Cartagena is one of the most visually stunning cities in the Americas. The walled old city, the pastel colonial facades, the bougainvillea draped over doorways, the amber light in the narrow streets at dusk. I have photographed dozens of elopements here and the images it produces are consistently among my strongest work. What surprises most North American couples is how much administrative weight a legal marriage in Colombia carries. This post is what I wish my couples knew before they started researching.

What a Legal Marriage in Colombia Requires

A legal marriage between two foreign nationals in Colombia is handled through the Colombian notary system. The requirements include: apostilled birth certificates for both parties, apostilled proof of single status (a single status affidavit or equivalent from your home country, also apostilled), valid passports, and certified Spanish translations of all foreign documents. These documents must be presented to a Colombian notario, who prepares the marriage deed and formally records the marriage. The process requires at least one in-person appointment at the notaria and typically two, one to submit documents and one to sign the deed. Processing time after document submission ranges from a few days to two weeks depending on the notaria and the current workload.

Couple in elopement attire at a colonial notary office in Cartagena during the legal ceremony process in Colombia — A legal marriage in Colombia requires apostilled birth certificates, apostilled single-status proof, valid passports, and certified Spanish translations of all documents. Two in-person notaria appointments. Processing time of a few days to two weeks. The apostille process alone can take six to eight weeks in North America.

The Apostille Timeline: Why You Need to Start Early

The apostille process is where most couples underestimate the timeline. In the United States, an apostille is issued by the Secretary of State office of the state that issued the underlying document. Standard processing can take three to six weeks. Expedited services in some states can cut this to a few days, but not all states offer expedited apostilles. In Canada, the equivalent authentication goes through Global Affairs Canada and takes a similar time. I consistently advise couples who want a legal marriage in Colombia to start the document process fourteen to sixteen weeks before travel. Couples who start eight weeks out frequently do not have everything ready in time.

Couple reviewing their legal marriage documents together in preparation for their Colombia notaria appointment in Cartagena — The apostille process is where most couples underestimate the timeline. US Secretary of State offices can take three to six weeks on standard processing. Start fourteen to sixteen weeks before travel. Couples who start eight weeks out frequently do not have everything ready.

Why Most Couples Choose the Symbolic Ceremony

After explaining the legal process to couples, the majority choose the symbolic ceremony in Cartagena with a legal marriage handled at home before or after the trip. From a photographic standpoint the two are identical: same vows, same exchange of rings, same moment, same light, same street. The symbolic ceremony is conducted by a professional celebrant and is as beautiful, meaningful, and personal as a legal one. The advantage is that the planning energy goes into the ceremony design, the florals, the venue, the timing for the light, instead of into document logistics. The photographers in Cartagena who I recommend all work primarily with symbolic ceremonies for exactly this reason.

Couple during a symbolic elopement ceremony in a beautifully lit Cartagena colonial courtyard with a celebrant and florals — A symbolic ceremony in Cartagena is photographically identical to a legal one: same vows, same rings, same moment, same light. The planning energy goes into ceremony design, florals, venue, and light timing instead of document logistics. Most couples I work with choose this path.

The Best Times and Locations in Cartagena

Cartagena is hot year-round. The dry season, December through April, is the most popular for elopements and the most reliable for outdoor photography. The rainy season, May through November, brings afternoon showers but also dramatic skies and lush color in the vegetation, and the light after rain in the old city is exceptional. For locations, I consistently return to the same places: the rooftops overlooking the walled city at sunset, the quiet streets of the Getsemani neighborhood in the early morning before it fills with people, the private colonial courtyards that planners can access through local connections. The late afternoon and golden hour in Cartagena produce the warmest, most cinematic light I have encountered in any city.