Same-gender marriage has been legal in parts of North America since 2003 (yay, Ontario, Canada!). The last holdout in the United States, Canada and Mexico—Tamaulipas state in Mexico—legalized it in 2022.
Rights are nice—we’ll take ’em. But they’re not everything. What if you want a spectacular wedding celebration, planned with people who really get you? Just because the law allows you to tie the knot doesn’t mean everybody you need to make it happen agrees that love is love is love.
We’ve picked 10 North American destinations that are perfect for a same-gender wedding. Our criteria? Firstly, there has to be some beauty, natural or urban, that makes for excellent photo ops. That means coastal communities tend to dominate our list.
Secondly, there has to be a local wedding planner who’s not only LGBTQ2S+-friendly (so many are these days) but is also queer themselves, or who goes out of their way to woo LGBTQ2S+ clients. A great planner is imperative, especially for a destination wedding. They can make sure all the other service providers deliver on your wedding vision, and save you from having to do any screening for homophobia, transphobia or bad attitudes.
And thirdly, there has to be a wedding photographer, a local or someone who can easily whisk in to respectfully capture your special day the way you want it captured.
So from west to east, here are our picks for same-gender wedding destinations.
Hawaii
With same-gender marriage court cases kinda-sorta legalizing queer marriage for a while back in the 1990s (it’s complicated), the state has a long history of being an ideal LGBTQ2S+ wedding destination. Hell, Hawaii—with that fantastic coastline and so many beautiful traditions that can be integrated into the proceedings—is a dream wedding destination even for straight people.
THE PLANNER: Founders Zabrina, Ipo and the team at queer- and Kanaka-owned The Gay Agenda Collective know exactly how to integrate personal interests and themes (from tattoos to desserts) into any event to make it memorable. Their sustainable approach to weddings means less waste and a smaller environmental impact.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Jenna Lee, based in Waikiki, knows how to throw a dash of adventure or camp into otherwise elegant shots.
Pacific Northwest
With the mountains, ocean and wine country nearby, there are lots of picturesque spots in Oregon and Washington to provide backdrops for playful wedding-day photos. If you want to wear quirky attire (get married in your cosplay outfits?) or customize your vows, nobody will blink an eye—this is the relaxed West Coast.
THE PLANNERS: Cindy Savage at Aisle Less Traveled describes herself as “your queer, fat, feminist wedding fairy godplanner.” Based in Seattle, she’s guided highly personalized weddings all over the Pacific Northwest. With Savage, “weirdo” is a compliment.
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kate Thompson has a way with light; she can make the formal look relaxed and the bohemian look classic. Landon Hawkins will help drag all your worldly possessions out into the rainforest if it means getting a good photo.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco is so well known for its unapologetic LGBTQ2S+ culture and nightlife that it’s easy to forget it’s wedged between the Pacific Ocean and a beautiful bay—the spectacular geography is one of the reasons queers love it. And there’s so much to do—you’ll want to spend your honeymoon here once the vows have been said and the cake has been cut.
THE PLANNERS: As you would expect, one of the world’s gayest cities has an array of queer-lovin’ planners who promise nuptials as unique as you are. Here Comes the Pride, Make it Mariko and Lily Spruce have worked with tons of same-gender couples.
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS: D and Meg at River and Root Photography are a trans/nonbinary and queer duo who promise radical inclusivity: “All bodies deserve to feel comfortable, capable and celebrated.”
Palm Springs, California
You don’t always need an ocean or river view to get some dramatic backdrops. This desert oasis, with all its mid-century modern architecture, looks great on film or social media. The only headache will be in choosing a venue from among the many gorgeous properties. Some of the smaller resorts might be perfect for a total takeover.
THE PLANNER: Stacey Jones is a much-praised planner who knows how to bend the key vendors to her will. Set chic expectations and you’ll have them met.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Gay photographer Henry Tieu takes pictures that look like film stills from an adventure movie.
