A special day can be made even more special with just a dash of travel! Destination weddings are by far one of my favorite types of weddings. I want to tell you all about your potential Cancun destination wedding and expose you to what is possible in one of the most stunning locations in Mexico.
Going to exotic destinations to have the time of your lives while making the ultimate commitment is something you’ll never regret. So let’s dive into all the things you need to know about your Cancun destination wedding.
Things To Consider When Planning Your Cancun Wedding
A Cancun destination wedding is something you kinda, sorta, need to plan ahead of time. Sure, you can elope if you want to, but even that has some prerequisites you HAVE to consider.
Budget Properly
If you have a wedding budget, which almost every couple does have, then consider that when making certain decisions for your Cancun destination wedding. You don’t want your wedding to be more than you can afford, and it’s easy to make sure that doesn’t end up happening. It’s all about considering the endless options available to you which can impact your budget.
Items such as time of year, venue, duration, etc., all play a role in the final price tag.
Timing is Everything
When I say Cancun is a beautiful destination for a wedding, I mean it! But you should know a few things about how timing can make or break your special day.
For starters, timing can affect the cost DRAMATICALLY. Why? Cancun is Cancun, after all. It’s a top-rated tourist destination and wedding venue year-round. So when you’re combining the tourists and the weddings, you get, say it with me now, price hikes. Search for dates in the off-season when tourism isn’t at a peak. Avoid school holidays and other public holidays that might cause a tourist influx.
Another option, if you’re willing to take a chance, is to do your Cancun destination wedding in hurricane season. It sounds crazy, I know, but trust me; it can and has been done before!
Location is Key
There is no shortage of options when it comes to finding the perfect venue for your Cancun destination wedding. However, don’t rush this process. Consider the venue options before you pick the dates, choose who to invite and who to casually exclude.
You’re going to plan the entire wedding around dates to ensure you get good weather, off-season price savings, and less crowded tourist hotspots. So, find a series of venues, rank them, and start finding dates available at those venues. Work your way through some of the bigger questions during the process.
Weather Preparedness
So I mentioned hurricane season earlier, and while maybe you thought this girl from Arizona has a wild imagination, let me assure you it’s no joke. Hurricanes aren’t happening every week in Cancun, but they’re unpredictable. Having a Cancun destination wedding in hurricane season means you’ve calculated the risks of unforeseen weather events. It’s not like the storms and hurricanes are going to hit you up and let you know they’re on their way uninvited.
September to November is considered Cancun’s hurricane season, but don’t let the rain drive you away from these months. And if rain does occur on your wedding day, DON’T PANIC!
Resorts are usually prepared for this possibility and will provide a backup location. Look out for this in your wedding contract with the venue.
Your wedding coordinator should be prepared to predetermine the conditions well before the ceremony to make necessary changes.
What can you do if it rains on your Cancun destination wedding?
Draft out a message or email to your guests explaining what will happen and send it if necessary. Hopefully, you never have to send it, but it’s good to have it ready in case.
Discuss with your coordinator and vendors how to go ahead with the backup plan, which you hopefully crafted before getting to Cancun.
Try to relax, let go, and roll with it. Rain sucks, but you’re getting married, and the person you’re meeting at the altar is enough to make a little rain seem inconsequential.
Research Vendors
There are a lot of vendors involved in weddings. While most resorts offer recommendations, I recommend you do some research and find the best available options before you start making calls and writing emails.
One of my favorite florists in Cancun is Tulipania. Their work is to die for and will just make the venue a little EXTRA in the best way possible.
Cancun Destination Wedding Essentials
There are a few things necessary to travel to your Cancun destination wedding;
Passport, and a tourist card.
Witnesses who also have valid passports and tourist cards.
Health and birth certificates for the happy couple.
Prenuptial blood test for both spouses.
A positive attitude!
I asked my engaged followers on Instagram to ask me some of their questions, and I compiled a list of the frequently asked questions, take a look!
My Favorite Wedding Venues In Cancun
I’m no stranger to a Cancun destination wedding - and out of the Cancun wedding venues I’ve experienced and researched over the years, here are some of my favorite venues to choose from for your Cancun destination wedding!
Unico 20°87°
Packages starting at $5800
Unico 20°87° is an insane resort in Riviera Maya and offers world-class rooms with unique qualities. A room with a swim-up pool? Check. A room with a killer ocean view? Check. Oceanfront rooms? Check. No matter what kind of room you’re looking for, they have it.
Their wedding venue options are stunning and can accommodate 37 guests directly on the beach or in various indoor and outdoor locations. Unico 20°87° even offers wedding packages that include professional make-up artists and musicians. So get ready for a Cancun destination wedding to end all destination weddings.
Features of Unico 2087
Spas and Salons
Fitness Center
Restaurants, Bars, and Lounges
Various Experiences (Chocolate Tasting, Tequila Tasting, Romantic Dinners, etc.)
Dreams Riviera Cancun
Packages starting at $999
Dreams Riviera Cancun is accurately named because once you’re there, you’ll think you’re in a dream. Featuring rooms fit for kings and queens, Dreams Riviera Cancun will make your Cancun destination wedding one for the books. People will actually beg you to get married a second time after spending even a day in this slice of paradise.
The resort features luxury rooms, nine gourmet dining options, countless activities, and amenities. With the ocean behind you, you and your partner can enjoy a wedding like no other. It truly is heaven on earth and something no guest will be able to forget.
