Colonial courtyards, cenotes and two coastlines

Mexico gives you three weddings in one country. A Caribbean coast of white sand, jungle and cenotes. A Pacific coast where the rainforest runs down to the sea. And a colonial heart of courtyards, bells and cobbled streets. November is when it starts to shine, which is why it is our Destination of the Month.

• Best monthsNovember to April, the dry season
• Flight from LondonAbout 11 hours direct to Cancún
• The legal partA civil ceremony through the Registro Civil, or marry at home first
• Typical spend$8,000 to $11,000 per couple in published 2025 and 2026 data

Why Mexico, and why now

The Atlantic hurricane season closes on 30 November, the rains ease, and the Caribbean coast settles into the months most couples picture when they say Mexico. December to April is peak season, and it is priced that way. November sits at the edge of it: published 2026 data from Destination Weddings names November as one of the lower-rate months, and Joy’s couple survey puts the accommodation saving in May and November at 20 to 50 percent against peak.

If you are planning for winter 2027 or spring 2028, this is the month to choose your coast. Choosing now gives you the widest choice of dates.

Three Mexicos, three different days

The Caribbean coast: Riviera Maya, Tulum and Playa del Carmen

This is the Mexico of turquoise water and powder sand, with the jungle at your back. It is also the easiest to reach from the UK, with direct flights into Cancún. Beyond the beach sit the cenotes, freshwater sinkholes the Maya held sacred, and Maya sites such as Cobá. A Maya blessing, with copal smoke and drums, is the ceremony couples here remember longest.

The Pacific coast: Riviera Nayarit and Huatulco

Quieter, greener and made for sunsets. On the Pacific the sun goes down over the water, so your evening drinks and first dance happen in that light. Expect clifftops, rainforest and boutique beach hotels rather than big resorts. Most UK guests will connect, so plan an extra night either side.

The colonial heart: San Miguel de Allende

No beach, and no one minds. San Miguel is a UNESCO-listed colonial town of ochre walls, pink stone and bougainvillea, built for candlelit courtyard dinners and a procession through the streets. It sits high in the central highlands, so days are warm and evenings are cool. Pack a wrap for the reception.

Hotel spotlight: our selected venues

One venue from each of the three Mexicos. Each is in our invitation-only collection, and each will answer you directly. Zero commission.

Also in the collection

• Aldea Cobá, in the jungle beside the Maya site of Cobá, for a blessing ceremony.
• Excellence Riviera Cancun, adults-only and all-inclusive at Playa Mujeres.
• La Semilla Hotel and Mestizo Gallery Boutique Hotel, small and design-led in Playa del Carmen.
• Hotel Ysuri Bucerías, a boutique beachfront on the Riviera Nayarit.
• Huatulco Bays, on Oaxaca’s quiet Pacific bays.
• Cenote Ik Kil, in the Yucatán, for a ceremony your guests will talk about for years.

The legal part, in plain English

A beach or church ceremony in Mexico is not legally binding on its own. The legal marriage is a civil ceremony in front of an official from the local Registro Civil, which your resort books for you. The rules are set state by state, so treat any list as a starting point.

• Documents: passports, birth certificates apostilled in the UK and translated into Spanish, and proof you are free to marry.
• Witnesses: four adults with photo ID in most states.
• Blood tests: Translayte reports that Quintana Roo, which covers Cancún, the Riviera Maya and Tulum, along with Mexico City and Jalisco, dropped the medical certificate in June 2026. Other states may still ask.
• Timing: no residency rule, but arrive several working days before the ceremony so the paperwork clears.
• Registry fee: roughly 1,300 to 3,500 pesos, about $75 to $200, before apostilles, translations and the resort’s coordination fee.

Many UK couples marry at their local register office before they fly and hold the ceremony they want in Mexico. It removes the apostilles, translations, witnesses and blood tests in one stroke.

When to go, month by month

• November: the start of the dry season and one of the lower-rate months. Our pick for value.
• December to April: peak season. The most reliable weather and the highest rates.
• May: another lower-rate month, warming up fast.
• June to November: the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November.
• Sargassum: seaweed reaches the Caribbean coast in the warmer months, with a season that typically runs from April into October. It does not affect the Pacific coast or San Miguel.

What it costs

Published figures are in US dollars, because most of the data comes from US couples. Destination Weddings (May 2026) puts the average spend at $10,000 to $11,000 per couple, with all-inclusive packages from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the resort and the guest count. Joy’s survey of more than 50 couples found the typical destination wedding landing at about $8,000. Regions sit close together: Cancún, the Riviera Maya and Puerto Vallarta all average within a few hundred dollars of each other, and Cabo is the outlier.

The figure that catches UK couples out is the guest cap. Packages cover a set number of guests, and each extra guest is usually charged at $50 to $200 for the reception.

Planning answers for Mexico

• How much does a wedding in Mexico cost for UK couples
• Can UK couples legally marry in Mexico, and who confirms it
• The best month to marry in Mexico