same piece of string…

We have put together a list of questions that you should ask yourself before jumping in the deep end:

Do we have similar future goals in terms of children, housing situation, i.e. buy, build or rent a place or where we want to live?

Have we been together for at least 2 years and have we lived together and managed ok?

Are we sexually compatible and do we share the same amount of passion for each other?

Can we talk openly about everything or are there areas where one of us shuts off, starts lecturing or manipulating the other one?   

Do we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and can I live with them?

Do I respect, trust and believe in my partner?

Do we have similar needs with regards to being close or distant with each other?

If I was stranded on a desert island, would I want to be with him/her or would I rather be with someone else?

Does he/she make me feel safe and give me a warm cosy feeling?

Do we share the same sense of humor?

What do my best friends think of him/her?

Does he/she like and get on with my friends and family?

Does he/she allow me to be myself? For example, shopping trips, girlie nights or fishing trips, long telephone conversations, working on the car, etc.

Does he/she introduce you as his partner?

Do you share some hobbies?

Does he/she also love your ‘problem areas’? 

Has he/she ever turned down a night out with friends for you?

Have you been on vacation together and had a great time?

Does he/she remember your birthday and Valentines Day?

Does he/she pay attention to detail and sometimes surprises you with little things?

Does he earn sufficient in order to maintain our lifestyle should I chose to become a ‘stay-at-home-mum’ for a while?

What is his/her view on children and working?

The most important thing is to answer these questions being completely honest with yourself!  

If you end up with a positive answer to most of these questions, don’t worry, you’re just having a small attack of the pre-wedding jitters!

However, if after answering these questions you notice several discrepancies that may lead to conflict in the future, don’t brood too long over how you can communicate your worries to your partner in a gentle way, or you’re running the risk of just bottling it up and never saying anything at all. The best way is to keep it short and direct, like: “I feel really overwhelmed and a bit scared right now in terms of our wedding. I would prefer to have a bit more time to make sure this is the right decision for both of us.” 

We all know that marriages are not always ‘til death us do part’ but the one you do choose to spend your life with should nevertheless be the right one! There is never a guarantee when you enter a contract for life and someone once said: “If you want a guarantee, buy a washing machine!”

So how do you know if it’s the right one?

If you catch yourself thinking ‘maybe someone better will come along one day’ or ‘he/she would be perfect if only we could change this or that’, then its definitely not the right one, and neither is it the right one if that little voice in your head is still there, making you doubt your relationship, or, that gut feeling in your stomach just doesn’t go away.

You know it's the right one is when there is not a grain of doubt, when there is no little voice warning you and the only feeling in your stomach are the butterflies you get when you see each other or hear each other’s voice!

Pep up your wedding!

To have a memorable wedding that's the talk of the town, isn't that what most couple would like?

Nobody wants to have a 'boring' wedding, - we all want our big day to be something ultra special and remembered for a long time. We want to think about our big day with a huge smile on our face, but the ultimate compliment of having hosted a great wedding is if our guests remember the fun time they had and keep talking about it for months!

Its not rocket science to know that money is always a big issue for planning a great wedding. We always put great importance on the venue, the dress, the decorations, food, flowers and everything that goes with it. There are color schemes to think off, decorations, bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc. etc. The list goes on and on. Each wedding site has endless lists on how to plan the perfect wedding.

But... at the end of the day what is it really that makes your wedding totally special?

Its the same as with everything else in life .... Its the people who are there!

They are the ones that can make the huge difference between your wedding being a complete hit or yet 'another nice wedding'! Just think of the fun things people did to make their wedding extra special! Remember the video of the bridal party dancing down the aisle that went viral? Who hasn't googled funny things that happen at weddings and to get some ideas?

To entertain and give everyone a fun time is not exactly easy when you have a wide range of different people, different age groups, different interests, likes and dislikes. But what they all have in common is that they like to laugh and have a great time. So why not help things along a bit? We're not all born entertainers and planners and nobody minds if you 'cheat' a little bit to get some new ideas!

One of the things I stumbled across is how to be a fun Wedding MC. To be honest, I've never thought about it, but like with everything else, you need someone to pep up the party and to get things going. There will always be guests that are difficult to motivate or some too shy to 'let loose'. Why not give it a shot? Even professional entertainers admit they're always scouting for extra help and new ideas!

