Mexico is often chosen as a destination for fun, cultural and relaxing vacations thanks to its culture, gastronomy, natural attractions, buzzing nightlife and beautiful varied sceneries; the mixture of all these, along with some friendly legislations, is the reason why our country has become such a hit for gay weddings.
The legalization of same sex marriage and civil union in Mexico has been a huge step towards equality; little by little we see more states joining in.
Mexico City, Quintana Roo and Coahuila allow gay marriage, meaning the couples can enjoy the benefits any marriage has like social security health services (IMSS or ISSTE), housing programs such as INFONAVIT and FOVISSSTE and they also have the right to adopt children.
OriginalImage: “JB-27” by Amy Teegan, under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via Flickr
The states where it has been legalized for civil unions are Mexico City, Quintana Roo, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nayarit, Jalisco, Campeche, Michoacan, Morelos and Colima; as for Guerrero and Queretaro, only in some municipalities.
The difference between a civil union and marriage is that in a civil union the couples don’t get the rights and protections given by law that married couples do. This civil union alternative seems to be enough for many people, but civil and gay rights activists keep striving for more, for marriage and equal rights.
Still taken from “Same sex Wedding Photographer in Cancún and Riviera Maya | Two Souls Photo” by Wedding Photographer Cecilia Dumas, source YouTube
Weddings are big business all year round, so the fact that gay couples can get married in Mexico also means a great cash flow, especially in services and tourism; we are talking big time spending on wedding planners, catering services, florists, bakery, wine and liquor, gifts, music and traveling for the honeymoon or a destination wedding.
It is well known gay couples tend to spend more on their wedding day, there are usually two big incomes chipping in for it, same sex couples are often a little bit older when marrying than straight couples, so they probably have more money saved up, greater salaries, or even own companies or businesses.
This is an additional benefit when it comes to reactivating the economy of a city or state, the money and tourism that comes with weddings is a big business, that’s why it is evidently a “win-win” situation, gay couples finally have the option to get married as they’ve always wanted and the local economy grows thanks to this legislation.
The top gay wedding destinations in Mexico are Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Cabo San Lucas, San Miguel de Allende, Vallarta, Zihuatanejo, Huatulco, Manzanillo and Nuevo Vallarta – Riviera Nayarit.
So either you live in Mexico or fly out for a destination wedding, there are many options for an amazing wedding day with family and loved ones to celebrate life, love and equality.
