wedding and travel

Destify Destination Weddings

Say  I Do  in paradise

Say goodbye to wedding stress! We specialize in destination weddings, making it simple and easy to bring your loved ones together in paradise. Let our experts find the perfect venue, navigate travel logistics, and create a seamless experience for everyone.

What We Offer

Lowest rates guaranteed.

We’re able to provide the lowest room rates at the time of booking your travel and room accommodations, backed with a price-match guarantee ( restrictions apply* ).

Agency Service Without The Fees

Our services are easy and truly free. Resorts compensate us for bookings, and we invest in a better experience for our customers. Everyone wins!

Award-Winning, US-Based Experts

Not an off-shore call center. We offer exclusive, personalized service from professional, responsive destination wedding experts.

Customizable Wedding Website

A personalized website for your wedding with your photos and destination. Guests will be able to find deposit options, booking info, and payment plans there.

Why Destify?

Want to know why Destify is the best and simplest option for planning your destination wedding? Click the button to download our new guide instantly:

Let Destify Book Your Destination Wedding

If you’re just starting out, we’ll help you narrow down a destination and choose among hundreds of different resort options, based on your preferences, current sales, and group discounts.

We work directly with wedding coordinators, wedding planning teams, and sales managers for every hotel we sell. We’ll help you lock in your wedding date, pick the venue, and select affordable destination wedding packages based on your budget.

We will take care of the airfare, accommodations, and transportation for all of your guests, regardless of where they’re traveling from or how long they’re staying.

We’re available to assist with any questions or issues any time before, during, and after your trip. A 24-hour emergency support line is available for immediate help.

Your Path to

Discover Your Dream Destination Venue

Choose from beautiful locations and resorts to determine the best place to host your wedding.

Confirm Wedding and Room Reservation

We’ll verify and confirm your wedding date is available and introduce you to your on-site wedding team.

Meet Your Support Team

With Destify you’ll have support every step of the way, they’ll coordinate your board and travel and all of your guests as well.

Explore Your Wedding Tools

With our wedding tools, you’ll have a custom website, RSVP tracker, guest reservation details and so much more.

Finalize Wedding Details

Now it’s time to start planning your wedding! It’s easy to confirm your wedding decor, final payments, and everything in between all in one place.

Prepare for Travel

Input your final flight information and your Destify concierge team will assist you and your guests in a stress-free travel experience, available 24/7.

Say I do! You’ll meet with your wedding team on-site 2-3 days prior to your wedding and we’ll be ready to assist travel home after you enjoy your destination wedding.

Our Popular Wedding Destinations

Ideal for all groups! Convenient flights, consistently great food and service, and the most options available to build a destination wedding to fit any budget.

Caribbean Islands

Marry nature with modern luxury with settings ranging from tropical jungles, coral-strewn beaches, waterfalls, volcanoes, to mountains.

With its stunning natural landscapes and vibrant culture, Colombia offers couples an unforgettable backdrop for their big day.

Laid-back tropical vibes encapsulate the spirit of "All Right." Lavish properties and excursions are abound — from beautiful bubbling waterfalls to private catamaran tours.

Ideal for experienced travelers looking for nature-based adventure — from the rainforest to volcanoes. We recommend a longer stay due to travel time.

Dominican Republic

Ideal for value-minded beach lovers who cherish quality downtime. Relaxing at the sprawling resorts is often the focus in this laid-back paradise.

The best of both worlds, featuring casinos, restaurants, and nightclubs on one end… and tropical jungles, ancient landmarks, and immaculate beaches on the other.

Over the past five years we have booked  over five thousand  destination weddings to Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Costa Rica, and many other destinations.

Testimonials

Client Reviews

See Their Story

Jasmeka and Sylvester

Jherricka and Tye

Robin and Daniel

We’ve helped thousands of couples!

from WeddingWire Reviews

“Destify was incredibly helpful for me and my fiancé. In just one week, she helped us make more progress than we had managed in months on our own. We simply told her our preferred location, wedding size, and price range, and she provided us with various options to choose from. This made the process so much easier, saving us from having to research everything ourselves and become overwhelmed!”

– Shade B. 5/24

from Google Reviews

“Our wedding planner was exceptional. Our experience was great. The wedding dinner was so good and the resort was beautiful. We had about 70 guests stay at the same resort and everybody enjoyed their stay! Thank you”

– Mona A. 6/24

“On our initial call, I explained my dream destination wedding and she was quick to find a few to send over briefly after our phone call. She knew just what I wanted; I fell in love with one of the locations sent over (her one and only email she had to send over!). She was always available and super helpful/ informative. Total amount of time it took from the moment I was on destify to the moment I reserved my dream destination wedding within a week!”

– Destinee A. 1/24

from The Knot Reviews

“I did not even know where to start when planning a destination wedding. I am very limited on planning time due to being in grad school and I am so glad I found Destify. I worked with Gabby who was absolutely amazing! She constructs a list of resorts that meet what you are looking for after a short phone call with her. She offered to send a whole new list of resorts if we did not like any in the first set. She was always available for a phone call and responded to emails so fast. She did all of the initial communication with the resort and sends you all the information about resorts to help you narrow down your top resort! Once in contact with the resort, they pretty much do all the heavy lifting for you. If you are questioning going through Destify… DO IT!”

– Olivia F. 7/24

“Destify has made booking my destination wedding, extremely quick and easy. From the get-go, Gabby was able to find me exactly what I was looking for when all I knew was that I wanted a “Jungle Wedding”. Then Jean has been a huge help when my guests decided they wanted to add rooms/change their RSVP. He was quick, and ever-so polite. Lastly, Kelly has given me constant, amazing help every time something seemed to go wrong. I’m so thankful to have had this team assist me, and highly recommend them and this company to anyone who is even toying with the idea of a destination wedding.”

– Shannon A. 6/24

“Alison… WOW! She has been such a huge help with booking our dream destination wedding. Has helped me look and research several hotels until we found the perfect one. I can’t recommend them enough. My wedding website is up and ready for my guest to book their travels !! 10/10”

– Nicole C. 2/23

“Our experience with Destify has been extremely positive. Michelle has been so helpful with helping us select a location, date, and resort that worked for us. She really took time to understand what it is we wanted for our wedding and made sure that the resort matched exactly what we were looking for. Her communication over email has been fantastic and she has been very patient with us after we have changed our minds last-minute on the resort. I was very surprised to hear their services were free given the amount that they assisted with, and has helped us save money on hiring an actual wedding planner to book everything. Would definitely recommend Destify to anyone who is planning a destination wedding.”

– Kimberly M. 6/24

“Destify really made our 20 year wedding vow renewal planning smooth, easy to communicate with & it turned out amazing! I would recommend Destify to all who’s planning for a destination wedding. Thank you Destify!!! ❤️”

– Cheryl M. 6/24

“Alison with Destify has been an absolute dream to work with! I had reached out to four other companies about wedding packages before finding Destify and Alison answered all of my questions within a 15 minute phone conversation that I couldn’t get answered from other companies within weeks of phone calls and emails. Not only did she email me updates but she would text me as well so I could be as informed of the process as possible. Any questions I have had since booking with Destify she has been right there to answer them and even fielded the questions the resort had when I was out of town for a funeral. I would recommend Destify to anyone especially if you are planning a destination wedding!”

– Shelby A. 6/24

24 E. Washington St. Suite 875 Chicago, IL 60602

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

(800) 792-6898

SOCIAL MEDIA

JOIN OUR WEDDING NEWSLETTER

Next keyboard_arrow_right

Copyright © 2024. Iowa #1190 California #2117614-40 Florida #39458 Washington #603591447

Hurry - these wedding specials are going fast!🌴 Destination wedding savings

• Destinations
• Testimonials

Want to talk?

Plan Your Dream Travel Wedding

Whether you choose a romantic ceremony for two or an opulent celebration for 200 of your closest friends and family members, the memories of your travel wedding will live on for years to come. Why not treat you and your guests to a wedding paradise with white-sand beaches and crystal clear waters? Or, choose to have your ceremony overlook breathtaking mountain vistas or inside impeccably manicured gardens.

At TravelWedding.com, we believe that the location should be as special and unique as the love that’s being celebrated. We are a group of experienced wedding coordinators who specialize in destination weddings and as such, we strive to provide our clients with uniquely personalized wedding packages designed to satisfy your specific desires.

Trust Our Travel Wedding Experts

Relieve the stress of planning your wedding and take comfort in the security of our many years of expertise as we take you through the planning process and make all of the travel arrangements for you and your guests. Our luxury resorts offer packages for small and intimate weddings, or packages for larger wedding parties specifically designed to cater to your guests’ needs.

We strive to exceed your expectations in providing you with an exceptionally exquisite travel wedding at an affordable cost. This is your special day. Let us help you make it into one you and your guests will never forget.

*Photo credit by Phil Steingard of photophil.ca

Fill out your information below and one of our friendly wedding experts will give you call. We'll help you start planning your dream destination wedding, no strings attached.

• First Name *
• Last Name *
• Email Address *
• Phone Number * - -
• [email protected]
• 613-731-1111
• www.facebook.com/yourtravelwedding
• www.pinterest.com/travelwedding

Copyright © 2024 · Log in

We are an award winning Travel agency dedicated to helping you find the perfect resort, wedding venue, wedding packages, and the best possible room rates.

Top Destination Wedding LOCATIONS

Riviera maya, how it works.

GET IN TOUCH! Book a free consultation and we'll chat about how we can make your dream destination wedding come true.

FIND YOUR PERFECT SPOT We'll work together to find the perfect location based on your budget, your vision and your group.

BOOK YOUR WEDDING AND SEND INVITES We’ll help you save the date with the hotel, get the best room rates and concessions. We'll set up a personalised wedding website for you and your guests.

BOOK TRAVEL Your guests can book their travel on your site. Our team is available to answer questions, and take care of their travel from start to finish.

EVERYTHING ELSE We’ll put you in touch with the best vendors, help plan custom excursions, and keep your group happy! We'll hold your hand until your big day… (and afterward, too, please keep in touch!)

We save you time and money

Our services are FREE OF CHARGE for the wedding couple and their guests. We are compensated by the tour operators and other services we book. This comes at no extra cost and we strive to always offer the best.

Wedding Planning

We work with you to find the best resort based on your vision, your price point, and venue preferences.

Rate negotiation & Room Booking

We negotiate group rates, perks, and coordinate your group's travel needs. We'll build you a wedding website to ease the process.

Site Inspection

Want to come and visit a few resorts? We will help schedule appointments with the wedding teams, pick you up at your resort and accompany you on the site visit to help with any questions.

Onsite and Local Help

If you are in the Cancun area, we are happy to meet in person when you arrive and can help with any other local needs such as tours, decor or referrals.

