Gardens are the quiet favorite among couples planning a destination wedding on this coast. They give you everything a beach gives you: the open air, the tropical setting, the light, without the wind pulling at your veil or the sand working its way into your shoes. And this part of Mexico grows things beautifully.
The Banderas Bay microclimate sits between mountains and ocean, which means genuine jungle greenery rather than the manicured desert landscaping you’d find in other Mexican wedding destinations. Bougainvillea, palms, flowering trees- all of it doing your decor work before a florist arrives.
Garden wedding venues across Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit range from 80-guest hideaways to one of the largest open-air spots in the country at 400. Here are the properties worth shortlisting, and our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists can compare capacities and pricing when you’re ready.
Top Garden Destination Wedding Venues at Top Puerto Vallarta Resorts
These gardens vary more than you’d expect, from lush open lawns to a marble courtyard with a fountain at its center. Ordered by capacity.
1. Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort
Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort has the largest garden venue in the region. The Garden Bahia Mita holds up to 400 guests across a ceremony, reception, and cocktail hour, open air and surrounded by the richest greens on this stretch of coast.
The Beach Garden and Wooden Deck adds another 240-guest option that blends garden and shoreline in one setting. Family-friendly, Diamond-level, at the northern end of the bay near Sayulita.
Learn more about Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort and get a free quote today >>
2. Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort
Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort shares the same 400-guest Garden Bahia Mita on the adults-only side of the complex, which makes this the largest garden wedding venue available to couples who want a child-free celebration.
The Beach Garden and Wooden Deck is here too at 240. Adults-only and Diamond-level, and noticeably calmer than the resorts closer to the city.
Learn more about Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort and get a free quote today >>
3. Marival Emotions Resort & Suites Riviera Nayarit
Marival Emotions Resort & Suites Riviera Nayarit offers The Garden at 250 guests, cleared for ceremonies, receptions, and cocktail hours alike, so a large garden wedding can stay in one place across the whole evening.
Family-friendly and in Nuevo Vallarta, with an adjoining Patio venue for 220 if you want to move guests between two connected outdoor spaces.
Learn more about Marival Emotions Resort & Suites Riviera Nayarit and get a free quote today >>
4. Sunscape Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
Sunscape Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa has the most unusual garden wedding venue on the coast. La Placita is a marble garden built around a central fountain and framed by columns, seating 150, and it looks far more Mediterranean than Mexican Pacific.
For couples who want a storybook garden setting rather than a tropical one, there’s nothing else quite like it here. Family-friendly and Diamond-level, at a friendly price point.
Learn more about Sunscape Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa and get a free quote today >>
5. Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive & Spa
Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive & Spa hosts garden ceremonies for 120 at the Veranda Garden, with a 30-guest option called Sonne for genuinely small celebrations and elopements.
Family-friendly, Mexican-owned, and one of the longest-standing wedding properties in the city. The Chula Vista Beach venue gives you an ocean alternative if you’d rather split the day.
Learn more about Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive & Spa and get a free quote today >>
6. Melia Puerto Vallarta
Melia Puerto Vallarta holds ceremonies and cocktail hours for 100 in the Vallarta Garden, set among tropical planting with Banderas Bay visible beyond it. The Kiosk venue sits in the same gardens if you want a structure over the ceremony.
Family-friendly, Sapphire-level, and in Marina Vallarta, which is the most convenient location in the region for guests flying in and out.
Learn more about Melia Puerto Vallarta and get a free quote today >>
7. Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta
Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta gives you two garden settings, each for 100 guests. The Orange Tree is a hidden corner within the tropical gardens, and the Plazoleta is a courtyard surrounded by blooming flowers with stone pathways running through it.
Adults-only and five-star, on the jungle-backed hillside south of the city. The gardens here feel genuinely wild rather than landscaped, which is the appeal.
