Your Perfect Destination Wedding, Depending On Your Style
From seaside to wilderness moments.
Updated Sep 20, 2018 3:42 PM
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This story originally appeared in the Weddings issue of Domino. Subscribe to be the first to receive each issue.
Beachy Keen
A chill ceremony starts with a seaside location.1 Hotel South Beach With nature as its muse, this eco-friendly stunner offers spaces made of reclaimed materials showing off overgrown plants and expansive ocean views. Guests can waft from pool deck to sea-to-table restaurant to the 18th-floor rooftop lounge–where the blond wood and white upholstery look great against a tan.
Viceroy Los Cabos A hyper-modern ode to the elements on the Sea of Cortez. Unlike any palapa you might find at the beach, this showstopping architectural marvel is an otherworldly landscape of reflecting pools, nest-like structures, floating boxes, and views–plus 192 rooms and plenty of on-site bars and restaurants.
Hotel Joaquin Nestled above Shaw’s Cove is this former roadside motel-turned-tiny retreat that’s island inspired–St. Barts served as a design template–but totally accessible. Snorkeling, paddle boarding, and kayaking are all on the house, and the area’s citrus-scented breezes will surround guests as they linger near the Pacific Ocean with their toes tucked in the sand.
Desert Oasis
Neon sunsets and epic cacti set a memorable scene.
Two Bunch Palms This 67-room, indigo-hued, budget-friendly oasis is surrounded by spectacular giant tamarisk trees and old-growth palms. Hot-soaking mineral waters and healing treatments are the main draw, though the “solar earth mound” Celestial Dome, which can fit up to 200 people, provides an expansive vibe for a desert wedding.
Amangiri Amangiri may be the country’s most famously hard-to-get-to desert hotel. Sleek boxy suites are surrounded by dunes, plateaus, and mountain ridges as far as the eye can see. The decadence of nature is rivaled only by the over-the-top amenities (stone-lined step pools, full-moon yoga) and the 50-foot private swimming pool at the Mesa Home. Events top out at 90 (very lucky) guests.
Los Poblanos Twenty-five acres of lavender fields add up to a purple oasis in the desert. Besides the beautiful hacienda and elegant design details (Moorish fountains, outdoor pavilion with fireplace), the enormous cottonwood trees and gardens are an incredible backdrop for up to 250 guests. And the lavender apothecary items made on-site are built-in party favors.
Garden Parties
Immerse yourself in lush florals and romantic details.
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens There are multiple settings for tying the knot on this historic estate: The Wills Perennial Garden, a terraced lawn with views of Tennessee’s rolling hills; the Reflecting Pool in a garden overlooking the stone Cheekwood Mansion; and the flower-bedecked Wisteria Arbor.
Barnsley Resort This 19th-century Italian-inspired villa was built by the resort’s namesake Godfrey Barnsley, for his wife, Julia–does it get any more romantic than that? The ruins of the mansion still stand and are now surrounded by English boxwoods and natural gardens that make it a timeless place to celebrate your own love story.
Beaulieu Garden All sculpted hedges and manicured grounds, this hidden gem feels like a secret English garden. But it happens to be in Napa Valley, which means you’ll exchange vows among the property’s Insta-worthy vineyard and clink glasses with your nearest and dearest underneath a romantic trellis. It’s a combination that feels like the best of all possible worlds.
Mountain Highs
Wilderness lovers, this is your moment.
Blackberry Mountain Blackberry Farm made Walland a destination for farm-to-table obsessives, and its offshoot–5,000 acres deep into the forest of the Great Smoky Mountains–is a luxe gastronomic getaway in which to throw a party. Stone cottages create an intimate enclave for friends and family to roam when not stuffing their faces.
Tourists This 48-room motor lodge, a stone’s throw from MASS MoCA, was revamped into a low-key woodsy retreat. Guest rooms are simple, making the main lodge a natural gathering place for games around the fireplace. Summer weddings call for a backyard tent overlooking the Hoosic River. Come winter, candlelit dinners and nightcaps set the cozy mood.
Sage Lodge The spacious ranch houses at this new Paradise Valley retreat accommodate 16 guests at a time and act as home base for fly-fishing, rafting, horseback riding, and photographing the stars. Weddings take place in the glass-walled reception hall and on the rolling lawn, facing Emigrant Peak or the Yellowstone River.