You may be lucky and things may happen naturally but all to often they unfortunately don't! So why leave things up to chance if you can help it along by having a witty and funny, organized wedding MC and make your wedding truly unforgettable?

Get more ideas on how to create a fun and memorable wedding reception at THE WEDDING MC!

Tell us your favorite speeches, ideas or fun games!

Wedding Traditions and their origins

Have you ever wondered about the origin of certain wedding traditions? 

Why does the groom bend down on one knee to propose?

In the days of knighthood and chivalry it was customary for a knight to dip his knee as a sign of servitude to his mistress and master. To all the men proposing: Just remember as you are getting down on one knee you already admit to who is going to be the boss!

Asking the father of the bride for 'her hand in marriage'

In a symbolic purchase, the groom would give the bride's father a coin and the bride would be passed from her father's 'hand' to her husband. Although the coin part is missing these days, it also conveys respect and approval between the bride's father and her new husband. 

Wedding Bouquet

Originally made out of strong smelling herbs, some say it was to fight of evil spirits, another explanation derives from medival times, suggesting that it was to cover up any bad smells! 

Another good explanation is that decorations were also limited in the early days and flowers have always been used to make any celebration more festive!

Bouquet Toss

Brides were and still are considered as especially lucky on their wedding day. Guests would sometimes tear at the bride's dress to get a piece of 'good luck' for themselves, or touch the bride to rub off some of the good luck onto themselves. To please her wedding guests, brides threw their bouquet to the 'not so fortunate ladies' as a 'good luck souvenir' giving herself and her dress a break from her guests. Very much along the lines of 'throw the dog a bone and he will be quiet and leave you in peace!'

Bridal Shower - Wedding gifts

In times when the bride's parents still had to provide their daughters with a dowry, some unfortunate parents were unable to afford an appropriate dowry. In order to save the wedding, friends showered the bride with enough gifts for the newlyweds to start a household. On the wedding day guests often brought dishes or drinks as gifts to contribute to the celebration or 'dowry gifts' for the couple's new household.

Bridal Veil - Giving away of the bride - Not seeing each other before the wedding

In the days of arranged marriages the 'promised couple' was not allowed to see each other before the wedding. Some families were afraid that if the groom didn't like the look of the bride's face, he would refuse to marry her, hence the saying 'It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding' 

Sometimes the bride was also not too keen on her new husband, so the father of the bride made sure that he personally would lead her to the altar so she couldn't escape and only after he presented the groom with his new bride, was the fortunate or unfortunate groom as the case may be, able to lift the veil and see his bride's face.  

Luckily most couples know each other before they get married these days so the 'not seeing each other before the ceremony' doesn't really apply. The veil is a beautiful accessory and giving away the bride can be seen as the 'last steps together as father and daughter' in their old relationship, before the daughter forms her own family and also to congratulate and welcome the new son-in-law.

Garter Toss

One lovely explanation is said it derived from an old English tradition of 'flinging the stocking' 

In the days when garters were worn, guests would follow bride and groom to their bedroom, wait until they undressed, steal their stockings and then 'fling' them at the couple. The first person to hit the bride or groom on the head would supposedly be the next person to marry. Luckily for brides and grooms, this tradition has somewhat been adapted to offer the couple more privacy and less brutality!

Money Dance

An adaptation of the wedding dowry, wedding shower, wedding gifts. Some couples nowadays also chose to donate some of their monetary gifts to a chosen charity to help a cause they believe in.

Penny in a shoe

A European tradition, supposed to bring good luck to the bride but also fortune, protection against greed (so she learns to understand the value of money) and the ability to take care of the household finances. Some girls still collect pennies since childhood to accumulate these virtues to pay for their wedding shoes. It is supposed to ensure that the marriage will 'start off on a good foot'!

Something old....

Bride's often moved away from their families and took something 'old' to remind them of their 'old life' to have a sense of continuity in their new life.

Something new.... 

Something new represents a new life, a new beginning and a transition from childhood into adulthood 

Something borrowed....

Many people used to believe that if they borrowed something from a fortunate or happily married couple, the fortune or happiness would rub off on them.

Something Blue....

The color 'blue' symbolized purity, constancy and fidelity. As a sign of having these virtues, brides used to have blue borders on their wedding dress. As fashion changed, the blue border was substituted for other blue items.