Top All Inclusive Resorts for Destination Weddings

Secrets akumal riviera maya, the fives beach hotel & residences, dreams natura, trs coral costa mujeres, atelier playa mujeres, dreams los cabos, destination wedding inspiration, complete guide to ava resort cancun weddings 2025, do i need to hire a destination wedding planner for my all-inclusive resort wedding, the complete guide to armony luxury resort weddings, 60 awesome beach wedding ideas for an unforgettable big day.

BENEFITS OF USING OUR SERVICES

• NO FEES for finding and booking the perfect resort.
• AWARD WINNING AGENTS Most knowledgeable and best trained agents in the industry
• LOCAL EXPERTS with thorough knowledge of the Mexico area and personal relationships with the resort wedding teams
• FREE WEDDING WEBSITE and online tools for you and your guests
• ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES such as complimentary rooms, Hola Cash Back, personalized maracas, tour discounts and more!

Customer Feedback

Our special offers, free bridal + $500 towards wedding bill.

Book the qualified number of room nights and we will pay for your bridal suite + give you cash towards your wedding bill.

* Terms and Conditions apply.

Secrets Moxché

Save up to usd 1,700.

Book the qualified number of room nights and save up to USD 1,700. Use them to pay for the Bridal Suite, a Spa Package, or the exclusive and private wedding Rooftop*

*Terms and conditions apply

Get Updates & More

Subscribe to our wedding newsletter and stay up to date with the best offers.

We are a team of dedicated, passionate travel experts that understand just how important your destination wedding is. Our job is to make your destination wedding planning EASY. Just get in touch!

Quick Links

We are a team of dedicated, passionate travel experts that understand just how important your destination wedding is. Our job is to make your destination wedding planning EASY.

[email protected]

+1 888 472 7077

Copyright 2021 © All rights Reserved.

Mon - Fri: 9:00 - 17:00 Central Time

Welcome Back!

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up

Savvy Travel Advice

Inspiration for Your Travel Themed Wedding or Destination Wedding

Last updated: June 14, 2024 - Written by Jessica Norah 106 Comments

Planning a travel themed wedding? The goal of this article is to provide inspiration for couples planning a travel inspired wedding or destination wedding.

I guess you could say that Laurence and I had a travel-themed wedding although it was more of a destination wedding. We legally married at sea aboard the RMS Queen Mary 2 in the Atlantic Ocean. Then we had a small ceremony in Venice Italy for family and friends to celebrate our wedding in Venice .

Even though we did not have the most traditional wedding ceremony or reception, I spent quite a bit of time online researching awesome travel themed wedding items and ideas about ways a couple could incorporate their wanderlust and love of travel into their wedding ceremony and wedding reception.

We’ve put together a list of over 100 items that we think would be perfect for a travel-themed wedding. These include travel themed wedding invitations, wedding rings, wedding decorations, table place cards, cake toppers, DIY ideas, wedding favor gifts, and more!

Many of our recommendations are focused on handmade items and unique products that can be customized to fit the style of any wedding couple. We include items that should fit just about any type of wedding and suit any wedding budget.

We have physically reviewed many of these items and hope you enjoy this list of wonderful travel themed wedding items. We hope it inspires you and gives you plenty of ideas for your own travel themed wedding!

Table of Contents:

100+ Ideas for a Travel Themed Wedding

In 2015, one survey of American wedding couples found that approximately 21% have a destination wedding of some sort, whether domestically or internationally. The study found that there are more than 350,000 destination weddings each year, 77% of which take place in the continental US and 23% at international destinations with the Caribbean and Mexico being the two most popular destinations.

However, not all couples want or can have a destination wedding, but many still want to incorporate their love of travel into their wedding celebration. You don’t have to have a destination wedding to fill your marriage celebration with travel inspired touches. 

So we are sharing over 100 products we found during our search that we thought would be perfect for a travel themed wedding or a destination wedding. These simple travel themed wedding decorations can help transport your guests to another land, and make them feel like they’re on holiday, even if they are still in their hometown.

I got truly interested in the topic of how to incorporate elements of travel into one’s wedding after we decided to get customized engagement/wedding rings with a strong travel element.  Many of the items on this list we physically reviewed. Some were items we purchased or received as gifts, and others were given to us by artists for review. Other products are just ones I loved when researching travel themed weddings online.

The majority of the items included on our list are handmade or hand customized items, made by a single artist, family, or a small business. Many of these items are truly unique and the majority can be customized to include elements that are special to you.

Note that most wedding items are marketed towards heterosexual couples with bride/groom and his/her versions. However, given that most of our recommended items can be personalized, most artists are happy to adjust wording/colors/features to suit a gay wedding, civil union, nonbinary couple, etc. Just message them to ask!

We know that many people, like us, want to try to support local businesses when we can, and with Etsy it is easy to find products that are made in one’s own country. We share items that are made worldwide, with a large number of products produced in the USA, Canada, and the UK. But we also include items made by artists in Australia, the Ukraine, France, India, Brazil, Israel, etc. 

When shopping, we recommend ordering items well before you need them for the wedding. Personalized and custom orders will take longer to make and international shipping times can be slow.

Although we chose these items specifically for a travel themed wedding, many of these items will also work for travel themed bridal showers, bon voyage parties, birthday parties, baby showers, engagement parties, wedding couple gifts, and just as general travel-related gifts.

There are so many possible ways to incorporate travel elements into your wedding, and we have tried to cover a variety of items from cake toppers to wedding invitations to wedding favors to wedding jewelry. We also tried to include items that fit a number of budgets and types of weddings. 

We hope that this list helps inspire you to incorporate some element of your own wanderlust into your upcoming wedding or party! 

Let’s get started!

Travel Themed Wedding Invitations & Save the Date Cards

Let your guests know that there will be a travel theme for the wedding from the beginning, with your travel themed wedding invitations and Save the Date cards. Get your guests excited by sending them something like a passport or boarding pass inspired wedding invite.

Most also offer other wedding stationery so you can also get matching menus, table place cards, thank you cards, etc. if you find a design you really love!

Just note when shopping for wedding invitations, the initial fee is normally the design fee which pays for the designer’s time to customize and tailor the invites to fit the look you want. Then there is normally a separate fee for the printing and shipping of the needed number of invites.

Below are some great travel-inspired options to get your imagination going.

Boarding Pass Wedding Invitation

These customizable destination-specific wedding invitations will get your guests super excited for your big day. The set includes a boarding pass inspired invite plus RSVP card. You can also add a matching Save the Date card to your order. You can customize them for any destination you want.

The Canada based designer works with you on all the final details to ensure your stationery is perfect for you! See lots of wedding stationery options in their Party Glamour Shop .

World Map Wedding Invitations

Impress your guests with these wanderlust-inducing world map wedding invitations . Featuring a patterned map border and a soaring airplane at the top of your wedding announcement, you can choose from 6 map designs to introduce your big day.

Invitation sets include the main invite with A7 envelope, a details card, and a RSVP card with an A1 envelope. Globe shaped design pockets can also be added.

See more travel-themed invitation designs and wedding accessories from Momentous Boutique here .

Starfish Hessian Wedding Invitations

These gorgeous handmade starfish beach invitations which are paired with a flip flop shaped RSVP card are a perfect addition for those of you planning a beach wedding. They are fully customizable in terms of color, font, and design allowing you the ultimate flexibility to create something you truly love.

Check out the Wedding Pod’s other designs and sweet wedding favors here .

Cruise Wedding Invitations

Having gotten married out at sea ourselves, we are huge fans of these cruise ship boarding pass wedding invitations ! It’s all about the little details with the cut-out notches and the perforated top – it almost looks like the real deal!

Each set includes a fully customized boarding pass printed on heavy white cardstock, a ticket sleeve with nautical knot pattern, 1 luggage tag inspired RSVP card with return envelope, and exterior mailing envelope.

You can explore more of The Stylish Scribe’s designs here .

Passport Invitations

I bet your wedding guests have never seen an invitation quite like this! These 2, 6 or 10 page passport invitations are fully customizable, affordable, and will suit every couple’s style & individuality. Made with premium semi-gloss or matte pages, they bring a modern alternative to traditional destination wedding invitations.

Based in Canada, Brian & Jacquie have some other pretty unique wedding invitations on offer at the Empire Invites shop .

Self Print Travel Wedding Invites & Save the Dates

These self-print boarding pass inspired wedding invites and travel-themed custom photo save the date cards are perfect for those who are looking for a more budget-friendly option. Price includes customization, proofing, and the print-ready files that come ready for printing at home or a local printshop.

These invites are great for those who have access to high-quality printing or for those who are planning to send their invites or save the dates electronically via email. 

We did a custom design with Sameeha and it turned out fantastic. You can see more invite designs in Sameeha’s Store here .  

Travel Themed Engagement or Wedding Rings

Has your mutual love for travel played a big part in your relationship? Travel themed engagement and wedding rings are the perfect way to symbolize and celebrate your love for each other and for the world you have explored together.

Capture the exact location you got engaged with a beautiful coordinates ring, or honor your hometown with interlocking coastline or mountain rings. We have included some really unique options to choose from below that are sure to showcase your shared love for travel.

World Map Cutout Ring

This 14K gold map ring features the continents attached to two solid gold bands giving it a unique look. The ring is available in yellow, white, or rose 14k. The ring has been designed with extra gold to be stronger and more durable to be worn as an engagement ring.

The handmade world map ring is also available in less expensive designs and metals for those with a smaller budget, although these may be less suitable for a daily wear engagement ring. See more world map ring designs in Layla’s online shop .

Interlocking Custom Coastline or Mountain Rings

This beautiful two-part platinum interlocking coastline ring is handmade to show off the outline of your favorite coastline—it doesn’t get much more unique than that! It is the perfect wedding ring to celebrate a special holiday, country of birth, or a location you will never forget.

Or if you are more of a mountain person than a water person, they also have an interlocking mountain ring where you can have a ring designed with the outline of your favorite mountain or mountain range.

You’ll be given the opportunity to choose your coastline or mountain range by specifying a place name, or stretch between two points once you’ve added the ring to your shopping cart. If you and your partner share a favorite place, you might consider getting matching rings.

You can find more of Hannah Louise Lamb’s work here .

Gold Coordinates Ring

Capture your favorite location with this thin 14 K sold yellow gold ring stamped with your custom coordinates. This personalized wedding ring measures 2mm in width and is 1.25 mm thick, so it is very thin and is perfect for stacking, so you can add to it when more of life’s big moments come knocking.

Anna Ourth has a whole selection of customizable rings and jewelry, click here to see more.

Joint Map Gold Rings

Unite through your love for travel with this pair of 18k white gold world map rings . One ring covers the northern hemisphere and one depicts the southern hemisphere. Only when you join both rings can you can see the complete map. One ring includes a 1.70mm diamond.

The ring set is available in white gold, rose gold, or yellow gold. Personalization is possible.

These unique wedding rings are made in Spain and you can see a large selection of jewelry by Pepe Dry .

