5 Most Popular Destinations For Your Wedding: Affordable, Beautiful, and Convenient

So you’ve decided that a destination wedding sounds like a good choice to celebrate your wedding with all of your loved ones; now it’s time to nail down the most important detail - location! 

Do you want to host your event somewhere that you and your future spouse have visited before and made amazing memories at? Do you want to travel somewhere new that you’ve both always wanted to go? Or is there another factor such as cost or accessibility that takes priority over the meaning behind the location? These are the types of questions you’ll want to ask yourself and talk with your partner about before jumping into a contract. 

Make A Wish List

With so many amazing venues available across the world, it’s important to build a wish list of items you need and want to have included in your destination wedding. Knowing what’s most important to you and your partner will help you narrow down which locations are best suited for your wedding. 

Here are a few factors you can keep in mind when building your wedding wish list:

• Do you want an all-inclusive venue?
• Is there a limit to the amount of travel you want to deal with, such as lengthy plane rides or hour-long drives from the airport to your accommodations? 
• What is your budget, and what do you expect your guests to pay?
• Are you looking for beaches and warm weather, or amazing views and fun activities? 

Top Locations

Based on my experience working in the destination wedding industry and planning my own wedding abroad, here are the most popular locations based on ease of booking, access to the venue, and affordability:

1. Mexico

The closest location on my list is Mexico, being just a hop, skip and a jump from the US border. If you have a big guest list, choosing this as your destination could be the smartest option to make sure as many people can attend as possible. Another huge bonus to having your wedding in Mexico is that the weather is generally beautiful and warm, with very little rain to worry about dampening your day. Since Mexico is such a popular location for weddings, there are endless venues and resorts you can work with to host your event. 

2. Dominican Republic

Stress-free and fun are two of the main words you’ll hear when you talk about the Dominican Republic. Are you and your guests the adventurous type? If so, you certainly won’t be bored in the Dominican Republic. Go sailing, rent a catamaran, go zip-lining, or try a jeep safari. Between all of these options and more, you’re bound to find something fun for everyone to enjoy on their vacation!

3. Jamaica

Jamaica has the perfect mix of affordability, accessibility, and aesthetics for you to celebrate your wedding and never forget it. High end wedding packages here can start under $1,000, making it more affordable for the modern-day couple. The views in Jamaica are out of this world, from palm trees to golden sandy beaches. Wrap your wedding and honeymoon up into one trip; Jamaica is a destination for newlyweds worldwide due to the picturesque views and romantic experience. 

4. Costa Rica

Miles of beaches, tropical flowers, warm weather… Sounds like a dream, right? Costa Rica has wedding options for every kind of couple. If you want a big, luxurious wedding, there are venues for that, such as the Alma del Pacifico Beach Hotel & Spa. Or if you want something smaller and more personal, you won’t have to search far to find accommodations for that either. This option is middle of the road in terms of cost, depending on the style of wedding you have, however still significantly less than you might spend hosting domestically.

5. St. Lucia