The Sierra Madre comes down to the Pacific along this coast, which is why a wedding here doesn’t look like a wedding anywhere else in Mexico. You get mountains behind you and open ocean in front, and the sun sets into the water rather than behind a headland. The west-facing coastline is the whole reason couples choose this stretch.
Outdoor space is what Riviera Nayarit does best and does at scale. Two beaches here hold 650 guests each, a third takes 500, and between them the resorts on this coast offer clifftop terraces, open-air gardens for 400, wooden decks set into the sand, and poolside spaces built for a relaxed reception.
Below are six resorts with the strongest outdoor collections, with capacities and what each setting actually gives you. Our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists can confirm which spaces are held privately for your destination wedding and which are shared.
Best Outdoor Destination Wedding Venues at Top Riviera Nayarit Resorts
Six wedding resorts between Nuevo Vallarta and the Punta de Mita peninsula, ranging from 60-guest sundecks to beaches that hold 650.
1. Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta
Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta has the largest outdoor capacity on the coast, and it has it twice over. Sunset Beach and Ciao Beach each take 650 guests, which no other property here comes near.
Beyond the beaches, the Splash Terrace holds 160 with the sound of the waves carrying up, the Frida Terrace takes 120 surrounded by planting, the Swimming Pool Terrace seats 100, and a gazebo set into the gardens handles ceremonies for 100. It’s a 4.5-star, family-friendly all-inclusive in Nuevo Vallarta, 25 to 40 minutes from the airport.
Learn more about Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta and get a free quote today >>
2. Marival Distinct All-Suites & World Spa – Handwritten Collection
Marival Distinct All-Suites & World Spa – Handwritten Collection runs Mozzamere Beach for 500 guests, the third-largest outdoor venue on this coast and the largest at any five-star property here.
The Terrace takes 80 for a sunset celebration, and the Insú Sky Bar handles another 80 above the resort. Five-star and family-friendly in Nuevo Vallarta, it’s the property to look at when you want a very large beach ceremony without stepping down in standard, and the three venues together cover a ceremony, a cocktail hour, and a reception without repeating a setting.
Learn more about Marival Distinct All-Suites & World Spa – Handwritten Collection and get a free quote today >>
3. Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort
Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort has the widest spread of outdoor settings anywhere on the coast: seven venues, none of them indoors.
Garden Bahia Mita is open air and takes 400. The Beach Garden & Wooden Deck seats 240 on polished planks just off the sand, with garden planting behind it. The Moon Deck holds 200 looking out over the water, the Presidential Terrace takes 120 up high, and the Sand Terrace seats 80 for something secluded. It’s 4.5-star and family-friendly, up the coast toward Sayulita.
Learn more about Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort and get a free quote today >>
4. Marival Emotions Resort & Suites Riviera Nayarit by Mercure
Marival Emotions Resort & Suites Riviera Nayarit by Mercure is the strongest mid-market option for a large outdoor wedding. The Garden holds 250 under the stars, the Patio takes 220, Capriccio Beach seats 200, and the Mai Tai beach club runs 300 for a reception.
Four outdoor venues all cleared for 200 or more is unusual at a four-star price. Family-friendly and in Nuevo Vallarta, it also carries a 600-guest ballroom, so a wedding planned outdoors has somewhere substantial to go if an August storm arrives.
Learn more about Marival Emotions Resort & Suites Riviera Nayarit by Mercure and get a free quote today >>
5. Armony Marival Resort & Spa Punta de Mita – MGallery Collection
Armony Marival Resort & Spa Punta de Mita – MGallery Collection has the most dramatic outdoor setting on this list. The Vent sits at the top of the cliff with panoramic ocean views and holds 140.
La Brise takes 200 for a reception with the same coastal panorama; The Vent Garden seats 80 for a ceremony or cocktail hour, and Capriccio Beach handles 100 down at the water. It’s 4.5-star and family-friendly out on the peninsula, roughly an hour from the airport, and the elevation is what separates it from the beachfront resorts closer in.