Titanium Laser-Etched World Map Rings

This unisex titanium map ring has been laser cut with a world map design. This is repeated 3 times around the ring. The intricate map details are laser etched with a very high power laser and these are the most detailed world map rings we’ve ever seen. The inside of the rings can also be engraved.

Laurence and I purchased a custom version of this ring as our own engagement and wedding rings!

There are many other laser designs available, including custom requests. Fingerprints and photos can also be lasered onto the rings. See more ring designs by Bruce at Boone Rings .

Travel Themed Ring Pillows & Boxes

Once you have your wedding rings picked out, you need to think about how you want to store and present them on your wedding day. Your wedding rings are front and center at your ceremony so it’s important to make sure they arrive safely.

Not only do ring pillows and boxes act as a stylish way of holding your new jewelry as you walk down the aisle, but they can also be used as a lovely keepsake to remember your big day after the wedding.

Personalized Wedding Ring Box

This engraved ring box is inspired by the Disney-Pixar film Up and designed for a couple who are ready for their next big adventure. The engraved wooden box has a magnetic seal and features a pretty balloon design and quote from the film. It can hold two rings with the felt and ribbon included. You can choose from 5 colored felt inserts.

Laura can also do custom designs and has some great bespoke engraved and printed designs in her UK-based store .

Travel Themed Wedding Ring Pillow

If you want to take this travel theme to the next level, it all comes down to the little details. This ivory satin ring bearer pillow could be a lovely addition to your wedding ceremony with its airplanes and customizable travel signpost.

You can personalize it with your name and wedding date, change the colors, or even order a matching guest book. You can find more options in Sandrine’s Porte Alliance store here .

Beach Wedding Ring Box

Fill this beautiful wooden ring box with sand from your favorite beach, or use the sand from the beach you will be getting married at! When you open up this tiny treasure chest, you’ll find a customizable color heart, where Renee can write your initials or the date of your big day in vinyl writing. The box itself measures 2.36″ x 2.36″ x 3.54″.

What an amazing keepsake box and one that will look fantastic in wedding photos as well!  See Renee’s full set of offerings here .

Travel Themed Bridal Wedding Jewelry

Jewelry is a great way to show off one’s love of travel. This can be done in an obvious way or in a more discreet fashion. There are a lot of travel-themed jewelry options out there and for a wedding we recommend thinking about necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.

Below are some ideas to give you some inspiration, but if you don’t find something you love, take a look at our giant travel jewelry guide for more options.

Earth Bead Necklace

This sapphire blue earth necklace is perfect for the bride who needs a little “something blue” during her wedding. The necklace features a small round sapphire blue Czech glass bead, antique pewter charm, and silver plated chain. The globe charm can be purchased alone or with the chain.

This store has a large selection of travel-themed jewelry and charms, including other globe designs, and you can see more at Evelyn Mae Creations .

World Map Necklace

This handmade world map necklace features multiple hand cut pieces joined together to create a world map design. The necklace and chain is made from sterling silver or 14K filled yellow or rose gold. Personalization is also possible.

You can see more travel related jewelry at Ivy’s shop Ivy By Design .

Compass Rose Necklace

This dainty compass rose necklace has a small sterling silver charm and chain. Perfect for the bride who prefers small and more discreet jewelry, and great for everyday wear.

The necklace comes with gift packaging so is perfect for gift giving and would also make good bridesmaid gifts. You can see more jewelry by Efy Tal here .

Pandora World Map Pendant

This globe pendant charm is made by Pandora is made of sterling silver and features 23 bead-set clear cubic zirconia and shimmering blue enamel. Can be worn on a necklace or charm bracelet. Another option for a bride looking for “something blue”.

See more Pandora charms and jewelry here .

Airplane Gold Earrings

These tiny gold statement earrings are shaped like airplanes and made of 18K gold. These dainty earrings are a great way to show off one’s travel love in an elegant way.

See more fashion and fine jewelry designed by NYC-based Carleen  here .

Sterling Silver Country or State Earrings

These solid sterling silver stud earrings are cut in the shape of Australia and show a heart being cutout over Sydney, but almost any country, U.S. state, or continent is possible. These earrings are available in two sizes (standard and petite) and the heart location can be moved (or removed)! Also available in 14K gold as well.

See more state and country jewelry at Tanya and her husband’s store The Hometown Haven .

Gold World Map Cuff

This wide metal cuff contains a laser cut-out of the world map. Available in 24K gold plated or rhodium plated brass. The bracelet is designed to fit almost any arm.

A beautiful cuff for a globetrotter with a fine taste in jewelry. See more Christina Ramella bracelets here .

Bohemian Silk Wrap Bracelets

If you are having a more rustic or bohemian wedding, these silk wrap bracelets may be a great fit. Each bracelet is made with a hand-stamped aluminum tag that is then attached to a multi-colored handy dyed silk ribbon. This one says “Wanderlust” but the ribbon color and wording on the tag can be customized to say anything you want.

Great for any bohemian bride and these can be customized to include any word, name, coordinates, or phrase you wish. See more colorful wrap bracelets by Mystique Sieraden here .

Travel Themed Cufflinks

If you are thinking of a way to show off a groom’s love of travel, cufflinks can be a great way to do it. Cufflink styles vary from elegant to playful and customized designs are possible. Matching cufflinks may also look good on the groomsmen as well to tie together their look.

Below are several ideas to get you thinking.

Airplane CuffLinks

These classy airplane cufflinks  are handmade of sterling silver. Similar designs available in 24K gold plated brass. Personal engraving possible.

Tomer makes a lot of high quality airplane and pilot themed jewelry and accessories, and you can check out more in his store  here .

Globe Cufflinks

These  globe cufflinks are perfect for the globetrotting groom who enjoys a classy but novel cuff link. These feature a small round blue and yellow novelty globe on rhodium plated steel. The small globes actually spin!

See more unique cufflinks designs from LBFeel on Amazon here .

Personalized Map Cufflinks

These  handcrafted custom map cufflinks are made using a small clear glass dome, vintage maps, and silver plated stainless steel backing. Maps can be customized to any map location, so these can be your hometown, favorite vacation destination, wedding or honeymoon location, or anywhere else you want.

Cufflinks are available in two sizes. See more map related jewelry at the Bjeweled Vintage shop .

Nautical Cufflinks

These silver nautical themed cufflinks are designed to look like a ship’s steering wheel. They are made of solid brass with stainless steel plating. These are a great pair to consider for those with a nautical themed wedding, perhaps on a beach or on a boat.

These cufflinks are inexpensive and great for the budget-conscious couple. You can find more nautical themed cufflinks on Amazon here .

Personalized Coordinates Cufflinks

These rose gold cufflinks are personalized with the latitude and longitude coordinates of your choice (wedding location, places you met, etc.) and initials. You can engrave the front, back (hidden from view), or both sides of the cuff links.

A perfect accessory for the groom on the wedding day, and makes a great keepsake. See more coordinates jewelry and accessories at Georgie Designs shop .

Bride and Groom State or Country Custom Cuff Links

This set of cuff links are made of wood set in metal, and the wood can be engraved with the outline of any state or country. A heart can also be placed over any area. A great pair of cuff links to show off the home towns or countries of the bride and groom. They can be personalized as you wish.

These cuff links are handmade by Linsey in her Michigan-based shop, and you can see more of her jewelry and laser-cut designs here .

Travel Themed Bow Ties & Neck Ties

Adding a travel themed bow tie or neck tie to your wedding wardrobe is an elegant but subtle way to incorporate your love of travel into your special day.

If you are purchasing a bow tie, be sure to note if it comes pre-tied or not, and whether it can be self-tied. Most grooms will prefer one style or the other.

For weddings, especially if there are a lot of groomsmen wearing matching bow ties, it is often recommended by wedding photographers to wear pre-tied bow ties for the photo shoot so that all the ties are a uniform size and shape in the wedding photos. So, some grooms may want one of each.

Map Bow Tie

This handcrafted bow tie is made using premium Japanese cotton with a world map design. It is adjustable and will fit a neck size up to 21″. Customs styles, fabrics, and sizes are possible. Most styles are listed as self tie but can also be customized to be pre-tied as well.

A matching pocket square in the same map fabric can also be found here . See more in Julia’s Canada-based store VIVID Clothing Toronto

Airplane bow tie

It’s all about the little details! This fun handmade blue airplane bow tie comes pre-tied and adjustable for your big day. It also comes in a variety of sizes to ensure that your entire wedding party can be matching as they stand at the end of the aisle.

Matching pocket squares are also offered. See more designs and wedding accessories from NewWay Creation Design here .

Anchor Nautical Bow Tie

This cute anchor bow tie is a great pick for anyone getting married by the sea or on a cruise ship! The handmade tie is made from 100% microfiber and is a self tie design.

These ties are designed and handmade in Australia. Take a look at some of their other tie designs and pocket squares here . You’re sure to find something to fit your wedding theme.

Pre-Tied Blue Map Bow Tie

This handmade bow tie is made of cotton with a blue map design. It comes either pre-tied with an adjustable neck strap or as a clip on style (we recommend pre-tied for a wedding). The map image showed here is of Europe, but you can customize the map image on the tie.  

Other map designs can also be found in the seller’s store. See more bow ties in Oxana’s store My Bowtiful Creations .

World Map Neck Tie

This  map tie is made from a light blue cotton fabric with a world map design. It is handsewn and the tie is made to standard size, but can be made wider or more narrow by request. Also available as a bow tie.

See more neck ties and bow ties by Julia at VIVID Clothing Toronto .

Airplane Silk Slim Neck Tie

This silk slim neck tie show’s off one’s love for travel in a subtle way with an airplane symbol on the bottom corner of the tie. Ties are available in a large arrange of colors and the airplane design can also be done in multiple colors.

See more tie designs at the London based Tie For You shop .

Travel Themed Bridal Bouquets

Your bridal bouquet is a wonderful place to add a touch of creativity to really show off your love of travel. For example, you can add a travel themed ribbon or a custom map charm to incorporate your home town or a special location into your wedding day.

Or if you are eco-conscious, allergic to real flowers, or want a bouquet you can keep forever, consider a bouquet of map paper or fabric flowers instead!

Map Print Fabric Ribbon

If you are looking for a travel-themed ribbon to tie your bridal bouquet or embellish a decoration, consider this printed fabric ribbon . The fabric ribbon is made of polyester and is 1 1/2″ width (38 mm) and perfect for flower arrangments and embellishments.

Lalle Craft Supplies have loads of other ribbons and European crafts supplies, which you can explore here .

Personalized Sterling Silver Map Charm

Add a personalized charm to your wedding bouquet to mark a special location, such as the place you met, a trip you took together, the exact location you got engaged, your wedding ceremony location, etc. You could even have one with your hometown and one of your partner’s hometown, if you come from different places.