Tossing Rice   

By believing that newlyweds brought good luck, guests used to shower them with nuts and grains as a symbolism to insure a bountiful harvest and many children to work the land. During times of poor harvest the nuts and grains were substituted by rice. (Probably less painful for the couple too!) Some couples also use birdseed or bubbles.

Tying the knot

Some say the saying originates from the Roman empire when bride's wore a girdle that was tied in knots and the groom had to untie the knots prior to the consummation of the marriage. Another explanation comes from the handfasting tradition where the couple's hands were tied together with ribbons as a sign of their unity. 

Wedding Cake 

Wedding cakes were originally made of wheat or barley and the cake was traditionally broken over the head of the couple as a sign of fertility and always having enough to eat. Guests would pick up pieces of cake and take them home for good luck. Another tradition was to place many small cakes on top of each other as high as possible with the couple having to exchange a kiss over the cake. Sometimes the cakes were piles so high that the couple had their faces covered in cake which may explain why some couples smash the cake into each other's face nowadays! 

Wedding Rings

One saying is that rings were tied around a bride's ankles and wrists to prevent her spirit from running away but as far as history dates back rings were always used as a token of sincerity, as a sign of a bond and as a precious gift for a treasured person. The phrase 'without beginning and without end' has been traced back to originate in Egypt. Rings were made from various materials, but over the years, purified metals like gold and other precious metals have established themselves as a visible sign between married couples.

Why is the wedding ring worn on the ring finger?

The Egyptians believed that the ring finger followed the vena amoris (vein of love) which runs from this finger directly to the heart. Wedding rings are a token of the unconditional love between two people that comes from their hearts.

Ring Pillow - Ring Bearer

This traditions derives from royalty who used to have their jewels presented to them on a pillow for their coronation. The person carrying the jewels was a loyal, dedicated person who could be trusted explicitly. Not to be confused with having to dress up like a bear like one upset little boy thought he had to do for the wedding! 

Why is the left side traditionally the bride's side?

In early days bride's were often stolen away whilst standing at the altar so the groom would keep his right hand free to fight off the robbers and not to injure his bride.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen

Under Roman law a couple was required to have 10 witnesses present at the ceremony for the purpuse of fooling off evil spirits playing pranks on the couple. They were dressed in matching clothing to confuse the spirits. Although it is still the bridesmaid's and groomsmen's

role to shelter the wedding couple from 'evil', being a bridesmaid or groomsman is also seen as an honor that they are closely linked to the couple. 

Wedding Kiss

In Roman times, a kiss was seen as a legal bond that sealed all contracts, hence the saying 'sealed with a kiss' 

Honeymoon

Because months are measured by the moon's cycle, one explanation is that couple were given one 'moon' and sweet foods like honey to get to know each other, another explanation is that during a certain cycle of the moon the couple would consume mead together (a honey sweetened alcoholic brew) to increase fertility. Whoever invented a honeymoon, it is a wonderful idea to spend some quality time with each other before diving back into day-to-day life! 

  

Author: Petra Maurus

www.minister-petra-maurus.com

Text may be used by others only with Author's credits!

 

  

 

A few wedding mishaps ....

Working as a Minister certainly does have its advantages! 

The fact that 99.9 % of the couples I marry are extremely happy, is a great contributing fact for achieving near-perfect job satisfaction. No bad-tempered clients, no complaints and sunshine, blue sky, turquoise ocean, and a beautiful white sandy beach certainly help too! It's easy to smile and be nice when the couples you work with are all happy, excited, and friendly. I always tell each couple to 'go with the flow', chill out, and not to worry! It's ok if things go wrong, as long as nobody comes to harm! A perfect wedding will be remembered as just that - 'Perfect'; but it is certainly not going to be memorable! 

It's those little things that happen unscheduled and that may not always be funny on the actual day, which will make a wedding memorable and keep people laughing years later. 

With over 1000 wedding ceremonies under my belt, every single wedding is still exciting for me. Show me a photo of a couple I married years ago and for sure I will remember them! Some weddings don't require a photo to be forever embedded in my mind though. Whenever you come to a point in your wedding where you think it's getting tough, here are just a few 'memorable' weddings that will put some mishaps into perspective.

Some brides are very calm and quiet whilst others are nervous or excited, giggly or teary, and of course, there is the odd 'bridezilla'!

