Choosing where to get married is one of the biggest decisions you will make during your engagement. If you have already narrowed your search down to Cabo San Lucas, you most likely have a pretty good idea of what you want. Cabo is beautiful, the weather is almost always perfect, and the flight is easy for most people in the US and Canada. But once you start looking at venues, you will see a lot of talk about resorts.
As a team of wedding planners here on the ground, we hear the same question every single week: Is a Cabo all-inclusive wedding actually the right move?
It is a big question. On one hand, you want things to be easy for your guests. You want them to have a great vacation. On the other hand, you want your wedding to feel like “you.” You don’t want it to feel like a package that thousands of other people have already bought. In this article, we are going to dive deep into what it is really like to host your big day at a resort versus a private venue. We are here to help you figure out which path will make you the happiest when your special day finally arrives.
The Big Draw of the All-Inclusive Model
There is a huge reason why so many couples look for a Cabo all-inclusive wedding. It comes down to one word: simplicity. When you book a resort, you are basically getting a one-stop shop. The rooms, the food, the drinks, and the event space are all in the same place.
For your guests, this is a major win. They can fly in, take a shuttle to the hotel, and never have to pull out their wallet again. They can eat at five different restaurants, grab drinks by the pool, and let the kids play at the water park without worrying about a bill at the end of the day. When guests are happy and relaxed, the couple is usually happy and relaxed too.
From a planning perspective, resorts also make the early stages feel very easy. They have pre-set menus. They have a list of flowers they usually use. They have a basic timeline that they know works. If you are a very busy couple and you just want to pick from a menu and be done with it, this can be a very attractive option.
The Reality of the Budget
A lot of people think that a Cabo all-inclusive wedding is the cheapest way to get married in Mexico. Sometimes that is true, but often it is more complicated than it looks on the website.
Resorts are great at selling a base package. They might tell you that for a certain price, you get the ceremony, a cake, and a dinner. But those packages are usually very basic. If you want the nice chairs you saw on Instagram, or if you want a specific type of flower that is not local, the price starts to climb.
You also have to think about vendor fees. Many resorts have their own photographers, DJs, and makeup artists. If you want to hire someone else because you love their specific style, the resort may charge you a fee just to let them on the property. These fees can be hundreds of dollars per person. By the time you add up all the extras and the fees, you might find that you are spending just as much as you would have spent on a completely custom wedding at a private villa or a boutique hotel.
Privacy and the “Public” Factor
This is one of the most important things to think about. When you get married at a large resort, you are getting married at a place where hundreds of other people are on vacation.
If your heart is set on a beach ceremony, keep in mind that beaches in Mexico are public. At a resort, there might be people in swimsuits walking past your ceremony. There might be people watching from their balconies. While the resort will try to keep the area clear, it is never truly private.
Also, Cabo is a very popular place. Some of the bigger resorts host two or even three weddings in a single day. You might see another bride in the lobby while you are taking your photos. For some people, this is no big deal. They love the energy and the cheers from the other guests. But if you want a quiet, intimate moment where it feels like the world has stopped just for you, a large resort might feel a bit crowded.
Customizing Your Vision
When you work with us at Cabo Beach Weddings, we love to get creative. We like to find unique decor, local food experiences, and setups that nobody has seen before.
In a Cabo all-inclusive wedding setting, customization can be a bit harder, but not impossible. Resorts run on a system. They know how to do things a certain way because it is efficient. If you want to change the floor plan or bring in a completely different style of catering, you might face challenges.
If you have a very specific vision for your wedding, maybe you want a taco truck late at night, or you want a specific type of lighting that hangs from the trees, you will have much more freedom at a private venue. Private venues are like a blank canvas. We can build whatever you want from the ground up. In a resort, you are usually working within the lines they have already drawn.
The Guest Experience Beyond the Resort
One thing we always tell our couples is to think about what their guests will do when they are not at the wedding.
When you stay at an all-inclusive, guests tend to stay on the property. Why wouldn’t they? Everything is free. But Cabo has so much to offer. There are amazing local restaurants in downtown Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. There are art galleries, boat tours, and hidden beaches.
Sometimes, when guests are at an all-inclusive resort, they feel like they shouldn’t leave because they already paid for the food at the hotel. This means they might miss out on the “real” Mexico. If you want your wedding to be an adventure for your friends and family, you might prefer a boutique hotel or a group of villas near the town center. This encourages people to go out, explore, and really experience the magic Cabo has to offer.
