Sunset Monalisa is one of the most iconic wedding venues in Cabo San Lucas, and one of my favorites. The view is breathtaking.
The venue sits above the Sea of Cortez, with the ocean below and Land’s End and the Arch directly in front of you. It is impressive in photos, but being there is completely different. Over the years, we have planned more than 15 weddings at Sunset Monalisa, from intimate celebrations and partial buyouts to full-buyout weddings of more than 100 guests. We know the property well, and we have seen it evolve over the years.
One thing I never get tired of seeing: the moment guests arrive and take in that view for the first time. They walk in, look out toward the ocean, and stop for a second. That reaction says a lot about what makes Sunset Monalisa so special.
Why Sunset Monalisa Works So Well for a Destination Wedding
The view may be what gets your attention first, but there is much more that makes the property work well for a destination wedding.
Sunset Monalisa is built on different levels and terraces, giving us several possibilities for ceremony, cocktails, dinner, and dancing. The food and beverages are excellent, the team is accustomed to weddings and large events, and outside vendors can be brought in for florals, design, entertainment, and production.
It is also an independent venue, so couples have the freedom to choose the hotel or hotels that work best for their group. On the wedding day, we incorporate transportation into the timeline, coordinating pickup times, arrivals, and departures. Guests can enjoy their hotel throughout the wedding weekend and then be transported to Sunset Monalisa for the celebration.
Arriving at the property, seeing the ocean, and discovering the different levels of the venue becomes part of the wedding experience.
Grand Panorama and the Terraces
Grand Panorama is the main wedding terrace and one of the most recognizable spaces at Sunset Monalisa. Its neutral architecture gives us a great starting point for design, whether the couple wants to keep the setting clean and let the ocean take center stage or introduce florals, lighting, texture, and color.
The property gives us several ways to use the spaces throughout the evening. Grand Panorama can host the ceremony, dinner, or dancing, while the lower terraces can be incorporated for ceremony, cocktails, or dinner depending on the wedding.
When we begin discussing layouts, we show our couples the different options and explain what each one means in practice: where guests will move after the ceremony, where dinner can take place, what happens while a space is being transformed, and what each configuration allows for music and entertainment. Once they can picture the evening, they decide which flow they prefer.
Planning the Flow of the Wedding
After planning so many weddings at Sunset Monalisa, we have used the property in very different ways. Guest count is part of that decision, but so are the couple’s priorities, the type of entertainment they want, the design, and how they want the evening to progress.
For Jasmine and Jeremy’s 110-guest wedding, the ceremony took place on Grand Panorama, followed by cocktails on the lower terraces. While guests were below enjoying cocktails and the view, our team transformed Grand Panorama for dinner. After dinner, the celebration moved to the palapa for dancing.
What I especially love about this configuration is the reveal. Guests don’t see the transformation happening above them. When they return to Grand Panorama, the ceremony they left behind has become the reception. Walking back into the space and finding dinner ready in a completely different setting creates a wonderful moment for everyone.
For Katy and Sean’s 120-guest wedding, music and dancing were especially important. Their ceremony took place on Grand Panorama, followed by cocktails and dinner on the terraces. It was the first time we had used the terraces for dinner, and it worked beautifully. Keeping Grand Panorama available for the later part of the evening meant that everyone could return there for the party, with Kilómetro Band taking over the space. The band and the dance floor were a big part of the wedding Katy and Sean wanted, so the layout supported that part of their celebration from the beginning.
For Deanna and Reggie’s 90-guest wedding, we used a more traditional flow: ceremony on Grand Panorama, cocktails on the lower terraces, followed by dinner and dancing back on Grand Panorama. Entertainment was important to them from the moment their guests arrived.
With a full buyout, and depending on the guest count and layout, there are opportunities to incorporate entertainment in different areas of the property and at different times throughout the evening. For Deanna and Reggie, stilt performers welcomed guests as they arrived, and fire dancers were introduced later in the celebration.
Fireworks can also be spectacular here. They are launched from the beach below, so guests experience them from the elevated terraces with the ocean and night sky behind them.
For Kacie and Sam, our original plan used the lower terraces for ceremony and cocktails, with Grand Panorama reserved for dinner and dancing. Weather changed the plan that day, but it is another example of how we have approached the property differently over the years.
These weddings are also a good example of how we approach the layout conversation with our couples. We present the possibilities and explain what each configuration allows for their guest count, design, dinner, music, and entertainment. The couple can then choose the flow that best represents the wedding they want to host.
See more Sunset Monalisa Weddings planned and designed by Momentos Weddings and Events.
Planning Around the Sunset
At Sunset Monalisa, sunset deserves its own place in the wedding timeline. We typically schedule the ceremony approximately an hour and a half before sunset, giving the ceremony its own time and allowing guests to move into cocktails as the light begins to change.
The venue also has its signature sunset ritual. As the sun goes down, conch shells are sounded from different points of the property to mark the moment. With a full buyout, couples can choose whether they would like to incorporate the ritual into their wedding. With a partial buyout, it remains part of the restaurant experience, so we account for it when creating the timeline.
Once evening arrives, the property changes completely. The ocean and Land’s End remain the backdrop, while candlelight, lighting, music, and the reception design bring another atmosphere to the terraces. For a venue known for its sunset, I think the nighttime experience can be just as beautiful.
