For richer or poorer? It's been a mixed bag for destination wedding demand over the past year.
While resorts are reporting strong booking trends from couples looking to tie the knot, even if they are more price-aware than before, travel advisors have seen more ups and downs.
Roughly 30% of members of the Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association reported a decrease in 2025 wedding bookings compared to 2024.
The association's executive director, John Hawks, said advisors have cited a variety of reasons for the decline. One member said demand "settled" in 2025 after a post-Covid surge in 2023 and 2024.
Uncertainty in 2025 due to the economy was also at play, Hawks said, with couples concerned about losing a job. The increasing cost of destination wedding ceremonies also was a factor, including steep fees for nonpreferred vendors.
On the flip side, 50% of members in a December flash poll reported that business was up year over year.
"I think the long-term trend is that destination weddings are just going to continue growing," he said. "We don't have any doubt that the overall market's going to continue growing."
Rise of the 'elaborate elopement'
For resort operators in the Caribbean and Mexico, the sector continues to show strength, including at Sandals Resorts, according to director of weddings and romance Marsha-Ann Donaldson.
One trend is what Donaldson calls "elaborate elopements," which are intimate ceremonies for just the couple that transition directly into a honeymoon. Some of these eloping couples host post-wedding receptions with friends and family back home, often revealing wedding videos and photos while incorporating destination-inspired elements.
"They want to be able to recognize family and friends and have them be a part of witnessing their union, but they're mindful that a lot of them may not be able to come," said Donaldson. "But nobody feels left out, because they go home and throw a party."
An overwater chapel at the Sandals Royal Bahamian. Photo Credit: Sandals Resorts
Wedding budgets have increased for 2026 compared to previous years, according to Maria Cabrera, product and operation coordinator for the Caribbean at Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts. But couples are more adamant about discussing pricing parameters up front.
"Right now, the first thing they're asking about is the budget," she said, though she added that demand for elaborate multiday celebrations with welcome receptions, excursions and cultural immersions is still running high.
Maria Cabrera
"They're coming here for both a wedding and a vacation," said Cabrera. "They ask, 'What can we do when we get there? My parents, my family, my friends, they are all traveling for us, so what can we do for them?"
Spending is strong for clients of AIC Hotel Group, according to Ash Tembe, vice president of North American sales. AIC operates Mexico and Caribbean resorts under multiple brands, including Hard Rock.
However, smaller groups are showing price sensitivity or pullback. While couples "aren't necessarily cutting their overall budget, they are being more selective," Tembe said.
Wedding guest hesitancy
Taylor Paffett, owner of Illinois-based Vibe Thrive Travel, said her wedding business remains strong heading into 2026.
"Last year we did 100 weddings, and this year we're set to do the same," said Paffett. "We've heard within the industry that some people are seeing things trending down, but we aren't feeling that yet."
Paffett acknowledged, however, some shifts in client behavior that may be reflective of broader economic uncertainty. For one, more invited guests are hesitant about spending the money to come to the wedding.
"A lot of people are saying, 'Hey, we're inviting 100, but we're just not sure what [the headcount] will be; it might be 50 guests, it might be 80 guests,'" said Paffett. "There's more of an expectation of uncertainty in the guest count."
She has also observed clients being more cautious about add-ons like elaborate lighting and florals. This caution comes as destination wedding pricing has increased substantially from prepandemic levels. Paffett estimates that an 80-person wedding that might have cost around $15,000 to $20,000 in 2019 may now run closer to $30,000.
Despite higher costs, she said couples still view destination weddings as a strong value compared to traditional celebrations.
"At the end of the day, you're spending all that money on a six- to eight-hour event, versus a full weekend with friends and family," Paffett said.
Jennifer Doncsecz, president of VIP Vacations in Bethlehem, Pa., said her destination wedding business was drastically down in 2025.
Jennifer Doncsecz
She noted numbers can be misleading: her group business overall -- inclusive of birthday celebration groups, incentive groups, vow-renewal groups and multigenerational groups -- is on the rise. But destination weddings specifically were down, as were honeymoons.
"In September, several local wedding planners who refer their clients to VIP for honeymoons also told me that 2025 was as slow as 2020 was for them, which is crazy," Doncsecz said.
She attributed it to several factors. For one, during Covid not many people were dating. Since then there has been a rise in people working from home, which has lessened their chances of meeting a partner at work, during lunch, during their commute or at a post-work happy hour. The economy and cost of living is also likely contributing to fewer people with funds to travel.
The housing market in her area is also a factor. Available homes on the market are few, and prices are high. Local couples at bridal shows who haven't set a date yet often cite waiting to buy a house, Doncsecz said.
While 2022 was an "insane" year for destination weddings, it's unlikely advisors will see that high-water mark again, she said. This year, many resorts still have Saturday wedding slots available, indicating it will be slower, but Doncsecz said she believes 2027 will outpace 2025.
Trend of smaller celebrations
Doncsecz said most weddings averaged 25 to 30 guestrooms tin 2022, with some groups in excess of 50 rooms.
But lately, smaller celebrations have become de rigueur, Doncsecz said. Small weddings with 10 to 15 guestrooms and micro-weddings with fewer than 10 rooms have become the norm. She theorized rising costs could be the reason why.
"Interestingly, the larger group weddings tend to be for couples who are in their late 30s, which typically equates to an age where friends are more financially stable to afford to travel than they were in their 20s," she said.
It's a trend some resorts are seeing, as well.
Marsha Ann Donaldson
At Sandals Resorts, Donaldson reported that demand has been steady across the brand's 17 Caribbean all-inclusives, with wedding party sizes distributed across three main segments. She estimates that approximately 35% of Sandals weddings fall into the micro-wedding category, ranging from two to 20 guests, while about 25% are large celebrations with more than 100 guests. The remainder fall somewhere in the middle.
"What's important is that folks want to be able to customize," said Donaldson. "They want to be able to put their fingerprints on their wedding and make it very unique to them as a couple."
Conversely, Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts is seeing a dramatic increase in group size compared with recent years, said Cabrera. Bahia Principe has 22 properties across Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Spain.
"In the past, it was smaller groups," said Cabrera. "But in the last few months, we've been receiving groups of 80 to 120."
Part of the increase can be attributed to an uptick in couples welcoming children to their destination weddings.
"Years ago, the weddings were always just adults," she said. "But now, they are interested in having the family all together."
AIC Hotel Group is also seeing guest counts "slightly elevated compared to prepandemic norms," said Tembe. While micro-weddings were common three or four years ago, today the typical guest count is 45 to 75.
Couples are increasingly viewing their wedding as a multiday experience for attendees, Tembe said.
"They want to maximize the investment, both their own and their guests', by complementing the ceremony with group activities and excursions," Tembe said. "They're inviting more guests as they are viewing destination weddings as both a celebration and a vacation experience."