BlueBay Grand Esmeralda is a BlueBay resort at Punta Esmeralda, north of Playa del Carmen. Ask the wedding team for current venues, and plan the ceremony about 90 minutes before sunset.
BlueBay Grand Esmeralda is a BlueBay resort at Punta Esmeralda, north of Playa del Carmen. This guide is the photographer's view: where the ceremony should go, how the light works on this beach and what to ask before you sign.
The Resort at a Glance
- ResortA BlueBay resort at Punta Esmeralda, north of Playa del Carmen
- Beach facesEast, onto the open Caribbean
Venue names and capacities come from the resort's wedding listings and change with renovations and packages, so your coordinator's current sheet is the final word.
Where the Ceremony Happens
Ask BlueBay Grand Esmeralda's wedding team for the current ceremony and reception venues, which change with packages. On this coast the strongest settings are the beach and any raised terrace facing the sea, with pools and loungers out of the frame.
Ask which way the aisle faces, where the sun will be at your time and how far the reception is from the ceremony; short walks keep family photos in the golden light.
Sunset and Light by Month
Times for this beach on the 15th of each month in 2027.
| Month | Sunrise | Golden | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:27 am | 5:56 pm | 6:28 pm |
| March | 6:57 am | 6:28 pm | 6:58 pm |
| May | 6:11 am | 6:47 pm | 7:18 pm |
| June | 6:07 am | 6:58 pm | 7:30 pm |
| July | 6:16 am | 7:01 pm | 7:32 pm |
| September | 6:35 am | 6:22 pm | 6:51 pm |
| November | 6:58 am | 5:36 pm | 6:07 pm |
| December | 7:17 am | 5:37 pm | 6:10 pm |
Punta Maroma's long beach faces east, so the sun rises over the sea and sets behind the resort, leaving the sand in soft, even light at the end of the day. We plan ceremonies to start about 90 minutes before sunset, so that family photos and portraits fall in the warm last light.
Bringing Your Own Photographer
Bringing your own photographer to BlueBay Grand Esmeralda is allowed, with an access charge for outside wedding vendors that the resort sets by season and package. Because the number moves, the only figure that counts is the one in your own contract or in an email from your coordinator. Ask two questions: is it per vendor or per person, and does a higher wedding package include it? We register with the resort and send our documents ourselves.
Weddings in the Riviera Maya, Through Our Lens
Real IVAE Studios weddings and portraits along the Riviera Maya, so you can see how this light and water look on camera. They show our work in the area, not necessarily at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda.
Coverage and Prices
IVAE Studios publishes its prices. Half-day coverage of up to four hours is 1,800 to 2,800 USD, enough for the ceremony, family photos, portraits and the start of the reception. A full day of eight to ten hours with a second photographer is 3,500 to 5,500 USD, and adding a wedding film brings it to 5,500 to 8,000 USD. Every gallery is edited and delivered in a private 4K gallery within one to three business days.