Summary: A beachfront wedding package covers the ceremony basics: a beach location, an officiant, chairs, flowers, and a coordinator. What’s included beyond that varies significantly by destination and property type. Belize offers boutique beachfront packages starting under $2,000 for an elopement. Tulum and Mexico all-inclusive resorts start at $999 for small groups. The package price is the foundation, not the finished wedding. This post breaks down what each destination’s packages actually cover, what adds to the price, and how to compare options without getting misled by headline prices.
We’ve planned over 1,000 beachfront weddings across Belize and Mexico. Elopements on private Belizean islands. Hundred-person receptions in Tulum. Intimate ceremonies at the water’s edge in Ambergris Caye. The question we hear at the start of almost every conversation is the same: what does a beachfront wedding package actually include?
The honest answer is: it depends on the destination, the property type, and the package tier. And the number on the package isn’t the number you’re going to spend. It’s the starting point.
Most couples find a beachfront package that looks manageable, assume it covers a complete wedding, and then discover that photography, a DJ, upgraded decor, and taxes aren’t part of the base price. The package is the foundation. Everything else is built on top of it. Understanding the difference between those two things is what determines whether your budget is realistic before you commit to anything.
This post covers what every beachfront wedding package includes at the base level, how Belize and Mexico compare, the add-ons that consistently move the number, how the all-inclusive model changes the math, and the six questions to ask before signing.
What Does a Beachfront Wedding Package Actually Include?
A standard beachfront wedding package covers the ceremony itself: a beach ceremony location, white chairs for guests, a basic floral arch or setup, a bridal bouquet and boutonniere, a wedding cake, a champagne toast, a bilingual officiant, and an on-site coordinator. That’s the base. Photography, a DJ, reception food and drink, upgraded decor, lighting, and outside vendor access fees are almost always add-ons regardless of destination.
What base packages include across most destinations:
- Private beach ceremony location (or semi-private at some all-inclusive resorts)
- White folding chairs for guests
- Basic floral arch or ceremony setup
- Bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere
- Wedding cake
- Champagne toast
- Officiant (civil or symbolic depending on package)
- On-site wedding coordinator
What is almost never included at the base tier:
- Photography — add-on at most base and mid tiers
- DJ or live music — always a separate line item
- Reception dinner — at non-all-inclusive properties, food and drink at the reception are charged per person
- Upgraded lighting — string lights, uplighting: $500 to $2,000
- Upgraded chairs — bamboo or Chiavari: $8 to $10 per chair
- Outside vendor fees — $500 to $1,500 per vendor not on approved list
- Taxes and service charges — 10 to 25% added at most properties, not shown in headline price
“Think of the package as the building block. It’s the foundation of the house. You can’t move in with just the foundation. You need the walls, the roof, the windows.” — Rachel, Signature Destination Weddings
Beachfront Wedding Packages in Belize: What to Expect
Belize offers some of the most genuinely private beachfront wedding experiences in the Caribbean. The island properties — particularly on Ambergris Caye and Placencia — have boutique, intimate setups that feel nothing like a large resort corridor. Packages are more customizable, more personal, and priced at a range that works for elopements through group weddings.
| Package | Starting Price | Guest Count | Key Inclusions |
| Our Belize Wedding | $1,875 USD | 2 guests (elopement) | Coordinator, marriage license, tropical arch, bouquet, drummer, photographer, cake, champagne |
| Belize Wedding Package | Contact for pricing | Small group | On-site planner, florals, small cake, boutonniere and bouquet, aisle setup, prosecco, officiant |
| Belize Island Wedding | Contact for pricing | Intimate groups | Manta Island private beachfront, legal support, tropical floral arch, bouquet, cake, champagne, coordinator |
| Signature Package | Contact for pricing | Groups | Full ceremony by the shoreline, personalized touches, stars and moonlight reception elements |
What makes Belize beachfront packages different from Mexico resort packages: they’re typically more a-la-carte and more personalized. You’re not selecting a tier from a hotel’s standard menu. You’re building a wedding with people who know the local vendors, the beach conditions, the permits, and the local sourcing. The Our Belize Wedding elopement package includes a local drummer and cultural dance group — that kind of local texture is built into the experience, not an add-on you source separately. For island weddings specifically, the Belize Island Wedding package puts you on Manta Island’s private beachfront, which gives you the ceremony privacy that most resort packages can’t guarantee.
