Seasonal Guide – Wedding Planning in the Mexican Caribbean

When is the best month and time of day to get married in Mexico?

Welcome to our Riviera Maya seasonal guide! Read on for GREAT info to help you plan your destination wedding in the Riviera Maya, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, or the Islands of Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Holbox. We’ll introduce you to our thoughts about the seasons, temperatures, and weather considerations here in Mexico. We’ll also tell you how to calculate your ceremony start time for your specific venue. Don’t hesitate to reach out for specific info. We’ have tons of real wedding experience, and images and we’re happy to help, even if you don’t have your venue or date – contact us!

“Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.” – George Eastman Kodak

Wedding Ceremony Start Time Calculation

Wondering what time to start your wedding ceremony? It’s all about the LIGHT. Beautiful light makes beautiful pictures and we want the best lighting for your ceremony and portrait session. Symbolic wedding ceremonies in the Riviera Maya usually last 20-30 mins. We generally use cocktail hour, immediately following the ceremony for family formal and couple’s portraits.

1.5 hrs prior to sunset is perfect for most wedding ceremony start times in the Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. Cancun wedding ceremonies should often be 2 hours or more before sunset if you want to have the sun shining on you. Weddings on the west coast of the islands can be closer to sunset time because the epic light lasts longer after the sun goes down than on the mainland.

Golden Hour for Wedding Photography

As a general rule, optimal light for photography is 30 minutes before sunset and 30 minutes after sunset, the so-called “golden hour” in the world of photography. However, since most of the Mexican Caribbean is the east coast the sun does NOT set over the ocean so the light goes down before sunset. In some cases, shadows from buildings and structures mean that light goes away even earlier. On the Islands, though you have both coasts to choose from and sunset weddings on the west coast of Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Holbox are WOW!

Find out our “tips to elope in Mexico” to learn more about the best time of day and locations we recommend to get away from the tourists and find your own spot in one of Earth’s most magical natural cathedrals.

Contact us to plan your Travel!

Our sister company, Del Sol Travels, is a full-service travel agency that specializes in planning Destination Weddings, honeymoons and special events. Their services are complimentary, and our team of travel experts is available to assist you with travel planning around the globe, not only for weddings and honeymoons but with all of your travel needs.

What if it RAINS on your wedding day?

Many of our clients are concerned about weather. Since most of our events occur in a tropical climate, we embrace the rain! if you are wondering whet to do if it rains on your wedding day check out this post: Why rain on your wedding day is AWESOME! We can’t control the weather so we have adapted to shoot in practically ALL conditions. In fact, some of our most epic and award winning images have come from the rain!

Since 2014 The state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, Quintana Roo, including Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Isla Mujeres, and Cozumel, does not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). We observe Eastern Standard Time (EST) all year. It’s an amazing change for winter weddings. More daylight and longer days are GOOD For photography!

January • February • March

Sunset 6:15 – 6.45 PM
Ceremony start time: 4:00 – 5:15 PM

YES THIS IS THE TIME! 5-star top vote from the Del Sol team:
The weather in the Riviera Maya and Cancun during January, February, and March is typically the most refreshing. Beach weddings are IDEAL at the beginning of the year with temperatures during the day around 75-80°F (23-26°C). Wind can kick up at just about any moment and most of our days (and nights) are breezy. Evenings are cool. Depending on the wind factor, it may feel 60-66°F (16-19°C) so bring long sleeves. Locals feel COLD at this time of year!

The beginning of the year is considered the HIGH season and travel prices reflect that. The high season runs from December 15- late April, depending on when Easter falls. After April, the seaweed season begins until October.

Winter Wedding Tips – Dusk

DUSK light is amazing from January to March. Take advantage of the 30 minutes after sunset for portraits, or if your reception is outside, having your first dance at that time for epic skies.

We will always work with any time variance outside our suggested timeframes. As photojournalists, we are prepared to handle any situation at any time! Our style is to go with the flow, no matter what the conditions.

April • May • June

Sunset 7:00 – 7:30 PM
Ceremony start time: 5:00 – 6:00 PM

April, May, and June are considered del Sol Photography HIGH season for destination weddings in the Riviera Maya. The sunset times are around 7:30 pm in June, long days!!! Consider that the Riviera Maya is on the East side of the Central Time Zone, so evenings generally come early and temperatures will go down at night some and hopefully the wind will cool things off. We recommend starting ceremonies from 5:30 pm – 6 pm during these months. These months are also prone to have seaweed on the beaches.

