Secrets Akumal is an adults-only resort of gardens, pools and hidden corners in Akumal. Wedding listings name terrace and garden venues, Akumal Plaza, the Lagoon Arch, the beach and a ballroom for up to about 400.
Secrets Akumal is a maze of gardens and pools with hidden nooks, which gives a wedding many small, private settings. Here is how we photograph them.
The Resort at a Glance
- ResortAdults-only, Secrets brand, in Akumal
- VenuesGardens and terraces, Akumal Plaza, the Lagoon Arch, the beach
- IndoorsBallroom for up to about 400; Coco Café deck for cocktails
- 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
Listings describe garden and terrace venues among lush paths and pools, Akumal Plaza, the Lagoon Arch alongside the beach, and the beach itself. Indoors, a ballroom holds up to about 400, and the Coco Café deck suits cocktails for about 40.
Sunset and Light by Month
Times for this beach on the 15th of each month in 2027.
| Month | Sunrise | Golden | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:28 am | 5:58 pm | 6:30 pm |
| March | 6:58 am | 6:29 pm | 6:59 pm |
| May | 6:13 am | 6:48 pm | 7:19 pm |
| June | 6:09 am | 6:59 pm | 7:31 pm |
| July | 6:18 am | 7:01 pm | 7:33 pm |
| September | 6:36 am | 6:23 pm | 6:52 pm |
| November | 6:59 am | 5:38 pm | 6:09 pm |
| December | 7:17 am | 5:39 pm | 6:11 pm |
The coast here faces east onto the open Caribbean, so the sun rises over the sea and sets behind the resort, leaving the beach in 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. If you can face an early start, from roughly January through April and August through November the sunrise appears from behind Cozumel.
Bringing Your Own Photographer
Bringing your own photographer to Secrets Akumal 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 Akumal, Through Our Lens
Real IVAE Studios weddings and portraits in Akumal and 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 Secrets Akumal.
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.