My husband and love to travel, so it was only natural that we started thinking about a destination wedding back when we got engaged in 2004. We researched a lot of places and decided on the Mayan Riviera. It sounded like a beautiful location with plenty to do – and we were right!
Our wedding was in November 2004, and we stayed at one of the Palace Resorts on the Mayan Riviera. The hotel was absolutely beautiful and we knew as soon as we arrived, that we would have an amazing time. (Aventura Spa Palace is now the Hard Rock Hotel).
The day of our wedding, we made our way down to the waterfront. We said our vows in a gazebo overlooking the beach and ocean. It truly was a perfect day!
For the rest of our honeymoon, we explored a lot of places on the Mayan Riviera. There are so many things to do, that we had to pick and choose what to do during our 10 day stay.
There are many Mayan ruins in the area, and we visited several, including Tulum and Chichen-Itza. There is so much interesting culture to see and learn about, and the ruins are quite impressive.
We went into Playa del Carmen a few times. This is a fun place to walk around especially in the evening when it is cooler and there are plenty of places to eat and shop. It is nice to stroll along the pedestrian street.
There is an abundance of places to swim, from lagoons to the beach, as well as cenotes.
This was our first trip to Yal Ku Lagoon.
We later returned in 2021 with the kids!
Cenotes are places where the bedrock has collapsed to expose the groundwater underneath, making for beautiful swimming areas. We had a great time snorkeling in several cenotes, and my husband has also gone scuba diving in some as well.
We also explored beaches, from Cozumel all the way down to the border of Belize. I loved snorkeling with beautiful fish and exploring the coral reefs. As we traveled southward, we had luck finding “sea beans”, large seeds that washed up on shore, which is a really cool item to find and collect.
Between relaxing on the beach, eating amazing food, and checking out local attractions, our honeymoon was amazing!
We loved the Mayan Riviera so much that we returned for our 1-year anniversary, and did a road trip through the Yucatan. We traveled down to the coast to the border of Belize and back up to the west coast, the large city of Merida, and much more.
We returned to the Mayan Riviera in November 2017 and July 2021 with our whole family. We are excited to celebrate our wedding anniversary there and explore Mexico with the kids!
About the Author: Marysa
Busy blogger and mom of two girls! We love traveling and the great outdoors, and are always looking for our next adventure!
These photos are absolutely beautiful! This looks like a wonderful place for a wedding or vacation for sure!
That looks like a crazy awesome place to get married. I wish we’d done a destination wedding. My wife and I fell in love with travel, but only AFTER we got married.
OMG, that looks so amazing! I would have adored a wedding like this. I can’t imagine how wonderful it would have been to say I do to my husband with the sound of the ocean in the background. *sigh*
Holy. Moly. I cannot even imagine being married to my soul mate next to the ocean. What a romantic wedding!
Mayan Riveria does indeed look like a great place to have a wedding. You make such a beautiful bride and I love all the photos. I would love to visit here some day just to visit because of all the beauty. Thanks for sharing your awesome wedding photos and experiences.
What a beautiful place to have your wedding. Our draw back would be not many family or friends can afford to be there with us for our special day.
Mexico is a beautiful place for a wedding! We visited Mexico twice on a cruise, and it was my most favorite place! The water there is sooo incredibly blue!
Wow! You were such a beautiful bride! I love your dress! What a wonderful place to visit, not just for the history, but it look like it’s a great place with lots to do.
These are beautiful photos. The Mayan Riveria is one of my favorite places I have ever been. I am hoping to get back there this winter. It is the perfect place for a wedding.
What beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing your special day! I love seeing how other people plan and carry out their weddings. It looks like a perfect ceremony.
I absolutely LOVE your dress and destination location! My husband and I were also married on a beach and even though may people said not to wear a full on wedding gown at the beach I DID and I am glad I did. I love the ribbon banding at the bottom of the skirt of the dress too. I would love to visit the Mayan Riveria and even more so now!
Congrats!! You photos are gorgeous and I think a destination wedding would be so much fun!!
This place is so perfect for weddings. It’s so beautiful. I love all the photos.
These photos are so lovely and sweet! This place is also relaxing the view is good.
This place is really perfect for wedding, I know someone who will get married soon. Sucha sweet and wonderful photos. Congrats as well!!
Oh what a beautiful bride you are! Congratulations and may your marriage go as beautiful as this place.
I think tropical weddings are awesome. You get a vacation out of it too and so happy you are returning with your family later this year.
What a beautiful wedding! It’s always more romantic when you have a wedding near the beach. That’s just how it makes me feel. I think you made a lovely choice with the destination!
A destination wedding to they Mayan Riviera sounds so lovely! You looked beautiful on your wedding day.
The Mayan Riviera sounds like a beautiful place to have a wedding. I’ve always wanted to go snorkeling. Congrats on the nuptials.
Beautiful photos. And I just LOVE how clear the water is there. Perfect for snorkeling in!
I have never been to the Mayan Riveria before, but it looks like a gorgeous place to visit for a romantic getaway! It would also be fun visiting the Mayan ruins like Tulum and Chichen-Itza.
I’m very jealous. I’ve been fascinated by the meso-American civilizations since I was a kid. I’d love to spend a few weeks (or months) exploring them.
This looks incredible! I can’t wait until we get married so I can plan something beautiful and fun like this.
I have visited the Mayan Riviera often and it just gets better and better each and every time in each and every way. Your Wedding Photos are absolutely beautiful!
What a beautiful place to get married and such a stunning bride too.
These photos are amazing! And I absolutely love your dress!
Love your wedding photos and what a stunning location!