Use this handy checklist to ensure dream destination weddings at Meliá Cuba hotels

TORONTO — Meliá Hotels International Cuba has launched a three-part video series that highlights just how easy it is to plan, book and pull off destination weddings at its Cuba properties.

To ensure that couples receive top-level assistance from beginning to end, travel agents have access to the company’s wedding experts in Canada, even before their client’s departure.

Meliá Cuba has provided a handy checklist of tips to help agents and clients plan the perfect day in paradise:

Select the hotel according to the list in our wedding section on our website (www.meliacuba.com) to ensure a wedding coordinator on premises as well as a gazebo. Even though weddings are celebrated in all 27 of our properties in Cuba, these hotels have an expertise worth choosing them for.
Book the trip with a Canadian wholesaler as soon as you can in order for us to book a wedding date with the notary in Cuba. We recommend you book at least 6 months in advance for more possibilities of an afternoon ceremony (2 months or more, if the hour is of no importance).
To request a wedding date, we need to receive the wedding form duly completed. For a copy, please send an email to weddings@meliacuba.ca
March, April, May and November are the busiest months of the year for weddings in Cuba. Consequently the request should be received at least 9 months or more in advance for afternoon ceremony requests. The bride and groom must be on the island at minimum 3 days prior to the ceremony.
Documents required aside from the wedding reservation form, must be received no later than 6 weeks prior to departure. There is no need to wait for the documents to send the wedding/renewal form.
For Canadian single couples, only valid passport and original birth certificate are required (no translation).
For non-single Canadians getting married in Cuba, clients must contact the Cuban consulate in their area if divorced or widowed. The translation and legalization of original documents requested with seal will take a minimum of 3 weeks to process (the name on the divorce certificate must be identical to the passport). A copy of the documents must be sent to our Canadian office prior to departure and originals handed in to the notary in Cuba.
Ceremonies are performed by a notary public and celebrated Monday through Friday from 10am–4pm. Ceremonies are conducted in Spanish and translated into English if requested and last approximately 20 minutes. The bride and groom can exchange vows only at the end of the ceremony, if desired.
The Cuban Law states that, relatives (through blood or marriage) to either the bride or groom cannot act as witnesses and sign any legal Marriage documents. If traveling only with relatives, the hotel will provide witnesses, at no additional cost.
Final guest list should be sent 6 weeks prior to departure. Should there be any additional guests after this list has been sent, we ask that you RE-SUBMIT a finalized guest list at least one week prior to departure with the additional names highlighted. Guests not registered prior to departure will not count in the guest list. This list will determine the wedding package your clients are entitled to since our Free Wedding package is based on the amount of adult guests staying at the resort.
To qualify for a FREE wedding at a Paradisus, we ask for 12 guests (including the bride and groom) staying at the same hotel for a minimum of 6 nights; for a FREE wedding at Melia, 17 adult guests and for a FREE wedding in a Sol hotel, 25 adult guests are required.
For Canadians couples with fewer guests required for the FREE package, they can choose the 500 CUC MEMORABLE Wedding package (which is exclusive to the Canadian market) or one of our superior packages ($).
Dinner included is a group dinner served on the day of the ceremony in one of the a la carte restaurants (the size of the group will determine which a la carte is possible). The wedding dinner is not private and is the only group dinner included in the package. The size of the wedding cake will be adapted to the number of guests. A reception after the wedding dinner or a private dinner is not included in our packages but can be organized at an extra cost.