A gazebo is the most photographed structure at any resort, and there’s a reason for that. It frames you. Where a beach ceremony puts you against an open horizon, a gazebo builds an actual altar into the setting, gives the aisle a destination, and creates a shape that draperies, florals, and evening light all work with. For a lot of couples planning a destination wedding, that structure is the difference between a nice photo and a great one.
It’s practical too. A gazebo means shade over the ceremony party, something to anchor decor to, and a defined space that keeps the ceremony feeling contained even on a wide-open beach.
Gazebo capacities across resorts in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit run from an intimate 40 up to 150, which makes them a natural fit for the smaller ceremonies that make up most destination weddings. Here are the best of them, and our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists can help you compare.
Top Gazebo Destination Wedding Venues at Top Puerto Vallarta Resorts
These range from a white stone structure on a Nayarit beach to a garden kiosk in Marina Vallarta. Ordered by how many guests each one seats.
1. Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa
Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa has the largest structure of this kind in the region, a beach pergola seating up to 150 with the sound of the waves right behind it. A pergola gives you a more open silhouette than a closed gazebo, which suits couples who want the frame without losing any of the view.
A large family-friendly property in Riviera Nayarit with plenty of reception venues to move on to, including a separate beach area, an ocean view deck, and indoor salons.
Learn more about Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa and get a free quote today >>
2. Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta
Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta hosts up to 100 guests at its gazebo, and unusually, the venue is cleared for the reception and cocktail hour as well as the ceremony, so you can keep the whole evening in one spot if you want to.
Nestled into the resort’s landscaped grounds rather than out on the open sand, which gives the ceremony a calmer, more sheltered feel. Family-friendly and Diamond-level in Nuevo Vallarta.
Learn more about Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta and get a free quote today >>
3. Iberostar Selection Playa Mita
Iberostar Selection Playa Mita has the prettiest gazebo on the coast. The White Stone Gazebo seats 100 for ceremonies, and the pale stone against the greens and blues of Riviera Nayarit is genuinely striking in photographs.
Family-friendly, Diamond-level, and set on the Punta de Mita side of the bay where the water is calm and the beaches are quiet. A ceremony-only venue, so plan the reception elsewhere on the property.
Learn more about Iberostar Selection Playa Mita and get a free quote today >>
4. Sunscape Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
Sunscape Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa takes up to 100 at its gazebo for the ceremony, reception, and cocktail hour. Like Hard Rock, the flexibility to hold all three here is worth something when you’re trying to keep a smaller wedding simple.
Family-friendly and Diamond-level, with the resort’s marble courtyard, solarium, and mezzanine terrace nearby if you’d rather move guests between settings.
Learn more about Sunscape Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa and get a free quote today >>
5. Melia Puerto Vallarta
Melia Puerto Vallarta calls its structure the Kiosk, and it holds 100 for ceremonies and cocktail hours. It sits among the resort’s gardens rather than on the beach, which is a different look from every other option on this list.
If you want the framing of a gazebo with greenery around it instead of sand, this is the one. Family-friendly, Sapphire-level, ten minutes from the airport in Marina Vallarta.
Learn more about Melia Puerto Vallarta and get a free quote today >>
6. Dreams Vallarta Bay Resort & Spa
Dreams Vallarta Bay Resort & Spa puts its gazebo right on the beachfront and seats 70 for the ceremony, which is a good size for a destination wedding where most guests have travelled and the list has stayed tight.
Family-friendly and Diamond-level, in the hotel zone with the Terraza La Vista and pool terrace on hand for the reception afterward.
Learn more about Dreams Vallarta Bay Resort & Spa and get a free quote today >>
7. Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta
Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta keeps its gazebo deliberately small at 40 guests, which makes it the pick for elopements and truly intimate ceremonies. Set in the resort’s private cove, so the only people watching are the ones you invited.
Family-friendly, and the resort supports Catholic, Jewish, South Asian, symbolic, and civil ceremonies, so the gazebo can host most formats.
Learn more about Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta and get a free quote today >>
More Information for Planning Your Gazebo Destination Wedding in Puerto Vallarta
Gazebos are simple to book, but there are a few things worth asking about. Here’s what our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists raise with couples.
