6 destination wedding ideas
The world is a big place, and your wedding is a big day. With so much to choose from, start with our favorite destination wedding ideas in these stunning locales.
By Jacqueline Kehoe | December 03, 2021 (Updated November 25, 2025)
You’ve got the Pinterest boards up, the maps open, the anecdotes from friends and family. It’s no wonder wedding planning can get overwhelming. There are countless destination wedding ideas out there, so let us help you find a little creative inspiration for a day that feels unique to you.
Top destination wedding ideas
Small destination wedding ideas
The smaller you go for your destination wedding, the more the world can open up to you and your guests. Picture it: With just a few of your favorite people, you can pack into a bush plane and fly over Alaska’s glaciers. You can book an intimate yacht and float underneath San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. There’s something undeniably romantic about a more intimate affair. At Conrad Orlando, couples can host their wedding at Daylily Beach, a dedicated event space located along the edge of Evermore Bay and complete with white sand and tropical landscaping as your backdrop. The resort’s Aurora Beach is another excellent waterfront choice with cozy firepits and outdoor seating adding to the wedding reception ambiance. For couples that prefer an indoor event venue for their dream wedding, the resort offers two stunning ballrooms to choose from, both with terraces as optional outdoor spaces.
Unique destination wedding locations
When it comes to destination wedding ideas, if you can dream it, you can make it happen, whether that means getting married at a bookstore in SoHo or between the ponderosa pines in Colorado’s Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. For a truly fantastic background, say your vows on the black lava fields of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Depending on your style you might choose a historic mill on the edge of the Mississippi or an old-school Montana ranch. Why not find yourself high in a treehouse overlooking the Ozarks, or inside a 1920s-style, glass-paneled conservatory? The opportunities are endless.
Beach weddings
If you’re eyeing a destination wedding in fall or winter, a beach wedding could be a no-brainer. And what white dress or tux doesn’t look fantastic against the azure sea? Beach weddings are simple to make elegant — a few chairs and a delicate wedding arbor will do the trick — and sunset always adds extra magic to the moment. From Mexico’s golden sands (and Mayan ruins) off the Yucatan Peninsula to Virginia Beach and its beautiful 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) boardwalk, there’s probably a strip of sand you know and love — or love to dream about. Often when it comes to destination wedding ideas, you don’t have to look any further than the beach.
Vineyard weddings
Classic yet with a hint of free spirit, vineyard weddings are sophisticated, exclusive affairs. They come with a degree of reliability, too: Ceremony and reception can both be had on-site, allowing for some all-important ease on the big day. Indoor and outdoor locations come standard, meaning inclement weather isn’t a concern. The landscapes are timeless, the architecture tasteful, and the food and drink will always be top tier.
Though any season works, autumn is a favorite for vineyard weddings, no matter your region. Picture the day framed against rolling hills, golden hour lighting up the vines, and hilltop terraces buzzing with live music and laughter. From California’s valleys to New York’s Finger Lakes, which varietal will you have in that raised glass?
Resort weddings
For the couple who doesn’t want to worry too much about decision-making — or who wants to jump right into that honeymoon feeling — a resort wedding is hard to top as far as destination wedding ideas go. Many resorts offer wedding packages at various tiers, from intimate ceremonies just for the couple to extravaganzas that come with decorations, cake, photographers, and more. At The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, seasoned wedding planners can help to create the magical day you’ve always dreamed of with curated catering, breathtaking venues, and private bar service.
Island weddings
You want extravagant? You got it. Picture the wedding couple and a dozen or so guests on an island somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Cabanas rise on stilts above the turquoise waves and dinner is served underwater. You’ll see marine life floating above glass ceilings, the ocean lit up in candlelight. You can have this experience for yourself in the Maldives. Then there are the Seychelles, Mauritius, Hawaii, and Saint Lucia. The options are endless. From volcanoes to seaside cliffs to coral reefs, the right island destination will show you just how much your traditional destination wedding ideas deserve an upgrade. At Conrad Koh Samui, choose from multiple stunning tropical venues for your big celebration, including a white-sand beach, a two-story residential-style venue, and an over-water ceremony at the resort’s main pool. Tropical floral arrangements, hair and makeup, a professional photographer, a decorative ring tray, and a romantic spa treatment for two are standard inclusions for weddings at this lush, one-of-a-kind resort.
Jacqueline Kehoe is a travel writer, editor and photographer based in Madison, WI.
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