The prints are taken from real maps, not printouts, and are all hand cut into shape and set in sterling silver pendant and preserved forever in fine layers of jeweler’s grade resin.

Take a look at Elizabeth’s other customizable designs here .

Map Print Fabric Flower Wedding Bouquet

With fabric roses created by hand from an old world map print, this bouquet is a stunning addition to your travel themed wedding. The accent colors include white, cream, light gray, or light blue and other custom color combinations can be selected as well.

The bouquets can be ordered in either 6 inch, 8 inch or 10 inch diameters, and each flower can be adorned with rhinestones, colorful beads, or pearls in the center.

Becki makes a selection of beautiful fabric flowers and bouquets, which you can find here .

Paper Map Flower Wedding Bouquet

This beautiful handcrafted wedding bouquet is made of paper flowers, cardstock, ribbon, wire, and glue. The paper flowers can be crafted out of recycled maps or atlas pages, book pages, love letters, sheet music, comics, burlap, colored cardstock, or any other type of paper and can be shaped into 7 different kinds of flower shapes. The colors, flowers, and bouquet size are all customizable.

Couples can specify the actual book, map page, or comic book they want used in the bouquet or provide them for Casey for her to use in the bouquet. Matching boutonnieres and corsages also available.

Just note that these custom bouquets can take a while to make and Casey gets a lot of orders, so be sure to order wll in advance of your wedding! See more at Casey’s store CraftingbyKnight

Travel Themed Guestbooks & Guestbook Alternatives

A guestbook is often one of the most treasured wedding keepsakes for a wedding couple as it contains the personal well wishes from all the wedding guests. A guestbook is often one of the first things that wedding guests see at your wedding, so it can be a good way to introduce the travel theme of the wedding.

Often the wedding couple has a guest book available to sign for people entering or exiting the wedding ceremony and then move it later to the reception so anyone who didn’t get a chance to sign at the ceremony can do it then.

If your guestbook is a bit unique, you may want to make sure you nominate a friend or family member to be in charge of letting guests know about your guest book. They can also show them how to use it if it requires any explanation.

When choosing a guestbook option, don’t forget to consider how many people are on your wedding guest list, to ensure that all guests have enough space to sign it. Many of the options below have different sizes available, while others come with the option to add extra pages for larger wedding parties.

Also note that most of our recommended guest books can also be used as a photo album if you prefer to use it to display photos of you and your partner, or if you wish for guests to take photos at the reception with an instant camera and add them to the book. Just be sure to check with the seller before purchasing if it is not clear.

World Map Wedding Guest Book

This stunning wooden wedding guest book is made from high-quality leather, wood, and paper so it is a keepsake you can treasure for a lifetime. You can customize the engraved text, engraved images, and page styles as needed. They can put a heart in any country of the world map as needed.

This guest book can also be used as a photo album if you prefer, just let Vladimi know at the time of order so he can adjust the binding.

We really love a lot of Vladimir’s guest books, photo albums, and journals! Take a look at more of his designs in his Woodlack shop .

Travel Theme Wedding Guest Book

Celebrate your favorite travel destinations with this hardback travel theme wedding guest book , perfect for a travel-loving couple or destination wedding! For the personalized hardback cover, you can choose your own map image (choose a state, country, world map, etc.) text, color scheme, and up to 15 destinations of your choice to display on the map image. It is available in two sizes.

We love lots of Jane’s designs, and you can probably buy just about everything you need for your travel themed wedding from her store! See all her travel themed wedding items in her shop No Ordinary Emporium .

Embroidered Our Adventure Book

If you are a fan of the 2009 Disney-Pixar movie Up , then you will love this Carl & Ellie inspired Adventure Book . The front looks handmade with embroidered words, suede cover, and a tied leather binding strip, while the 40 sheets of paper inside are made from thick craft paper and refill pages are available.

Each book comes with 8 Pixar Up postcards and photo corner stickers, so you can save all of your wedding memories for years to come. This is a great option for newlyweds who want to encourage their guests to take a picture with an instant camera (like this one ) at the reception and share it inside this wedding scrapbook.

For more Up inspired books, check out this list .

Hanging Map Canvas Guest Book

For something a little different, why not take a look at this unique map canvas that is designed to serve as an alternative wedding guest book. Made from durable anti-puncture canvas fabric, solid wood, and fade resistant ink, your wedding guests can write their signatures or leave a message of inspiration for your marriage anywhere they want on the map. Different sizes available.

This would make for a beautiful keepsake that you can hang up in your home after your big day. Fifth Vintage have lots of different travel inspired guest book canvas designs, which you can find here .

Alternative Shadow Box Guestbook

Start your adventure into life together with this great interactive wedding guest book alternative. This wedding guest book alternative is a globe-shaped shadow box with the message “Our Adventure Begins”, and it comes with 100 thin wooden hearts for your guests to sign or write a short message. Your guests then place the hearts into the shadow box for display.

Measuring at 11.8″ w x 14.8″ h x 0.6″ d and created with gold painted glass on a wooden frame, this unique guestbook also includes a tent card with printed instructions on how to use the guest book alternative.

The Taara Bazaar store has many other guest book alternatives in their store for you to check out.

Globe Wedding Guestbook

If you love globes, this wedding globe guest book is hand-painted and personalized with wording of your choice. Your guests can write their names and short messages with metallic markets directly onto the globe.

The globe colors, including the base, can be customized to match your wedding decorations. You can also order a sign asking guests to sign and markers if you wish.

This works best for smaller weddings so guests will have enough space to sign or write a message on the globe. If you have a larger wedding, you may want to have multiple globes available or use the globe in addition to a traditional guestbook.

Emily specialized in handpainted globes, and you can see her full selection in her store here .

World Travel Map Pin Board

This rustic looking map pin board is a piece of artwork, but you can also transform it into a beautiful message board from your nearest and dearest. Your wedding guests can write their names and messages on map tags like these and pin them to a map pinboard. You can then display the map pin board in your home after the wedding!

This is the design of the map pin board we have in our home, and it is designed to feel old and rustic, inspired by the vintage character, aged paper, and hand-drawn maps of earlier times. Several other map designs are available as well, including country and state-specific maps as well as more modern map designs. Various sizes are available for each map design.

If you want a map in a specific color to match your wedding colors, check out the color splash options .

These maps are handmade in the USA by Ross, and you can take a look at all of the Conquest Maps designs here .

Travel Themed Wedding Card Boxes

Your wedding guests may wish to give you a wedding card with their well-wishes on your special day, but with the hustle and bustle of the day, it can be hard to try to gather these throughout the day. So many wedding couples have a special place with a wedding card box where guests can drop it off.

Wedding couples often place these at the wedding reception with a sign so guests know they can drop off their cards and any gifts in a dedicated space. It may make sense to place it beside your guest book.

These travel themed wedding card boxes can also make a beautiful keepsake long after the wedding day.

Travel Wedding Theme Card Box

This wood card box makes the perfect accent to your travel wedding theme! It is shaped like a trunk and has an engraved airplane and wording. Not only does it give your guests a safe place to leave their cards, but it also makes a great keepsake box for after the wedding too.

The customized card box is made from solid wood with metal accents, and can be stained and personalized to your requests. You can engrave your names on the front or customize it with your choice of wording.

You can find hundreds of creative gift and wedding decorations at Red Heart Creations .

Globe Wedding Card Box

This custom hand-lettered world globe is perfect for guests to insert large greeting cards, well wishes, and cards of encouragement! It can hold approximately 100+ regular sized greeting cards or 200+ place card size ones. You can add place cards to the order if you wish for your guests to be able to write messages.

There is a door opening at lower-rear of globe with a hook closure so you can easily retrieve your cards and messages after your big day.

Take a peek at Amber’s other travel themed wedding decorations here .

Map Wedding Card Box

This travel themed wedding card box doubles up as home decor after the wedding day! The wooden trunk box has a map design and comes with a “Cards” banner that has wooden letters with burnt edges. This is quite a large box, measuring at 14 1/2″ long x 8″ wide and 9″ tall.

Note that given the handmade nature of most of their pieces, they are often limited to only a few in number. So if something is sold out, check their other listings and feel free to contact them for any custom requests.

Rose & Walter have hundreds of wedding favors and decorations, including some of the sweetest cake toppers we’ve ever seen, which you can explore in their Sugar Plum Cottage shop .

DIY Vintage Suitcase Card Box

If you want to have a go at decorating something yourself, why not use these vintage suitcases as a canvas? They come in stacks of 3, 4, 5 or 6 and can be used for a number of different reasons on your wedding day! Just open then up, add a sign, and perhaps some decoration for a unique travel themed card box.

Anthia has a beautiful collection of vintage style products if you wish to continue the theme across your entire wedding day!

Travel Themed Table Numbers & Place Card Holders

Depending on how you are organizing your wedding, you may be having your guests sit at specified tables and perhaps in specified seats. If so, you may need table numbers to designate each table and/or place card holders to designate the seat for each guest.

It is easy to add a travel themed touch to your table numbers and place card holders. For instance, instead of using traditional table numbers, you can designate tables using city names, country names, or photos of your favorite attractions.

Also, for those serving sit down dinners, if you are planning to have printed menus at the tables, you may want to think about doing one that matches the table place cards.

Airplane Travel Table Numbers

Do we have any pilot weddings coming up? These plane-shaped self-standing table numbers can be used as centerpieces for the tables and let guests know which table they are to sit at for a reception and/or dinner. You can personalize them with whatever text you want.

Measuring at 8″ wide and 9″ high, they are made from laser cut wood and available in natural unpainted or with a painted finish such as Gold, Silver, Rosegold, Red, Purple, Gold Glitter and Silver Glitter.

You can also find more custom wedding decorations from Mike here .

Old World Wedding Destination Table Numbers

We love these vintage style custom table numbers that allow you to designate your tables by a special city, state, or country rather than by a number! They can add a really personal touch in your special day, especially if you and your partner are from different parts of the world. Celebrate your home country or somewhere special to you with these beautiful travel themed table cards.

Once you have picked the size, design, and quantity needed for your table count, Carrie will print and ship your specific table numbers to you. Carrie has tons of other incredible map design products here .

Personalized Photo and Destination Table Name Cards

These custom photo table cards are a great way to have personalized and unique table designations that also share a bit of your story together with your guests. You can choose any destinations or places you want and then add a photo and a bit of text to describe the significance of that particular place.

See all of Jane’s many travel themed wedding items in her shop No Ordinary Emporium .

Suitcase Place Card Holder

These travel themed suitcase place card holders can also double as a sweet gift to let your wedding guests take home with them. Featuring a double stack of mini painted resin suitcases in pink and blue, the set of 6 place card holders come with matching white place cards with gold foil details.

There is a huge selection of cute wedding decorations in the Taara Bazaar store .

Map Themed Place Cards

These map print free-standing tent style place cards are the perfect addition to your special day. You can even write a little message inside for your guests if you wish!

