The best wedding and honeymoon destinations have always offered beautiful scenery, memorable hotels, rich culture, and great food. But for many LGBTQIA+ couples, there's another essential layer: knowing they can celebrate openly and comfortably. After all, no couple should have to choose between a destination they love and one where they feel accepted.
Today, many of the world's most sought-after wedding and honeymoon destinations also happen to be among its most inclusive. Which, if you ask me, is no coincidence. Perhaps that's because the qualities that make a place exciting to visit like culture, creativity, curiosity, openness, are often the same ones that make people feel at home and accepted. The destinations ahead span vineyard-covered valleys, island escapes, cosmopolitan capitals, and dramatic coastlines. In other words, the kinds of places you dream of when you think of a honeymoon or wedding. These are the 12 places where couples can celebrate openly, comfortably, and without a second thought.
Greece
Few destinations inspire repeat visits quite like Greece. People often come for a weekend destination wedding, then return for an anniversary. They honeymoon on one island and spend years talking about the next. Between the hundreds of islands, each with its own personality, and remarkable hotels, it's the kind of destination where you find yourself checking flight change fees the night before you're meant to leave. And with the country's legalization of same-sex marriage in 2024, what was already one of the world's most sought-after destinations for weddings and honeymoons is now an even easier choice for all couples looking to celebrate there. Just another reason Greece continues to attract couples from around the world.
New Zealand
New Zealand is widely recognized as one of the world's most welcoming destinations for LGBTQI+ travelers. It's one of those rare honeymoon destinations that feels like it has it all. There's the wine, of course, but also the beaches, the scenery, and enough adventure to keep even the most restless traveler happy. Some couples head to Queenstown for dramatic mountain views, while others find themselves moving between vineyards, beaches, and coastal towns. For couples looking for the best of both worlds, Waiheke Island, just off the coast of Auckland, makes a strong case for itself. It's equally appealing for both the vineyards and the beaches we keep mentioning. And yes, it may be a long ways to go, but that's exactly what makes it so special!
Iceland
People say "once-in-a-lifetime trip" about a lot of places. Iceland is one of the few where it actually feels true. For couples who would rather exchange beach clubs for black-sand beaches and afternoons spent chasing waterfalls, Iceland offers something entirely different. One day might involve volcanic landscapes and glacier hikes; the next, soaking in a geothermal lagoon beneath the midnight sun. And for weddings, the scenery is so dramatic it often feels as though nature has already handled the decor. Smaller guest-count celebrations are especially common here, with many couples opting to trade a large wedding for a handful of their favorite people and a truly insane backdrop.
Riviera Maya, Mexico
Let's be honest: most wedding guests secretly judge a destination wedding by whether they'd go there without the wedding. Riviera Maya passes that test with flying colors. Guests, meanwhile, will happily turn the trip into a long weekend or a full-blown vacation. The region has mastered the art of making a wedding feel like everyone's holiday. It's one of the few destinations where no one complains about having to travel for the wedding. Part of the allure is the range. Some couples lean into the ease of a sprawling all-inclusive resort, while others opt for a boutique beachfront hotel that feels a little more under the radar. Either way, the beach is usually involved. And of course, there is one more reason Riviera Maya earned a spot on this list: same-sex couples can legally marry here too!
Costa del Sol, Spain
The South of Spain was practically built for celebrating. Weddings feel right at home here because the destination already operates at that frequency. Long dinners aren't reserved for special occasions, and no one needs much convincing to stay out for that "one" extra drink. It's the kind of place that understands the art of a good time, but knows when to slow things down. Spain's legalization of same-sex marriage in 2005 only adds to that spirit, making the Costa del Sol, an easy choice for LGBTQI+ couples looking to celebrate openly. What many people don't realize is that the region has more than one personality. Yes, there are the beach clubs and lively restaurants the destination is known for, but there is also a quieter side. Venture a little farther out and the pace changes entirely, with wellness retreats, golf resorts, and luxury hotels that feel far removed from the energy of the coast. So whether you're planning a wedding weekend, honeymoon, or both, Spain's southern coast makes it surprisingly easy to balance celebration with a little recovery.
