The Most Budget-Friendly Caribbean Destinations For Hosting Your Dream Wedding, According To Reviews

The average cost of an American wedding is going up, raising from $29,000 in 2023 to $33,000 in 2024. It should come as no surprise then, that many couples are choosing to forgo the traditional, near-home ceremonies and receptions. Instead, many are opting for a place where they can get a bigger bang for their buck. In fact, nearly a quarter of weddings nowadays are destination weddings, with the Caribbean being one of the more popular spots among travel brides and grooms for their nuptials.

With its proximity to the East Coast of the United States and a reputation for having some of the most budget-friendly vacation destinations, the Caribbean is a no-brainer for a destination wedding on a budget. In the Caribbean, couples can spend less while also experiencing more. It also makes for a great excuse for family and friends to join their beloved couple in travel. But planning a destination wedding can definitely be complicated and overwhelming especially when narrowing down the destination options. But such is the beauty of the internet, and newlyweds of such weddings are more than happy to share their experience on platforms like Reddit, Wedding Wire, and Tripadvisor to dish on where exactly in the Caribbean you can organize a wallet-friendly destination wedding without too much of a hassle.

Aruba is one of those universally famous Caribbean islands with many dedicated wedding Reddit threads discussing venues with enthusiasm. One user even commented that getting married in Aruba was the best experience of their life! And as a former bride praised in a Wedding Wire review: "The island itself is a paradise. The pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and lush greenery provided the perfect backdrop for our ceremony and reception." That bride, who got married at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, sang the venue praises, naming impeccable wedding planning and secluded beach settings as highlights. Other brides agreed, with the venue receiving 4.9/5 total stars from happy couples on the site.

With an estimated $10,000 price tag for the reception and $2,500 for the ceremony at the Renaissance, that $15,000 budget might deplete really quickly, though. Alternatively, the Aruba Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino has a number of packages, some starting at $2,000. The trade off of holding your wedding in Aruba is that you may not be able to host a large number of guests, for the price you pay, however, it's still relatively budget-friendly for a smaller gathering, and the destination itself is a hands down stunner. From snorkeling to shipwrecks, sailing catamaran tours, or off-roading to natural blowholes, Aruba is one of the most beautiful and fun places to stay and an even better place to declare your love.

One of the more unique budget-friendly destinations to come up on Reddit was the "C" of the ABC Islands in the Caribbean: Curaçao. Curaçao is very much an up and coming destination that may require a little extra planning (one Redditer gave up trying to find an all-inclusive option since it seemed too few and far between), but if you choose this island, it's one of the most under-the-radar and price friendly of the bunch. One honeymooner on Tripadvisor said that Curaçao is highly recommended, mentioning that Avila Beach Hotel, one of the popular wedding venues on the island, was the perfect combination of activity during "the days/evenings, but without ever feeling cramped or overcrowded." This is the perfect metaphor for Curaçao itself — up and coming, lively with activity, but without the dense crowds (and therefore inflated prices) of other destinations.

Given Curaçao's burgeoning status as a destination, the options for wedding packages are increasing, making streamlined planning easier. Dreams Curaçao Resort and Spa, for instance, has several wedding packages, one of which includes up to 79 guests at just over $10,000, a great cost-per-guest. Many of Curaçao's resorts, like the aforementioned Avila Beach Hotel and Marriott Curacao Beach Resort specialize in intimate weddings, with comfortable, $3,000 price tags for about a dozen guests. The island also offers some unique destination offerings, like abseiling off the Queen Juliana Bridge or a Curaçao liqueur tasting to try the island's signature drink.