Contrary to wide belief and fortunate for most working in the wedding industry, 'bridezilla's' are still relatively rare, considering the amount of pressure each bride is under! It's always easy to judge others but one should always remember that we all have different tolerance levels, different expectations, and who knows, there may be a perfectly understandable reason as to why a bride 'flips'; - we just may not be aware of it! 

For me, the easiest way to deal with any stressed bride is to calm her down and reassure her - not always an easy task, I agree. It's often easier for an outsider to take over this task than for a close relative or friend where the temptation to 'try and reason against all odds' is much higher. Touch wood, in my entire career working as a Minister, I only ever came across one completely uncontrollable bride who, I may add, should have come with a serious health warning! 

Sadly, the bride was bi-polar, which, as far as I am aware, can in most cases effectively treated by medication. Too bad for me and all who came in contact with her that her medication flew out the window and was swiftly replaced by Mexican Tequila the minute they touched down in Cancun! 

It was truly THE wedding from hell, one minute the bride squeezed and hugged everyone in joy, the next minute anyone close to her was ducking for cover and I seriously thought I would have to exchange my Ceremony Book for boxing gloves to defend myself! It was not only THE wedding from hell, - it was also a truly scary experience to anyone that was within range, onlookers, wedding guests, or staff! I decided to grit my teeth and put on a brave face and somehow managed to get through the ceremony - after deciding to make a rapid exit during one of her 'hugging phases'! 

This was by far the 'worst' wedding I ever officiated and I am sure the bride didn't enjoy her big day as much as she could have done, if she would have taken her medication either! Always remember not to 'skip' medication because it's your wedding day, it could ruin your wedding!    

Then there was the wedding in the dark, with guests slowly being roasted by the tiki torches, bugs the size of bats, and a completely drunk father of the bride. This particular bride went through immense trouble choosing a set up overflowing with roses - a rose wedding arch, roses on the aisle, on the chairs, and wherever they could possibly be placed. The smell was intoxicating, - and after the bride eventually made her entrance 1 1/2 hours late, the guests were intoxicated too - in particular the bride's father! 

The bride eventually arrived after sunset and everyone hurriedly staggered to their seats. By this time it was pitch black outside, there was no moon and the only lighting came from the tiki torches that lined the aisle. As the guests rose and strained to see the bride making her entrance, swaying gently from side to side from the effect of the pre-ceremony drinks, they were slowly being smoldered and smoked by the tiki torches. 

The bride literally carried her father down the aisle with obvious difficulty whilst the groom and I patiently waited at the altar. As they slowly swayed towards us, the bride's father suddenly decided he had enough of walking and just nonchalantly pushed his daughter towards me and just fell into a chair without giving me the chance to ask 'Who gives this woman away....' 

I will always admire her for keeping her cool as very dryly whispered to me with a straight face: 'Just skip that part!' 

It was so dark, that in order to be able to read the ceremony script, I had to get as close as possible to the tiki torches. Between coughing fits from the smoke and avoiding to be set alight by the flame, the ceremony continued relatively smoothly, except for a few interruptions by the odd scream or wild carfuffle by some of the guests trying to fight off near bat-size bugs that were obviously extremely attracted by the fire and intoxicating smell of the roses. All in all everyone had a great time but for those brides planning on making a late entrance, I would just like to add that I am usually not in a position to wait that long for a bride to arrive, and please also spare a thought for your poor guests! :)  

There are also other hazards that don't immediately spring to mind when planning a beach wedding! A box of tissues may not always just serve the purpose of wiping tears of joy away! During one of my ceremonies a flock of pelicans decided to make a formation flight right overhead the ceremony site and one of the birds left a rather generous present mid-flight. It was not gladly received by the poor bridesmaid who was unaware of the danger from above, and who led out a high pitched scream as the generous 'offering' landed on her beautiful dress with an audible splash! One of the groomsmen came to her rescue by immediately taking off his shirt for her and the ceremony continued with a rather odd-looking bridal party - a groomsman wearing nothing but his trousers and a bow tie and a maid of honor wearing a dress shirt above her bridesmaid dress! The bride had meticulously written schedules for her entire wedding day, covering all eventualities with 'Plan B + C', however ....overhead pelicans were not calculated for.... 

These are just a select few wedding mishaps & 'dangers' I encountered as a Minister and it has hopefully given me the panache of staying cool even in the most outrageous situations! 

Author: Petra Rattue