The best places to get married abroad

Best for beach weddings

Lanzarote

Most of Lanzarote’s glossy seaside hotels pull up next to platinum-blonde sandy beaches, so pre or post-ceremony hand-in-hand strolls along the shore are part of the deal. Over at the Hotel Costa Calero an ocean-view rooftop terrace is ready and waiting, perfect if you want to exchange rings as the sun sets. Here, you’ll be just a few minutes from ‘Millionaire’s Harbour’ – AKA the perfect spot to sip a few celebratory glasses of bubbly. Or for something different, the third-largest Canary Island has a trick up its sleeve. Hold your wedding in the Jameos del Agua and you’ll be the talk of the town. Part natural wonder, part art and cultural centre, this one-time lava tube houses an underground lake, an emerald-green pool and a rustic restaurant.

At the Hotel Melia Salinas, you can make your vows right on the powder-soft sand.

Best for winter weddings

St Lucia

St Lucia comes with swaying palm trees, leafy rainforests and beaches with the perfect mix of white sands and blue seas. In short, you’ll be in wedding photo heaven, especially when the island is at its best in the winter months. Head for the Hideaway at Royalton St Lucia, and you can hold your ceremony at sunset on a pretty rooftop veranda overlooking the hotel’s secluded bay. Walk down the aisle to the tinkling beats of steel drums to add a dash of West Indian culture to your celebrations and, later on, carry on the celebrations in the nightclub. When you’re all partied out, head back to your suite and take advantage of the 24-hour room service. And, if you’re dreaming of a Christmas wedding, find out what’s on offer in St Lucia’s festive season.

Get ready to say I do at the Hideaway Royalton St Lucia.

Iceland

Or, if you fancy something more akin to a winter wonderland, you’ll be tempted by Iceland’s headliner – the Blue Lagoon – which is a one-of-a-kind spot for getting hitched. The contrast of volcanic rock against something-blue water is as striking as it gets, and the mineral-packed lagoon’s a complexion miracle-worker. Plus, the bars serve Champagne to sip while you dip. Over in Vik, on the other hand, you can opt for a beach wedding with a difference. This black sand stretch sits between lofty cliffs and the Norwegian Sea, so you couldn’t conjure a more Viking-style atmosphere if you tried. If you’re looking to marry up your nuptials with nature, take the plunge by the 200-foot-high Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. It’s surrounded by rolling countryside, and the tumbling cascades spill down into a pretty pool, so you’ll end up with a wedding album that’s second to none.

Head to Iceland with TUI and you’ll get two excursions thrown in.

Best for luxury weddings

Italy

Romance and Italy go together like something old and something new. So much so, its capital city – Roma, or as we call it, Rome – almost spells out the Italian word for ‘love’ in reverse. Pick the Cloisters of San Francesco, in Sorrento, as your wedding venue, and you’ll be married in front of your family and friends in a fairytale courtyard garden beneath the open sky. Afterwards, you can take photos on a sea-view terrace which looks out across the Bay of Naples. Or, if the picture-perfect Amalfi Coast is drawing your eye, you can say ‘I do’ at Positano’s whitewashed town hall. Ceremonies take place on an open-air terrace, and wedding marches strummed on a mandolin are the norm. And, if you fancy a classic Venetian affair, pick Hotel Principe Palace. This venue peers over the Grand Canal, so if you marry here your ceremony will take place on a rooftop terrace that overlooks the steady stream of gondolas gliding along the river.

Take a look at the dream Italian venue, Hotel Principe Palace.

Best for religious weddings

Cyprus

Contrary to popular belief, overseas weddings can contain as much custom and convention as in the UK. And, if you’ve been baptised or christened, you can have an Anglican Church religious wedding in Cyprus, where you’ll be able to pick your own hymns and choose readings that mean something to you. Still need a reason to say yes to Cyprus? Legend goes that the Greek goddess of love was born on the island of Cyprus, so there’s no better place to promise ‘to love and to cherish’. Or, tie the knot on board a luxury yacht, and have your veil gently catch the breeze as you sail past the rugged coastline and take in the ocean views. The Mediterranean Sea will witness your vows, and you’ll have waves for a soundtrack when you pop the cork afterwards.

At the TUI SENSATORI Resort Aphrodite Hills, newlywed couples are encouraged to plant their own olive tree in the grounds, as a lasting symbol of their special day.

Best for unique weddings

Las Vegas

If you’re looking for a wedding with no limits, Vegas is the place. The Entertainment Capital of the World is a 24-hour party, so it’ll feel like the whole city is celebrating with you. There are lots of luxury hotels on the neon-lit Strip where you can host your nuptials, including the Bellagio. After making your vows, you’ll head out to the iconic dancing fountains to pose for your talk-of-the-town photos. At the Graceland Wedding Chapel, meanwhile, you can pull up in a vintage pink Cadillac and walk down the aisle with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll – well, close enough – crooning in the background. Or, for adventure-seekers, there’s the option of getting hitched in the nearby Grand Canyon.

Take a look at the luxurious setting of the Bellagio.

Ready to book your big day?

Head over to our weddings page to see all of the options and head in store to grab a brochure and get some advice. And, just so you know, we offer same-sex marriages in Mexico and Iceland, ceremonies for renewing your vows and plenty of options if you want to have an adults-only wedding abroad. Once you’re all sorted, don’t forget to check out the best honeymoon destinations in the world to celebrate your wedding abroad with, yep, you guessed it, another amazing holiday…

Pssst. Head to the Discover homepage for our latest articles.

Charlotte Harris