# Riviera Maya Weddings by Villa Experience — https://riviera-maya-weddings.villaexperience.com/

A guide to private beachfront wedding villas and wedding venues in the Riviera Maya, on Mexico's Caribbean
coast between Cancún and Tulum, published by Villa Experience (villaexperience.com), a staffed-villa rental
company operating in Mexico since 2006. Villa Experience represents four private estates that host weddings
of 8 to 200 guests and sleep the guest list. Contact: Rocío, rocio@villaexperience.com, +1 (786) 661-7603 (WhatsApp).

## The venues
### Hacienda del Secreto — Playa del Secreto
A walled family estate on a turtle-nesting beach that has hosted more than 200 weddings in 25 years: five villas, two palapa suites, five pools, a staff of 32 and a grand event palapa on the sand. Book three villas and the gates close to everyone but your guests.
- Wedding guests: Up to 200; staying on site: 60+ guests · 27 bedrooms; accommodation: 5 villas + 2 palapa suites
- Ceremony settings: Beach · event palapa · Butterfly Landing pavilion · cenote gardens
- Catering: Estate restaurant and chefs (no outside caterers); vendors: Local vendors coordinated by the estate team; music: Confirmed during planning
- Rates: Whole estate from US$6,697/night + 21% tax; getting there: North of Playa del Carmen · closest to Cancún airport
- Website: https://hacienda-del-secreto.villaexperience.com/weddings/

### The Haciendas of Puerto Aventuras — Fatima Bay, Puerto Aventuras
Four fully staffed haciendas side by side on Fatima Bay — Corazon, Jaguar, Magica and del Mar — with four ceremony settings, a private chef, butler and bartender in each house, and a rate ladder that scales from four suites to the whole estate.
- Wedding guests: Up to 120; staying on site: 100+ guests · 51 suites; accommodation: 4 side-by-side haciendas
- Ceremony settings: Beach at del Mar · heart garden at Corazon · arches at Magica · poolside courtyard at Jaguar
- Catering: In-house chef daily; your chosen caterer for the wedding; vendors: Professional wedding planner required; music: Until 11 pm
- Rates: From US$2,860/night (4 suites) + 22% tax; getting there: About 1 hour from Cancún airport
- Website: https://haciendas.villaexperience.com/weddings/

### Villa Bellamar — Half Moon Bay, Akumal
A thirteen-suite beachfront estate on reef-calm Half Moon Bay, built for hosting: a 1,500 sq ft L-shaped pool with a wet bar, gardens to the sand, a rooftop jacuzzi and a chef who cooks every meal of the wedding weekend.
- Wedding guests: Up to 200; staying on site: Up to 52 guests · 13 suites; accommodation: 13 ocean-view suites
- Ceremony settings: Beach · L-shaped pool terrace & gardens · 360° rooftop
- Catering: Private chef included; wedding chef & open bar from US$3,000; vendors: Bring your own planner and vendors; music: Quiet hours from 10 pm
- Rates: From US$2,250/night + 25% tax; getting there: About 40 min from Tulum airport · 1 h 40 from Cancún
- Website: https://akumal-wedding-venues.villaexperience.com/#villa-bellamar

### Casa Milah — Half Moon Bay, Akumal
The modern beach house 130 metres from Villa Bellamar: eight suites, an infinity pool on the sand and a rooftop above the reef — the Riviera Maya's most beautiful setting for an intimate wedding, or the bridal house when you book both.
- Wedding guests: Up to 50; staying on site: Up to 16 guests · 8 suites; accommodation: 8 suites
- Ceremony settings: Beach · rooftop terrace · infinity pool deck
- Catering: Private chef included (dinner for ~40); vendors: Bring your own planner and vendors; music: Quiet hours from 10 pm
- Rates: From US$1,950/night + 25% tax; getting there: About 40 min from Tulum airport · 1 h 40 from Cancún
- Website: https://akumal-wedding-venues.villaexperience.com/#casa-milah

## Villa venue or resort?
A private estate hosts one wedding and one group at a time: guests stay in the villas, the ceremony time is
yours, private chefs cook, and the whole weekend (welcome dinner, wedding, brunch) happens in one place.