Measuring at 4.25 inches by 2.5 inches, they are about the size of a business card size when folded in half. Each card is made from individually cut map stock, cardstock, and a name label attached to silver brackets. They are sold in increments of 10 cards.

Take a look at some of the other travel themed wedding and party decor designs from Mira here .

Travel Themed Wedding Seating Chart

Here’s something you may have never seen before! Why not create a unique map wedding seating chart for your guests to let them know where they will be seated.

You can choose to have a USA map, a full world map, map of Europe, Caribbean islands, an individual state or country, or any place else you would like. This seating chart is completely customizable when it comes to locations, cities to highlight, colors, fonts, etc. Can be printed on paper or canvas.

See more at Carrie’s Minnesota-based store called Here & There . 

Travel Themed Table Centerpieces

While many couples go for a classic floral arrangement in the center of their dining tables, this is your chance to let your imagination have some fun. Perhaps you want to showcase the different parts of the world that you and your partner have enjoyed (or plan to!) together.

In addition to the dining tables, you may also need a centerpiece for the guest book table, gift table, dessert table, or another area at your reception.

We’ve seen all sorts of travel-inspired centerpieces, but the below are some favorites, ranging from globes to hot air balloons and suitcases, to get you thinking!

Hot Air Balloon Centerpiece Decoration

If you are a long-time reader of our travel blog you will know that Laurence and I often attend hot air balloon festivals! So needless to say we are huge fans of this sweet hot air balloon centerpiece . It measures 12″ in diameter and can be handpainted in any colors you choose.

This whimsical touch will leave your guests breathless as they come to celebrate your special day. There is plenty of room in the basket to decorate with flowers and each balloon can be customized specifically for you.

Find more hot air balloon centerpieces in Maninder’s Texas-based crafts store Posh Soiree .

Map Flowers

Flowers are a traditional table centerpiece. You can add a bit of the travel theme by using map flowers in the vases instead of (or in addition to) real flowers. These roses are made of used paper maps with recyclable aluminum stems. They come in sets of 12 and the maps used can be customized to a particular state or country.

You can see more eco-friendly flower ideas at the Maryland-based Mabel Lane Boutique .

Hand-painted Globe

If you love globes, this wedding globe is hand-painted and personalized with any text, quotes, dates, etc of your choice. There are loads of colors to choose from for the sea space but if you have a custom color, you can leave a note with your order and they will work with you to find a match.

These globes can also be used as guestbooks if you prefer, and guests can write their names and short messages with metallic markers directly onto the globe.

If you love the idea of globes for your travel themed wedding, Christina has lots of them in her store here .

Decorative Map Candle Holder

If you are planning to have candles on the tables, consider a travel themed candle holder such as this one . It is made of steel and has a cutout world map design. Available in several finishes and fits both pillar candles and LED candles.

Custom cable holders are also possible, just contact the artist. See more decorative candle holders in Bela’s shop here .

Nautical Themed Candle Holders

These glass candle holders are adorned with twisted cotton rope and burlap rope. Perfect for a rustic nautical themed or beach wedding. They are 7.5 inches tall.

Rope color and decoration can be customized. See more beach related decorations in Sukanya’s store here .

Map Themed Wedding Prints

Consider having quotes as part of your table centerpiece such as these quotes on these map themed wooden signs on easels . The wood board is 1/4 inch in thickness and measures 8″ by 10″ inches. It also comes with a natural finish wooden easel included, so you can prop it up for everyone to admire.

Mira has a huge selection of travel themed wedding decorations and vintage map wood signs, take a look here .

Miniature Vintage World Globes

Scatter these small vintage looking globes around the room for a wanderlust-inducing wedding party! M ade of high impact polystyrene and a wooden base, they measure 6 inches in diameter and 8.5 inches in height. They also come with a small magnifying glass too, which adds a nice touch for your guests to search for their next vacation destination!

You can find more vintage looking globes for decoration here .

Modern Map Wedding Globe

This is a standing modern globe with twine wrapped base and a set of pearls used to join together two (or more) locations on the globe. Pearls can be customized to join together any two or more destinations. Could make a great statement centerpiece or table decoration, and be used as a keepsake after the wedding. 

You can find more travel-themed wedding decorations at Kelly’s store Woodlands Weddings .

Travel Themed Cake Toppers

Let’s talk cake! A travel themed cake topper might seem like a small detail, but it makes a big impact when it becomes the center of attention during the cake cutting. The most traditional cake toppers are of the wedding couple, but there are lots of options.

The cake topper is the perfect place to show your love of travel. This is your chance to get as creative and personalized as you like, with elegant, traditional, adventurous, and humorous options available.

Around the Globe Wedding Cake Topper

This elegant sparkly wedding cake topper will add a touch of sparkle and personality to your cake! It is made of high-quality plywood and is personalized for each couple and is available in several metallic and glittery colors. It is approximately 6 inches in width.

Take a look at the full Happy Party Decor store for more options here .

Our Adventure Continues cake topper

For the adventurous souls out there who love the outdoors, this beautiful rustic cake topper that says “Our adventure continues” is even better than the icing on top of the cake! Laser-cut from a selection of different wood options in various shades and is approximately 8 inches in width.

It can also be personalized with a hand-painted covering or glitter spray. See Nikolay’s full store here .

Custom Couple Wedding Cake Topper

Looking for a traditional wedding couple on top of the cake, but want it to actually look like you and your sweetie? Check out these great travel-themed custom cake toppers . Photos supplied by the couple are used to get the details correct for the wedding couple. Many couples also choose to add details indicating the place of their wedding, profession, pets, religion, family, and/or hobbies. 

The customizable handmade cake toppers are made of polymer clay and acrylic paint. The details on the cake toppers are made from a variety of materials such as glass beads and wire. Lots of different designs possible. Definitely a keepsake for the wedding couple!

I love Cecilia’s custom cake toppers and I am amazed at the level of customization available! See hundreds of cake topper designs in Cecilia’s store A Little Relic .

Travel Themed Name Cake Topper

Globetrotters will love these cute and customizable cake toppers , made of quality acrylic or polished plywood. You can customize your last name and date of your wedding to celebrate the moment when two travel loving partners unite. Available in a variety of colors.

You can check out Nick’s full store here .

Custom Couple Travel Cake Topper

These unique and adorable custom clay cake toppers are made with polymer clay and stand at approx. 5.9 inches tall. If you are looking to really personalize them, you can add your hometown names, favorite destinations to the direction signs, or even add in your furry friends for extra fun.

It also makes for a beautiful keepsake to cherish after the wedding day. Anna has a whole host of mini clay cake topper designs to choose from in her shop Fairy Tales Handmade .

Travel Themed Wedding Candles

Wedding candles are a way of symbolizing the uniting of two families. Often the bride and groom will light separate candles with their families, and bring them together to light a new candle as they start their next big adventure together. They are also often used to light churches and reception halls and as table centerpieces and decorations.

It is easy to add a sense of wanderlust to your candle choices, whether it is through the way the candle looks, its holder, or its scent. For scented candles, you may want to choose a specific scent for candles on the tables that fits a specific destination for a themed wedding.

If planning to burn them, look for non-toxic natural wax (paraffin free) candles. Just note that not all guests love scented candles as some people are very sensitive or allergic to them. So if you have them at the guest tables, you may want to have someone ask guests at each table before lighting and have some LED backups.

Choose Your Own Wanderlust Scent

Why not choose a specific scent for your special day? Then all of your wedding memories will come flooding back to you every time you light the candle. These wanderlust inspired candles are made with U.S farm-grown soy, phthalate-free fragrance blend, and natural wood wicks. 

There are 18 different complex scents to choose from including ones inspired by Havana Cuba, Waimea Falls, Brooklyn, San Gimignano, Japan, São Paulo, and the Rocky Mountains. The 4.5oz Woodwick Candles are hand-poured into recycled glass jars and burn for up to 40 hours.

You can choose one scent or choose several to complement different table themes. Check out Drew’s full store of unisex candles and scents here .

Antique Map Pillar Candle

How sweet are these wonderfully unique travel themed antique map wedding candles ! They are high-quality wax vanilla scented ivory pillar candles with an antique map image.

The image is transferred onto the candle via a unique heat transfer technique which results in the image becoming fused to the candle under a layer of wax. The candle can be burned and the image will last as long as the candle does. They are available in your choice of 3 inches x 4 inches or 3 inches x 6 inches.

This specific piece features an image of an antique map of the city of London, but you can also select other designs including maps of other cities such as Paris, Berlin, Rome, New York City, Chicago and more. Custom maps are also possible for other locations, just contact the seller.

Note the listed candles are currently not made of a natural wax, but Terri can do transfers onto other pillar candles that fit your specific criteria. Just ask her for a custom order. See more candles and handmade decorations in Terri’s store .

World Map Decorative Metal Candle Holder

These stunning world map steel tube holders are perfect for incorporating your love for travel into your wedding day. They are made from various thicknesses of steel tubing and are available in four different finishes including rustic, black, copper, and silver. They have no bottoms and can slide over LED flameless candles, votive candles, or wine bottles.

For more decorative candle holders, see the full Tube Torcher store here .

Archipelago Candles

Archipelago is a California-based luxury fragrance company that makes natural soy wax candles .  They have a destination collection with scents inspired by places around the world including Kashmir, Charleston, Stonehenge, Havana, Dubai, Positano, Black Forest, and Lanai. They come in a variety of sizes and come in glass jars, as pillar candles, and in metal travel tins.

You can see more fragrance products by Archipelago here .

Luminary Bags

These handmade paper luminaries (also commonly known as candle bags and paper lanterns) are made from old maps and atlases with punched shaped holes that glow when a LED candle is placed inside.

These would look so beautiful for an outdoor evening wedding or wedding reception or to light a darkened church aisle! Just be careful since these are not made of flame resistant materials that you’ll want to be sure to only use battery-operated LED candles.

See more at Suzie’s Store here at Olden Designs

Destination Candle Collection

Surround yourself with the sweet smell of Costa Rica or Punta Cana on your wedding day with this travel inspired soy candle collection .  Candles are made with 100% American-grown soy wax, a lead/zinc free eco-cotton wick, and phthalate-free fragrance oils for a clean-burning experience.

They come in 8 oz amber colored glass jars with a specially designed parchment map label. These scented candles will bring your wedding guests on a journey to another land, while they dance the night away.

These candles were actually inspired by the beautiful places that Judith and her fiance have traveled. Take a look at Judith’s full range of candles and fragrances here .

Travel Themed Wedding Decorations

We’ve already included a number of decoration ideas, but there are some more simple ways that you can add some more travel-themed touches to your wedding day.

Vintage Map Triangle Garland

This triangle garland is made of vintage map paper (hand-cut from a vintage atlas) sewn together with white thread into a lovely piece of bunting in your choice of 6, 8, 10, 15 or 30 feet. Each triangle is 2.5″ across and the paper is double sided. There are also loops of white hand-cut ribbon sewn into the ends to use for easy hanging.