Gazebo Destination Wedding Venues Appeal
The frame is the whole argument. A gazebo gives the ceremony a focal point, an obvious place for the aisle to lead, and a structure that photographs beautifully from every angle. Drape it, hang florals from it, or leave it bare against the ocean, and it works in all three states.
There’s shade for the people who need it most. The couple, the officiant, and the wedding party stand still for twenty to thirty minutes in the middle of the afternoon, and a roof over that spot makes a genuine difference to how everyone looks and feels by the end.
Gazebos also suit smaller weddings without making them feel sparse. Forty guests around a gazebo look intentional. Forty guests on an open beach can look like a much larger party that didn’t turn up.
Puerto Vallarta Destination Wedding Cost
The average cost of a destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta is $10,215 all-in for the couple, covering the wedding package, accommodations, airfare, and add-ons. Hotel costs average about $299 per person per night over a typical five-night stay, and airfare runs $200 to $800 per couple. Our Puerto Vallarta couples average 23 guests.
These averages reflect real spend data from couples who booked their destination wedding with our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists.
Gazebo ceremonies are almost always included in the base package. Where costs appear is in dressing the structure, since draping and floral installations on a gazebo are priced separately at most resorts and can add up quickly if you go elaborate.
Puerto Vallarta Destination Wedding Packages
Complimentary and deposit-only wedding packages are widely available with a qualifying room block, running roughly $1,350 to $5,000 at entry tier, $5,500 to $7,000 mid-tier, and $7,500 to $14,000 and beyond for full productions.
Because most gazebos cap at 100 guests or fewer, gazebo weddings tend to fit comfortably inside the entry and mid tiers without triggering per-guest overages. That makes them one of the better value ceremony choices in the region.
Puerto Vallarta Destination Wedding Travel Information
Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport takes direct flights from most major US and Canadian cities. Transfers run 10 to 15 minutes to the hotel zone and Marina Vallarta, 25 to 40 minutes to Nuevo Vallarta, and around an hour to Punta de Mita.
Since a gazebo already gives you shade and a solid structure, ceremonies here hold up better in the shoulder months than an open beach setup does. November through April is still the most reliable stretch, but May and November are worth pricing if you’re flexible.
Puerto Vallarta Gazebo Destination Wedding Venue FAQs
Which Puerto Vallarta resorts have a wedding gazebo?
Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa has a beach pergola, and Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta, Iberostar Selection Playa Mita, Sunscape Puerto Vallarta, Melia Puerto Vallarta, Dreams Vallarta Bay, and Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta all have gazebo or kiosk ceremony venues.
How many guests fit at a gazebo ceremony?
Between 40 and 150, depending on the resort, with most seating 100. Guests are seated in front of the gazebo rather than inside it, so the number reflects the space around the structure rather than the structure itself.
Can you hold the reception at the gazebo as well?
At some resorts, yes. The gazebos at Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta and Sunscape Puerto Vallarta are cleared for receptions and cocktail hours as well as ceremonies. Others, including the White Stone Gazebo at Iberostar Selection Playa Mita and the gazebo at Dreams Vallarta Bay, are ceremony-only, so you’ll move guests to a second venue afterward.
Get Ready to Plan the Gazebo Destination Wedding of Your Dreams in Puerto Vallarta
A gazebo gives your ceremony a center. Somewhere for the aisle to lead, shade for the people standing still, a frame for the photographs, and a structure that looks right whether it’s draped in white or left bare against the Pacific. For an intimate wedding especially, it’s hard to beat.
Fill out our online wedding planning form, and one of our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists will help you compare gazebo venues, capacities, and package pricing across the region.
About the Author
Maggie Sabin
Maggie started as the SEO Manager at DestinationWeddings.com in 2024, where she works to drive organic traffic and conversions while creating meaningful, SEO-optimized content for the website. Previously, Maggie's career spanned from Human Resources & Recruitment to teaching at international schools for almost 10 years. Maggie spends her free time traveling, learning new languages, reading non-fiction books, working out, going to the beach and spending time cuddling her dog, Lola!