Hurricane Season in the Riviera Maya Mexico

So the words HURRICANE SEASON are scary. The reality of the situation is, although hurricanes occur in the Caribbean SEA during hurricane season, they rarely affect the Riviera Maya, though neighbors Cuba and Puerto Rico certainly feel the effects.

Hurricane season in Mexico is officially June to November, peaking August-October. While hurricanes are rare, we DO sometimes feel the effects of nearby systems. That can range from an afternoon of spectacular skies and torrential rain to weeks of drizzle. There really is no way of predicting the weather in the tropics so we have learned to embrace ALL that mother nature throws at us.

Why Rain on your Wedding is AWESOME!

Hurricane Season Weddings

But what happens if there is a hurricane on your wedding day? We’ve documented several weddings that have been affected by hurricanes and in all cases, everything turned out fine. In many cases, the hurricane actually added something magical!

The most dramatic case scenario is evacuation – Vanessa and Tony’s wedding was evacuated because of a hurricane is actually one of our all-time favorites!

Top tip for hurricane season weddings: check your wedding location’s back up rain venue. Every venue should have a back up for every wedding scheduled that day.

See the Wedding

June • July • August

Sunset 7:00 – 7:30 PM
Ceremony start time: 5:00 – 6:00 PM

Can you say HOT?! Under the full sun, the summer months in Mexico months can be brutal. Seasonal averages are 85°F+ (32°C.) Watch out for mid-day heat. On cloudless days, the sun is wicked hot and can make weddings sweaty! Hotels will offer early schedules from 12 – 3 PM, keep in mind that you and your guests will be HOT and light will be less desirable.

Summer also has some chances for rain. It can fall hard and fast or it can downpour for hours. In the sub-tropics we have some interesting weather patterns coming in while wind can also be a factor for beach ceremonies and is unpredictable. Recently, these months have been associated with seaweed arriving. Many factors like current, wind, and waves all determine the amount.

Summer Chapel Weddings in Mexico

Keep in mind, it may be HOT on the beach during these summer months, but how about inside a wedding chapel? It might be hot inside there too! Some have air con but others are open-air and nothing but the breeze to cool you off.

Check out our Top Ten Cancun Riviera Maya Church Wedding Venues for more information!

Tips for Summer Weddings in Mexico

We don’t recommend wearing jackets for summer wedding ceremonies. It happens, we have witnessed tuxedos on the beach in the full hot sun of July. We’ve witnessed guests passing out from heat exhaustion – play safe!

Make sure plenty of water is available at summer weddings. Parasols and fans as wedding favors, or programs that double as fans are a thoughtful touch too.

Best Activities for Summer Weddings

We absolutely love the Cenotes, please visit and please take care of them! For Tulum wedding activities we recommend Casa Cenote. For Akumal wedding groups Yal Ku Lagoon is amazing as well as of course swimming with the turtles in Akumal Bay itself. What we recommend is a trip for a day, go to the Coba ruins or to Valladolid or somewhere a few hours away. After AM visit of the archeological site, stop at every single cenote place on the way back.

Whaleshark season also runs May-September with June and July as the peak months – definitely a bucket list experience!

September • October

Sunset 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Ceremony start time: 4:00 – 5.30 PM

The region’s best-kept secret of THE TIME to choose. Conditions change during evenings and mornings, less days of seaweed. Summer Vacations are over and peak “Hurricane Season” is here. The area seems to have fewer tourists. You can expect rain – or not! The tropics like to keep you guessing. Most hotels generally offer great discounts to stay in the region in September and October and it’s a great time for site visits too. Temperatures are still hot with high humidity. The weather is totally unpredictable it can be the most beautiful sun or rainstorm, so always plan a contingency if you are getting married in Mexico during these months. Generally, we love living here during these months!

November • December

Sunset 6:00 – 6:15 PM
Ceremony start time: 4:00 – 4.30 PM

YOU have arrived in the EPIC window of all wow, powerful amazing, and most desired weather time for locals. Cold fronts are officially here and we are blessed with epic+epic weather. These two months are our all-time TOP TOP TOP recommendation for planning. Ideally, for better rates, avoid thanksgiving and the final 10+ days of the year.

November and December are high seasons in the Riviera Maya, and a super time for destination weddings. Travel prices reflect the popularity of this time of year with Thanksgiving being an awesome, but pricey date. The high season runs from December 15 – late April, depending on when Easter falls.

Temperatures are wonderful, mild, and refreshing. Days can reach 80-85°F (27-30°C) but generally, the average is slightly lower, 72-82°F (22-27°C.) Breezy evenings may require a jacket and long pants. The ocean water temperature remains warm enough to swim at around 80°F (27°C.)