Have you ever been dreaming of a destination wedding with only your nearest and dearest in attendance? Fortunately, there are a selection of locations for an intimate destination wedding that provide stunning accommodations and event spaces with reasonable rates. Along with providing our top locations and wedding venues for this kind of celebration, listed below are some intimate destination wedding ideas to make the planning process as easy as possible.
Fastidiously create your guest list
One in all the primary steps in planning your intimate wedding is crafting the guest list. Because you wish fewer guests, it’s best to limit your list to only those family members you’ll be able to’t possibly imagine getting married without.
Consider a beach wedding
A beach wedding will be a wonderful selection, because it typically means you’ll be saying “I do” in a shocking natural landscape that limits the sum of money you’ll need to spend on decor.
Consider the weather
Because many areas have dry and rainy seasons, or periods of time when the weather is perhaps exceedingly hot or cold, it’s best to research the weather in your required location for the time of 12 months you’re hoping to wed. This research can enable you to avoid uncomfortable weather in your wedding day.
Make an inspiration board
Make clear your vision on your dream wedding by crafting an inspiration board. All you’ve got to do is clip images of weddings, flowers, colours, food, rings, dresses, your wedding location, and other images that capture the essence of how you wish your special occasion to feel and appear.
Hire an area wedding planner
You’ll be able to simplify the technique of navigating the wedding laws, and other unique facets of your chosen location by hiring a marriage planner who works within the municipality where you’ll tie the knot. They’ll likely know all of the local requirements and might even have some tricks up their sleeve for simplifying the method. They can also know all one of the best local vendors.
Look into travel requirements
Researching whether things like Covid tests, visas, or certain vaccinations are required to get to your location will help make sure you, the marriage party, and other guests have loads of time to get all the necessities taken care of.
Research local marriage laws
If you ought to obtain your marriage license during your destination wedding, look into local laws because they often vary by location.
Create a marriage website
Minimize the variety of questions you’ve got to field from guests by making a marriage website where you’ll be able to list your registry details and other details about your wedding. For instance, you’ll be able to include one of the best ways to get to your wedding destination, travel requirements, where you’ll block out rooms or houses, ground transportation information, and other essential details.
Top locations and venues for an intimate destination wedding
California
With a Mediterranean climate, stunning natural environments, and a culture that’s the perfect combination of sophistication, flair, and fun, California is one among the loveliest selections for an intimate destination wedding. This acclaimed state is home to wedding venues that include all the things from flowering gardens, wineries, and historic homes to chic rooftops with epic views, high quality art galleries, and eateries which can be all about luxury.
It’s also possible to have your pick of event spaces sprinkled along the coast, perched within the mountains, or positioned in a stylish area of one among the state’s popular cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, or San Diego. Essentially, California has something for everybody.
Really useful venue: Auberge du Soleil
An iconic venue in Northern California, Auberge du Soleil is about on a 33-acre olive grove on the slopes of Rutherford Hill. From this stellar location, you’re met with stunning views of Napa Valley from any spot inside the venue.
Intimate wedding ceremonies are sometimes held in Le Jardin, the alfresco, Asian-inspired pavilion nestled in a wonderland of centuries-old olive trees, vineyards, and a sculpture garden that showcases over 100 works from greater than 60 California artists. After saying “I do,” you’ll be able to enjoy a reception that features edible masterpieces from the resort’s Michelin Star-rated culinary program.
One other popular site for an out of doors ceremony is The Terrace, which opens to verdant, tree-covered hills that appear to melt into the horizon. The Vista Rooms that adjoin the terrace are perfect for an indoor wedding reception, as they feature elegant decor and the identical awe-inspiring views.
Typical Cost: $10,000
Capability: 120
Bonus: Once you’re not immersed in wedding events, you and your guests can explore neighboring wineries in complimentary convertibles provided by Mercedes-Benz.
