Wedding guide · step 3 of 5
The venues
Where you can actually get married here, what each spot is best for, and the catch nobody mentions.
Most weddings get two venue spots (bigger groups sometimes get a third). And the capacity numbers you'll find online are all over the place; we found the same venue listed at 100, 150, and 350 people. Ask the resort for its written capacity chart, and don't plan a 140-person reception off a blog table. Ours included.
Indoor chapel on the Xpiral pyramid
Capilla de Todos los Ángeles
Best for: The photo everyone comes for. 148 feet up, 180 degrees of Caribbean and jungle.
The catch: Catholic ceremonies only (the chapels are consecrated). Priest fee separate. Ceremony only. Windy.
Lagoon inlet, outdoor
Caleta Fuego
Best for: Ceremony, cocktail, and reception in one place. Boat or cave entrance. Wind-protected. Hard-packed sand that heels survive.
The catch: Direct sun until sunset. Rocky footing in spots.
Cave, air-conditioned
Cuevas Kayak (The Caves)
Best for: The only connected indoor-outdoor reception, and the only cooled cave. Torchlit, genuinely private.
The catch: Small (about 60). Dim. The echo wrecks speeches, so budget for proper sound.
Beach, outdoor
Playa Las Palmeras
Best for: Classic beach ceremony, long bridge entrance, golden hour.
The catch: Ceremony and toast only, no receptions. Capacity drops during turtle nesting season (roughly May to October).
Outdoor plaza
Explanada Xerro
Best for: Your largest option. Hard, non-sand surface. Pyramid backdrop.
The catch: Fully exposed.
Open-air terraces
Playón Viento / Playón Xpiral
Best for: Pool and river views, stone surface, wind-protected.
The catch: Direct sun until sunset. Budget shade, or start late.
Indoor cave
Bar Bio / Restaurante Bio
Best for: Waterfall backdrop, near restrooms, fully sheltered. The best natural rain plan.
The catch: No A/C, humid. Realistically can't host both ceremony and reception (setup timing).
Indoor, A/C, 130 feet up
Xpiral ballroom
Best for: The formal rain backup, with ocean views.
The catch: It's a ballroom.
Venue photos: Grupo Xcaret.
On the beach, honestly. Hotel Xcaret Mexico's beach is small and rocky. When we went it was covered in sargassum. If you want a barefoot, in the sand wedding, the lagoons and inlets are the way to go.
Have a rain plan. There is no published rain policy and no guaranteed backup venue. Ask who makes the rain call, when they make it, and what your backup is, and get the answer in the contract. Bar Bio and the Xpiral ballroom are the sheltered options.
Step 3 of 5 done
Next: contact the resort
We'll write your first email for you, in English and Spanish, with the ten questions worth asking in writing.