I got married again! This is #20: my Mystical, Magical Wedding in Manzanillo.

Quick back story: Devin and I first got married on May 23, 2014. Simple elopement. No witnesses. I didn’t want the hassle of a big wedding. It seemed like too much pressure for a “baby” marriage.

2 weeks later Devin proposed again outside the iconic Cathedral in Puerta Valllarta on our honeymoon… a woman on our tour was an ordained minister, so we strode into the cathedral, exchanged vows, and got married again. I cried. Our minister cried. Strangers in the pews cheered. We were hooked. A day later my husband proposed we marry each other 100 times in 100 countries.

Why 100 Weddings?

1. We love travel and experiencing other cultures.
2. Carving time out of our every day life to face each other and express our love and commitment to each other–with new vows every time–is a great relationship practice. We literally have been on a honeymoon for over 3 years.
3. The vows get better every time because we know each other better every time. We can never have too many opportunities to dig into our hearts in order to express love and appreciation, and to renew our commitment to support the other person’s happiness.

Honestly, I encourage all married couples to renew your vows OFTEN!

A year ago my friend and CEO of Expert Insights Publishing Viki Winterton asked Devin and I to speak at her annual award ceremony gala this month for her #1 best selling authors… and she sweetened the request by offering to include a wedding. (This has become a common practice for event hosts who want to lure me to speak in other countries…what a treat!)

Devin and I expected a very low-key, quick exchange of vows. We had NO IDEA we would be gifted with an elaborate, authentic Mexican ceremony with Mayan roots. This wedding was designed by a bonafide anthropologist, and it was MAGICAL!!! Wow!!!

Our Mystical Magical Mexican Wedding in Manzanillo… in Pictures

Here we recreated the time before we met each other. I started to cry.

Blessed by incense and traditional dancers. The “Joy” dance draws together past, future, and present, as well as inner and outer reality.

The leader of the ceremony.

Wedding vows.

Everybody dances!

Blessings and wisdom from the community, sharing the many flavors of love (sweet, spicy, bitter, salty, sour, and chocolate…)

Crowns and Hand fasting.

Thanking the gods, the elements, the directions, our neighboring tribes, and the earth.

Then… pinatas, a dancing horse, and a 10-year-old champion roper!

Confession: After 20 weddings, I’m still a terrible bride…

I’ve never spent more than $20 on a wedding dress.

I sometimes forget to pack my veil.

I sometimes forget to pack shoes and end up wearing flip flops.

My hair frequently looks terrible.

I just show up in my middle-aged, not-skinny body, in whatever dress I packed for the occasion, and hope the photos are kind.

And I’ve learned what matters…

NOT the venue.

NOT the food.

NOT the dress.

NOT the party.

As grateful and blessed as we are to have had this extraordinary wedding experience (and others), and how meaningful this is to us, really we’re in this for the marriage itself. The marriage is the prize, not the wedding. I wish more couples got this: it would save them so much stress!  Whether we’re getting married in a 1,000-year old castle or on a park bench or a hotel cafeteria, it always comes down Devin, me, and our vows, which evolve every time: those are the only essential elements.

A happy marriage is the real treasure. That’s why we get married over and over.

One of the gifts of doing multiple weddings is none of them have to be perfect… which makes ALL of them perfect.

And thank you Viki Winterton and Manzanillo for giving us the everlasting experience of Love, Mexican Style!

==> Curious about our Wedding Adventures? Check out our other weddings–and a 3 minute video of our first 11 weddings–at www.InTheKnowBride.com!

MORGANA RAE is an internationally acclaimed life coach, author, and professional speaker, who is regarded as the world’s top Relationship with Money coach. Morgana’s groundbreaking program for attracting wealth has featured her on ABC-TV, PBS, NPR, United Press International and The Wall Street Journal online. Learn how to become a Money Magnet with her FREE 4-part video gift series. Fill out your name and email at the top of the page. (We promise not to share your info!)