The Ultimate Planning Guide to Eloping in Tulum

Are you dreaming of having your wedding on a beach with the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean rushing around your feet? The tropical destination of Tulum is the perfect place to get married. This guide to eloping in Tulum will provide you with all the most important information.

Does white sand beaches, delicious tacos and margaritas, nightlife, and exotic adventures to the cenotes sound like the ultimate wedding destination? That is because Tulum is! The best part is you can find affordable options to meet most budgets as well!

There is not many places left with the charm, affordability, and adventure that Tulum has to offer. If you are ready, let’s dive in to all the different ways to get started with planning your Tulum wedding!

The Ultimate Tulum Elopement Planning Guide

Tulum is a dream wedding destination that not only has the most stunning beaches, but has opportunities for adventure, trendy eateries, and nightlife. Also, despite rumors you may have heard, Tulum is located in a very safe part of Mexico.

Tulum is one of our favorite destinations in the Quintana Roo area and we would love to help you turn your dream beach wedding into a reality!

On this blog you’ll find recommendations for:

• Wedding Venues  

• Wedding Vendors

• Transportation Around Tulum

• Best Time to Elope

• Top Experiences in Tulum

• Places to Stay 

• Fun Insider Tips for having the Best Tulum Experience 

A Guide to Eloping in Tulum: Wedding Venues 

Papaya Playa Project 

Looking for that classic Tulum beach club? Then this is your spot. Luxury boho vibes are never ending here and with over 50 acres of land you will truly feel like you are in a different world. We can’t forget to mention their gorgeous A frame, open chapel located cliffside to give you an iconic oceanfront backdrop for your ceremony. 

Chechen Tulum 

Looking for that jungle vibe of Tulum? Chechen will leave you with the feeling of being in a magical location in the middle of the jungle. A short 20-minute drive from the heart of Tulum town gives you access to this gorgeous venue.  

Villa Natur 

The perfect luxury condo to host your elopement. While this is not a designated wedding venue the amenities here provide for the perfect space for an intimate gathering to celebrate your union. 

There are a number of unique and awesome rentals in the Tulum area that could be the perfect fit for your elopement. You honestly can’t go wrong with any option!

Ahau Tulum 

Sunrise elopement on the beach more your style? You can’t go wrong with this beautiful resort located right in the center of Tulum beach. With private huts imported from Bali and powder soft sand at your front step this location is perfect. 

How to Find the Best Location?

Still haven’t found the perfect venue? There are so many options here and we would love to help you narrow down your list, and figure out exactly what you need. As a destination elopement photographer and videographer we love to help our couples find unique spaces to say “I DO.” Through our extensive expertise in this area and wide variety of connections there are plenty of options to choose from, especially if you are looking for an area more remote and adventurous. 

A Guide to Eloping in Tulum: Wedding Vendors

Whether you are looking for a wedding planner, florist, makeup artist, or anything in between, we have you covered! There are so many different parts to planning your full-day elopement in Tulum.

Wedding Planners & Design

Want to skip the headache of trying to plan every detail of your international wedding look no further! These wedding planners and stylist in Tulum are INCREDIBLE at what they do and will truly be able to turn those dreams into reality. 

• @yourweddingplanner 

Michelle, from your wedding planner, is the best wedding planner who has personally helped us plan many wedding shoots. We highly recommend her!

• @mangoweddings

Tulum Wedding Florist 

Whether you are looking for a simple bouquet or you want the million dollar setup these florist always outdo themselves. Seriously, you will be shocked at how amazing your setup turns out. 

• Pure Love Florist

• Cherry Blossom Florist

• Vanessa Jaimes 

Hair & Makeup Artist

Every bride deserves to get pampered on their special day and these hair and makeup artist know exactly how to bring out your true beauty. 

• Prep Tulum 

• Salty Beauty 

A Guide to Eloping in Tulum: Transportation and Getting Around

Airport

The best airport to fly into is the Cancun International Airport located about 70 miles from downtown Tulum. There are many options to get from the airport to Tulum.

Driving

Once you land in Mexico, you have several options for making the trip from Cancun to Tulum.

Buses are the cheapest form of travel. You have the option to take a public bus down to Tulum, which is about an hour and a half south of the Cancun airport.

Additionally, you could opt to take a private taxi. This will be quite a bit more expensive than taking a bus but is a great option for those looking for a direct way to get to Tulum. However, just beware of the taxi prices as you might get scammed as a tourist.

So, make sure you know a rough estimate and talk upfront to the driver before agreeing for the trip!

The last option, and our personal recommendation, is to rent a car. This may not be the most cost-effective, but will give you the freedom to exploring all Tulum has to offer. Just be knowledgeable about the parking situation at your accommodation. The resorts by Tulum Beach have much more limited parking than if you will be staying in Tulum town.

Car Rentals

Hertz and Enterprise have very easy desk access directly in the airport. Otherwise, smaller companies may be much harder to find and get to from the airport. For example, we have rented from America before and had a very difficult time finding the one person in the mass crowds outside the airport to get to their rental office. If you are looking for the easiest process, than stick to the more well-known rental companies.

