I am interested in finding out the process for getting married in Mexico if you are from the US. Is it hard to do or is it relatively easy? I know that it used to be considered very easy but is that still the same? Can anyone help me out here? What about if you want to marry in the Catedral Metropolitan de Guadalajara? Is it very difficult to get permission? Do both need to be Catholic? Or is it okay if just one is? Is this even possible?

HI Texas_mom,
we did it, but the priest was a friend of a friend. It seemed to be a very difficult (tedious) process otherwise. There were classes to attend, lots of bureaucratic church stuff since I am not Catholic. But I refused to do any of that. The bigger the church, I imagine, the bigger the problems. Probably a smaller church, perhaps in need of a "donation" might be easier, but you'd need to have the connections.
David

First, you will need an Apostille for your birth certificate, see this site for instrucitons, http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/reqproc/apostille.shtm

I got married in Guadalajara last November. You will have to go to the government office with a translated copy of your birth certificate (and the birth certificate must be issued within the last 24 months) with the Apostille attached, to get your marriage contract. You will also need a translated copy of any divorce decrees. Before that, you will have to have a blood test, that is only good for two weeks. You will also have to attend a marriage seminar that is required by Mexico. You MUST be married by a government official, similar to a justice of the peace, but he is an appointed judge that only marries people. We actually got married in Zapopan, which is a suburb of Guadalajara. That is where we got our marriage contract and got married.

As for marring in the Catholic church....good luck. You MUST attend marriage classes that are different than what is required by Mexico. I was told that if I was not Catholic, then I must attend more classes which is basically to convert me. So we opted to get married in a little Baptist Church. Also keep in mind, that in Mexico, getting married in the church is only the ceremony. You are not legally married in Mexico unless you are married by a judge. They will come to your home or even marry you in the church. We just went to his office....without an appointment. We paid a lawyer $50 to get us in to see the judge, paid the judge $75 since he was suppose to be on vaction, $50 for all the fees and $10 to the secretary since she was suppose to have already gone home. We tried paying the Catholic church, but it wasn't possible.

GOOD LUCK! It can be done, but you will need someone there to help you.

You seem to be getting very good at the "mordida" thing!!!

But mordidas aren't possible back in the US cause you could go to jail couldnīt you? How do you get to practice???




>>>>We paid a lawyer $50 to get us in to see the judge, paid the judge $75 since he was suppose to be on vaction, $50 for all the fees and $10 to the secretary since she was suppose to have already gone home. We tried paying the Catholic church, but it wasn't possible.<<<<