A Cabo yacht wedding: vows on the water, the welcome party, the rehearsal dinner and the after party

A private luxury yacht fits a Cabo wedding in four places: vows on the water at the Arch, the welcome party, the rehearsal dinner, or the after party at anchor with the town lights on. The McKinna 70 brings a chef and complimentary drinks for 12 from USD 4,499 (MXN 85,499) for three hours; the double-deck Pontoon 38 takes 18 guests for USD 1,269 (MXN 23,999) for three hours; the Sea Ray 55 takes 15 for USD 2,129 (MXN 40,399) for three hours. Prices are per boat with the 16% tax included, and all of them board at Marina Cabo San Lucas, where yachts may stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM. For bigger guest lists, you book two or three yachts at the same time.

Four ways to use a yacht on a wedding weekend

One or two of these is usually enough. A common pair is the welcome party for everyone and a smaller boat for the wedding party.

Vows on the water at the Arch

Some couples want the ceremony itself on the yacht: the two of you, the people closest to you, and the Arch behind you in the late light. You board at Marina Cabo San Lucas about 90 minutes before sunset, the captain slows at the sea lion colony and holds position at the Arch for the vows and the photos, and then you anchor on the calm bay side off Lover's Beach for the toast.

A few things to know before you plan it:

• Guest limits are firm: 12 on the McKinna 70 and the Azimut 70, 15 on the Sea Ray 55, 18 on the Pontoon 38. The officiant and the photographer count.
• The legal part of a wedding in Mexico is separate from the boat. We arrange the yacht; the paperwork is between you and your planner or the civil registry.
• Decorations are cardstock and a sign only. The Port Captain no longer allows balloons on board, and loose confetti or glitter is out. Flowers and a cake are extras we quote separately.
• A professional photographer can join for USD 180, with all the photos from your charter, paid directly to the photographer. Add it in the planner. Your own wedding photographer is welcome on board too, counted in the headcount.
• Tell us it's a ceremony when you book. We confirm with the operator what's possible on that yacht before you pay anything.

The water inside the bay is calm, which matters for anyone standing in heels. For a ceremony with the sun setting over open ocean, the Pacific route past Cabo Falso is the alternative, with more motion. Our proposal guide covers the same spots for the question that comes first.

A welcome party on the water

A welcome party on a boat gets everyone together the moment they land, without a venue to book. It also gives guests who flew in from different places something to do together before the wedding day is busy.

Time it for sunset. Leave the marina about 90 minutes before the sun goes down, pass the sea lions and the Arch in golden light, and have the group photo with the rocks behind you. Yachts sail until 8 PM, and yachts that boarded at the marina may stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM, so the party can keep going with the town lights coming on behind Médano Beach.

Our sunset cruise is typically two hours. For a welcome party, three hours is better: one hour to settle in, one for the Arch and the sunset, one at anchor. A DJ for the welcome party goes on yachts of 40 ft or more, from USD 399 for 2 hours (USD 649 for 3 hours on 50 ft and up, their minimum), plus USD 150 per extra hour, paid directly to the DJ; our DJ on a yacht guide explains how that's arranged.

A rehearsal dinner on a luxury yacht

A rehearsal dinner is usually the couple, the wedding party and the parents. If yours comes to 12 people or fewer, it fits on either of the two 70-foot yachts that include food and complimentary drinks.

The McKinna 70 is a 70-foot luxury motor yacht with a bilingual crew of five, including the captain, deckhands and a chef on board. The chef cooks a multi-course menu, you get welcome snacks and fresh guacamole, and the crew serves complimentary drinks. The Azimut 70 is a 70-foot flybridge with two cabins, an A/C salon and a crew of three; its price includes a menu on board (fish ceviche, sashimi, beef or chicken fajitas, guacamole with chips) and complimentary beer and cocktails served by the crew, with a chef available at an extra charge. On every other yacht, guests 18 and over bring their own drinks.

The minimum is three hours on both. Our McKinna 70 vs Azimut 70 comparison goes through the two in detail, and the private dinner cruise guide has departure times by month. The whole top of the fleet is on our luxury yachts page.

The after party, anchored off Médano until 10 PM

The reception ends and half the guests aren't done. A yacht can't run a late-night party (the last departure is 7 PM and sailing ends at 8 PM), so the after party on the water is an early-evening one: leave at 6 or 7 PM, catch the last of the light at the Arch, and spend the rest anchored in the bay off Médano Beach with the hotels lit up behind you, until 10 PM.

In June and July, with sunset around 7:06 PM, a 7 PM departure sails through the sunset and anchors by 8. In November and December the sun is down by about 5:40 PM, so the after party is dark water and town lights from the start. Marina yachts only: the Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, and has to be back by 8 PM.

The more common version is the day after. Nobody wants a schedule, and a morning boat with breakfast waiting on board is an easy way to see the people who are still in town before they fly out. Order breakfast in the planner: chilaquiles and beans, huevos rancheros, French toast and banana pancakes are MXN 325 each; sirloin steak sandwiches, chicken sandwiches and serrano and burrata focaccia are MXN 520. Those are cash prices, and paying by card adds 16%.

