The Complete Guide to Planning a Destination Wedding

in Puerto Vallarta (2026)

When Is the Best Time to Get Married in Puerto Vallarta?

Wedding season in Puerto Vallarta runs from October through June. The absolute best months for weather are December through April — low humidity, virtually no rain, warm days and cool evenings perfect for dancing.

Here’s a month-by-month breakdown:

December – April: Peak season. Perfect weather, low humidity, warm breezes. Book venues and vendors at least 12 months in advance.

May – June: Shoulder season. Still beautiful weather, less crowded, slightly more affordable. Higher humidity and some rain possible in June.

July – September: Rainy season. Tropical downpours are common — usually intense but brief. If you marry during these months, budget for a tent, you’ll most likely need it. Not recommended for outdoor weddings without a backup plan.

October – November: Transition season. Weather improving, prices dropping. October can still see some rain however and possibly hurricanes; November is usually gorgeous.

Our recommendation: If flexibility allows, aim for January, February or March. The weather is flawless, the light for photos is incredible and your guests will thank you for it.

How to Choose the Right Venue

Your venue is the single most important decision you’ll make. Everything else — catering, decor, logistics — flows from it. Puerto Vallarta offers three main venue types:

Beach Venues

Nothing beats getting married with your toes in the sand and the Pacific stretching out behind you. Many couples envision a beach wedding, but keep in mind that all beaches in Mexico are public and some require permits and have noise restrictions. Private beachfront villas & venues can be a much better option — they offer the same stunning backdrop without the logistical headaches.

Hillside Venues

PV’s hillside villas are spectacular. Many have multiple terraces, infinity pools, panoramic bay views and enough bedroom suites to accommodate your entire wedding party. Villa weddings offer complete privacy, flexibility with vendors and an intimate atmosphere that hotel weddings simply can’t match. The majority of villas do require that you stay for a minimum number of nights.

Hotel and Resort Venues

If your guests are traveling from abroad and convenience is a priority, a hotel venue simplifies everything. Guests stay on-site, the hotel handles much of the infrastructure and many resorts offer all-inclusive wedding packages. The trade-off is less flexibility, more restrictions and high per-vendor fees if you want to bring in your own wedding planner and their vendors.

Key questions to ask any venue:

• What is the maximum guest capacity?
• Are outside vendors allowed?
• What is the noise curfew – event end time?
• Is there an indoor backup option in case of rain?
• What does the venue fee include?

Legal vs. Symbolic Ceremony: What’s the Difference?

This is one of the most common questions we get, and the answer matters more than most couples realize.

Civil (Legal) Ceremony

A civil ceremony is the only ceremony legally recognized in Mexico. It’s performed by a judge (Juez del Registro Civil) in Spanish. To legally marry in Mexico as a foreigner, you’ll need to:

• Complete an application for a wedding license from the Civil Registry in Puerto Vallarta and reserve a wedding date
• Obtain original or certified copies of your birth certificates and get apostilles in your country of birth, then have them translated into Spanish in Puerto Vallarta
• Present valid passports
• Have valid Migratory documents – tourist/immigration cards
• Have two witnesses each who are to be present for the civil ceremony in Mexico
• Arrive in Puerto Vallarta 4-5 days before the ceremony to complete the below:
  • Have blood tests  and health exam done in Puerto Vallarta when you arrive
  • Attend a prenuptial class in Puerto Vallarta when you arrive

The civil ceremony itself is brief and formal and is in Spanish only. Most couples opt to have it privately with just witnesses, then hold their main symbolic celebration separately.

Symbolic Ceremony

A symbolic ceremony has no legal standing in Mexico, but it gives you complete freedom. You choose your officiant, your vows, your rituals, the location and the language. You can get legally married at home — before or after — and have your dream ceremony on the beach or on a cliffside in Puerto Vallarta without a single government document in sight.

Most destination wedding couples choose the symbolic route — it’s simpler, more personal and far more flexible.

Catholic Ceremony

If a church wedding is important to you, Puerto Vallarta has beautiful Catholic churches. Plan at least 6 months ahead or longer in peak months. Note that priests do not travel to villas or beaches — the ceremony must take place in the church, and you must be legally married first.

Building Your Vendor Team

A destination wedding requires a team of local experts. It takes a village and here’s who you need:

Wedding Planner — Non-negotiable for a destination wedding. A local planner knows the vendors, speaks the language, understands the culture and will save you from costly mistakes. This is your most important hire.

Photographer/Videographer — Book early. The best photographers in PV book up 12-18 months in advance.

Catering — If your venue doesn’t include event catering, which private villas and venues don’t, you’ll need an independent caterer. Trust your wedding planner for recommendations. They work with vendors constantly and know who uses fresh local ingredients and has experience with events.

Florist and Decor — Puerto Vallarta has incredible tropical flowers available year-round. A good florist can create stunning arrangements at a fraction of US prices.

Officiant — For symbolic ceremonies, your planner can recommend experienced officiants, billigual ones as well.

Hair and Makeup — It’s important to focus on artists who specialize in destination weddings and understand how to work in humidity.

Entertainment — Mariachi, live bands, DJs, fire dancers — PV has it all – trust that your wedding planner will recommend you the best, tried and true vendors available in your budget range.

Planning Timeline

• Your wedding planner will do the majority of the vendor reservations, request contracts for you and handle the vendor confirmations 

12+ months before:

• Set your budget and guest count
• Choose your date (avoiding Mexican holidays)
• Start researching and interviewing wedding planners
• Book your venue
• Hire your wedding planner

10-12 months before:

• Hire your photographer and other key vendors
• Schedule a fam trip, if possible, to do a menu tasting, hair & makeup trial, a venue site visit if you booked your venue site unseen and even a engagement shoot if your package includes it
• Send save-the-dates
• If doing a legal ceremony, start gathering documents

8-10 months before:

• Book hair, makeup and entertainment
• Arrange guest accommodations/room blocks
• Plan welcome events and activities for guests

6-8 months before:

• Crystalize your design esthetic
• Confirm your colors and the ambiance you want to create
• Edit down your wedding Pinterest board or wedding file to include only the most wanted/liked items to give your planner the clearest ideas of what you want

4-6 months before:

• Confirm wedding menu
• Send formal invitations – with RSVP dates minimum of 6 weeks before wedding date
• Start finalizing florals and decor
• Confirm all vendors

1-3 months before:

• Final vendor confirmations & payments
• Create day-of timeline
• Arrange airport transfers for guests if required
• If doing legal ceremony, confirm document requirements with your planner

1 month before:

• Guarantee guest count with wedding planner & caterer

Week of:

• Arrive early — allow at least 2-3 days before the wedding if possible
• Welcome party or dinner for guests
• Wedding Rehearsal
• Relax and enjoy your wedding

Why Work With a Local Wedding Planner?

Planning a destination wedding without local expertise is like navigating a foreign city without a map. A local planner like Weddings Vallarta by Barbara brings:

• Vendor relationships built over years — meaning better prices, better service and tried and true vendors who show up to provide exemplary service 
• Cultural knowledge — understanding how things work in Mexico, from permits to timing to tipping customs
• Language fluency — Barbara and her team are fully bilingual, eliminating communication breakdowns
• Crisis management — when something goes wrong (and something always does), a local planner fixes it before you even know it happened
• Design expertise — translating your vision into a cohesive, beautiful event and using available elements that work with the tropical weather conditions

With over 20 years of experience planning destination weddings in Puerto Vallarta, Barbara Fancsik de Pérez has seen and solved every possible scenario. Her clients don’t worry. They show up, look stunning and have the time of their lives!