Destination Wedding Legal or Symbolic

Why are you thinking about doing this?

I was told that legal weddings are more than symbolic weddings. Also I want the anniversary dates to be the same.

Just do it all at one time.

I mean, if you're already planning a destination wedding, why do you need to get married a year earlier?

Is there some reason to rush?

The second would be a vow renewal, not a wedding.

Are you asking if the DW wedding would be considered a legal marriage in your home country? If it's the US and a DW in a diff state, then checking with the different state rules on how to obtain a marriage license. In terms of going to say Mexico, talk to the resort. They do it all the time, and I'm sure there are different rules/steps that must be followed for the wedding in Mexico (or wherever) to be recognized in the US. If this wasn't what you meant then, disregard, lol.

The courthouse would be your wedding and the DW would just be a vow renewal.

Sorry for confusion. Yes the destination wedding would then turn into a renewal. The wedding is in Jamaica. I was told most destination weddings are symbolic and the couple usually marries before the trip.

Yes, but most couples do that right before they leave. Not a year before.

That's true, but not a full year before. They usually just run to the courthouse that week or month and then fly out for their DW.

I am getting married in Jamaica as well. You can get married there easily and it will be legal in the U.S. (assuming you live in America) For other countries it can be more complicated which is why some couples opt to get married before departing

Thank you all. I just wanted the dates to be the same. @la grosera that was my 1st idea to do it the week of but then i got all picky with dates.

A llegal wedding in a destination, if you're going out of the country, is a lot more work than a symbolic wedding. There's the fees, the blood tests, the waiting period when you arrive, and the fact that your marriage license would not be in English. Most people, when they do a DW, get married legally before they go and do a symbolic wedding. Even Celia would explain this. It is perfectly fine and even recommended. OP probably wants her real wedding date to be the same as her symbolic ceremony, so maybe that's why she wants to do it exactly one year before.

Thanks @kennara I wasn't sure of how more the legal wedding would be vs symbolic. Yes I'm in the US.

We lucked out girl! No long process needed. Just have to be in the country 48 hours before your wedding! Here is some info you can look over:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g147309-c22683/Jamaica:Caribbean:Getting.Married.In.Jamaica.html

We're getting married in Jamaica. Not complicated at all. We're using Sandals & they handled all of the documents. No blood test required. Friends of ours did the same and it's absolutely legal in the US.

We're getting married 4 weeks before the wedding to take advantage of the counseling discount in our state, but nobody has to know that you are already legally married, thats your business. No need to do it a year before, you celebrate on the day you had your symbolic wedding and nobody knows the difference

Yeah @Philethia that's a big fat no. If you're asking guests to pay a fortune in time and travel (not to mention time off work) to travel to Jamaica to witness your union, you should not be dishonest about the fact that you're already married.

@Aquarius13 Jamaica is not a difficult country to marry in. Just get married on your actual wedding day. If you choose to do a destination vow renewal a year later, then you need to call it that, not a wedding. And be honest with your family and guests so they don't think they're traveling to witness your wedding when you've been married for a year.

We're doing this, but a year in between is a bit long. Can you move the wedding up? Our legal and symbolic days are going to be different, but we don't care.