Should you elope? Sí Señor!

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A wedding can be stressful, but it normally allows you to plan a great holiday for a honeymoon. An even better approach, if travelling is your main priority, is to elope.

In 2008, we eloped to Cancun, Mexico. Although this is probably a popular choice for Americans, it is a reasonably uncommon destination for South Africans.

Mexico came up as an option when looking at websites for destination weddings, and we ended up selecting The Royal as our hotel (originally a Real Resort that is now a Hyatt). This hotel appealed to us as it was an all-inclusive resort and was for adults only — which is great for a honeymoon option when you don’t want screaming kids at the pool.

The wedding package offered a free room upgrade, and a wedding co-ordinator to take care of all the arrangements. Our luxurious stay included a swim-up suite with an ocean view, a giant spa bath, Egyptian cotton linen, Bvlgari bath products and a Bose sound system. The resort also had five fine dining restaurants to choose from and 24 hour room service included in the package.

After two weeks of touring Mexico with a wedding dress in a little carry-on suitcase, we booked into our luxury resort. It was a great idea to spend a few days relaxing with a constant stream of cocktails, before our wedding day. Much to my fiancé’s dismay (and indigestion), I was also determined to try every restaurant and almost every item on the room service menu. It was a miracle we could still fit into our wedding apparel.

On the big day, we slept in and woke up in each other’s arms calm and happy. I was so glad we had a fancy steam shower in our luxury room to get all the creases out of our proposed wedding attire. However, the steam was so good I ended up broiling my husband-to-be’s suit. Luckily after I had calmed down and stopped crying (you tend to be quite emotional on your wedding day), a few hours in the hot Mexican sun sorted out his suit.

When it was time to get dressed we parted ways briefly and joined each other at sunset to take our vows in the romantic beachfront gazebo looking out onto the ocean. Walking out of the gazebo, we had an audience applaud as some resort guests looked on from their rooms. A quick photo shoot took place to be able to share the memories with family back home before we enjoyed our private dinner on the beach.

Although weddings are normally big family occasions, our day could not have been more special or intimate.

Our big day on a beautiful beach in Cancun, Mexico
Our Mexican wedding is not legally recognised in South Africa, so we had to make it official with a wedding officer when we got back. Besides, our Mexican marriage certificate spells our surname completely wrong — the small joys of getting married in a foreign country.

We still wanted to share the experience with our friends and hosted a reception to celebrate with everyone when we got back. Was it the most cost effective choice to elope? It can be, but certainly not they way we did it. But we are richer for the experience, and I would recommend eloping to anyone who asks.

At the time, the hotel was very new, and although we have contemplated going back to recapture the experience, the experience is rather pricey now. So I’m glad we took a lot of photos, and we will never forget our magical Mexican wedding.



Our lovely honeymoon suite at our resort in Cancun

View from our room
- never seen these colours in the ocean besides in Cancun, Mexico

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