If you had your wish of a wedding venue granted, where would your love take you? Eloping on a jaw-dropping mountainside is like heaven on Earth for adventurous couples. Other brides picture a genuine castle on a glassy lake as their Cinderella dream wedding, complete with family and friends.
Maybe your boho heart wants a beachfront ceremony on a deserted tropical island. Or you’d love to ride off in a horsedrawn carriage after your rustic vineyard “I Do’s.”
One issue I have with the “best” is, does it always have to be shut-the-front-door expensive? We journeyed (virtually!) around the globe to look for wedding venues that offer luxury, seclusion, glamor, natural wonder, and even the unusual—at different price ranges.
Yes, we found great wedding locations that rent for over $200,000 (that doesn’t include catering). Still, if a serving of sticker shock isn’t in your catering budget, we found secret places (and really unique spaces!) offering the most unforgettable wedding venues for $20,000 or far less.
Today is part dream, part reality, and truly, all the best wedding venues in the world.
Let’s go traveling!
Villa Balbiano, Lake Como, Italy
More exquisite than a fairytale backdrop on Bridgerton? You betcha, and we’re speechless after watching a wedding video filmed at Villa Balbiano in Italy.
Lake Como is a playground for celebs, models, and billionaires, and this wedding venue is like a dream come true, or maybe for us, a solid case of “dream on!”
Price range: Average venue fees of $70,000+.
Capacity: 12-28 overnight guests.
Find Villa Balbiano at Villa Balbiano or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, French Riviera
A 5-star, white-walled palace on the French Riviera booked exclusively for your wedding, where you don’t merely walk down an aisle, you glide down a long white Grande Allée.
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc features exquisite private gardens, with an infinity pool blasted into the rocky coastline overlooking sparkling blue Mediterranean seas.
Price range: venue fee of $220,000+.
Capacity: Seated tables for 550 guests, buffet setting for 300, or standing room only for 700.
Find Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Forte da Cruz Beach Castle, Portugal
How about a 17th-century castle overlooking endless golden sands and stunning seas, where you can personalize your wedding ceremony with boho touches like a flower wall and a disco room like it’s your private Ibiza?
Forte da Cruz Beach Castle offers the Riviera’s royal feel and Lake Como’s lavishness, but there’s one big difference (hint, it’s the cost!).
Price range: Complete wedding packages start from $15,000+
Capacity: 50+
Find Forte da Cruz Beach Castle at Lisbon Wedding Planner or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Castaway Island, Mamanuca Islands
If seclusion in the South Pacific makes your heartbeat pound, Castaway Island in Fiji is your ticket to a wedding in paradise.
Your event package can include couples’ massages, champagne cruising, and a Polynesian-themed wedding ceremony complete with a choir in traditional costumes.
Price range: $417+ per person/night (room only). Weddings start at $4,350+
Capacity: 172
Find Castaway Island at Castaway Island or check out Facebook or Instagram.
St. Nicholas Blue Dome, Santorini
In Greece, life is an oasis of colors. Bright white homes on red cliffs, black sand beaches, and gorgeous pink flowers dot the golden green countryside and vineyards.
Santorini is also home to blue-domed churches like St. Nicholas. This location is perfect for a small wedding, and you can even arrange a helicopter to deliver you to the chapel at an additional cost!
Price range: Starting at $1,500+ for a wedding ceremony.
Capacity: 30
Find St. Nicholas Blue Dome at St. Nicholas Blue Dome or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge, Manuel Antonio
The jungle rainforests of Costa Rica surround you at Si Como No Resort, a “barefoot luxury” eco-lodge for wildlife and adventure enthusiasts on the Pacific Ocean. City conveniences are just a short distance away!
Your wedding package includes exquisite food and drink, a lush romantic ambiance, and surprising details like a private movie theatre for 50 people.
Price range: up to $600 per person for wedding packages
Capacity: 108
Find Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge at Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Château Du Doux,Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Lap swimmers in love will feel like heavenly angels at Château Du Doux, with its enormous, exclusive pool inviting everyone for a splash. The lavish, early 20th-century country house sits in the rolling hills of the Dordogne Valley, and they offer all-inclusive wedding packages.
Price range: starting at $18,000+
Capacity: 85 (70 overnight)
Find Château Du Doux or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Finca Morneta, Mallorca, Spain
History lovers, this Spanish estate will speak to you! Finca Morneta is a 13th-century farmhouse and the perfect blend of fairytale romance, historical intrigue, and exceptional onsite pampering.
Your wedding photographs are breathtaking, with Majorcan stone alcoves and manicured gardens as a backdrop. While the venue can hold a large group, you’ll get the farmhouse to yourself on your wedding night because it only sleeps two!
Price range: starting at $4,000+
Capacity: 400
Find Finca Morneta at Finca Morneta or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Banff, Alberta
Looking for Canadian cuisine (poutine, anyone?) and conveniences (great exchange rate!) set against jaw-dropping mountain scenery like The Sound of Music? If so, get married in a meadow in Banff!