The Path Less Traveled have so many cute travel themed wedding decorations, and you can check them all out right here .

Vintage Inspired Travel Postcards

Can you picture this set of vintage inspired travel postcards scattered across your wedding tables or hanging on the walls? Why not even use them as your wedding cards, and allow your guests to write on them and leave you messages?

Simple and affordable, they make for the perfect travel themed wedding decorations. See more unique travel postcards on Amazon here .

Vintage Map Heart Confetti

Why not scatter these vintage map heart confetti on your party tables or along the aisle on your wedding day! These hearts are cut from vintage map paper (which matches perfectly with the bunting we mentioned above!). Each heart is 1 1/2″ across and the paper is double sided.

Check out more travel-themed confetti and other party decorations from The Path Less Traveled here .

Modern Map Love Handwritten Sign

With a white frame and pearl and twine embellishments, we love how the quote “Love makes the world go round” , combines both love and travel, two of our favorite things! This item is a great budget-friendly way to subtly add an element of travel to a bridal shower or wedding and also makes a great gift or keepsake. It can also be customized if you have something in mind for your big day.

Kelly carries a wide selection of travel inspired wedding products, and also regularly does custom items! See more in Kelly’s UK-based store here . 

Wedding Chair Signs

Looking for a special way to decorate the chairs for the wedding couple? These cute bride and groom chair signs are made of wood and handpainted to say “His World” and “Her Adventure” but the text can be customized.

Size and color can also be customized by contacting the seller. See more products at Red Heart Creations .

Travel Themed DIY Decoration Ideas

What better way to express your love for adventure than crafting up your own DIY travel themed decorations. Below are some fantastic fabrics, stamps, ribbons, and stickers that you can use to create just about anything! The world is your oyster, so let your imagination run wild.

Not only will your wedding day celebrations look amazing, but you’re also guaranteed that no one else will have the same decorations as you!

Custom Passport Wedding Stamp

As a travel lover, you probably love to collect stamps in your passport from around the world. What about creating your own stamp for your wedding? This custom made wedding stamp can come in the form of a handle mounted, pre-inked, or self-inking stamp, depending on your requirements. Customize the design with your names, wedding date, location, etc.

Use it on wedding invitations, stationery, wedding favor notes, menus, thank you cards, etc. Measuring at 1.6×1.6 inches (4 x 4 cm), the stamp is made from high quality resin polymer and should create thousands of impressions

Ludmila has many different stamp designs to choose from, take a look .

Vintage Map Cupcake Wrappers

Add a touch of travel to your wedding desserts with these scalloped cupcake wrappers , made from vintage map and atlas pages. The wraps are made by hand and each one fits a standard size cupcake or muffin perfectly. You can choose from 12, 50, or 100 pieces.

You can also contact the designer if you are looking for custom amounts or colors! Take a look at some of the other travel-themed wedding decorations from The Path Less Traveled store .

These cute map tags really come in handy at weddings, as place cards, decorations, wedding favors, or for your scrapbook afterwards. They are made from map printed card on one side and cream card on the opposite side. The holes are also reinforced with Kraft cardstock to add an extra layer of quality and durability.

See More at Catch Some Rae’s Store here . 

Vintage Suitcases

We’ve already mentioned these vintage suitcases above as an option for a wedding card box, but they can also be used as beautiful decorations for your travel themed wedding. Use them as decorations, props, centerpieces, etc. Consider decorating them with retro luggage stickers or ribbon.

They come in stacks of 3, 4, 5 or 6 and can be used for in a number of different ways on your special day and beyond—we’ve seen some amazing photos of them being used as coffee tables long after the wedding day.

Anthia has a beautiful collection of vintage style products if you wish to continue the theme across your entire wedding day! See more in their shop Anthi Leoni .

Map Print Ribbon

We mentioned this printed fabric ribbon as a perfect addition to your wedding bouquet, but there is so much more you can do with this DIY wedding decoration!

You can also use it as decoration on the table centerpieces, tied around the ceremony chairs or pews, around the base of the wedding cake, around the toasting glasses, or a hundred other places. Your imagination can really put this to good use!

Lalle Craft Supplies have loads of other ribbon designs and craft supplies, which you can explore here .

Travel Themed Fabrics

The DIY possibilities are endless with travel themed fabrics! These wanderlust-inducing designs can be used as a colorful centerpiece for the dining tables, as a backdrop at your ceremony or table, wrapped around the flower bouquets or chairs, hanging like bunting from the ceiling – the list goes on and on.

You have a lot of options. Some of our favorite designs to get you started include this European travel fabric , this world map fabric , this vintage airship illustration fabric , and this passport stamp design .

Vintage Luggage Label Stickers

I am a bit obsessed with vintage luggage and luggage stickers so I of course was drawn to these stickers immediately. This set of 30 vintage stickers have been professionally retouched and printed on high gloss, water-resistant self-adhesive paper.

See more stickers and other retro decorations at Ben’s store .

Travel Themed Wedding Favors

Wedding favors are becoming more and more popular, with newlyweds treating their guests to a little treat to leave with after the wedding or something to welcome them (such as for a destination wedding).

Whether you’re planning a destination wedding or celebrating your favorite destinations at home, here are some great travel themed wedding favors to gift to your guests.

Mini Travel Soaps

These adorable mini adventure soaps are inspired by different places around the world. They are 100% vegan-friendly and are free from sulfates and harsh detergents creating a soap fit for any adventuress. Scents include Reykjavik, Hong Kong, Taipei, Napa Valley, New York, Paris, and Cartagena.

These soaps would make a lovely reminder of your wedding. Discover more of Julie’s travel-inspired soaps and fragrances here .

Wedding Favors Luggage Tags

Give your guests something they can use on their next adventure with these amazing luggage tag favors ! Luggage tags say “And so the Adventure begins” on one side and an identification tag shows through a clear window on the other side. Tags are made in the USA from recycled leather and you can choose from a number of tag colors.

This is a bulk order item so although you can’t personalize the tags, you’ve got all your guests covered in one go, with no fuss. But if you are looking for a custom order, get in touch with the store owner and they will make something that fits your style!

See Melanie and Scotty’s store here .

Destination Wedding Sunscreen and Lip Balm Clip

What’s the one thing we need at a destination wedding or outdoor wedding, but often forget? This suncreen and lip balm combo is perfect for a destination or outdoor wedding.

The PABA-free SPF 30 sunscreen is available in 1 oz or 2 oz sizes and the lip balm is SPF 15 and vanilla scented. Both are made in the USA. The customized labels allow you to choose the color and text and are also made of high quality, peel and stick waterproof vinyl and eco-solvent inks.

See more personalized special events items in the Event Gal Decals store here .

Vintage World Map Coasters

A useful addition to everyone’s home! These travel inspired coasters are a great option for wedding favors for your guests. Each set comes with 30 4″ X 4″ coasters, 30 map hang tags, and 30 pieces of jute string. The coasters are made natural authentic cork. 

You can find more travel themed coasters here .

If you are looking for personalized coasters for your wedding, check out Brenda’s shop Hand to Home Concepts for lots of great options!

Destination Candle

Give your guests a scent they will never forget with these gorgeous mini personalized candles . You get to personalize the color and font of the candle labels, and choose the scent. Candles are made from soy wax, cotton wicks, and phthalate-free fragrance oils.

Scent options include rose petals, French lavender, wedding cake, pine & cypress, vanilla sandalwood, white tea & berries, and more!

You can also completely customize your own label if you wish. Check out more options in Arianna’s store here .

Airplane Bottle Opener

For anyone who likes to enjoy their travel planning over a cold brew, these airplane bottle openers are such a wonderful idea to pop inside the wedding favor bags! It is something they can use and enjoy for years to come. This pack of 24 gold plated, metal bottle opener favors   also comes with a gift box for each one.

You can find more travel-themed bottle openers here .

Globe Chocolates

These foil-wrapped globe candies are made of milk chocolate and are wrapped in a blue, green, and yellow earth patterned foil wrappers. Perfect for tossing into your wedding favor for a sweet and travel themed treat.

If you’d rather choose your own candy, consider adding personalized candy stickers or wrappers to it, such as these ones .

Travel Themed Spice Favors

Wanna spice up your wedding favors? Consider choosing 2 to 4 different spices to send home with each of your guests to remind them of your special day. Spices come in labeled tubes and orders come with burlap favor bags and personalized travel labels.

You can choose ones to go with your travel theme or match a specific destination whether it is India, the American South, the Caribbean, Ireland, Lebanon, China, Brazil, or Tuscany. For instance, if you want spices associated with India you might choose cumin, cardamon, turmeric, fenugreek, and/or curry powder.

See lots more spice favors as well as other food-related wedding favor ideas such as BBQ sauces, coffees, meat rubs, teas, and salts in the Noona’s Kitchen shop .

Travel Theme Lip Balm Favors

Lip balms make great favors and these ones come with travel-themed labels. The lip balms come in packs of 12 and are offered in 5 different flavors. They are made from natural ingredients and have a SPF of 15.

Heather has a lot of other party and wedding favor items including soaps, lotions, and bath bombs. See more in her store here .

Travel Themed Wedding Favor Boxes & Bags

Once you’ve chosen the perfect wedding favors, it is time to figure out how you want to present them to your guests. Just be sure that the size and weight of the chosen wedding favor will work well with the chosen gift bag, box, or container!

World Map Favor Bags

Treating your loved ones to something special on your wedding day? Send them home with one of these amazing map favor bags ! They are made of vintage maps and the bottom of the bags are reinforced for extra durability.

They come in a pack of 10 medium size bags, each bag standing at 8 inches tall and 5 1/2 inches wide by 3 inches deep. Each bag also includes a personalized tag with a clear sticker.

Smaller and larger map favor bag sizes are available. Nadia has some really unique decorations at her store, which you can find here .

Suitcase Favor Boxes

Almost too cute to give away! You can fill up these tiny suitcase favor boxes with candy favors, use them to hold the confetti for your guests to throw at the end of your ceremony, or simply use them as decorations for the table centerpieces.

One pack includes 50 suitcase favor boxes and 50 paper tags for you to write a note to your guests. They measure at 3 x 1.1 x 2inch / 7.8 x 3 x 5cm, and can holds candy or sweets (approximately 5 or 6 Hershey kisses or 2 pieces of Ferrero – just for reference!), an item of jewelry, or any small object.

You can find many more suitcase-style favor boxes here .

World Map Fabric Favor Bags

We absolutely love this adorable fabric favor bags ! These hand-sewn bags come in packs of 15, each bag measuring approximately 4 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches when laid flat. Each bag also includes a 14 inch long jute tie and a “thank you” tag, perfect for writing a sweet message to your family and friends.

