Thompson Playa del Carmen is a design hotel on Fifth Avenue with a beach house on the sand. Plan the ceremony about 90 minutes before sunset; the beach faces Cozumel, so the sun sets behind you.
Thompson Playa del Carmen is a design hotel on Fifth Avenue with a beach house on the sand. In the centre, Fifth Avenue and the town's beaches are a short walk away. This guide is the photographer's view: venues, light, timeline and vendor rules.
The Resort at a Glance
- ResortA design hotel on Fifth Avenue with a beach house on the sand
- AreaCentral Playa del Carmen
- Beach facesEast, toward Cozumel
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 Thompson Playa del Carmen's wedding team for the current ceremony and reception venues. On this coast the strongest settings are the beach and any raised terrace facing the sea, with pools and loungers out of the frame.
Parque Fundadores, with the Portal Maya sculpture and the ferry pier to Cozumel, is the classic Playa del Carmen backdrop, busiest in the evening and quiet at sunrise.
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 | 6:29 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 | 6:36 am | 6:22 pm | 6:51 pm |
| November | 6:58 am | 5:36 pm | 6:08 pm |
| December | 7:17 am | 5:38 pm | 6:10 pm |
Playa del Carmen faces east toward Cozumel, so the sun rises over the channel and sets behind the town, 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. From roughly November through February the sun rises from behind Cozumel, which makes a sunrise session here unusually striking.
Bringing Your Own Photographer
Bringing your own photographer to Thompson Playa del Carmen 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 Thompson Playa del Carmen.
Coverage and Prices
Our wedding prices are public. Up to four hours of coverage costs 1,800 to 2,800 USD; a full day of eight to ten hours with a second photographer is 3,500 to 5,500 USD; photography plus a wedding film is 5,500 to 8,000 USD. The resort's access charge for outside vendors is separate and paid to the hotel. Your edited gallery arrives within one to three business days.