Banff National Park offers four seasons of wedding possibilities and convenient travel, whether you’re driving cross-border or flying into Calgary’s airport.
Price range: starting at $270-1,200 for an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception
Capacity: 25-150
Find Banff National Park at Banff National Park or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma, California
Sunshine warming the spacious lawns and gardens, shady redwood trees, and a countryside castle… all of this is yours with a Chateau St. Jean wedding package in Cali!
Your venue fee includes private access to all the event spaces, like the Grand Lawn, Chateau Patio, or The Olive Grove, with its 120-year-old heritage trees.
Price range: venue fee weekdays $18,000+, weekends $20,000+
Capacity: 400
Find Chateau St. Jean at Chateau St. Jean or check out Facebook or Instagram.
The Ice Castle, Levi, Lapland
Any bride dreaming of a blue wedding dress might appreciate a Princess Elsa wedding venue like The Ice Castle. You can get a reindeer sled to deliver you to the castle (the Arctic equivalent of a horse-drawn carriage, how “cool” is that?).
Wedding packages include delicious, unique local cuisine and fireworks. The natural setting is unbelievable, and you’ll probably witness the magical Northern Lights.
Price range: venue fee up to $7,300
Capacity: 200
Find The Ice Castle or check out Facebook.
Hot Air Balloon Ride, San Diego, California
You could imagine you’re floating as you walk down a wedding aisle, or you can get married in a hot air balloon and really float over the incredible, romantic scenery of San Diego and the California coast.
Whether you elope on a sunrise balloon ride or have a small group 2,000 feet in the air as you marry at sunset, you can design a wedding package that includes your sky-high ceremony and reception on solid ground.
Price range: balloon ride starting at $175-300 per person
Capacity: 8
Find Hot Air Balloon Ride at Hot Air Balloon Ride or check out Facebook.
Villa Taj Marrakech, Morroco
The exotic oriental setting at Villa Taj Marrakech includes a wedding tent with 1,001 lights. Modern delights include a pool and oversized jacuzzi, thrilling buggy rides in the Morrocan desert, and getting your wedding pictures taken on a swing encircled by hundreds of flowers.
Wedding packages include wine receptions, high-end buffets, a catered wedding dinner, and a civil ceremony underneath ancient olive trees. Boho brides will adore the genuine wood and pampas grass decorations!
Price range: fee for 21 rooms starts at $5,000/night. Event fees extra
Capacity: 250
Find Villa Taj Marrakech at Villa Taj Marrakech or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Moran Point, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Weddings at Moran Point are triple the gorgeous scenery because, from this vantage point, the three main rock formations that make up the Grand Canyon are visible. It’s one of the greatest natural wonders you can wish for as a backdrop to your ceremony!
Grand Canyon wedding packages offer you many choices, from “sweet and simple” elopements to a family and friends package with a sunset picnic.
Price range: $800-$5,000+
Capacity: 35-70
Find Moran Point or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Brier Island, New Brunswick
Let’s shout out to the Atlantic coast of North America as a wedding venue, particularly if you’re an engaged couple with a love of magnificent humpback, finback, or minke whales.
The Bay of Fundy attracts many species of whales and dolphins during specific seasons, and some adventurous couples have booked whale-watching cruises and gotten married on board!
Price range: private boat charter $1,220+ available mid-June to October
Capacity: 50
Find Brier Island at Brier Island or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Chapel in the Clouds, Stratosphere Hotel, Las Vegas
Maybe you want to get married in Vegas, but a drive-up Elvis chapel is a bit too informal. Or you like the idea of being high up in the sky for your ceremony, but you’d rather keep your feet on solid ground.
The Chapel in the Clouds could be your perfect wedding venue! Located 800 feet high in the Stratosphere Hotel, you have all the ambiance of a romantic, formal chapel with dazzling Vegas neon views, and you can get married any day of the week.
Price range: $400-$3,600+ for wedding with 25 guests (from $30 per additional guest, reception extra).
Capacity: 300
Find Chapel in the Clouds at The Strat or check out Instagram.
Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Rustic romance meets 6,000 square feet of glass and a hundred tons of colored flagstone and native stone in this beautiful woodland sanctuary nestled within the Ozarks. We can’t picture a more uniquely stunning venue for wedding photographs!
Since it was designed and built in 1980, Thorncrown Chapel has attracted over 7 million spellbound visitors. Couples worldwide have discovered this secret forest jewel in North America, and Thorncrown’s wedding coordinators have over 40 years of experience in planning your day.
Price range: $595-1,495 depending on time and the day of the week
Capacity: 100
Find Thorncrown Chapel at Thorncrown Chapel or check out Facebook or Instagram.
TreeHouse Point, Fall City, Washington
Grab your coffee in Seattle and drive just 30 minutes to TreeHouse Point, a forest-covered resort compound with adult-sized treehouse accommodations overlooking the Raging River.
They offer curated wedding packages, including an “elopement in the trees” and weddings planned for 20-80 guests, including reception and breakfast the next day.
