1. Why do you think Puerto Vallarta has remained such a popular wedding destination wedding for couples?
Puerto Vallarta and the North Shore/Nayarit area’s popularity for destination weddings is due to a simple formula: High wedding success rate and lower costs than other resort areas and the USA. Brides look to maximize their chances of having a successful wedding. Meaning all guests are happy they came. Secondly, they love to spend the least amount possible. Avoiding the use of their first house down payment is a major point for our couples :) Obviously, Mexico is cheaper than the USA, so that part is a no brainer. So aside from budget, to ensure success in a Mexico wedding you need a few other factors such as diversity factor, convenient guest travel, and low cancelation risk by bride or guests; VallartaNayarit have all three.

Diversity: This is the typical “please everyone” factor or it has “something for everyone”. Puerto Vallarta is just as fun for older couples as it is for young couples. Beach lovers or mountain lovers. Rich or budget travelers. Club going single guests or families. Gay or straight. So all your guests needs and tastes are satisfied. They can stay in a luxury hotel as easily as an AirB&B rented out by an absent expat a block from the beach for half rate. And anything in between.

Convenient Travel: You must find a location that is easy to get to for as many guests as possible. Within one or maximum two flights from the guests’ home town. Preferably direct flights. Vallarta is about 3 hours total travel time, or less, from any major city in the southern states. And only 4 or 5 hours from most major cities North of Denver or San Francisco. If you need to have a connection it may be up to 7 hours total flight time from New York for example. Once guests are in Vallarta, they show find that all areas are easy to get to within the destination itself and safe to hang out outside the resorts. Which Vallarta is.

Low cancellation risk: Probably number two (after cost effectiveness) on any brides list. You must find a location that is safe for guests and for your investment. Guests won’t come if they feel unsafe. Not only crime wise, which any Mexico traveler knows Mexico is safe as far as crime is concerned, but health wise. This means you need to hedge your bets with the best weather possible. Puerto Vallarta is the best bet for anyone of the resorts in Mexico as far as risk factor; it is not even close. Vallarta-Nayarit has the best hurricane safety record among major resort areas. What good is it to find the perfect location for your wedding if you have a high risk of not being able to get to it during your wedding weekend? Or worse, what if it is destroyed like Puerto Rico was or Caribbean or Cabo last year and so on. Vallarta-Nayarit has not suffered major damage since 2001 with Kenna, and even then, it was only some areas in Puerto Vallarta proper. North shore areas were not affected in Kenna except for rain and debris. So, no hurricanes means your money is safe and your guests are coming to your wedding. No cancellation! Vallarta-Riviera Nayarit is special and popular because those who have ventured outside the typical Cancun and Cabo bubble, have discovered a gem that is safe, convenient and fun for all guests and costs less than other locations. It is an easy decision to choose Vallarta-Nayarit for your wedding. Now, the nightmare decision is not why Vallarta area, but where in the bay to get married :) That is another bottle of wine there… I always tell my couples, play nice! :)

2. Can you give us a rough cost estimate for an indie wedding or ‘off resort wedding?

You can have anywhere from 10 guests (sometimes elopements) up to 200 guests or more. You can have anywhere from 10,000USD up to 100,000USD or more. I don’t mean to be vague but really it is an indie venue, therefore it is not like a hotel or restaurant where all but the extras are predetermined. We have no inventory pre-purchased. We have no forced decor or catering. For indie venues the bride chooses everything. So it is really up to her what she wants to spend. Within reason of course. I use the pizza analogy Or, the car or home buying experience as an example: Pizzas can be as basic as the Cheese pizza (dough and cheese) and as elaborate as a truffles and artichokes and Canadian bacon pizza with extra sauce and cheese and basil… both are pizzas, but Fredo’s will not charge the same for those two pizzas! :). Cars are an easy example as well, you can both have a sedan, but one may be designed by a famous person (designer) and has leather seats etc, and the other is a generic car. Both get you from a to b. Yes, both have engines and doors and seats etc. the basics, but the luxury cars have features like heated seats that may or may not be of use to you. Well same for a wedding, if you want a designer then the wedding will cost more than a simple wedding planned by your bridesmaids. Realistically, now that you see how it can vary, you should know that just as we all know pizzas are about 20 dollars each for the good ones that feed 10 people. That is the same with weddings. Our “most requested” or “popular” wedding in an indie venue would be about 22,000USD for 50 guests . Again, you can make a wedding for 50 people with 11,000 on a Monday. Or spend 70,000USD on a Saturday for those same amount of guests but totally different styles of weddings. Just depends what ingredients you feel like having in your amazing creation. You can be gourmet or Dominoes, your call. In the end, everyone loves pizza and usually they finish it and most don’t care who made it. By the end of the party, everyone is happy. That is what matters. Except that yes, the pictures are forever. Just saying :)

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3. What weather considerations should couples take into account if they’re planning a Puerto Vallarta-area wedding?