Beachfront Wedding Packages in Mexico and Tulum
All-inclusive resorts in Mexico offer structured package tiers that scale from elopements through large group weddings. Entry packages at Secrets Tulum start at $999 for 10 guests. Mid-tier packages at Hilton Tulum and Dreams Tulum run $3,000 to $6,000 for 30 guests. Large group packages for up to 79 guests start at $9,499 to $10,899. These prices cover the ceremony setup and coordination basics. Photography, DJ, upgraded lighting, and reception food at EP properties are add-ons that move the total significantly.
| Tier | Guest Count | Price Range | What’s Typically Added |
| Elopement | Couple only | Complimentary or $999–$1,100 | Photography, symbolic upgrade |
| Small | Up to 10 guests | $999–$1,299 | Photography, chair upgrades, DJ |
| Mid | Up to 30 guests | $3,000–$6,000 | DJ, lighting, centerpieces, upgraded chairs, photography |
| Large | Up to 79 guests | $9,499–$10,899 | Outside vendor fees, premium florals, dance floor, overtime |
One important note on Mexico beachfront packages: at most resorts, the ceremony venue is assigned by the hotel at the base tier. If you want to choose your specific beach space, that’s usually an upgrade or requires a higher package tier. And at many properties, the beach ceremony itself requires a separate permit fee on top of the package price. Always ask what the beach fee is before assuming it’s bundled.
For a full look at what Tulum’s packages include across each tier, see our guide on what’s actually included in a Tulum wedding package. For Mexico resorts across both Tulum and the broader Riviera Maya, see the resorts we work with.
The Difference Between a Package and a Complete Beachfront Wedding
Every beachfront wedding package is a foundation. The finished wedding is what you build on top of it.
This distinction matters because couples regularly use the package price as their wedding budget. Then upgrades start. A DJ is non-negotiable if guests are dancing. Photography is the one thing you can’t redo. Lighting transforms how the venue looks in photos after dark. Upgraded chairs make an immediate visual difference in the ceremony space. By the time those decisions are made, the number has moved significantly from the package price on the resort website.
Here’s what a realistic build-out looks like for a 30-guest Tulum beachfront wedding starting from a $3,500 mid-tier package:
| Line Item | Estimated Cost |
| Base beachfront package (30 guests) | $3,500 |
| Photography (4 hours) | $2,500 – $3,500 |
| DJ (4 hours) | $1,500 – $2,000 |
| Upgraded lighting (string lights + uplighting) | $700 – $1,500 |
| Chair upgrades (30 chairs x $9) | $270 |
| Centerpieces (4 tables) | $200 – $400 |
| Taxes and service charges (15-25%) | $525 – $875 |
| Realistic total | $9,195 – $12,045 |
The base package at $3,500 is about a third of the realistic total. That’s not a problem once you plan for it. It’s only a problem when the package price is used as the budget.
Add 15 to 20% to any beachfront package quote and treat that as your real floor.
How All-Inclusive Changes the Beachfront Package Math
At an all-inclusive beachfront resort, your guests have already paid for food and drinks through their room rate. At your reception, the hotel provides that same catering service without charging you a separate per-person fee. At a European Plan (EP) beach property, you pay $100 to $150 per person for a reception dinner plus a separate bar package. For a 50-guest wedding, that’s $5,000 to $7,500 in reception food and drink before you’ve touched a single upgrade.
The reception accounts for roughly 60% of most wedding budgets. All-inclusive resorts eliminate it as a separate line item because your guests have already paid for their meals and drinks as part of their stay. That structural difference is why we almost always recommend all-inclusive properties for destination beachfront weddings, regardless of destination.
Belize’s boutique beachfront properties operate differently — they’re more customized and personal, but most are EP model. That means the reception food and drink are separate. For couples doing an intimate elopement or a very small ceremony, that cost is manageable. For a 50-person wedding at an EP Belize property, factor in the catering bill before comparing it to an all-inclusive Mexico package.
What to Ask Before You Book Any Beachfront Package
These six questions apply to every beachfront package in every destination. Get answers before you commit to any deposit.
