Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen · Playa del Carmen venue guide
Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen Wedding Photographer
Adults-only all-inclusive resort on the north end of Playa del Carmen, with contemporary Mayan-inspired design, rooftop venues and a wide beachfront.
Secrets Moxché is the new flagship of Playa del Carmen: contemporary architecture, layered rooftops, and a sky-high view of the coast that older resorts simply don’t have. It opened recently and is already one of the most requested venues we shoot.
For photography, Moxché’s advantage is verticality — rooftop ceremonies and sky decks put the horizon at eye level, and the clean modern lines flatter editorial, fashion-inflected wedding photography. If your Pinterest board says “modern luxury,” this is the venue.
Where to say “I do” — and how each spot photographs
Sky Wedding Gazebo
The rooftop gazebo, with the Caribbean behind it and open sky above. This is where I photographed the ceremony here, timed for sunset. The light at that hour is soft and even. It is exposed to wind, so veils and florals need to be secured.
Spa bridal suite and gardens
The spa has a dedicated bridal suite for getting ready, with room for hair, make-up and family. The tropical gardens outside give shade and green backgrounds for the dress, the details and the first portraits.
Man-Made Cenote Area
A distinctive architectural and water background with more visual control than the open beach. It can work especially well for smaller ceremonies and portraits, but confirm which cenote zone is reserved for your event.
Beach
Direct Caribbean background with reflective sand and wind exposure. The beach is on the sunrise side, so sunset falls inland rather than into the sea.
Suite Terrace
A private elevated alternative to the beach. Exposure varies by the exact suite, so confirm orientation and access before building the portrait timeline around it.
A photo timeline that works here
Based on a winter ceremony (sunset ≈ 6 pm). I adjust it to your date and your venue coordinator's schedule.
- 2:00 pm
- Getting ready — details, dress, final touches of makeup
- 3:15 pm
- Bride portraits and first look
- 4:00 pm
- Ceremony
- 4:40 pm
- Family and group photos, right where the ceremony ends
- 5:10 pm
- Couple session in the golden hour
- 6:15 pm
- Reception entrance and first dance
- 8:00 pm
- Open dance floor, toasts and party
First look — yes or no?
Recommended. Rooftop ceremonies photograph best right before golden hour, which leaves little portrait time after — a first look on the beach earlier in the afternoon solves it completely.
Logistics worth knowing
Secrets Moxché is in the Corasol area, north of central Playa del Carmen. It is an easy resort to work in. Everything is within walking distance and nothing is far, so no golf carts are needed. Brides usually get ready in the bridal suite at the spa. From there it is a short walk to the first look and up to the rooftop for the ceremony. There is a full wedding gallery from this resort in the portfolio.
Vendor rules at Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen
- Outside photographers: Accepted
- Outside photographers are accepted: Kristina has photographed a full wedding here. The resort does not publish a photographer fee, day-pass requirement or registration deadline, so confirm those in writing with the wedding coordinator.
- These rules belong to the resort, not to me. The resort sets the fee, charges it and changes it, often from one season to the next and sometimes from one wedding to the next, so I do not publish an amount here: any number you find online is already out of date for your date. Ask your wedding coordinator at the resort to confirm it in writing, and ask early: it is a real line in the budget. It is also worth asking whether there is any flexibility. Some venues waive or reduce the fee, often when the vendor team books rooms for a few nights or when the wedding is booked through certain agencies, and plenty of couples never find out because they never ask.
- Tell me about your wedding →
The light here
Secrets Moxché is on the Caribbean-facing side of Playa del Carmen, so the beach is the sunrise side and sunset falls inland. Reserve the final 45 to 60 minutes before sunset for portraits, roughly 5:10-6:25 p.m. in Nov-Feb and 6:25-7:30 p.m. in Jun-Aug, adjusted to the exact date. The Sky Wedding Gazebo and elevated terraces are especially sensitive to wind and direct afternoon light.
Real weddings at Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen
Questions couples ask about Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen
Can we bring our own photographer to Secrets Moxché?
Yes. Kristina has photographed a full wedding here, so outside photography works. Confirm the current outside-photographer fee, access registration and any pass requirement directly with the wedding coordinator for your date.
Is the cenote a real wedding option?
Yes. Hyatt currently lists the resort's man-made cenotes among its wedding settings, and couples do ask about it. Confirm the exact cenote zone and capacity with your coordinator.
Does the sun set over the ocean at Secrets Moxché?
No. The Caribbean beach faces east, so sunrise is over the water and sunset falls inland. Use the final part of the afternoon for softer beach portraits rather than expecting an ocean-horizon sunset.
Have you photographed at Secrets Moxché?
Yes. There is a complete wedding gallery from the resort in the portfolio, so Kristina knows the property and how the light moves through it.
Should we do a first look at Secrets Moxché?
I recommend it. Rooftop ceremonies here photograph best right before golden hour, and that leaves little portrait time afterwards. A first look on the beach earlier in the afternoon solves it. You get your portraits without rushing, and the last light stays free for the rooftop.
Where do brides get ready at Secrets Moxché?
Most get ready in the bridal suite at the spa. It has space for hair and make-up and keeps your own suite free. I photograph the dress and the first portraits in the gardens just outside.
Is Secrets Moxché easy to get around on the wedding day?
Yes. Everything is within walking distance and nothing is far. No golf carts are needed. That keeps the timeline simple and leaves more time for photographs.
How much does a wedding photographer cost at Secrets Moxché?
Experienced destination wedding photographers in this area generally run from about $3,000 to $8,000 USD for the wedding day, and more for multi-day celebrations with film. Most couples marrying at Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen book 6-8 hours, so the coverage reaches from getting ready to the party. Travel to this venue is included or minimal, we are local. To know where I would begin for your date, tell me about it at /contact/.
Getting married at Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen?
I've photographed here — I know the light, the spots and the rules.