Puerto Vallarta · Venue guide
Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort
All-inclusive resort on Bahía de Banderas near Punta Mita, on the Pacific coast — a destination-wedding setting of surf and golden sunsets.
Dreams Bahia Mita sits on Banderas Bay near Punta Mita, on Mexico's Pacific coast — jungle-backed mountains, wide bay views and, like all Pacific venues, a sun that sets over the ocean rather than behind the land.
We have photographed a wedding here. Coming from the Caribbean, the difference is immediate: the end of the day is the spectacle rather than a quiet fade, and the timeline should be built to spend that window on the couple.
Where to say “I do” — and how each spot photographs
Beach Garden & Wooden Deck
Open wooden deck close to the Pacific with enough space for a substantial guest count. A 77-guest wedding was photographed here in May. The open sky works especially well when the timeline preserves the last light after the ceremony.
The Nest
Smaller elevated venue that has worked well here for a first look. It suits for a private moment before the ceremony without using the main event area.
Moon Deck
Open-air deck with ocean and resort views. Current venue listings publish capacity up to around 200 depending on event type and setup.
Dreams Presidential Terrace
More private elevated terrace option with broad bay views. Current venue information commonly places it around 120 guests.
Sand Terrace
Smaller outdoor space suited to more intimate events. Current wedding listings generally place it around 80 guests depending on layout.
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
- 3:15 pm
- First look and couple portraits
- 4:15 pm
- Ceremony
- 4:55 pm
- Family and wedding-party photos
- 5:30 pm
- Couple session — here the sun sets over the water, so we shoot straight into it
- 6:30 pm
- Reception entrance and first dance
- 8:00 pm
- Open dance floor
First look — yes or no?
Recommended. The sunset window here is genuinely the highlight, and it is short. Getting portraits and family photos handled earlier means the two of you can spend all of it on the sand.
Logistics worth knowing
Dreams Bahia Mita is in Riviera Nayarit on Banderas Bay, about 50 minutes from Puerto Vallarta airport. It is not a Riviera Maya venue: travel is planned from PVR, not Cancun. The venue asks for the vendor list and photo IDs in advance. At a May wedding here, vendor setup began at 9:00 a.m., photography started at 2:30 p.m., the first look was at The Nest, the ceremony at Beach Garden Wooden Deck, and the reception ended at 11:00 p.m.
Vendor rules at Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort
- Outside photographers: Accepted
- At a wedding here in 2025 the couple avoided the fee entirely by booking Kristina a room at the resort for the nights around the wedding, which is worth asking about. The venue also required the vendor list and photo identification before granting access. Confirm whether the same waiver and registration still apply to your date.
- 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
Dreams Bahia Mita sits on Banderas Bay on Mexico's Pacific side, so this is one of the venues in the project where sunset can work toward the water rather than behind the hotel. At a May wedding here, the window from 6:20 to 7:00 p.m. was held for sunset and cocktail portraits. Punta Mita sunsets begin around 6:30-6:45 p.m. in January and run roughly 7:40-7:47 p.m. through much of June.
Real weddings at Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort
Questions couples ask about Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort
Can we bring our own photographer to Dreams Bahia Mita?
Yes. Kristina has photographed a full wedding there. Current 2026 package information also publishes an outside photo/video vendor fee, confirming that external teams remain part of the resort's wedding process.
Is there an outside photographer fee?
Expect one. Resort package information for this property does publish an outside photo and video vendor fee, and a couple marrying here was quoted it. The resort sets it, collects it and revises it, so we do not publish an amount: any figure would already be old for your date. Ask your wedding coordinator to confirm it in writing.
Can we book the photographer a room instead of paying the fee?
It is worth asking, and it has worked here: a couple booked Kristina a room for the nights around the wedding specifically so the vendor fee would not apply, and it came out cheaper than the fee itself. Ask the resort whether that waiver still exists for your wedding year.
What information does the resort need from the photographer?
At a 2025 wedding here the venue asked for a vendor list and photo identification in advance. Ask your coordinator for the current deadline and the exact registration form.
Can we get sunset over the water?
Yes, this venue is on the Pacific/Banderas Bay side rather than the Caribbean side. Protect the final 45 to 60 minutes before sunset for couple portraits.
How much does a wedding photographer cost at Dreams Bahia Mita?
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 Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort 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 see where I would begin for your date, the collections live at /pricing/.
Getting married at Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort?
I've photographed here — I know the light, the spots and the rules.