How to plan a destination wedding in Mexico

A destination wedding in Mexico comes together in a clear order: settle how many people are coming, pick the season, find a planner who works on the coast, then book a venue where your guests can stay. Get those four right and the rest (the menu, the music, the flowers) falls into place. Here is the order we see work, from a team that hosts weddings on the beach in Puerto Aventuras.

1. Settle the guest count first

The number of guests decides almost everything else: the kind of venue, the budget, how far ahead you book. Under about 60 guests, one large house or a small hotel can hold the whole wedding. Between 80 and 150, you are looking at a resort ballroom or a group of houses side by side, so the party never has to leave.

2. Pick the season

Most couples on Mexico’s Caribbean coast marry between November and April, the drier and cooler months, so those dates book first. Summer is hotter and more humid, with afternoon showers; an evening ceremony and a covered plan B keep it comfortable.

3. Decide on a legal or a symbolic ceremony

Many couples sign the legal paperwork at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Mexico, which keeps the trip simple. If you would rather marry legally in Mexico, your planner will tell you what the civil registry asks for and how long it takes.

4. Hire a planner who knows the coast

A planner based on the coast knows the venues, the officiants, the florists and the musicians, and handles the details you can’t from home. At our haciendas, outside planners are welcome: you bring yours, and our team coordinates the houses, the staff and the chef with them. If you don’t have one yet, ask us and we can arrange it.

5. Book the venue and the rooms together

Where your guests sleep matters as much as where you marry. When everyone stays on site, there are no late-night transfers, the rehearsal dinner and the morning-after brunch happen at home, and nobody misses the last dance to catch a ride. Book early for the dry-season weekends.

6. Plan the night around the local rules

Many beach towns limit outdoor music late at night. In Puerto Aventuras, outdoor music ends at 11 pm, so the best weddings here have two acts: the full production outside until 11, then the party moves into the courtyards.

7. Make the trip easy for your guests

Send your save-the-dates early, name the airport (most guests fly into Cancun) and arrange group transfers from it. A short page with the dates, the airport, the dress code and where everyone is staying answers most questions before they are asked.

Our wedding venue: four haciendas on the beach

If you are planning on the Riviera Maya, our hacienda wedding venue in Puerto Aventuras is four beachfront haciendas side by side, about 1 hour from Cancun airport. You can marry on the sand, by a pool, in a garden or in a courtyard, and your guests stay in the suites around you: 51 suites in all, for up to 126 guests.

• Hacienda Jaguar: 12 suites, sleeps up to 30.
• Hacienda Mágica: 14 suites, sleeps up to 36.
• Hacienda Corazón: 10 suites, sleeps up to 27.
• Hacienda Del Mar: 15 suites in the main house and two garden guest houses, sleeps up to 33.

Events are up to 60 guests at one hacienda (special events can be arranged), 80 to 100 with two, and up to 150 with three or more. See the wedding venue, the settings and the questions couples ask.

Frequently asked questions