Learn more about Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta and get a free quote today >>
8. Armony Marival Resort & Spa Punta de Mita
Armony Marival Resort & Spa Punta de Mita offers The Vent Garden for 80 guests, an intimate green space that shares the clifftop position of the resort’s main venue, so you get the ocean panorama alongside the planting.
The right choice for a smaller garden ceremony with a dramatic outlook. Family-friendly, out on the Punta de Mita peninsula.
Learn more about Armony Marival Resort & Spa Punta de Mita and get a free quote today >>
One more to know about: Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa shares the Orange Tree and Plazoleta garden settings on the same hillside, so if you want those venues with a family-friendly resort around them, this is the sister property to look at.
More Information for Planning Your Garden Destination Wedding in Puerto Vallarta
Gardens have their own set of considerations. Here’s what our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists point out to couples choosing between garden and beach.
Garden Destination Wedding Venues Appeal
Comfort is the practical argument. Gardens have firm ground, so heels work and older guests aren’t navigating soft sand. They usually have shade from mature planting. And they’re sheltered from the wind that comes off the bay in the late afternoon, which is the single most common complaint about beach ceremonies here.
The decor savings are real. A garden arrives with color, texture, and greenery already in place, so most couples spend meaningfully less on florals than they would dressing a bare ballroom or a stretch of sand.
Photographically, gardens hold up all day. A beach ceremony really wants that hour before sunset, but a shaded garden looks good at three in the afternoon and again at eight in the evening under string lights, which gives you more freedom with the timeline.
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.
Garden wedding venues are generally included in the base package on the same terms as the beach. The one line to check is lighting, since gardens need more of it after dark than an open beach does, and string or uplighting is sometimes quoted separately.
Puerto Vallarta Destination Wedding Packages
Resorts across the region offer complimentary and deposit-only wedding packages with a qualifying room block. Entry tiers run roughly $1,350 to $5,000, mid-tier packages $5,500 to $7,000 with private receptions and upgraded florals, and full productions $7,500 to $14,000 and beyond.
Because gardens supply so much of the setting, couples booking a garden wedding venue often find the entry or mid-tier stretches further than they expected. Put the savings into lighting and music rather than more flowers.
Puerto Vallarta Destination Wedding Travel Information
Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport has 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 and the Bahia de Banderas resorts at the northern end.
Gardens look their best at the end of the rainy season, so September through November brings the most vivid greenery of the year. November through April remains the driest and most reliable window, and November sits neatly in both.
Puerto Vallarta Garden Destination Wedding Venue FAQs
Which Puerto Vallarta resorts have garden wedding venues?
Dreams Bahia Mita, Secrets Bahia Mita, Marival Emotions Resort & Suites Riviera Nayarit, Sunscape Puerto Vallarta, Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta, Melia Puerto Vallarta, Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta, Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa, and Armony Marival Resort & Spa Punta de Mita all have dedicated garden ceremony or reception venues.
How big can a garden wedding be in Puerto Vallarta?
Up to 400 guests at the Garden Bahia Mita, which is among the largest open-air garden wedding venues in Mexico. Most garden venues in the region seat between 80 and 250, which covers the great majority of destination wedding guest lists.
Is a garden or a beach ceremony better in Puerto Vallarta?
It depends on your guests and your shoes. Beaches give you the iconic sunset shot but come with wind, soft footing, and a narrow ideal time window. Gardens give you shade, firm ground, existing greenery, and more flexibility on timing. Plenty of couples do both, with the ceremony in one and the reception in the other.
Get Ready to Plan the Garden Destination Wedding of Your Dreams in Puerto Vallarta
A garden ceremony gives you the tropical setting without the trade-offs. Shade, firm ground, shelter from the afternoon breeze, and greenery that’s already doing half of your decorating. From an 80-guest hideaway to a lawn that seats 400, the range on this coast is wider than almost anywhere else in Mexico.
Fill out our online wedding planning form, and one of our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists will help you compare garden venues, capacities, and package pricing.
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!