Thailand
The latest season of The White Lotus may have put Thailand back at the center of the conversation, but the destination hardly needed the publicity. People have been daydreaming about getting married here long before HBO showed up. Thailand delivers the tropical wedding fantasy, but with a level of luxury and seclusion that's surprisingly hard to match. With so many world-renowned hotels and wedding venues, narrowing it down may be the hardest part. But what makes Thailand especially appealing is that the trip rarely stops after the wedding weekend. One celebration can easily turn into a honeymoon that stretches from the islands to Bangkok and beyond. Culturally rich, incredibly welcoming, and now legally open to same-sex marriage, Thailand makes a compelling case for both the wedding and the honeymoon.
Cotswolds, UK
If your wedding mood board contains even a passing reference to a scene from Pride & Prejudice, there's a good chance you're thinking of the Cotswolds. For years, couples have come here chasing their own version of the English countryside fantasy. The fantasy, it turns out, is very much real, with grand manor houses and villages that make you wonder why anyone ever moved to a city in the first place. Beyond the historic estates and country inns, a new wave of design-forward hotels has begun to pop up, bringing a slightly cooler energy to the countryside. Which is good news for anyone whose period-piece fantasy also includes excellently curated interiors and a very good breakfast. Either way, whether you’re here for a wedding or a honeymoon, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting setting for both.
South of France
The South of France doesn't really need a sales pitch. Lavender fields, Luberon hill towns, rosé produced at a quality and volume that borders on unfair. Then there are the Michelin-starred restaurants and remarkable hotels dotted along a stretch of coastline that somehow also manages to have some of the best beaches in Europe. There's a reason so many destination weddings, fashion campaigns, and summer itineraries seem to end up here. It's the kind of place that feels romantic by default. And for couples considering it for a wedding or honeymoon, options are hardly in short supply. One day you're looking at a château in Provence, the next a hotel overlooking the Mediterranean. Same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since 2013, and the region carries that spirit naturally, no asterisk required.
Portugal
Few countries have captured people's attention quite like Portugal over the past decade. Somewhere along the way, it went from a destination people quietly recommended to friends to one of Europe's most talked-about. It's easy to see why. Lisbon's design hotels, Comporta's barefoot-luxury beach clubs, the Douro Valley's terraced vineyards, the Algarve's cliffs and coves: one trip can hit all four without doubling back. That range is a big part of what makes Portugal such a strong wedding and honeymoon pick. Add in some of the best seafood and wine value left in Western Europe, and a coastline with enough variety to suit a quiet elopement or a week-long celebration, and it's a country that rewards however long you stay.
Napa Valley, California
At some point, Napa stopped being just a wine region and became a milestone destination. Engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, weddings—people seem to save it for life's bigger moments. Which makes sense because, hello, it's Napa Valley after all. The scenery certainly helps. Rolling vineyards have a way of making even an ordinary lunch feel like an occasion. The weather doesn't hurt either. Much of the year, couples can count on the kind of sunshine wedding planners dream about. And then, of course, there's the wine. Few destinations are better equipped to host a celebration than one built around opening bottles with the people you love. Weddings here range from intimate gatherings among the vines to full weekend affairs at luxury resorts, while honeymoons tend to unfold at a similarly leisurely pace.
The Netherlands
When it comes to marriage equality, the Netherlands led the way. The country became the first in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001, and that welcoming spirit remains part of its appeal today. For many people, Amsterdam is the first thing they picture when they think of the Netherlands. And honestly, how stunning would a canal-side celebration be? Or even a wedding aboard a canal boat drifting through the city? Pretty idyllic, if you ask me. But there's much more to the Netherlands than Amsterdam alone. Some couples head for the North Sea coast, where beach clubs and laid-back seaside towns like Noordwijk offer an entirely different atmosphere. Others are drawn to countryside estates or smaller cities with plenty of character. Like we said not every wedding in the Netherlands involves a canal, but it certainly wouldn't be a bad place to start.
French Polynesia
When someone says the word honeymoon, there's a good chance the image that pops into your head looks a lot like French Polynesia. The overwater bungalow has become almost synonymous with newlywed travel, and few destinations have shaped that fantasy more than this one. After all, this is home to some of the biggest names in honeymoon travel, from Tahiti and Bora Bora to Moorea and beyond. But beyond the obvious beauty, what makes French Polynesia so appealing is that it still manages to feel remote and once-in-a-lifetime, despite being one of the most recognizable honeymoon destinations in the world. And as idyllic as it is, French Polynesia is also a welcoming destination where couples can settle into that dream with ease.
