Job Discussion Forums

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

It was 7 years ago, but anyway, each State has different requirements as far as paperwork for getting hitched. We are in Sinaloa and someone to repeat the vows in English is still required. I checked with a friend today who does weddings for foreigners. (I guess they don't want anyone saying they didn't understand that long drawn out affair!) The Immigration permission is national, but we all know from reading the forums how Immigration in one delegation does things slightly (or much!) differently to another.

At that time we offered $500 pesos for our lady judge. It seemed alot at the time. I think now $1000.00 would be an appropriate amount to offer a judge for time and efforts. I think that's what the wedding planners here collect to pay the Judge's they enlist. It's not a mordida, rather a courtesy.

Don't forget to go back to Immigration to file your marriage paperwork. That's important, and I think there is a time limit on it. Congratulations!

guty · Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

I think most ministers or clergy who perform wedding ceremonies expect to receive something for providing the service, at least in Canada. I have been to quite a few weddings, and have noticed it presented with a Thank You card. Tasteful. The timing will depend on your event. I think it would be considered bad manners not to offer something. We are talking about weddings here, not traffic court judges. LOL

bdbarnett1 · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:52 pm Post subject:

aliaeli · Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 46

Thank you all for caring about my crazy wedding day.
About the mordida/courtesy fee-- this is not clergy I am talking about-- and she didn't even come to us, we went to her in the "courthouse".
I actually made a complaint to her superior today and at the end I said to her, I have a really embarrasing question to ask, but do you think all this happened because we didn't tip her. She told me that no, the judge shouldn't be accepting any money. And then I asked, "well, is it informally customary? Do the majority of people do it?" To that she didn't give me a straight answer and just said she didn't know to be able to say one way or the other." So I took that as a probably yes, but I am putting it in the "mordida" category and not the "tip" category. Call it what you will.
But she was very nice and understood the issues it seemed. Nonetheless, I am making a formal complaint tomorrow.
Guty is not too far off- we might be talking about a wedding here but I already paid my fee for her to take the 5-10 minutes it took to perform the legal paperwork and in a very impersonal way, have us sign our names, and file away the paperwork. If she came to my house or to some garden on the other side of town, maybe we can start talking tips. Obviously clergy is a different story, I don't know if they have a fee for marriage services or go by donation or tip alone. But that would make more sense.
About the mysterious paperwork: I just had to go down to the INM, not the big one on Ave. Ejercito, but the one on Homero.. I just had to give them a copy of the acta, and have them stamp another copy of the acta and then return to the delegacion to entregarla in order to get the certified copy. Everyone I asked about it told me it was complete BS. that the judge said she would cancel the marriage if we didn't do it by her due date.
Sam- I think what you are talking about at immigrations is if I have an FM2 or 3--- there is an empty 15 day time limit (which means nothing will happen if you dont do it in 15 days) a lawyer on the 2nd floor of INM (ejercito one) told me that since I have an FMT I don't need to/can't file. But if/when that changes to come back in and file.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Your civil ceremony sounds very different than ours. It took much longer in the civic building than 10-15 minutes. There was all the paperwork before the ceremony to be signed by the multitudes of witnesses we were required to present (done by a clerk), and then the taking of thumbprints, then more signing following the vows, in front of the Judge inside. Since this is the mandatory legal ceremony, the vows took quite a while to get through. There was much about how to be a good wife, good husband and provider, and until what age all children must be provided for and educated. Our translator had warned me that the ceremony was way "archaic" and much of the content should be done away with. It was an experience. Many couples also go on to have a church or religious wedding.

TheLongWayHome · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: San Luis Piojosi

Mrs L · Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 72 Location: Rainy England

My ceremony in 2005 was quite similar to what Samantha described, but without the translator, and that was in Michoacan. I had an FMT when we got married and didn't need to take it back to immigration. When we got back to England I had an official translation done and that was enough to change my surname on my passport, driving license, everything.

We didn't tip the judge, but he was a friend of my uncle-in-law (who was also one of our witnesses) although when my brother-in-law got married at a party instead of in the registro civil the family did tip him.

All the paperwork took us about 2 weeks to gather up, including a trip to Morelia for our permit from immigration and a long line at the health centre for our blood tests. It was time well spent though, hope the rest of your married life goes smoother than the first day Wink

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

gatopemex · Joined: 09 Mar 2009 Posts: 2

Why hasn't anyone mentioned pollution?

geaaronson · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Mexico City

Pollution? Why there�s never been pollution here in DF. I wake up every morning with nary mucus congestion, never have to spit anywhere, my eyes never burn nor are red, I breathe fresh air every day....I know of some marshland in the Yucatan that would make for a good building lot....going real cheap....just pm me.

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

rafomania · Joined: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 95 Location: Guadalajara

ha, the pollution. I love it when my face gets sprayed with a cloud of black smoke from the buses or trucks. It's a problem. I wake up having to cough up a load of mucus. I dont smoke. The sleeves of my shirt get black just from twalking next to a busy road. Its a problem, why dont the government check vehicles such as buses or the trucks that transport goods around the country!! This is in Guadalajara by the way.

sarliz · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Jalisco

My complaint of the day: mananitas. Why, oh why, is it seen as a good idea to wake up you loved one at an ungodly pre-dawn hour with a band to celebrate their birth and/or mother's day? I got dragged to my suegra's serenade this morning before dawn and assured my boyfriend that he should never ever get me that type of present before 10am.