Planning a destination wedding? These are the safest countries to get married abroad
Safety is one thing you don't want to worry about on your wedding day.
Mark
A new study has ranked the countries where it’s safest for same-sex couples to marry. Although several studies have identified the safest countries in the world when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, this new study looks only at the 39 countries where same-sex marriage is legal.
Destination weddings are big business. Around half of LGBTQ couples in the US say they “consider their wedding a destination affair”, according to research undertaken by The Knot. For US couples (gay and straight), the most popular destinations to wed abroad are Mexico, Italy, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, France, and Costa Rica.
Unsurprisingly, neither Jamaica nor the Dominican Republic features on this list as same-sex marriage is illegal in both countries.
Researchers at wedding planners Destify crunched data, including the recent LGBTQ+ World Equality Index and the number of rights specifically afforded to queer people in each country, to come up with this ranking.
Pack your bags, we’re going on an adventure
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the best LGBTQ+ travel guides, stories, and more.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
Topping this list is Spain, where gay marriages have been legal for the last 20 years, and 85% of locals say they feel safe being openly LGBTQ+. Popular Spanish locations for tying the knot include the Balearic Islands, Barcelona, and Seville.
This was followed by Iceland. Sure, it’s a less common destination for a wedding, but same-sex couples will nevertheless feel welcome and safe in the land of fire and ice.
“We’ve planned over a thousand weddings and have seen firsthand how transformative Iceland can be for queer couples,” Hannes Sasi, co-owner of Pink Iceland told GayCities. “Safety here isn’t just legal, it’s cultural, and it’s felt. We sometimes even see the moment couples realize they’re safe and celebrated when they start to breathe easier, stand taller, and show affection without hesitation. Many have never experienced that before.”
Coming in third, and the highest-ranked North American destination, was Canada – one of the easiest destinations for citizens of the United States to visit. Nature lovers adore areas such as Banff and Lake Louise, while Whistler is popular for snowy, winter weddings.
But what about the United States and that wedding hotspot, Mexico? Well, following recent legislative changes, the US found itself at 19 on the list, followed by Mexico at 20. The United Kingdom placed even lower, at 27.
Only a couple of Asian countries recognize same-sex weddings. Those are Thailand and Taiwan. They rank 33 and 37 on the list, respectively, as despite advances on relationship recognition, both lack LGBTQ+ rights in other areas.
The full ranking is below.
- Spain
- Iceland
- Canada
- Denmark
- Norway
- Chile
- Germany
- Australia
- Portugal
- Belgium
- Argentina
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Uruguay
- Brazil
- Malta
- Sweden
- France
- United States
- Mexico
- Finland
- Ireland
- South Africa
- Austria
- Colombia
- Cuba
- United Kingdom
- Andorra
- Luxembourg
- Ecuador
- Greece
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Estonia
- Costa Rica
- Slovenia
- Taiwan
- Nepal
- Liechtenstein
Of course, we’re sure that any of the countries on the list offer amazing destinations to get hitched, and remain preferable to the more than 100 countries that don’t recognize same-sex marriage.
It’s also worth pointing out that some couples choose to have a legal ceremony in the US before jetting off for a symbolic ceremony elsewhere. This might include a country where gay marriage is not recognized, but which remains dear to the couple’s heart.
Related
Seven gay, married couples share their honeymoon travel adventures
Same-sex couples giving us travel lust and relationship goals.
Join the GayCities newsletter for weekly updates on the best LGBTQ+ destinations and events—nearby and around the world.