How to split wedding guests across boats

The guest limit on each yacht is firm, so a list of 30 or more means more than one boat. Book them for the same departure time and the same route, so every group heads out from Marina Cabo San Lucas at once. Each yacht keeps its own guests on board for the whole trip, so seat people by group: friends on one boat, family on another.

These are three-hour prices per boat, with the 16% tax included and the 15% crew tip not included.

A few notes on who goes where:

• The Pontoon 38 is the social boat. It has two decks, a water slide from the upper deck and an enclosed head with a freshwater shower. Put the friends here.
• The Sea Ray 55 has air conditioning, cabins and heads, plus bottled water, sodas and ice, so it suits grandparents and families with small kids.
• The Sea Ray 40 and the Azimut 45 Flybridge each take 12 and have a flybridge, an upper deck that's good for photos. Both include a captain and deckhand, towels and snorkel gear.

Skip the Sea Ray 65 for a group evening. It meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal instead of the marina and has to be back by 8 PM, so it can't stay anchored with the other boats. The fleet by headcount is on our yacht by group size page.

Food and drinks for a wedding group

On every yacht except the Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70, food is optional and drinks are bring-your-own for guests 18 and over. For a welcome party, the simplest order is one Mexican feast per boat: MXN 2,600 for 6 to 8 people or MXN 4,550 for 14 to 16. Add a cheese board for the sunset: medium MXN 1,440, large MXN 2,520, XL MXN 3,120. All cash prices, with 16% added for card payments.

If there's a toast, pack the bottles in the cooler at the dock and bring plastic cups. Cake and flowers are extras quoted separately; mention them when you book so the crew knows what's coming aboard.

Sunset photos at the Arch

The Arch is the granite arch at the tip of the Baja peninsula, 1.2 miles from the marina, and the best angle on it is from the water. That's where most couples want the group shot. Sunset in Cabo runs from about 5:35 PM in November and December to about 7:08 PM in July; the trip guide has the time for your wedding week.

A professional photographer can join for USD 180, with all the photos from your charter, paid directly to the photographer. Add it in the planner, or take your own with your phone or camera.

Planning around the wedding date

Unless the vows are on the boat, put the yacht a day or two away from the wedding itself. That keeps hair, makeup and the ceremony schedule safe from sun and salt water.

If your wedding falls in the fall, keep the harbor rule in mind. The Port Captain closes the harbor only under a hurricane or storm threat or another extraordinary situation, and most closures fall between September and mid-October. If it happens on your boat date, you get a new date or a full refund. Booking the boat early in the weekend leaves you days to move it to.

Other parts of the weekend can happen on the water too. If the proposal hasn't happened yet, our guide to proposing on a boat in Cabo covers where and when. For the bride's group before the wedding, see our Cabo bachelorette boat guide. Anniversaries and other milestones are on the birthdays and celebrations page.

Booking yachts for your wedding weekend

Start with the headcount for each event. Up to 12 opens most of the fleet, 15 means the Sea Ray 55 or the Pontoon 38, and 18 means the Pontoon 38. Above that, pick a combination from the table.

Open the planner, choose the yachts, date and hours, and add food. If you're booking more than one boat, or the ceremony is on board, say so in your request so we can line up the departure and confirm the details with the operator. We reply within two hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time, or on WhatsApp at +52 624 300 8029. Once the dates are confirmed in writing, you pay by secure Stripe link, and prices show in USD and MXN.

Yachts in this guide

McKinna 70Luxury motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $4,499 / 3 hPontoon 38Double-deck party pontoon · up to 18 guestsfrom $869 / 2 hSea Ray 55Flybridge motor yacht · up to 15 guestsfrom $2,129 / 3 hAzimut 70Flybridge motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $4,199 / 3 h

Questions people ask

Can we have our wedding ceremony on a yacht in Cabo?

You can say your vows on the water. A private yacht at the Arch at golden hour takes up to 12 on the Azimut 70 or McKinna 70, 15 on the Sea Ray 55 and 18 on the Pontoon 38. Tell us when you book and we confirm with the operator what's possible on that yacht; the legal paperwork is separate from the boat.

What is the best luxury yacht in Cabo for a wedding event?

For the couple, the wedding party and parents, the McKinna 70: a chef cooks a multi-course menu on board and the crew serves complimentary drinks, for up to 12, from USD 4,499 (MXN 85,499) for three hours. The Azimut 70 includes a set menu and complimentary beer and cocktails served by the crew, with two cabins and an A/C salon, from USD 4,199 (MXN 79,799) for three hours.

Can we host a wedding welcome party on a boat in Cabo?

Yes. The Pontoon 38 takes up to 18 guests for USD 1,269 (MXN 23,999) for three hours, and the Sea Ray 55 takes up to 15. Prices are per boat with tax included, and yachts from the marina may stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM.

How do we fit 30 or more wedding guests on boats in Cabo?

Book two or three yachts for the same time. The Pontoon 38 and Sea Ray 55 together carry 33 guests for USD 3,398 for three hours, about USD 103 each before the 15% crew tip.

How late can a wedding after party go on a yacht in Cabo?

Yachts sail until 8 PM, and yachts that boarded at Marina Cabo San Lucas may stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM. The last departure is 7 PM. The Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, and must be back by 8 PM.

Plan your day on the water

Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.

Check availabilitySee the fleet