Riu Palace Costa Mujeres is a large family resort of 670 rooms at the northern end of Costa Mujeres, with a water park and an adults-only Elite Club. Ask the hotel for its current wedding venues; for photos, choose a beach spot away from the pools and plan the ceremony about 90 minutes before sunset.
Riu Palace Costa Mujeres is a family resort first, with a water park, kids' programme and an adults-only club for those who want quiet. That mix suits family weddings, where children need somewhere to go between the ceremony and dinner. This guide covers how we plan the photography.
The Resort at a Glance
- ResortFamily all-inclusive, Riu Palace category
- Size670 rooms
- FamiliesKids' programme and the Splash Water World water park
- AdultsAn adults-only Elite Club area
- Beach facesEast, over open sea; Isla Mujeres to the south-east
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
The resort does not publish a detailed list of wedding venues in the sources we could check, so ask RIU's wedding team what is available for your date. For photos, we look for a beach spot at the quieter end of the property, away from the water park and the main pools, where the background is only sea and sky.
At the northern end of Costa Mujeres the beach looks out over open sea, with Isla Mujeres off to the south-east, which gives wide, clean horizons for ceremony frames.
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 | 5:54 pm | 6:26 pm |
| March | 6:56 am | 6:27 pm | 6:57 pm |
| May | 6:09 am | 6:47 pm | 7:18 pm |
| June | 6:05 am | 6:58 pm | 7:31 pm |
| July | 6:14 am | 7:01 pm | 7:32 pm |
| September | 6:34 am | 6:21 pm | 6:50 pm |
| November | 6:58 am | 5:34 pm | 6:05 pm |
| December | 7:17 am | 5:35 pm | 6:08 pm |
The beach faces east over open sea, so the sun sets behind the resort and the sand gets soft, even light at the end of the day. Plan the ceremony for roughly 90 minutes before sunset; the portraits then land in the softest light of the day.
Bringing Your Own Photographer
One budget line couples often miss: Riu Palace Costa Mujeres, like nearly every all-inclusive resort here, charges outside wedding vendors for access to the property. It may be a fixed vendor fee or a per-person day pass, and it changes with the season and the package tier. Ask for it in writing while your contract is still open, and ask whether a second photographer counts separately. Our comparison of resort and outside photographers helps you weigh it.
Weddings in Playa Mujeres, Through Our Lens
Real IVAE Studios weddings and portraits on the Playa Mujeres and Costa Mujeres shoreline, so you can see how this light and water look on camera. They show our work in the area, not necessarily at Riu Palace Costa Mujeres.
Coverage and Prices
What does it cost? Half-day coverage, up to four hours, is 1,800 to 2,800 USD. The full day, eight to ten hours with two photographers, is 3,500 to 5,500 USD, the right choice for larger weddings. With a wedding film added, 5,500 to 8,000 USD. We deliver every wedding gallery within one to three business days, not the weeks or months that are common elsewhere.