I have lived in Bucerías for 40 years. I feel I know the weather as well as a Weather Channel expert. So I think my knowledge may help you in deciding when is the best time to have your beautiful beach wedding in Puerto Vallarta. In early June we see the crabs come out for the first time from their winter hiding; No, you will not have crabs crawling over your feet. However, they indicate that the first rains will arrive two weeks later. Don’t ask me why but it is true. So usually the first rains begin about the 15th of June in the Puerto Vallarta area. The rainy season is usually Mid-June through October. You can expect to have some rain in the evenings after June 15th. Not every night but maybe 30% of the time. Usually, the rain falls after 9 pm. It has to do with the temperature change from day to night. Of course it rains sometimes during the day if there is a storm or hurricane off the coast. But the normal rains are at night when the temperature drops. July, August, September and October: You should consider that rain will be probable and prepare accordingly. If you are having an outdoor wedding we strongly suggest you have a tent. You can have a transparent tent or other less expensive types of tents. In Martoca’s case, we are closed for these months because it is a great time for us to vacation. From the 15th of June to July 10th and in the month of October; I would say the chances are high you will have some rain. Not as sure to rain as in July, August and September, but the chances are still higher than the rest of the year. I would have a tent on stand-by but not rent it until the forecast comes out. Unless you just want one. Many brides love the tent regardless of rain. November is fairly safe. It is possible to have rain in your wedding but not likely. You would have to be unlucky. But since you are getting married to the love your life you cannot be unlucky right? The best weather for weddings in Puerto Vallarta is in the winter and Spring. December rain is almost unheard of, however in January within the first 10 days you may have a cloudy day or two with some drizzle. It is a strange but almost yearly occurrence. As for February and March and April and May you are practically to not see rain at all. There never is a guarantee of course. However if I were a betting man I would bet that in these months you will not have rain. And if you do, you can change your date by one day before or after your original date and avoid the strange occurrence. Our venue allows this if we have the date free. So basically avoid mid June through October if possible ;)

4. How many times should a couple visit their destination wedding venue before the wedding? And at what time intervals?

Well it depends on their budget. If the budget is tight, no need to visit. Do it all online and visit the week before the wedding if you are truly confident in the venue’s reputation. Arrive a week early and do the tasting and table sampling the week before if you must have one. I have had brides see the venue on the day of their wedding. I actually had a bride do a site visit and she did everything except see the venue, on purpose, Serena thought it would be cool to surprise herself on the day of the wedding. She did the rest though, like tasting, table selection, we took her to select villas for guests and hotels, etc. But she did not want to see the actual venue. We drove by it and she said she just wanted to see if from the highway… So it is up to the bride. Some can afford it and some cannot. Some are more risk tolerant than others. Some don’t have the time. Some send relatives or friends in their place to check the venue out and do the tasting and table setting selection. So, it is up to each bride I guess. As far as the planners/venue, we can roll with or without a site visit. We can do it all with Skype or Facetime. Having said that, if you can afford to come visit, or if you can wait and not worry about your date being sold, it is best to visit in person before paying the initial deposit. So you can insure your investment. And it saves on a lot of emails and calls. During the visit, I suggest brides ask the venue about who owns the venue, track record, guarantees on wedding date being respected and questions like this. You must be careful of venues that are only managed by property managers or caretakers. We have saved brides many times from occasions when they rented a “venue”, meaning a house or villa, and then they come to their wedding and realize the house was not authorized to have parties. Some managers unfortunately are not trustworthy. So ask your a local planners with experience and good ratings (30 plus reviews) as to what venues are truly professional wedding venues and which are just houses that some people rent out. Bottom line, visiting before paying is best. But many couples cannot afford the time or money to visit twice. In that case, go with a friend’s recommendation or an online DM to a past bride on Instagram… Following a venue on Instagram for 6 or 10 months can be just as effective as visiting in person. If the venue is active and successful, the bride will be able to see all the happy guests and weddings being held in “real time” throughout the year. So, either virtually or in person, you can keep up with your venue. Just depends what you can do as a couple.

