Riu Palace Kukulkán is RIU's adults-only Palace resort in Cancún, with more than 400 rooms on the open Caribbean. Start about an hour and a half before sunset; the light table below gives the exact times for your month.
Every resort in Cancún has a beach; what changes the photographs is which way that beach faces and how the day is planned around it. Riu Palace Kukulkán is on the central stretch of the Hotel Zone, on the open Caribbean. Here is how we would plan the photography of a wedding there.
The Resort at a Glance
- HotelAdults-only (18+), Riu Palace category, over 400 rooms
- 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
Riu Palace Kukulkán hosts weddings, and its wedding team will give you the current list of ceremony and reception spaces, which changes with renovations and packages. On this coast the best ceremony spot is almost always on the sand or on a raised terrace facing the sea, with the pools and loungers out of the frame.
When you see the options, ask three things: which way the aisle faces, where the sun will be at your ceremony time, and how far the reception is from the ceremony. Short walks keep family photos inside the golden light. Public beaches along this stretch, such as Playa Marlin and Playa Ballenas, offer wide sand if you want a second setting.
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 | 6:56 pm |
| May | 6:09 am | 6:47 pm | 7:18 pm |
| June | 6:05 am | 6:58 pm | 7:30 pm |
| July | 6:14 am | 7:00 pm | 7:32 pm |
| September | 6:34 am | 6:21 pm | 6:50 pm |
| November | 6:57 am | 5:34 pm | 6:06 pm |
| December | 7:16 am | 5:35 pm | 6:08 pm |
This stretch of the Hotel Zone faces east onto the open Caribbean, so the sun sets behind the hotel and the beach falls into soft, even light at the end of the day. The sea is livelier here than in the bay, with real waves on windy days. Across the boulevard, the Nichupté lagoon catches the actual sunset over water. 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
Like most all-inclusive resorts on this coast, Riu Palace Kukulkán charges outside wedding photographers for access, either as a vendor fee or as a per-person day pass, and the amount changes by season and package. Ask for the exact figure in writing before you sign, and ask whether it applies per vendor or per person, because a photographer and a second shooter are two people. We send our insurance and identification paperwork to your coordinator ourselves. Our guide to outside photographers at resorts explains how these charges work.
Weddings in the Cancún Hotel Zone, Through Our Lens
Real IVAE Studios weddings and portraits on the beaches of the Cancún Hotel Zone, so you can see how this light and water look on camera. They show our work in the area, not necessarily at Riu Palace Kukulkán.
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.