15 Best Destination Wedding Venues Around the World

A cliffside resort in Positano, a rural retreat in the Tuscan countryside, a castaway resort in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef—if you dream of getting married in a far-flung locale, an international destination wedding may be in your future. The reasons for planning a wedding abroad are as personal as they are endless: Maybe you got engaged in Europe and imagined returning for the big day; perhaps your fiancé’s family has cultural ties to the Middle East; or, you always dreamed of walking down an aisle of white sand somewhere in the Caribbean. No matter your motivation, hosting an international destination wedding is an excuse to create lasting memories, together with your loved ones, in an epic locale.

As you dig into planning, there are a few important factors to consider: the venue, travel requirements, and budget. When it comes to the venue, focusing on hotels, resorts, and estates that offer onsite accommodations and a reliable staff promise to lighten your load in the long-run. Next, consider how long it will take the majority of your guests to travel there and whether you’ll need to arrange transportation (such as airport transfers and shuttles to offsite party locations)—just because a destination seems perfect doesn’t mean it’s always worth the journey. Lastly, even couples with unlimited budgets need to always keep their guests’ wallets in mind; a five-star luxury resort sometimes comes at an untenable price point, so aim to offset costs by subsidizing guest rooms and/or hosting multiple events throughout the weekend.

Whether you opt for a full-service resort, an exclusive-use villa, or a castle-turned-hotel, the options for an international destination wedding are endless. Here are our bucket-list venues to inspire your biggest, most important getaway yet.