5. Anything couples need to know about marriage licenses in Mexico?

There is a list of requirements you need to fulfill if you want to get married legally such as, blood work, go to a judge and get all the registry paperwork, like birth certificate and more. Honestly, we avoid this if possible. Too much hassle. Our couples mostly get married symbolically or religiously. The Legal procedure is not fun. Mostly only Mexican nationals do it legally because they actually need it. If you do have to do it legally, then you need to follow the government list of requirements. Go to link found online for government requirements and follow the steps. Blood work and such. Then when you arrive to Puerto Vallarta you can go see the judge the day before and double check it all and have the wedding in the venue or beach of choice. It will cost about 250USD. Most couples get married legally in their home country either before or after their destination wedding, and come to Vallarta already married and just do the religious or symbolic ceremony.

6. How many days in advance should the couple/bridal party arrive to the venue?

You know how some people like to get to the airport 2 hours early and then read a book once they find their gate? Same thing with destination brides. Some can handle coming in a day or two before. Some like to get there a week before and check it all out and feel really comfortable. Some want a rehearsal in the venue and the hotel later that day, and some don’t have a walk through at all. Some like to go shopping for souvenirs or tours and set up some surprises. However, balance is best. Usually couples stay for a week: So I would say an arrival 4 days prior to the wedding day is perfect. This way you can have 3 days after the wedding to recover as well. Usually a week is what people can take off work. So if you are going to come to Mexico for a week, I would do 3 or 4 days before wedding to prepare, tie loose ends, find cool restaurants and souvenirs and just be present. So you can really be in command of your surroundings on your wedding day. Then have one or two days to relax before returning home or heading to another plane ride. We have had people’s flights cancelled/lost/delayed, dresses not arrive on time or lost luggage, and other surprises. It never hurts to get there a bit early to take care of some business, before the stress level and tequila drinks start flowing uncontrollably with your BFFs. As with anything else, the earlier you arrive, the more relaxed the process will feel for the bride.

7. What do you think couples are most excited by when it comes to booking a wedding venue at a family run wedding venue like Martoca?

Well, I have found that our Martocos (Martoca’s couples) usually want more than just a hotel or sterile corporate resort or villa.They want to connect to a romantic story of Martoca. They love to hear ho my parents came here when very little people knew about Puerto Vallarta and even less knew about Bucerias back then. How they started Martoca back in the 70s as 8 bungalows on the beach when no hotels were around at all except 4 hotels in Vallarta proper 40 minutes away. When they find out when they speak to me on a phone call, or website, or from past clients that we live next door, and that I was married in Martoca before it was even a venue back in 2001, they can see their wedding is personal for us as well. This is our home and we will protect it and care for it forever. We are more like cousins who own a backyard on the beach which they can decorate and use as they wish. We are just going to hook them up with all our local buddies and make them feel amazing for a week ;) We have always been in hospitality industry. Weddings are like running the original Martoca bungalows, we had parties all the time for guests back in the day and had boats for tours and a restaurant; We love to entertain and serve. They just have to sleep in another place instead of their bungalows like back in the day :) Mostly people love that they feel like part of our Martoca family. They see on Instagram or Facebook or blog etc. that we care for Bucerias and our community. If we care for guests, they in turn care for our colleagues, who are also all families who work in the weddings. So it all becomes a love fest each week. They feel connected. We also only have 2 weddings per week. Martocos (our Martoca couples) love this because we absolutely focus on their wedding 100%. And if we have weddings back to back, the planner is rested because she has back up. We do not have to worry about weddings daily or two in one day like hotel planners. We really focus on one at a time. Our planning team is made up of 3 main planners. I love this and I designed it this way in case one has a health issue or family issue or for whatever reason, Martoca couples are assured a beautiful seamless wedding. Each planner knows the others basic couples needs. As an owner, I think they feel I will make it all work for them at any cost. If I have to myself, I will jump in and tend bar for them. I think they sense that and feel that from our Martoca Team, who are all on the same page as I am since we are all owners of our own little businesses. So I don’t really know exactly what attracts them the most, but I know there are more beautiful and fancier places. Better designers. There are more secluded areas and perhaps villas with more fancy bathrooms or bride rooms or pools, but very rarely you will find an owner/planner/chef to go with that mansion. Usually those villas are owned by corporations for corporate parties or millionaires who come once a year. Those owners don’t even know why Bucerias is called Bucerias. Martoca is our home. We planted all the trees you see in our venue back in the 1970s. La Martoca has roots. And Martocos I think know that. We will be with them every step of the way to make sure they are all safe and happy. And they feel it.