We love the pictures on their website of married couples in that fairytale setting. It’s boho perfection!
Price range: nightly accommodations range from $300-$500+. Click here for the wedding package contact form.
Capacity: 80
Find TreeHouse Point at TreeHouse Point or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Bridal Cave, Camdenton, Missouri
Located in Lake of the Ozarks, Bridal Cave is a stunning geological feature that got its name from Osage Native American legend. We think goth couples would love this place!
While the legend of a warrior kidnapping the daughter of his enemy to marry her ends tragically, Bridal Cave is a unique and spectacular venue that you might not even know existed.
The temperature in the caves remains a steady 60° all year, so the weather is never an issue.
Price range: venue fee $495-695+
Capacity: 50
Find Bridal Cave at Bridal Cave or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Sunset Ranch, North Shore, Oahu
Did you know there are ranches on the Hawaiian islands? Aloha, all you cowboys and cowgirls, because an extraordinary farm and horse estate are available for your rustic ranch wedding in paradise.
Check out the Sunset Ranch website for an extensive list of preferred vendors and prices for wedding packages. We also love the idea of having a horse and carriage whisk you around the 30-acre property like island royalty!
Price range: catering menus priced from $28-75 per person, wedding packages $27,000+
Capacity: 150
Find Sunset Ranch at Sunset Ranch or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago
We couldn’t believe it when we read that the Lincoln Park Zoo is available to be rented out in full—which might be good news for you if your wedding guest list is 20,000 people!
Suppose you’re not expecting that many people, no worries. You can rent out select venues at the zoo for your wedding, including the Endangered Species Carousel or Helen Brach Primate House, where either big cats or primates from around the world are your plus-one guests from safely behind glass.
Price range: venue fees $5,000-10,000+
Capacity: 60-175
Find Lincoln Park Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Secret Harbour Beach Resort, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
So, where’s the best place to hold your Caribbean wedding? While many tropical destinations fit the bill for sandy beaches and turquoise seas, it’s easy to travel to the US Virgin Islands as an American citizen, making Secret Harbour Beach Resort the best for us!
We also love this St. Thomas resort because of the variety of wedding packages it offers. You can enjoy a laidback, “bare-bones” beach wedding or go all-out with the “ultimate beach wedding in paradise.”
Price range: $1,200-15,000
Capacity: 2-50
Find Secret Harbour Beach Resort at Secret Harbour Beach Resort or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Aman Canal Grande Venice, Italy
Imagine arriving at your wedding venue on a Venetian gondola. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience and one of many you’ll relish when you get married at the Aman Canal Grande.
Hollywood royalty George Clooney married his lady Amal here. With its stately reception hall, the sights and sounds of romantic Italy, and the best cuisine to savor, this venue delights the senses and makes every princess wedding dream come true.
Price range: venue rents for $60,000+ per night, event extra
Capacity: 100
Find Aman Canal Grande at Aman Canal Grande or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Manhattan Marriage Bureau, 141 Worth, New York City
Creative couples on a budget know that a city hall or courthouse wedding can be as romantic and fashionable as any place on Earth, and we have the best courthouse wedding dresses to prove it.
Of course, if you’re looking for a sophisticated honeymoon and the most electrifying backdrop for your wedding photos, a city hall wedding in Manhattan at Christmastime or around Valentine’s Day will be chic and unforgettable. The best news is that a marriage license is super-affordable!
Price range: $35 license fee
Capacity: current restrictions limit the number of people inside, but you can invite your guests to wait on the iconic steps of 141 Worth Street because the ceremony only lasts a few minutes
Find Manhattan Marriage Bureau at The Clerk of the City of New York.
Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh, Scotland
The UK is home to many palaces, with Buckingham Palace being the most famous. But tucked away on a 100-acre country estate near Edinburgh is a wondrous and whimsical haven called Jupiter Artland, and it’s become a hotspot in Scotland for the coolest weddings imaginable.
Price range: venue fee $1,000-$6,000
Capacity: 60-80
Find Jupiter Artland at Jupiter Artland or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyard, Virginia
If you can’t immediately picture a wedding venue in North Garden, Virginia, take a few seconds (trust us, it could turn into hours!) and revel in the stunning blend of nature and design that is Pippin Hill.
Booking your wedding at Pippin Hill means full-service catering and garden-to-table food and wines at your reception. They deliver elegance and relaxation and offer event space for every season.
Price range: starts at $13,000 for 50 guests
Capacity: 150
Find Pippin Hill Farm at Pippin Hill Farm or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Oaks Amusement Park, Oregon
Feel like getting married in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and then riding an amusement park carousel as part of your wedding photographs?
Oaks Park opened in 1905 and has been an operating amusement park ever since. Facilities include a historical dance pavilion for wedding receptions, a roller rink, and a mini-golf course!
Price range: venue fee starts at $1,200, catering and activities extra
Capacity: 300
Find Oaks Amusement Park at Oaks Amusement Park or check out Instagram.
