Knowing that we really wanted to have a destination wedding, and with Mexico quickly becoming our top contender, we decided we'd better start getting all of our travel documents ordered.
If you are traveling someplace that requires a passport (you now need one for Mexico) you will need a certified copy of your birth certificate with a state seal.
My kids and I had a house fire a few years ago so I knew I needed to get all of our birth certificates. It turned out Ken needed to order his and his kids' as well. We were able to order the California birth certificates by downloading a document online, having it notarized (which is necessary for the certified copy), and mailing it in with a check (or money order). Ken was able to order his kids' copies (Texas) online.
Meanwhile we found out that to get passports for minor children you need either both parents present or a document signed (and notarized) by the parent who will not be present. Oh boy, here we go!
Ken and his ex-wife did not have an amicable divorce. They don't get along at all and they only communicate via email. Ken emailed her and told her that he'd like to get passports for the kids so we could travel this summer ... her reply? "No, I'm not signing anything!" As you can imagine this was devastating.
We had decided to get married in Mexico and I now had my had my heart set on getting married at Dreams Tulum in Tulum, Mexico (about an hour and a half from Cancun). I had a feeling that this was just her bitchy reaction and that there was a chance she'd sign the papers but could I really risk it? Not only did we need her to sign the paperwork for the passports we'd also need her to sign and notarize a document giving us permission to travel out of the country with minor children. So even if she agreed to sign for the passports ... we could pay for all seven passports, book and pay for a trip and she could refuse to sign the travel documents. *sigh* Not at all surprising but extremely frustrating.
As Ken spent the next week going back and forth with his "ex" I spent my time (crying) looking for destinations that wouldn't require passports or permission from her. We looked at San Diego, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. After about a week or so (and after getting her parents involved) she agreed to sign the paperwork for the passports (and the permission documents once we had our destination and dates chosen).
Now we had a decision to make ... book Mexico and hope she would honor her commitment or take the safe route and change destinations. Well, we decided to take our chances and book Mexico and we couldn't be happier. It worked out just fine. We now have everything signed and we are back on track to take our dream family vacation and get married on the beach in Mexico.
Are you planning on a destination that requires passports? Do you have one yet? You can read about the requirements here on the U.S. Department of State website. If you've put this off and you need to put a rush on it you can try a service like RushMyPassport.com.
Are you traveling with children? Have you had any drama dealing with either of your "ex's" while planning your wedding? Share your thoughts and stories ... it's probably therapeutic LOL and if it's unresolved maybe we can give you some advice ... or at least some support and a big hug! *SmiLes* Suzanne
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I guess I’ll consider myself lucky that we don’t have to deal with ex’s while planning our wedding (we were both married before but no children). Good luck with the whole thing and I’ll be reading to see how things unfold for you.
Thanks for sharing this story. It’s always comforting to see that you’re not the only one with wedding “issues.” LOL I hope the “ex” leaves you guys alone and let’s you have the wedding of your dreams. I’ll be checking back to see how it goes.