They are ideal for filling with sweet treats to send your guests home with at the end of the night or to leave on their beds if they are staying with you. Take a look at Nadia’s store VOC Crafted for more gift favor bag ideas.

Personalized Heart Map Favor Bags

These lovely reusable cotton heart map favor bags really stand out from the crowd! You can customize them with your choice of 2 locations anywhere in the world, along with your name, date and/or personalized message. The bags are hand sewn from organic cotton muslin and available to order in 5×7″, 6×8″, 7×9″, or 7×11″ sizes.

Samantha has a range of personalized gift bags in her store .

Suitcase Snap Fit Gift Box

This roomy ready to assemble suitcase shaped gift box is made of pre-cut and pre-creased durable brown craft paper. It looks like a suitcase with straps and a luggage tag that can be used to write a message. Ships flat and easy to assemble. Finished box size is 7 inches x 5 inches x 2.5 inches (18 x 13 x 6.5 cm).

See more gift box ideas at SkyGoodies including DIY printable files for suitcase favor boxes.

Special Travel Themed Gifts for the Wedding Party

Looking for something special to give your bridesmaids or groomsmen for their participation and support during the wedding? There’s also the officiant, greeters, flower girl, ring bearer, etc. You may be looking for a gift that will show them your appreciation.

Here are some gift ideas that also have a travel theme and will serve as a reminder of your special day. Whether your budget is $15 or $150, we have some options for you!

If you don’t see what you are looking for, check out our guides to gift for travelers and gifts for photographers for lots more ideas.

Travel Wallet

Help your family and friends keep their travel documents and money organized and in one convenient place when traveling. This faux leather passport wallet can hold your passport, IDs, credit cards, boarding tickets, cash, keys, and coins. It comes in a rainbow of colors.

Looking for a personalized passport wallet option? Check out these handmade leather travel wallets which you can have personalized with a name, short phrase, or initials. They are available in over 60 colors!

Personalized Luggage Tags

These personalized leather luggage tags make for great thoughtful gifts. Each is made of engrained leather and is personalized with the gift recipient’s initials. Handmade in the USA.

See more great handmade leather items from the Lifetime Leather Co .

If you are looking for vegan-friendly options, check out these tags made of faux leather by Love and Luxe Homemade. These tags can also be personalized with initials.

Personalized Flask

Giving a gift to someone who likes their liquor? Consider getting them a suave looking personalized stainless steel flask . You can personalize the outside with their name, initials, your wedding date, etc.

The shop has a variety of flask options including faux leather, powder-coated stainless, or wood flask finishes. They can also be purchased in gift sets which can also include funnels and mini stainless steel shot glasses.

See more options at Brittany’s store EcoEngrave .

Going to a warm-weather destination? Consider getting your wedding party some hats they can wear to the beach, such as Panama hats, floppy sun hats, or sun visors. Check out these options . You can get plain hats or have them personalized with their names, initials, or a short phrase.

See more wedding items in Gloria’s shop Life with Beauty .

Most people love to receive jewelry as gifts! Why not choose a piece that shows off your (and hopefully also their) wanderlust and which will be something they’ll love to wear. How about this popular pendant necklace that features two pendants, one of a globe and one of a compass rose. Available in sterling silver, yellow gold, or rose gold.

See our full article on travel themed jewelry for all kinds of travel themed jewelry options, including necklaces, pins, earrings, watches, bracelets, cufflinks, and more.

Personalized Toiletry Bag

Travelers need a good toiletry bag or dopp kit to store all their toiletry and shaving gear. Consider getting your most special guests a personalized toiletry bag or cosmetics bag . These ones are handmade in the USA, personalized with embroidered initials, and have an internal nylon liner.

I have bought Laurence a personalized toiletry bag from here and he loves it! See lots of options for personalized leather toiletry bags and cosmetic bags from Felix Street Leather .

Wrap, Eye Mask & Pillow Travel Set

Want to give your guests something to keep them warm and snuggly on their next flight, road trip, long train ride, or hostel stay? Consider putting together your own matching Happyluxe travel set, which could include a matching HappyLuxe Wayfarer travel wrap , an eye mask , a face cover , and/or a travel pillow . All are made in the USA of microfiber and are available in several matching colors.

All products can be purchased separately so you can put together you own travel set. See more travel products from Happyluxe  on Amazon .

Travel Gift Certificate

If you are not really sure what the traveler on your gift list may want, you might consider getting them a travel related gift card or gift voucher. This allows them to spend it on travel related things like tours, activities, concerts, and hotels around the world.

You may have a specific idea in mind, such as a gift certificate to a local spot. But some other ideas include a GetYourGuide certificate (redeemable on over 30,000+ tours and activities worldwide),  a Tinggly gift certificate (redeemable on hundreds of different experiences), and Honeyfund gift cards (redeemable for things like hotels, cruises, golf, sportswear, and Amazon purchases).

Weekender Bag

Consider a personalized weekend bag or duffel bag for your groomsmen and bridesmaids that will have them thinking about you every time they head off for the weekend. These canvas weekend bags are roomy and can be personalized with a name or initials of the recipient.

You can see a lot more personalized bag options in Coleen’s store Heritage Wedding .

Action Camera

If you are looking for a gift for some adventurous guys and gals of your wedding party and have a bit of a bigger budget, consider gifting an action camera. They can take photos at the wedding destination and on their future travels.

For best performance and value, we recommend checking out those by GoPro or AKASO. Currently, our top pick for best value is the AKASO V50 Elite .

For tips for choosing an action camera and more options, see our guide to the best action cameras .

Cashmere Travel Wrap

Wanting to give a wedding gift to impress? Consider a cashmere travel wrap like these ones by Ovcio . These can be used as a travel wrap, shawl, blanket, or oversized scarf. Made of 100% Mongolian cashmere, they are available in a wide range of colors.

See more cashmere items, including men and women’s scarfs, in their online store .

So those are our ideas for a travel themed wedding! Hopefully we have helped you find some wonderful ideas about how to incorporate your love of travel into your wedding day.

If you think you’ll be doing more wedding planning in the future? Just PIN this article to Pinterest to save it so you can come back and read it again later:

What do you think of these travel themed wedding items, did they inspire some ideas of your own? Did you incorporate travel into your wedding day or do you plan to include some element of travel into your wedding? If you have any questions about any of these items, just ask us and we’re happy to share our honest thoughts!

**Disclosure: As noted earlier in this post, we received several complimentary items in order to review them for this post and some we received and then returned to the artists. Others were purchased by us or given to us for our own wedding. This article contains only our own honest thoughts and opinions. Check out our Ethical Code for more information about how we work. **

Share this Post!

There are 106 comments on this post.

Please scroll to the end to leave a comment

BTI Post author

January 27, 2023 at 9:21 pm

Wow, I love the idea of incorporating your love of travel into your special day. Your article is filled with so many creative and unique ideas for a travel themed wedding. I especially loved your focus on handmade and customizable items, it really adds a personal touch to the wedding. Your research and physical reviews of the items on your list is also very helpful and informative. Thanks for sharing and providing such valuable resources for other couples planning a travel or destination wedding. I will definitely be referring back to this article for inspiration for my own wedding.

Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author

February 1, 2023 at 5:28 am

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment I am so happy you found some inspiration from our ideas, our wedding, and our reviews here. Wishing you a very wonderful wedding!

Best, Jessica

Jeff Carbine Post author

December 29, 2021 at 4:09 am

I never knew that the goal of this article is to provide inspiration for couples planning a travel-inspired wedding or destination wedding. Now for my future wedding, I have an idea of what to do. Thank you for the information about wedding decorations.

December 29, 2021 at 8:14 am

Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know that you enjoyed our article about tips for travel themed wedding. Congrats on your upcoming wedding and do let us know if you have any questions about decorating for your own travel-inspired wedding!

DP Post author

October 12, 2021 at 1:34 am

Thanks for sharing such an amazing and informative blog. I really like those ideas for arranging a destination wedding. As a wedding planner, I really like it.

October 12, 2021 at 5:55 am

So glad you are finding our travel themed wedding post helpful and yes, these kinds of things must be great for giving couples ideas for decorating for arranging a destination wedding.

Janet Morgan Post author

May 16, 2021 at 8:20 pm

Hi, Thanks for sharing such an amazing post on Destination Wedding planning. Above all of these, I was looking was something like this and find this very helpful. Thanks again for sharing such an amazing post! Best Regards.

May 17, 2021 at 3:55 am

Glad you enjoyed it and hope you found some things you like for decorating for your own travel-themed wedding or destination wedding!

Lady from Boston Post author

December 14, 2018 at 3:22 am

Hi, Thanks for sharing such a interesting blog about travel themed wedding – very much enjoyed this post and reading the rest of your blog!

December 14, 2018 at 6:09 am

Thanks very much for taking the time to comment, glad you enjoyed our travel themed wedding post!! Best, Jessica

N Parekh Post author

August 20, 2018 at 10:59 pm

Themed weddings are greatly in vogue nowadays. People want their wedding to be one big thing that is remembered by others too. You have shared some very interesting ideas for themed weddings out here. I really liked the post you shared here as well as the pictures.

August 21, 2018 at 4:25 am

Hi There, Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and glad you enjoyed our post on travel themed weddings! Best, Jessica

stacey jones Post author

October 3, 2017 at 5:50 am

My dream is to have a ceremony on the beach at sunset. Is this a good idea? It’s important to give myself a few days to relax prior to the wedding.

October 3, 2017 at 2:03 pm

Hi Stacey, I think that it is your dream, then you should do it as long as your spouse-to-be is also on board with the idea. It can be tricky to have an outdoor wedding but I would just have it somewhere where the weather is normally warm and predictable and have a plan if the weather is less than ideal (an alternative indoor venue). If you are working with a wedding planner, they should be able to help get everything worked out for you. Giving yourself a few days to relax in advance sounds like a great plan! Wishing you a wonderful beach wedding, Jessica

October 11, 2017 at 3:36 am

@Jessica thanks for your attention. The beach wedding idea sounds very exciting.

John Marc Ramirez Post author

July 5, 2017 at 6:45 pm

Hi Cathy, I agree with you that weddings are stressful specifically the preparation part, but everything is worth it once the wedding is done. The marriage has to be prioritized all the more for couples because it is where the exciting part begins. Thank you for this article because this is helpful for everyone who is planning to get married. 🙂

Cathy Post author

May 15, 2017 at 3:38 am

Weddings can be stressful too. But it should not be. Being fun and happy on your wedding day is what it should be and thanks for this article. Helps a lot in planning a travel themed wedding!

May 16, 2017 at 2:05 pm

Hi Cathy, Yes, wedding can certainly be stressful for many couples, but certainly do not have to be! Glad you found our article useful and I wish you the best in planning your own travel themed wedding. Just let us know if you have any questions! Best, Jessica

Laurel Santos Post author

May 11, 2017 at 1:01 am

Truly fascinating! This article didn’t just made me want to get married but also travel. Will definitely save this one for future use! Looking forward to more inspiring posts.