- Is the beach ceremony location private, or can other guests walk through? Many beachfront properties sit on shared beach access. Private beach setups are either an upgrade or a specific property feature — not a default.
- Is the beach fee included in the package, or is it a separate permit charge? Getting married directly on the beach in Mexico requires a separate permit at most resorts. Belize island properties often include beach access as part of the package, but confirm before assuming.
- Are taxes and service charges included in the quoted price? Always ask for the all-in number. Most packages list pre-tax prices and 10 to 25% gets added on top.
- What is the per-person overage fee for guests above the package limit? Every package covers a set guest count. Know the overage rate before your count grows.
- What is the outside vendor policy and fee? If you want to bring your own photographer or DJ, most resorts charge an access fee of $500 to $1,500 per vendor.
- Can we choose our specific ceremony beach location, or does the resort assign it? Many properties assign the ceremony space 30 to 60 days before the wedding. If the specific beach matters to you, confirm it’s lockable from day one.
A beachfront wedding package is the starting point, not the sum total. The right package for your wedding depends on your guest count, your destination, whether you need legal or symbolic, and how much of the reception is covered by an all-inclusive room rate vs. charged separately.
If you want to compare beachfront packages across Belize and Mexico side by side — with real numbers for your specific guest count — that’s exactly what the first consultation is for.
Book a free consultation and we’ll give you the honest picture from the start. Or browse our Belize wedding packages directly to see what a private beachfront wedding in the Caribbean looks like from the ground up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a beachfront wedding package typically include?
A standard beachfront wedding package includes a ceremony beach location, white folding chairs, a basic floral arch or ceremony setup, a bridal bouquet and boutonniere, a wedding cake, a champagne toast, a bilingual officiant, and an on-site coordinator. Photography, DJ, reception food and drink (at EP properties), upgraded lighting, upgraded chairs, and outside vendor access fees are almost always add-ons. The average Caribbean beach wedding package not including accommodation costs $1,000 to $1,500 at the base level, but the all-in total with upgrades runs significantly higher.
How much does a beachfront destination wedding cost in Belize?
A Belize beachfront elopement package starts at $1,875 for two guests, covering coordinator, marriage license, tropical arch, photographer, bouquet, cake, champagne, and a local drummer with cultural dance performance. Group beachfront weddings in Belize scale from there based on guest count and customization. Because most Belize boutique properties operate on a European Plan model, reception food and drink are a separate cost for group events. Budget $10,000 to $30,000 for a full beachfront wedding in Belize for 30 to 60 guests.
How much does a beachfront wedding package cost in Tulum or Mexico?
Entry-level beachfront wedding packages at Tulum all-inclusive resorts start at $999 for 10 guests (Secrets Tulum). Mid-tier packages for 30 guests run $3,000 to $6,000. Large group packages for up to 79 guests start at $9,499 to $10,899. These cover the ceremony setup basics. A fully built-out beachfront wedding for 50 guests in Tulum — with photography, DJ, upgraded lighting, and upgraded chairs — typically runs $16,000 to $24,000 before taxes and service charges. In 2026, most destination weddings cost $10,000 to $20,000 on average for the couple’s total spend.
Do all-inclusive beachfront wedding packages include reception food and drink?
Not in the package itself, but the all-inclusive model means your guests’ food and drinks at the reception are effectively covered by their room rate. At an all-inclusive resort, guests pay one nightly rate covering all meals, drinks, and most activities throughout their stay. The hotel provides that same catering service at your reception without charging you a separate per-person fee. This is the key financial advantage of all-inclusive over EP properties for beachfront weddings. At an EP beach venue, you pay $100 to $150 per person for a reception dinner plus a bar package — $5,000 to $7,500 extra for 50 guests.
What questions should I ask before booking a beachfront wedding package?
The six most important questions: Is the beach ceremony space private, or can other guests walk through? Is the beach fee included or a separate charge? Are taxes and service charges included in the quoted price? What is the per-person overage rate for guests above the package limit? What is the outside vendor policy and access fee? Can we choose and lock in our specific ceremony beach location, or does the resort assign it? Getting clear answers to all six before signing prevents the most common budget surprises in beachfront destination wedding planning.
