Guide · The beach
A beach wedding in Cancun
The beach looks simple in a photograph. On the day, the light, the heat, the wind and the sand decide how it goes. This is what I plan for before every beach ceremony on this coast.
Time: start the ceremony one and a half to two hours before sunset, around 4:10 p.m. in December and 5:30 p.m. in June. Light: the beaches face east, so the sun sets behind the hotels and the sand gets soft, even light. Plan for: wind, sun on the guests, sargassum, and a covered plan B.
The light: why a Cancun beach looks the way it does
The beaches on this coast face east, over the Caribbean. That changes everything about the timing. The sun doesn’t set over the water; it sets behind the hotels. In the middle of the afternoon it is high and strong, and the white sand bounces it straight back onto faces.
In the last hour before sunset, the hotels shade the sand and the light turns soft and even. The water keeps its colour, and skin looks natural. That hour is what a beach wedding here should be built around.
The ceremony time
I recommend starting the ceremony one and a half to two hours before sunset on your date. In December the sun sets around 6:10 p.m., so the ceremony starts between 4:10 p.m. and 4:40 p.m.. In June it sets around 7:30 p.m., so between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m..
That timing does three things. The ceremony gets softer light. Your guests aren’t sitting in the strongest sun. And the family photographs and your portraits still have the last hour of daylight. The ceremony time guide calculates it for your exact date.
On the sand, or on a deck facing the sea
“Beach wedding” can mean two different things here. A ceremony directly on the sand gives the most open view of the water. Many resorts also have a beach gazebo, a wooden deck or a palapa right next to the sand. You keep the sea behind you, and you gain a firm floor, a defined frame and sometimes shade.
- Directly on the sand: the widest horizon and the most natural photographs. Also the most exposed to sun and wind, and chairs and heels sink.
- A deck, gazebo or palapa by the beach: easier for older guests, for heels and for a long dress. The frame is more structured, and a palapa gives shade, which shows in softer light on faces.
Neither is better. It depends on your guests and on how much you want the sand itself in the day.
Where I photograph beach weddings
These are the venues with a beach ceremony spot where I have photographed weddings. Each guide explains how its beach photographs, how many guests it fits and what it needs on the day.
The sea isn’t the same along the whole coast. In Puerto Morelos the reef keeps the water calm close to shore, and Akumal is a sheltered bay. Tulum has wide, open beaches. The destination wedding guide compares the areas, from the drive from the airport to the kind of venue.
What to plan for
The wind
There is almost always a breeze on the beach. It makes a veil beautiful and undoes a hairstyle designed for a ballroom. Ask your stylist for a style that holds, make sure the arch and the florals are secured, and ask the officiant for a microphone: on the beach, the wind carries the vows away.
The sun on your guests
Your guests sit facing you, often with the sun on them. Ask the resort for shade, water and fans for the ceremony, and keep it short when the day is hot. A ceremony at the right time solves most of it.
The sand
Heels sink, chairs tilt and long trains collect sand. Many brides change into flat sandals or go barefoot, and a few words on the invitation help guests choose their shoes.
Sargassum
It is different every year, on every beach and every week. Nobody can promise a clear shore on a given date. The answer isn’t editing: it is choosing where, when and from which direction to photograph that day, and a venue with good options away from the sand.
The beach is public
Beaches in Mexico are public, so people can walk along the shore. Resorts set the ceremony on their own stretch, and on a quiet beach it rarely shows. I frame the photographs around it.
The plan B
Every resort has a covered option. Agree on it with the coordinator before the day. Rain here is usually a short storm, and the rain, wind and sargassum guide explains how each one is handled.
The photographs on the beach
Right after the ceremony I take the family photographs on the sand, while everyone is still together and the light is good. Then the guests go to the cocktail hour, and the two of you come with me to the shore for the last light. Wet sand reflects the sky, and the water keeps its colour until the end.
A first look gives you portraits before the ceremony and more time with your guests after it. On a large resort, where the beach can be a walk from your room, it is often worth it.
Beach ceremonies, photographed in full
Questions couples ask
What is the best time for a beach wedding in Cancun?
Start the ceremony one and a half to two hours before sunset on your date: around 4:10 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. in December and 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in June. Earlier than that, the sun on the sand is hard on faces and on guests. Later, you lose the light for portraits.
Can you see the sunset over the ocean at a Cancun beach wedding?
Not on the Caribbean side. The beaches face east, so the sun sets behind the hotels. What you get instead is soft, even light on the sand in the last hour, which is better for photographs. If the sun in the frame matters, choose a rooftop or a venue on the lagoon or bay side, such as the lighthouse area at Hyatt Ziva or NIZUC.
What about sargassum at a Cancun beach wedding?
It changes from one year to the next, from one beach to another and from one week to the next. Nobody can promise a clear shore on a given date. What helps is a venue with options away from the sand and a photographer who chooses where and from which direction to shoot that day.
Are beaches in Cancun private?
No. Beaches in Mexico are public, so people can walk along the shore past your ceremony. Resorts set up the ceremony on their own stretch of sand, and on a quieter beach or a secluded section it rarely matters. I frame the photographs around it.
What should we wear for a beach wedding in Cancun?
Light, fluid fabrics move beautifully in the breeze and photograph well. Long trains and very structured hairstyles fight the wind and the sand. Many brides change into flat sandals or go barefoot on the sand, and guests are happier when the invitation tells them the ceremony is on the beach.
What happens if it rains or the wind is too strong?
Every resort has a covered option for the ceremony. Decide it with the coordinator before the day, so the call on the morning is quick. Rain here is usually a short storm, and ten or fifteen dry minutes are often enough for portraits on the beach.
More guides
Thinking of the beach?
Tell me your date and your venue. I will tell you honestly how that beach photographs in that season, and what I would plan around.