Features of Dreams Riviera Cancun
Spa and Beauty Salon
Fitness Center
Restaurants and Bars
Wedding Registry Option
Dreams Tulum
Packages starting at $999
Dreams Tulum is the sister resort to Dreams Riviera Cancun and lies down the Mexican coast far from its counterpart. While these two resorts might be related, they’re very different. The hotel is massive and goes inland considerably. The coastline is littered with stunning observation decks, outdoor dining experiences, and more.
The rooms are as elegant as the Riviera Cancun and offer the same options: pool facing, ocean views, swim-out, garden view, adult-only, etc. So what’s a Cancun destination wedding if you aren’t sleeping like royalty while in paradise?
From a wedding on the beach, or amongst the trees, options are plentiful. No matter where you decide to have the ceremony, you’ll be surrounded by the vibrant colors of the water, trees, sand, and flowers.
Features of Dreams Tulum
Spa and Beauty Salon
Fitness Center
Restaurants and Bars
Wedding Registry Option
Ak’iin Beach Tulum
Request proposal for pricing
Ak’iin Beach Tulum features some of the beautiful wedding venues on this list. When I first saw Ak’iin Beach Tulum, I was mesmerized by the stunning surroundings of the beach and the gorgeous design elements of the weddings I’ve attended.
Ak’iin Beach Tulum is located in an archeological area filled with Mayan history, adding an even more breathtaking aspect to your day! Your Cancun destination wedding can be filled with stunning sea views, Mayan history, and warm Caribbean weather!
Features of Ak’iin Beach Tulum
Design, Coordination, and Planning
Catering
Make-Up Artist and Hairstylist
Accommodation
NIZUC Resort & Spa
Request proposal for pricing
To NIZUC Resort & Spa paradise is personal, and they have one hell of a personality. This stunning beachside resort is dispersed on a 29-acre property that is filled with beauty around every bend. Sparkling blue waters, lush green tropical gardens, views that could kill, and free-standing tubs are just the tip of the iceberg.
A wedding at NIZUC will never disappoint, thanks to the various locations that offer something to satisfy everyone. Be it the beaches, gardens, or inside event halls, you’ll find a place to have a genuinely memorable Cancun destination wedding.
Features of NIZUC Resort & Spa
Spa
Fitness Classes
Fine Dining Restaurants and Bars
Grand Hyatt Playa Del Carmen
Request proposal for pricing
The Grand Hyatt Playa Del Carmen is a premier resort with world-class catering, luxury rooms, and luscious beaches and gardenscapes. It’s a feast for the eyes and one that will provide endless enjoyment to your wedding day.
The Grand Hyatt features a stunning intimate wedding venue that goes into the ocean and seats a few guests for something cozy and unique. However, if you’re looking for something a little bigger, Hyatt has more than one huge reception halls to fit the needs, big or small, of your Cancun destination wedding.
Features of Grand Hyatt Playa Del Carmen
Spa and Beauty Salon
Fitness Center
Restaurants, Bars, and Lounges
Arcade
Breathless Riviera Cancun
Packages starting at $999
Breathless Riviera Cancun is a GIGANTIC resort in Riviera Cancun that occupies miles of coastline. From the same family as Dream Rivieria Cancun and Dream Tulum, Breathless is another world-class resort ready to bring another layer of magic to paradise.
Breathless features some of the most beautiful restaurants and bars of any resort on this list, and weddings are no different. Your Cancun destination wedding is going to look flawless at this beachside heaven.
Features of Breathless Riviera Cancun
Spa and Beauty Salon
Fitness Center
Restaurants, Bars, and Lounges
Bustling nightlife entertainment
My Favorite Wedding Planner Tools and Services
Over the years, I’ve made some friends who share the same appetite for romance that I have. Moreover, they’re well experienced in what they do and the best and brightest women I’ve worked with!
I couldn’t be prouder to suggest their services to you for your Cancun destination wedding, or any wedding for that matter.
Bixby + Pine
If you’re looking for a trio of fierce wedding designers, then look no further than girls at Bixby + Pine, Taylor, Ashley, and Jordan! They will handle everything and bring things to your wedding that you never even considered.
Bixby + Pine even sells tools to help you plan your wedding easier!
Cause We Can Events
Cause We Can Events puts the EPIC in adventure destination weddings! Gabriella, Jessica, and Isabel are wherever you need them! They’ve successfully pulled off weddings in Scotland, Tennessee, California, Utah, and beyond.
Belle Boda Events
Belle Boda Events love, love, love, destination weddings! Their favorite locations are Cusco, Peru, Salt Lake City, Cancun, and Orange County, California but wherever the love goes, so do they! Led by the talented Braelynn, you’ll never go to sleep worried, knowing a powerhouse is tirelessly working to make your day beyond perfect.
Final Thoughts on Planning a Cancun Destination Wedding
Whether you’re eloping, taking the leap and fulfilling your Cancun destination wedding dreams, or sticking within U.S. borders, I can be your confidant behind the camera. I’ve captured countless weddings, and one thing I never get tired of seeing is love in action. So call me a hopeless romantic!
I’ll be there making sure every moment is one you’ll treasure forever. So get in touch today, and let’s make ALL your dreams come true as you walk down the aisle to the person of your dreams!