Destinations on Mexico's east coast are also fantastic budget-friendly options for a Caribbean wedding. While Cancún or Cozumel may immediately come to mind, brides and grooms on Reddit are actually looking to alternative Yucatán cities for better prices and smaller crowds. One Reddit user sang praises for the garden city of Mérida, one of the safest destinations in Mexico for a stress-free vacation, saying it was "an amazing place, people are SO kind, and there are some [amazing] venues, planners, and vendors there." Another user mentioned Playa del Carmen as a beachside spot where your money will go much further than other areas of Mexico, even. Both cities are relatively easy to get to with decent travel connectivity and international airports as well as a number of lodgings in the area if you opt for an off-resort wedding, like the ever-popular hacienda wedding.

Off-resort wedding prices at haciendas can vary, with the average wedding costing in the $30,000 range (but this is for up to 200 guests so don't get too phased just yet). Smaller weddings will cost less, but perhaps not as low as our $15,000 theoretical budget. Resorts, therefore are still the most wallet-friendly options in the Yucatán, like at Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort, just north of Cancún; their palatable price of $11,500 for 50-79 guests includes a cocktail hour and reception. The Yucatán as a destination has some incredibly interesting cultural activities like Mayan ruins expeditions or cenote tours for after-wedding exploration too.

Jamaica is another tried and true budget-friendly wedding destination in the Caribbean, as exemplified by this detailed budget breakdown destination wedding thread on Reddit. The original poster raved about the island's prices, saying that there was no way they could've gotten the same kind of wedding in their hometown of Kansas City for the budget as they did in Jamaica. For this poster, their wedding was perfect, and they didn't regret having a destination wedding at all. The island has a host of different resorts with varying wedding package options which makes it one of the more flexible (and industry established) destinations in the Caribbean.

Other Caribbean destinations on this list specialize in mostly intimate micro-weddings (with a micro price to match), and it could be difficult finding that same level of affordability for larger gatherings in the region. Some Jamaican resorts, though, are able to host larger ceremonies and parties. Breathless Montego Bay, for example, has venues that can seat up to 200 guests, with packages that begin at right around $12,000. Beware though, the higher the guest count, the larger the budget must become, so holding a wedding for multi-hundreds of people might bring you well beyond the targeted $15,000 budget. As one of the most visited islands of the Caribbean, Jamaica has a thriving tourist scene, and there's really no shortage of activity, whether water sports related or cultural, if you want to organize some fun, off-property excursions before or after your wedding as well.

The overwhelming favorite wedding destination in the Caribbean as named in the Affordable Destination Wedding Reddit thread was Dominican Republic. One poster highlighted the island's relatively inexpensive vendors for additional services, like photography and flowers, as a reason why the D.R. proved the most budget-friendly, while another commentor added that a friend of there's managed to save so much money having their wedding in DR that the couple was able to afford a second honeymoon in Europe. The island has easy connectivity to the mainland U.S., with even more flights coming after a 2024 open skies agreement, making travel logistics somewhat of a breeze for brides and grooms looking for a really easy, no-muss travel itinerary for them and their guests.

In Dominican Republic it's possible to stay well under the $15,000 wedding budget. Zoetry Agua Punta Cana, for instance, has an intimate, all-inclusive wedding package priced right at the $6,000 mark that can accommodate up to 25 guests. The resort also offers a number of on-site wedding venues that can house hundreds of guests for a bit more of an a la carte experience. This resort, as well as many others on the island, are kid-friendly as well, so your destination wedding can be a family-friendly all-inclusive experience in the Dominican Republic, if you're hoping to include kiddos. As for activities, DR has some of the best water sports, like wind surfing, available as well as fantastic golfing options at the resorts.

Theorizing a budget of $15,000 and under, I dove into the internet rabbit hole, to find out fan favorite destinations, the best wedding-friendly accommodations, and islands with the best activities to compliment a wedding adventure. As a once-a-quarter traveler to the Caribbean, I've become intimately aware of what the islands have to offer, and how each destination excels in their own way. Coupled with dossier of weddings witnessed on the islands, I scoured half a dozen Reddit Boards, common wedding planning sites like Wedding Wire and Destify, and other travel sites like TripAdvisor, to bring you the best of what the Caribbean has to offer for your dream destination wedding.