From there they will bring you to their rental shop and walk you through the entire process. By renting your own vehicle you will have access to travel freely throughout the area and plan day trips to some incredible spots throughout your stay.

INSIDER TIP: Do not purchase the third party insurance, unless you are ready to put a large hold on your credit card when declining the rental company’s insurance policy. Additionally, all claims will need to be made by you if an accident does occur. So, it will be much more work on your part. We learned the hard way and ended up purchasing both insurances as we could not put that large of a hold on the credit card we booked the rental with. So, just plan accordingly depending on which option best suits your needs.

A Guide to Eloping in Tulum: Best Time of Year 

If you are planning an elopement in Tulum Mexico than you are probably choosing this location for their crystal blue water, white sandy beaches and warm tropical weather along with the trendy experience this destination has to offer.

January – March

This is peak season for traveling to Tulum. Travel will be more expensive and you will have to fight with the crowds. However, temperatures are nice ranging between the high 60s and 80s, with a minimal chance of rain.

Just keep in mind it will be hard to find an area of seclusion at this time of the year. But weather will be pleasant.

April – October

The summer into early fall is hurricane season. Along with a high chance of rain, this is also the time of sargoza, or seaweed season. This has gotten worse in the past years with increasing water temperatures. Many resorts attempt to remove the seaweed from the beaches but during the worst of the season it is impossible to remove completely. April has some seaweed on the beaches, while the fall has thick piles lining the coast.

From early summer to fall, Tulum is heavy in rain. But you will save cash on your hotel deals and compete with far less tourists. The highest chance of rain comes in September and October, while the entire time offers higher temperatures with highs in the 90s.

November – December

The best time to travel to Tulum is the end of the year before the holiday season in the last weeks of December. The temperatures are warm but not overheating, and the crowds reduced compared to the peak season. These are the best months to experience the white-sand beaches, turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean, and less crowds.

Insider Tip for Summer Weddings

If you plan to go during this time and want to have a beach elopement without seaweed, consider moving your elopement to Isla Mujeres. This is a beautiful island just a 30-minute ferry ride from Cancun and offers stunning beaches.

A Guide to Eloping in Tulum: Top Things to Do on Your Trip 

Whether you are looking to sit, relax, or you want an adventurous day, Tulum has so much to offer! Activities range from beach club DJ parties, snorkeling, Mayan ruins (Chichen-itza being one of the 7 wonders of the world), swimming in cenotes, exploring Si’an Kaan and so much more. Check out our blog post, 10 Experiences to Do While in Tulum! 

As a destination elopement team serving Tulum, Mexico we want to guide you through your elopement planning as smoothly as possible. We want to truly create the day that is unique to you and can’t wait to help you figure it out. 

Tips for Making the Most of Your Trip

INSIDER TIP #1

Watch out for the TOPES. They are notorious for speed bumps that come out of nowhere all throughout this area, so if you are driving your own car WATCH OUT. 

You are warned! Additionally, many of the roads have huge potholes. So always be careful when driving, especially at night.

INSIDER TIP #2

The cenotes close to the town of Tulum get extremely crowded year-round. If you are looking for adventure, then you are going to want to check out different cenotes.

Check out 5 Adventure Packed Cenotes Without the Crowds. Additionally, if you want to check out a close cenote, then you are going to want to go right when the cenote opens!

INSIDER TIP #3

Parking can be difficult if staying in a resort on the Tulum Beach Road.

Depending on where you are staying in Tulum will determine your parking availability. Many airbnbs come with street parking or car ports, whereas the hotels have some designated parking spots for guests. You will have no problem if staying in town, but could have trouble if staying on the beach.

So just plan ahead if staying on the beach to make sure you have a place to park!

Additionally, when traveling to the beach lots fill up quickly and cost money. You will have to drive if staying in town as it is quite a ways to walk, and is dangerous to bike at night.  

A Guide to Eloping in Tulum: How to Pick Your Elopement Team?

Remember, the key to picking the right team is to find a duo you vibe well with, as you will be spending your entire day with them! Your photo and video team will be right there with you creating the memories. So, it is super important to find a team you want to spend your time with!

We’re Brit and Dyl and together we are By The Harpins; an intimate wedding and elopement media team here to help you create the epic day of your dreams. We are free spirits who thrive on connecting with like minded souls filled with love and adventure.

We understand the importance of this day and value telling your authentic love story from start to finish.

Our love for the outdoors combined with photography and videography has led us here and we are so blessed every time we get to capture another amazing wedding day. When we aren’t capturing weddings we are out exploring the world, taking in every moment and showing our amazing son the beauty that surrounds us. Our dream is to one day renovate a camper van and take our business to the road! Until then we love to travel to you near and far.

This guide to eloping in Tulum is so special to us, as we have spent many days traveling through the entire area and are in love with it!

Sound like a perfect match? Reach out to start planning your epic intimate wedding or elopement with us TODAY!