Find Auberge Du Soleil on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Caribbean
The alchemy of crystal clear water, exotic foliage, luxury resorts, and laidback vibes make the Caribbean the last word tropical utopia to tie the knot. While a majority of weddings happen on pristine beaches, most of the islands on this dreamy sea also allow couples to pledge their love amongst the plush atmosphere of a botanical garden, beside a waterfall, or on a beachfront bluff.
And since the Caribbean is such a preferred travel site, the service at most of the resorts and venues is spectacular, ensuring that couples and guests don’t need to do rather more than showing up and reveling in the nice times.
Tip: If you ought to avoid rainy season, pick a date that doesn’t fall between June and November.
Really useful venue: Jade Mountain Resort
Jade Mountain Resort is the place to go if you happen to want a really exotic destination wedding. This location is so idyllic, The Bachelor filmed a finale here. The resort is ideal for an intimate celebration, because it only allows one wedding a day. It also provides a spread of wedding ceremony and reception sites on the resort and at its sister property, Anse Chastanet. Among the most stunning options include a close-by waterfall or a beach by the coral reef.
To go all out, go for the resort’s “Elope to Paradise” wedding package that features a tropical wedding bouquet, boutonniere for the groom, a marriage planner and staff, a selection of wedding locations on the 600-acre property, decor at the marriage location, a two-tier wedding cake, and a special dinner table for the marriage party. This package also includes all of the legal processes and charges required to acquire the wedding license.
Typical Cost: $1,095 – $4,750
Capability: 100
Bonus: The resort is well accessible and only a mile-and-a-half from the town of Soufriere.
Find Jade Mountain Resort on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Florida
Beaches with powder-soft sand, Art Deco architecture, a vibrant aesthetic, world-class food, and balmy weather make Florida a chief selection for destination weddings. Whether you’re hoping to exchange your vows under a flower-covered, beachfront pergola, beneath a cover of palm trees, or in a whimsical pocket of a botanical garden that appears prefer it was plucked from the pages of Alice in Wonderland, Florida may have you swimming in amazing options.
Tip: Since the humidity in Florida can do a number on hair and makeup, it’s well worth the money to rent local hair and makeup specialists well-versed in makeup that won’t melt off the face and hair products that may prevent your hairdo from drooping.
Really useful venue: Redland Koi Gardens
The two.5-acre Redland Koi Gardens provides a fairytale setting composed of soaring oaks, koi ponds, and serene Japanese architecture. While much of the greenery is native to Japan, the gardens also include flowers from other parts of the world, leading to a really unique wedding environment.
You’ll be able to host your intimate ceremony on a patio that seems to drift above a big koi pond and is surrounded by the venue’s diverse collection of flora. Probably the most magical environments for the reception is the fruit-producing grove of Longan trees from Thailand, which create a striking, shaded cover.
Typical Cost: Ceremony site fee starts at $2,500; reception site fee starts at $6,500
Capability: 150
Bonus: The range of gorgeous backdrops end in stunning photos.
Find Redland Koi Gardens on Facebook.
Mexico
A rustic wealthy in culture, natural beauty, and vivacious people, Mexico is a simple selection for couples hoping to host a small destination wedding full of fun and flavor.
With a spread of climates, from expansive desserts to dense jungle, Mexico has small wedding venues that create an otherworldly effect. These include diverse cacti encircling a saltwater pool or private beach, Mayan ruins that appear to dissolve into jungle, and boutique resorts that make you’re feeling such as you and your guests are in a bubble of pure leisure and pampering.
Really useful venue: Dreams Tulum
When you benefit from the beach but are craving a marriage within the jungle, the boutique hotel Dreams Tulum might just be the right venue for you. Situated on 33 acres, this all-inclusive resort provides a spread of event spaces for ceremonies and receptions, plush guest rooms, a world-class spa, and three wedding packages that make it easy to plan a marriage inside your budget.
Probably the most mesmerizing ceremony sites is the aptly named Secret Garden, which is hidden inside an exotic display of tropical foliage. It’s also possible to tie the knot by Mayan ruins looking over sugar-white sands, or on a tranquil beach that appears out on the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.
