Wedding guide · step 1 of 5
The rules that decide your budget
Read this before venues, before flowers, before you look at a single photo of the chapel. These rules decide what your wedding costs.
How weddings here actually work
When you book a wedding here, you're really signing two contracts: one for the wedding itself and one for a block of hotel rooms. Each has its own deposit and its own deadlines. Most budget surprises come from not knowing that on day one.
It goes like this:
You ask for a date. Email infobodas@xcaret.com or use the form at bodasxcaret.com/en/contact.
The resort tells you if your date is available.
You sign the room contract, usually within 10 days, to lock in your date. (The wedding package contract itself comes after.)
A coordinator joins you late. Sometimes five months out, sometimes 60 days.
Important to know: the rooms hold your date, not the wedding deposit.
Unconfirmed: the 10-day deadline comes from travel agencies, not from the resort itself. Get your exact deadline in writing.
The eight rules
You have to book a block of rooms, and Saturdays need the most
| Wedding day | Minimum rooms | Minimum nights | Guests this implies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday to Thursday | 11 | 3 | about 30+ |
| Friday | 20 | 3 | about 40+ |
| Saturday | 25 | 3 | about 50+ |
Saturday weddings cost more. You have to book 14 more rooms to have a wedding on a Saturday.
Hotel Xcaret Arte only needs 11 rooms, any day
Same packages, same prices, but Arte never asks for more than 11 rooms, even on a Saturday. If you want a Saturday wedding with a smaller guest list, this is the easiest money you'll save. One catch: Arte is adults only, 16 and up.
The 80% rule
At least 80% of your guests must stay at the hotel for at least three nights. Miss that, and the resort charges a penalty for every guest staying somewhere else. Nobody publishes the amount; your planner sets it.
Day passes are $90 per person, and they end when the reception does
Guests who aren't staying at the hotel can arrive about an hour before the ceremony, and they have to leave when the reception ends. One guest asked to stay for the after-party and was told her only option was booking a room at $1,500 and up. Plan the after-party for staying guests only, or skip it.
The resort's own FAQ says $100 for a vendor's day pass. Whether guests and vendors pay different rates is unclear. Ask.
Your guest count can only go up
You can add guests to your contract later. You can never remove them, and you don't get money back for no-shows. Start with a number you're sure of.
Outside vendors cost $870 to $1,500 each, unless they sleep here
Bringing your own photographer, videographer, DJ, florist, or makeup artist costs a fee for each one: about $1,000 for a photographer, $870 to $1,500 for the others.
The fee goes away if the vendor stays in your room block for three or more nights, and their room counts toward your minimum. One real couple paid $2,870 in fees they could have avoided this way. Many photographers who work here ask for the room anyway; it's also how they get access to the whole property.
Independent wedding planners don't pay the fee at all. Their staff still need day passes.
Outdoor music stops at 11pm (probably)
Some sources say all outdoor music stops at 11pm. The resort's own FAQ says venues close at 4am, except the ones near guest rooms, which close at 11pm. Those aren't the same rule, and the difference could decide your venue. Ask which applies to yours. After 11pm, the party moves to Cantina Los Faroles or Xupes (adults only).
Tax may not be in your quote
One source says 16% tax plus a 15% to 20% service charge gets added on top of the package price. Nobody else mentions it, which is exactly why you should ask. On a $16,750 package that could be an extra $5,000.Unconfirmed
Ask, in writing: "Does this price include tax and service charge?"
Which hotel? Xcaret Mexico vs Xcaret Arte
Same package prices. Genuinely different weddings.
| Hotel Xcaret Mexico | Hotel Xcaret Arte | |
|---|---|---|
| Ages | All ages | Adults only, 16+ |
| Room block minimum | 11 / 20 / 25 by day | 11, any day |
| Chapel | Catholic only | Ecumenical: all faiths, same-sex |
| Signature venue | The air-conditioned cave reception | Large indoor ballrooms |
| Room rate | about $453+ per person per night | about $410+ per person per night |
| Package | Paraíso, $16,750 | Paraíso, $16,750 |
Choose Arte if you want a Saturday, your list is under about 40, you want an adults-only week, or you need a non-Catholic chapel ceremony.
Choose Hotel Xcaret Mexico if kids are coming, you want the cave, or you want the sprawling all-ages resort your guests will get more out of.
The catch on children. Palmeras Beach and the Catholic chapel are shared between the two properties, so kids can attend a ceremony there even for an Arte wedding. They cannot attend the cocktail hour or reception at Arte. Sort that out before you send invitations.
And note the one-way door: guests staying at Hotel Xcaret Mexico cannot use Arte's facilities, except on your wedding day, arriving 30 minutes before the ceremony and leaving when the reception ends.
Step 1 of 5 done
Next: figure out your budget
What the packages cost, what a real wedding here added up to, and a calculator for your own numbers.