## Seasons
- Dry season November–April; hotter and more humid May–October.
- Atlantic hurricane season June–November, highest risk August–October.
- Sargassum seaweed can reach the beaches in the warmer months.
- Sunset about 5:45 pm in December and 7:20 pm in June.
- Sea turtles nest on the beaches May–October.

## Frequently asked questions
### What are the best Riviera Maya wedding villas for large groups?
For 100 guests or more, Hacienda del Secreto (up to 200 at the wedding, 60+ staying across 27 bedrooms), Villa Bellamar in Akumal (up to 200 at the wedding, up to 52 staying) and The Haciendas of Puerto Aventuras (up to 120 at the wedding, 100+ staying in 51 suites) are the private estates that host the whole celebration and sleep most of the guest list. For under 50 guests, Casa Milah in Akumal is an intimate beachfront alternative.

### Why choose a wedding villa instead of a resort in the Riviera Maya?
A villa or private estate hosts one wedding at a time. You control the whole property — no other couples, no resort guests walking through your ceremony, no fixed time slots — and your guests stay together under the same roofs with a private chef and staff. For groups of 30 or more the cost per guest is often comparable to a resort room block.

### How far in advance should we book a Riviera Maya wedding venue?
Nine to twelve months ahead for November to April, when weather is best and demand highest, and six to nine months for the shoulder months. Christmas, New Year and spring-break weeks often need 12 months or more and carry longer minimum stays.

### When is the best time of year for a beach wedding in the Riviera Maya?
November through April is the dry season, with sunny days in the high 20s °C (low to mid 80s °F). May and June are hotter and still popular. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June to November, with most risk from August to October, and seaweed (sargassum) can arrive on the beaches in the warmer months — your venue team will advise on dates.

### How many guests can a Riviera Maya wedding villa hold?
It depends on the estate. Casa Milah hosts up to 50, The Haciendas of Puerto Aventuras up to 120 across four houses, and Hacienda del Secreto and Villa Bellamar up to 200. Overnight capacity ranges from 16 guests at Casa Milah to more than 100 across the four Haciendas.

### Can we get legally married in Mexico?
Yes. A legal wedding in Quintana Roo is a civil ceremony performed by the Civil Registry, which requires documents such as passports, apostilled and translated birth certificates, witnesses and a medical certificate; requirements change, so your planner confirms them. Many couples hold a symbolic ceremony at the villa and sign the legal paperwork at home.

### How much does a villa wedding in the Riviera Maya cost?
The villa is booked per night for your stay: from about US$1,950 a night at Casa Milah, US$2,250 at Villa Bellamar, US$2,860 at The Haciendas (four suites) and US$6,697 for the whole of Hacienda del Secreto, plus local taxes of 21–25%. Event fees, catering, bar, flowers, music, photography and a planner are added according to the venue and your guest count.

### Do we need a wedding planner?
At The Haciendas of Puerto Aventuras a professional planner is required. At Hacienda del Secreto the estate team coordinates trusted local vendors and the estate's own chefs cater. At Villa Bellamar and Casa Milah you can bring your own planner and vendors or use the villa manager's network. Villa Experience helps you choose either way.

### Is there a music curfew at beachfront wedding venues?
Most private estates sit in residential communities with local rules. At The Haciendas music is allowed until 11 pm under Puerto Aventuras bylaws; Half Moon Bay in Akumal has quiet hours from 10 pm; at Hacienda del Secreto times are confirmed during planning. Sunset ceremonies and early-evening receptions fit all of them.

### Which airport should our guests fly into?
Cancún International Airport (CUN) has the most flights and is closest to Hacienda del Secreto and about an hour from Puerto Aventuras. Tulum International Airport (TQO) is about 40 minutes from Akumal. The venue teams arrange group transfers.

### Can guests see sea turtles?
Often. Akumal means ‘place of turtles’ and green turtles feed in its bays year-round, and loggerhead and green turtles nest on the beaches of the Riviera Maya from May to October — at Hacienda del Secreto the aisle sometimes shares the sand with protected nests.