Typical Cost: $999 – $3,799
Capability: 250
Bonus: You’ll be able to treat yourself to a couples massage in a beach-side palapa.
Find Dreams Tulum on Facebook and Instagram.
Hawaii
Hawaii is sort of a gold mine of phenomenal wedding venues and vendors, offering you the expert support needed to craft a dream wedding. Islands like Oahu, Maui, and Kauai provide resorts and standalone wedding venues that include botanical gardens, acclaimed nature preserves, vine-covered ruins, picture-perfect coves, and more.
After which there’s the food. Hawaii is thought for serving up renowned cuisine, like Hawaiian BBQ, Kalua pig, poke, and beyond. One thing’s obviously: When you select Hawaii as the situation on your intimate ceremony and reception, you’re unlikely to have any regrets.
Tip: When you’re seeking to lower your expenses, plan your wedding for low-season from April to mid-June and September to mid-December.
Really useful venue: Haiku Gardens
A Hawaiian gem, Haiku Gardens is about within the Haiku Woodlands, beneath the Koolau Mountains, and coated in vibrant layers of tropical plants. The four-acre site boasts 4 ceremony venues, including a non-public botanical garden, an open-air chapel, and a white gazebo accented by a serene pond.
You’ll be able to then enjoy a reception within the award-winning Haleiwa Joes Seafood Grill, which overlooks the gardens. Sumptuous menu options include Thai fried calamari, poke, tempura crab rolls, fresh island fish, and other mouthwatering selections. When you’re looking for a blinding venue that exudes magic and wonder, Haiku Gardens needs to be at the highest of your list.
Typical Cost: $3,800 – $15,000
Capability: 175
Bonus: Special extras akin to leis, musicians, hand-tied bouquets, rose petals coating the aisle, and more are included in most of the packages.
Find Haiku Gardens on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Costa Rica
From the wild shores of the Pacific Ocean to the tranquil beaches of the Caribbean, Costa Rica provides couples planning a destination wedding with an inspiring assortment of venues and vendors. To grasp the true nature of Costa Rica, consider one among the locals’ hottest ideas, which is “pura vida.” This idea means “easy life” or “pure life” and perfectly conveys the vibe you’ll be met with in every corner of this spectacular country.
Along with extraordinary locations, and a mellow ambiance, Costa Rica makes it easy to make your marriage official, as a marriage certificate procured in Costa Rica is usually valid in your private home country.
To satisfy Costa Rica’s legal requirements, you should have the next:
- An attorney to officiate your ceremony
- Copies of your passports, birth certificates, names of your parents, and data about previous marriages
- Two witnesses you’re not related to. These witnesses may have to offer their passports to the officiant before the ceremony.
After your ceremony, your attorney/officiant will register your marriage with Costa Rica’s National Registry. The National Registry will then issue a wedding certificate inside 4 to 6 weeks.
After the wedding certificate has been received, your attorney may have it translated into English by an official translator, authenticated by the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and authenticated by your private home country’s Embassy in Costa Rica.
Really useful venue: Casa Puros Dieces
A go-to wedding venue in the beautiful Tamarindo, this luxury vacation house is a fantasyland of Balinese-inspired design, tropical gardens ideal for a marriage ceremony, and sweeping panoramic views of Tamarindo Bay. The house can accommodate 20 guests with its eight guest rooms and nine bathrooms. It’s also inside walking distance of the beach and offers a multi-level ocean-view deck (great for receptions!), an infinity pool and Jacuzzi, a coy pond, and day by day breakfast preparation and housekeeping.
Typical Cost: Nightly rate ranges from $699 – $2,898, depending on the season
Capability: Sleeps 20; can accommodate 40 for a celebration
Bonus: The house encompasses a non-toxic, plant-based misting system that repels mosquitos.
Find Casa Puros Dieces on Facebook.
