Jalisco
Elopement photography · Puerto Vallarta
In short
Elopement photography in Puerto Vallarta starts at $950: 3 hours on location with a photographer who works in Puerto Vallarta, and 150 edited photos delivered to a private gallery within 3 weeks.
Why choose elopement photography in Puerto Vallarta?
An elopement in Puerto Vallarta trades the resort lawn for the coves south of town, where the coastal road runs above small beaches at Conchas Chinas and Mismaloya. Three hours is enough for a short ceremony with an officiant, a walk on the rocks and portraits as the sun drops into the bay. The couples who choose it want the jungle hills and the water in the same frame, and very few guests, and the south shore gives both within twenty minutes of the Zona Romántica.
Worth knowing about Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta sits well west of the Central time meridian, so the clock runs late against the sun: sunrise comes at about 7:30 in late December and about 6:20 in late June. A sunrise elopement in winter therefore starts at a civilised hour, with the coves empty, while an evening one in June runs until almost 19:45. The light window is checked for your exact date.
What does the session in Puerto Vallarta look like?
- Playa Conchas Chinas
- Small coves and rock shelves where two people and an officiant need no set-up at all.
- Playa Mismaloya
- A sheltered cove with the Los Arcos islets offshore, quiet before the morning tour boats.
- Amapas hillside stairways
- Steep public steps between villas, with the bay below, for walking portraits after the vows.
What does elopement photography in Puerto Vallarta include?
- 3 hours of coverage: the ceremony, portraits and one move to a second spot
- 150 edited photographs in a private online gallery
- Gallery delivered within 3 weeks
- Help choosing a location where a small ceremony is allowed and the light works at your hour
- A short timeline shared with your officiant or celebrant
Permits at these locations: Playa Conchas Chinas: No published fee for a session on the sand. Access is down public stairways between the hillside villas. Playa Mismaloya: No published fee for a session on the sand. Drones may fly only up to 100 m here, inside the 18.5 km ring around the airport.
FAQ — Elopement photography in Puerto Vallarta
Is sunrise or sunset better for a Puerto Vallarta elopement?
Both work in Puerto Vallarta, for different reasons. Sunset puts the sun over the bay behind the couple, while sunrise lights the coves of Conchas Chinas from the hills and finds them empty. In winter a sunrise elopement starts after 7:30, which makes it the practical choice for couples who want no onlookers.
Do we need a permit for a small elopement on a Puerto Vallarta beach?
No municipal fee for a photo session on the sand is published in Puerto Vallarta, and the beaches are public under federal law. An elopement with no arch, chairs or closed-off area keeps it simple, while a set-up may need a permit from the ZOFEMAT office or SEMARNAT, checked before the date.