Learn more about Armony Marival Resort & Spa Punta de Mita – MGallery Collection and get a free quote today >>
6. Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa
Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa is the largest property here and spreads its outdoor venues across the grounds. The Beach Pergola and the Beach Area each take 150, the Ocean View Deck seats 150 on a sun-drenched terrace, the Bougainvillea Terrace holds 80 among flowering plants, and the PTC Sundeck takes 60.
Variety at different scales is the advantage. A 150-guest ceremony on the sand and an 80-guest rehearsal dinner among the bougainvillea are both on site, and the resort is 4.5-star and family-friendly.
Learn more about Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa and get a free quote today >>
Also worth a look: Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort, the adults-only property sharing the Bahia Mita grounds, and Iberostar Selection Playa Mita, whose three venues are all open air.
More Information for Planning Your Outdoor Destination Wedding in Riviera Nayarit
Open-air destination weddings here are the default rather than the exception. Here’s what our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists flag.
Outdoor Destination Wedding Venues Appeal
The coastline faces west, which sounds like a small thing and isn’t. The sun drops into the Pacific directly in front of a ceremony rather than off to one side, so a late-afternoon start gives you the light photographers plan their whole day around. On an east-facing coast, that shot doesn’t exist.
Scale is the other advantage. Very few wedding destinations can seat several hundred guests outdoors in more than one place, and this coast can do it at four separate resorts. If your guest list is large and you want everyone on sand rather than in a room, the options here are genuinely unusual.
Two things to settle early. Ask whether the venue is held exclusively for you, since beaches in Mexico are public to the waterline and some resorts stage more than one event at a time. And agree on a weather plan in writing, including which covered space you move to and by what hour on the day the decision gets made.
Riviera Nayarit Destination Wedding Cost
The average cost of a Riviera Nayarit destination wedding is $10,215 all-in for the couple, covering the wedding package, accommodations, airfare, and add-ons. Hotel costs average roughly $299 per person per night over a typical five-night stay, with airfare from $200 to $800 per couple. Couples marrying here average 45 guests.
These averages reflect real spend data from couples who booked their destination wedding with our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists.
Outdoor venues are usually the more economical choice, since they rarely carry the room-rental fee a ballroom does. What does add up is everything the open air requires: lighting, a sound system that works without walls, shade for a daytime ceremony, and a tent on standby in the wet season.
Riviera Nayarit 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.
Beach ceremonies are what most base packages are written around, so an outdoor wedding often needs the least customization of any format here. Check whether setup, chairs, and sound for the open air are included or itemized separately, since that gap is where quotes most often diverge.
Riviera Nayarit Destination Wedding Travel Information
Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport serves the whole coast with direct flights from most major US and Canadian cities. Transfers run 25 to 40 minutes to the Nuevo Vallarta resorts and about an hour out to Punta de Mita.
Where you land on the coast changes the week. Nuevo Vallarta is closer, flatter, and has the widest beaches. The peninsula gives you elevation, seclusion, and a longer drive for every guest arriving and leaving. The November to April dry season is when outdoor weddings here are most reliable, and it books out first.
Riviera Nayarit Outdoor Destination Wedding Venue FAQs
What is the largest outdoor wedding venue in Riviera Nayarit?
Sunset Beach and Ciao Beach at Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta, each holding 650 guests. Mozzamere Beach at Marival Distinct takes 500, and Garden Bahia Mita at Dreams and Secrets Bahia Mita holds 400.
Can you get married on the beach in Riviera Nayarit?
Yes, and nearly every resort on this coast offers it. Capacities range from 100 at the Riu properties up to 650 at Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta, so the question is usually which beach suits your guest count rather than whether one is available.
When is the best time for an outdoor wedding in Riviera Nayarit?
November through April, the dry season, when rain is unlikely and humidity is comfortable. The wet season runs roughly June to October with short, heavy afternoon storms, which is workable with a covered backup venue confirmed in writing.
Get Ready to Plan an Outdoor Destination Wedding in Riviera Nayarit
Mountains on one side, open Pacific on the other, and a sunset that lands in front of you rather than behind. This coast was built for marrying outdoors, and the range of settings here means the only real question is how many people you’re bringing.
Fill out our online wedding planning form, and one of our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists will match venues and capacities to your guest list and your date.
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!