The Food and Drink Quality
Let’s talk about the food. Resort food has come a long way. Many of the high-end resorts in Cabo have incredible chefs and world-class restaurants. However, when you are feeding 100 people at a wedding, the resort usually switches to a banquet style of cooking.
If you are a “foodie” and you want your wedding dinner to be the best meal your guests have ever had, you might find that a custom caterer at a private venue can offer a higher level of quality. With a private caterer, the food is made right there for your group only. The drinks are also a factor. In a Cabo all-inclusive wedding, the bar is often limited to specific brands. If you want a top-shelf tequila bar or very specific craft cocktails, you will usually have to pay a lot extra to upgrade the resort’s standard bar package.
Stress Levels and Planning
Some people assume that a resort wedding is less stressful to plan. In some ways, it is. You have fewer choices to make, which means less work. But it can also be stressful in a different way.
Communication with large resorts can sometimes be slow. They are busy handling dozens of weddings at once. You might not get a response to your email for a few days. You might feel like just another number in their system.
When you hire a private planning team and choose a smaller venue, the service is much more personal. You have our phone numbers. You can text us. We know your name, your preferences, and exactly why you picked that specific shade of blue for your napkins. For many of our couples, that personal connection is what makes the planning process fun instead of a chore.
Who is the Resort Wedding Best For?
A Cabo all-inclusive wedding is usually a great fit for:
- Large groups with a lot of children.
- Couples who want a very simple, hands-off planning experience.
- Families who are on a strict budget for their vacation costs and want to know all prices upfront.
- Guests who prefer to stay in one place and have everything they need within walking distance.
If you fit into those categories, you will likely have a wonderful time. There are some truly stunning resorts here that do a great job. We can help you pick the ones that offer the most privacy and the best food.
Who is the Private Venue Best For?
On the flip side, you might want to look at private villas or boutique hotels if:
- You want total privacy with no strangers in the background of your photos.
- You have a very specific design or vibe that isn’t found in a standard package.
- You want to support local small businesses and see the authentic side of Cabo.
- You want a food and drink experience that is totally customized to your tastes.
- You want the event to feel like a private party rather than a hotel function.
How We Can Help You Decide
At the end of the day, our job at Cabo Beach Weddings is to make sure your day is perfect, no matter where it happens. We do not own the venues, so we can give you honest, unbiased advice.
We know which resorts have the most hidden fees. We know which ones have the best beaches that actually feel private. We also know the secret villas that you won’t find on the big travel websites.
When we start working with a new couple, we spend a lot of time talking about your “must-haves.” If your number one priority is making sure your grandma doesn’t have to walk more than 50 feet to get to the ceremony, we will look at resorts. If your priority is a five-course tasting menu with local wine pairings, we will look at private estates.
Making the Final Call
It is okay to be undecided. Most couples are when they first start looking. The best thing you can do is make a list of your top three priorities. Is it the budget? Is it the look? Is it the guest convenience?
Once you have those three things, the choice usually becomes clear. If a Cabo all-inclusive wedding meets your top three priorities, then go for it! We will help you make it as personal and beautiful as possible. If you realize that you would be compromising on the things that matter most to you just for the sake of convenience, then it is worth looking at other options.
Cabo is a magical place to get married. Whether you are at a massive five-star resort or a hidden garden in the desert, the energy of the Baja is something your guests will feel. The mountains meeting the ocean, the salty air, and the incredible hospitality of the people here make every wedding special.
Planning for Success
No matter which path you choose, remember that the wedding is just the beginning. The goal is to have a celebration that lets you focus on each other and your loved ones.
If you choose a resort, we will help you navigate the contracts and the add-ons to make sure you are getting the best value. We will work with the on-site team to push for the little details that make a big difference.
If you choose a private venue, we will handle all the logistics, from the transportation to the bathrooms to the generators, so you don’t have to worry about a thing. We will bring in the best chefs and the most talented florists in the region to build your dream from scratch.
Final Thoughts
We hope this guide has helped clear up some of the confusion. It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the options online. Instagram makes everything look perfect, but it doesn’t show you the fine print or the reality of a busy hotel lobby.
A Cabo all-inclusive wedding can be a dream come true for the right couple. It offers a level of ease that is hard to find anywhere else. But it is not the only way to do a destination wedding.
If you are ready to start looking at venues, reach out to us. We would love to chat and hear about your vision. We can talk about your guest list, your budget, and what you are most excited about. Together, we can find the spot that feels just right.
Cabo is waiting for you, and we can’t wait to help you get here. Whether you want the grand resort experience or a quiet night under the stars at a private villa, we are here to make it happen. Your wedding should be a reflection of your story, and we are honored to be a part of it.