Dallas, Texas
Though perhaps the least beautiful of the destinations on our list, geographically speaking, what Dallas lacks in water views it makes up for with charisma and energy. And why should someone have to go all the way to the coast to celebrate their special day? If you want a big wedding and a party that makes a big impact, Texas is a place where size truly matters.
THE PLANNER: Sure, Fit and Fab Weddings occasionally works with straight people, but their work with same-gender couples is their claim to fame. Their clients love them for what they can do on a range of budgets.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: You want drama? Michael Bush has got the drama.
Yucatan, Mexico
With a beautiful coast and stylish venues, including restored haciendas, Mexico’s Yucatan region is an ideal spot for a sunny destination wedding. And the food! The international flights through Cancún are excellent, but Mérida, with its rich culture and historic colonial architecture, is the more romantic choice.
THE PLANNER: Karimm Barquet at KB Event Agency works with foreigners as well as locals, so he knows what extra steps are needed when planning a wedding in a place where you don’t live.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Mexico City–based Laura Patricia Alvarez brings a distinctly queer eye to even the most staid traditions, though she can also take shots that your moms will love.
New York City, New York
Getting married in New York City suggests that you’re a powerful couple who knows their worth and wants to show the world how fabulous they are. Mountains, shmountains—your ideal wedding is supplied by just the right names and takes place at just the right address. The honeymoon can be non-stop Broadway shows.
THE PLANNER: Gay and Jewish, Jason Mitchell Kahn doesn’t try to put his couples in a box—he’s not into titles, like the whole “mister and mister” thing. Yet jaws will still be dropping over how everything worked out so perfectly.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Susan Stripling wants your wedding photos to be unique, intentional and beyond cliché, but damn, she’ll still make you look glamorous.
Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Florida’s gayest coast strikes a perfect balance between flashy and relaxed. The beach is right there, but it’s not a sleepy resort town. Your wedding will have a different tone depending on whether you pick South Beach, Miami Beach or Fort Lauderdale as your place to do the deed. Maybe not for granola types, the Miami area is for those who love bling.
THE PLANNER: Queer woman–owned Gina Marie Weddings & Events, located in Fort Lauderdale (can this get any gayer?), boasts about their expertise at tailoring the proceedings to the individual tastes of each couple.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Florida-based Djamel is a French-American photographer who is always looking to capture that timeless shot.
Provincetown, Massachusetts
For a summertime experience away from it all, Provincetown is an ideal place for a sweet, charming, friend-oriented wedding. No traffic jams to make you late, nor a long list of caterers to agonize over, its small size (fewer than 3,000 permanent residents) will make your wedding stress free. Get married barefoot, right on the sand.
THE PLANNERS: For something as informal as this can be, do you need a planner? Lucinda Graham at gay-friendly Weddings by Design is an officiant who can preside over your “I dos.” Or invite Boston-based Contagious Events to come to your rescue.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Mikhail Glabets has photographed more than 60 LGBTQ2S+ weddings in Provincetown, and he can even provide tips on venues and how to do the paperwork.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
The landscape is stunning, the city historic. You can get married on a waterfront where new arrivals (and these days cruise ship passengers) have been stepping ashore for centuries. Or in a historic fortress or a welcoming church. Out on Canada’s east coast, there are fewer pretensions; you don’t have to show off to show how much you love someone. Nova Scotia bonus: kilts are often part of the wedding wardrobe.
THE PLANNERS: Atlantic Canadians tend to be frugal when it comes to big celebrations—why blow it all on a wedding when you can blow it on a car or a house? Happily Hitched Halifax is a micro wedding and elopement venue. They’ve got three different one-stop-shopping packages, the fanciest one including the use of a ceremony space for 90 minutes, an officiant, a professional photographer, and bubbly and cake, all for a very nice price.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Shannon May, based in New Brunswick, is a Rainbow Registered photographer, who loves to tell stories in images.