READ: Golden Hour Weddings in Los Cabos: Plan the Perfect Sunset Timeline
Wedding Photos on the Beach
Couples can also go down to the beach for portraits during the wedding. The beach is separate from Sunset Monalisa, but there is access to go down for photos, giving couples another setting in addition to the elevated ocean views from the venue.
When beach portraits are part of the plan, we usually allow a little more time during cocktail hour. Walking down, reaching the right location, taking the photographs, and returning to the venue takes time, and we account for that when creating the timeline. This allows the couple to enjoy that part of the photography without having to rush back to the celebration.
Food, Service and What the Venue Includes
For many of the couples we work with, food is an important part of choosing a wedding venue. They enjoy great restaurants when they travel and want the wedding dinner to be one of the experiences their guests remember from Los Cabos.
Sunset Monalisa does this very well. The restaurant focuses on Mediterranean cuisine with Baja California ingredients, and from our experience planning weddings here, the food and beverages have consistently been one of the strengths of the property. The team is also accustomed to weddings, private celebrations, and large groups, which matters when serving a wedding dinner for 100 or more guests.
Sunset Monalisa also includes some of the reception rentals for up to 100 guests, including round tables, white linens, natural-finish chairs, glassware, and flatware. For couples who want a different look, additional rentals can be brought in according to the wedding design.
We review what is already included before recommending additional rentals. Sometimes what the venue provides works perfectly for the design; in other cases, changing the chairs, linens, tabletop, or other elements can make an important difference. It depends on the look we are creating and where the couple wants to invest.
READ: Why Los Cabos is the Ultimate Destination for Foodie Weddings
Partial Buyout or Full Buyout?
This is an important conversation to have early in the planning process because partial and full buyouts offer different possibilities and have different pricing and food-and-beverage minimums.
A partial buyout is currently an option for weddings of up to 60 guests, with Grand Panorama as the main setting for the celebration. Live music can be incorporated during the ceremony, while cocktails and dinner follow the restaurant’s music. If the celebration continues with dancing, the party moves inside to Cava.
For larger Sunset Monalisa weddings, or for couples who want to use more of the property and incorporate music and entertainment in different areas, a full buyout gives us more possibilities. We have personally planned weddings at Sunset Monalisa for up to 130 guests, using the terraces in different ways to match each celebration's plans and priorities.
The choice goes beyond guest count. We talk about how the couple envisions dinner, how important music and dancing are, whether they want entertainment during different parts of the wedding, and how they would like their guests to move through the property. All of those decisions are part of choosing which option works best for their wedding.
Pricing and food and beverage minimums are different for partial and full buyouts and can change from one year or season to another. We confirm the current information directly with Sunset Monalisa when we begin exploring the venue with our couples.
READ: Guide: The 20 Best Wedding Venues in Los Cabos
Considering Sunset Monalisa for Your Wedding?
After more than 15 weddings at Sunset Monalisa, we know the property beyond its remarkable setting. We know its spaces, how they can work together, and the possibilities a partial or full buyout can offer for design, dinner, music, and entertainment.
If Sunset Monalisa is one of the venues you are considering, we would love to be part of the conversation before you make your final decision. Tell us about your wedding, your guest count, and what matters most to you. With more than 15 weddings planned here, we can bring our experience of the property to the conversation and explore what is possible for yours.
Start Planning Your Sunset Monalisa Wedding →
Venue policies, pricing, included rentals, food and beverage minimums, and buyout conditions can change. We confirm current information directly with Sunset Monalisa during the planning process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sunset Monalisa located?
Sunset Monalisa is located in Cabo San Lucas, overlooking the Sea of Cortez, Land’s End, and the iconic Arch.
How many guests can Sunset Monalisa accommodate for a wedding?
Sunset Monalisa can accommodate weddings of different sizes, but the layout becomes especially important as the guest count grows. We have personally planned weddings here with up to 130 guests. At that size, we look carefully at the complete floor plan, including dinner tables, dance floor, band or DJ setup, florals, production, and entertainment. How all of those elements work together matters as much as the guest count itself.
Can our guests stay at another hotel?
Absolutely. Sunset Monalisa is an independent venue, so guests can stay at the hotel or hotels that work best for the group. We coordinate wedding-day transportation, including pickup times, arrivals, and departures, as part of the timeline.
Can we bring outside wedding vendors?
Yes. Outside vendors can be incorporated, allowing us to bring together the appropriate team for florals, design, photography, entertainment, and production.
What happens if it rains?
Los Cabos is known for its dry climate, although rain and tropical weather are more likely in late summer and early fall, particularly August and September, and occasionally into early October. We have experienced rain during weddings at Sunset Monalisa before. For one of our 110-guest weddings, we were able to continue with the ceremony during a light rain, then moved dinner into the palapa and dancing inside Cava. The property has evolved since that wedding, so today we review the current backup possibilities according to guest count, the spaces being used, and the venue’s current setup.
What time should we have our ceremony?
We typically schedule ceremonies at Sunset Monalisa approximately an hour and a half before sunset. The exact time depends on the date, ceremony length, photography plans, and what we have planned for cocktail hour.
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