El Dorado Royale is an adults-only, gourmet-inclusive Karisma resort on the coast between Cancún and Playa del Carmen, with beachfront casita suites. Ask the wedding team for current venues, and plan the ceremony about 90 minutes before sunset.
El Dorado Royale is an adults-only, gourmet-inclusive Karisma resort on the coast between Cancún and Playa del Carmen, with beachfront casita suites. 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
- ResortAn adults-only, gourmet-inclusive Karisma resort on the coast between Cancún and Playa del Carmen, with beachfront casita suites
- 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 El Dorado Royale'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 | 5:55 pm | 6:27 pm |
| March | 6:56 am | 6:28 pm | 6:57 pm |
| May | 6:10 am | 6:47 pm | 7:18 pm |
| June | 6:06 am | 6:58 pm | 7:30 pm |
| July | 6:15 am | 7:00 pm | 7:32 pm |
| September | 6:35 am | 6:21 pm | 6:51 pm |
| November | 6:58 am | 5:35 pm | 6:06 pm |
| December | 7:16 am | 5:36 pm | 6:09 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
Expect El Dorado Royale to charge outside wedding vendors for access. Resorts call it a vendor fee, an outside supplier fee or a day pass, and they revise it by season and wedding package, which is why we do not print a number here. The moment to negotiate it is before you sign your wedding package; afterwards coordinators have little room. Ask whether it is charged per vendor or per person, and get the answer by email. We handle the paperwork with your coordinator.
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 El Dorado Royale.
Coverage and Prices
IVAE Studios wedding coverage starts at 1,800 to 2,800 USD for up to four hours. A full day of eight to ten hours with a second photographer is 3,500 to 5,500 USD, and photography with a wedding film is 5,500 to 8,000 USD. All prices are published on our site, and the full edited gallery is delivered within one to three business days.