May 11, 2017 at 1:07 am

Hi Laurel, Glad you found some inspiration from our travel themed wedding items! Hope you keep following along for more travel posts. Best, Jessica

McKenzie Post author

April 20, 2017 at 8:14 am

These are some awesome items for a travel themed wedding. Thank you for sharing! I really love the map bow tie!

April 20, 2017 at 9:24 am

Thanks McKenzie, Laurence really loves his map bow tie 😉

Samaira Post author

April 18, 2017 at 1:43 am

Very incredible Travel Themed Wedding and thoroughly read your article and the items really inspired me. Thanks to you for sharing this article and hope so you alway post this type of articles related to marriage and travel.

Adil Shezad Post author

March 15, 2017 at 12:07 pm

This is a perfect article for a travel theme wedding. I am surely going to pick it up for my wedding. Thank you for such great ideas on a unique and extraordinary occasion.

March 15, 2017 at 3:23 pm

Hi Adil, I am happy that you found this helpful and are going to use some of the ideas for your own wedding! Best wishes, Jessica

Esther Diaz Post author

December 5, 2016 at 12:16 am

Hi there, This article about travel-themed wedding ideas is so unique, fun and inspirational. This is such a great wedding ideas for me and my fiance.. Everything about this is just awesome!

travelcats Post author

December 5, 2016 at 1:02 am

Hi Esther, Glad you enjoyed the article and good luck planning your own travel themed wedding! ~ Jessica

Darlene R. Rivera Post author

November 11, 2016 at 10:17 pm

Hi Jessica,

Great post, this article is just awesome! The travel theme for a wedding is very unique and I personally like it a lot. It seems that you have visited a large number of places and have so many stunning photographs. It would be so interesting to marry at a place that is completely different. I love destination weddings a lot because I am so fond of traveling. These are some great travel themed wedding ideas!

I appreciate your efforts for sharing such a post. Thank You!!

November 12, 2016 at 11:48 am

Hi Darlene, Thanks for your kind comments. Yes, we do travel a lot as travel writers but do have a home base which makes life manageable and gives us time to relax and work. This article was fun to write as I love the idea of travel themed weddings, bridal showers, or parties and there are so many unique homemade items out there! ~ Jessica

Elena Tungsten Post author

November 11, 2016 at 1:45 am

Wow! I loved those travel themed engagements wedding rings. My husband and I loves to travel and these rings are perfect for us.

November 11, 2016 at 5:04 am

Hi Elena, We love our travel themed wedding rings and we recommend these to anyone looking for using them as engagement rings or for just general travel rings. They also make great travel replacement rings for those who do not want to risk losing, scratching, or getting their expensive wedding rings stolen while traveling. Best, Jessica

August 2, 2016 at 12:43 am

Great coverage of items that would be great for a destination wedding or travel themed wedding. Something that could definitely help wedding planners like us plan the next perfect travel themed wedding with ease. Great job!

August 3, 2016 at 4:50 pm

Hi Cathy, Glad you found it useful and hope some of these items work for planning the next destination wedding! ~ Jessica

Chiang Mai Global Tour Post author

August 1, 2016 at 4:40 am

So many brilliant ideas for travel related gifts, love this post! We have taken note of for the next road trip we go on Thank you 🙂

August 1, 2016 at 5:56 am

Thanks for taking the time to comment and glad that you found some good idea for travel related gifts! Yes, many of these items can definitely be used for everyday use, not just for a travel themed wedding. Enjoy your next road trip! ~ Jessica

larissa Post author

June 29, 2016 at 10:44 am

Wow! I want all of this for my wedding. Every piece is wonderful and I think it is so special to have a travel themed wedding with authentic and handmade pieces to make you feel like you are actually traveling! Thanks for all of the information and for including pictures and product links, really wonderful article!

April Yap Post author

June 22, 2016 at 11:09 pm

Thanks for this inspirational travel wedding theme. 🙂 It is true that if you are travelling you can gain more ideas about your wedding. Haha

June 23, 2016 at 2:34 am

Hi April, You’re welcome. I do think that you can think of some interesting wedding and honeymoon ideas while traveling:) It can definitely be fun to plan a travel themed wedding! ~ Jessica

June S. Post author

June 9, 2016 at 8:25 pm

I love all of these neat ideas for planning wedding travels, my third oldest son is getting married in 2017 so these would be great to pass on to him and my future daughter-in-law. Thanks for sharing them.

Terri Irvin Post author

June 9, 2016 at 2:21 pm

My son and his fiance met while they were traveling and I am been thinking of what theme I could use for their wedding!!! This is perfect. Even if I don’t win this giveaway…many thanks for the great ideas. :.)))

June 13, 2016 at 7:27 am

Hi Terri, you are very welcome:) Yes, Laurence and I met while in Italy so this is a perfect fit for us as well! Best of luck helping to plan your son’s wedding! Just let us know if you have any questions about any of the items! ~ Jessica

Alison Post author

June 9, 2016 at 2:19 pm

This is perfect for our travel themed wedding!

Leigh Anne Borders Post author

June 9, 2016 at 2:08 pm

I absolutely love this idea! I am actually planning a wedding right now and came across this! So perfect what I am thinking!

lissa crane Post author

June 9, 2016 at 1:19 pm

I love the idea! It seems like it would take almost less planning then a typical booked venue in your home town, which in my area is booked for years in advance!

June 13, 2016 at 6:59 am

Hi Lissa, Yes, when we got married on the Queen Mary 2 ( https://independenttravelcats.com/2015/12/22/wedding-at-sea-married-cunard-queen-mary-2-wedding/ ), we did very little planning as your options are obviously more limited and you have a wedding coordinator who helps you out and does the work of setting things up. We just had to come up with readings and music and make some selections regarding vows, flowers, food, etc. Very easy which was perfect for us! ~ Jesica

Gricelda Castro Post author

June 9, 2016 at 9:58 am

I would love to have this kind of wedding. Sounds like fun!

beth Post author

June 9, 2016 at 8:42 am

I think this is a really cleaver idea and you gave us so many neat things to try.

Annmarie W. Post author

June 9, 2016 at 6:43 am

I love the travel theme for a wedding! Especially before a fun honeymoon…and to keep the love & memories alive during future travelling throughout the married years! It’s unique…have never seen it done before.

LeAnn Harbert Post author

June 7, 2016 at 4:21 pm

I like the idea for my sons wedding.

Pamela Post author

June 7, 2016 at 3:11 pm

What a great way to start your married life together – planning adventures! I love this theme, and I especially love to travel!

KateS Post author

June 7, 2016 at 12:09 pm

I LOOOOVE traveling, but I gotta be honest, I’ve never even thought of a travel themed wedding. Good thing I’m not married yet, because I would have felt bad for not thinking of this first 😀 I’m in love with all this!! WOW! I definitely want passport wedding invitations *heart eyes*! The bow is adorable! And I want those luminary bags so bad! Thank you so much for posting this, it gave me so many ideas ^_^

June 13, 2016 at 7:29 am

Hi Kate, Glad this post gave you some great ideas for your future wedding. Yes, Laurence just wore the bow tie at a travel conference this past week and got lots of compliments 🙂 The luminary bags are very cool and unique! ~ Jessica

andrea v Post author

June 7, 2016 at 7:13 am

Very cute, and different! I like this idea!!

Jennifer Finn Post author

June 5, 2016 at 8:40 pm

i love the little touches

Marija Post author

June 3, 2016 at 7:16 pm

I love the idea of a travel themed wedding. It’s a great way to get inspired for future trips.

June 2, 2016 at 1:50 pm

I think it’s a wonderful idea – we could also use the theme for a wedding shower, twice the fun!

Latanya Post author

June 2, 2016 at 5:29 am

I like the idea of a travel-themed wedding. It is very different and you can do so many more things with it.

Angela Saver Post author

June 1, 2016 at 9:21 pm

I think a travel-themed wedding is a great idea & it would be a ton of fun! I love the handmade leather luggage tags, the Map Flower Wedding Bouquet, & the Map Pre-Tied Bow Tie! They are all awesome ideas!

Tina Harris Post author

June 1, 2016 at 8:38 pm

So many great idea, I’m especially fond of the tie!!

Stephanie Davis Post author

June 1, 2016 at 8:30 pm

We are having a destination wedding so these are all absolutely perfect products! I especially love the wedding rings!

June 13, 2016 at 7:32 am

Hi Stephanie, We absolutely love our rings, highly recommend Boone Rings, we had great service and the rings are super durable and unique! Best of luck with your wedding planning! ~ Jessica

Debra Jensen Post author

June 1, 2016 at 8:28 pm

OMG I LOVE IT!!!! I so want to do it when I get married!!!! I love traveling so it is so me!!

victoria Post author

May 27, 2016 at 8:33 pm

Lots of nice products (and lots of research to put it all together!). I myself organized a travel themed barmitzva for my son a couple of years ago – lots of work went into travel video making (about all countries he visited) and decorations (every table was themed with a different country) but it was a lot of fun and quite unusual for a barmitsva! Needless to say- our wedding happened while travelling too (in Eastern Europe some 20+yrs ago).. while not too many people got to witness it, I would not do it any other way. It makes the day so special!

May 29, 2016 at 8:00 am

Hi Victoria, Haha, yes, it was a lot of research but so fun to find out about so many interesting products and such talented independent artists and small businesses! Sounds like a very special barmitzva for your son! My friend did something similar with her wedding although it was more wildlife themed (her and her husband worked at a nature preserve) and each table represented animals from different parts of the world. A fun way to decorate and make each table unique. Best, Jessica

Alexandra Oller Post author

May 26, 2016 at 12:20 pm

I think a travel themed wedding sounds amazing and very unique!

May 26, 2016 at 4:23 pm

Glad the past gave you some new wedding ideas! ~ Jessica

Heather h Post author

May 25, 2016 at 8:58 am

I love these unique ideas! Finally some inspiration that isn’t so cookie cutter. Love it!

May 25, 2016 at 10:05 am

Hi Heather, Glad you enjoyed these ideas! I think maybe it feels less cookie cutter since some of these products are not wedding-specific. Best, Jessica

Erin Klema | The Epicurean Traveler Post author

May 22, 2016 at 7:03 am

This post is so full of inspiration for wanderlust-full celebrations. I love the passport and boarding pass save-the-dates and invitations.

May 22, 2016 at 10:57 am

Hi Erin, Yes, I think since most people now send Save the Dates as well as invites, it is nice to establish a theme if one is going to have one before the actual wedding day. But I think these invites are great even alone without having a travel themed wedding or destination wedding. The passports can provide a lot more information than a normal paper invite, including all the travel, pre-ceremony, venue, ceremony, and registry details as you can add as many pages as you need. ~ Jessica

budget jan Post author

May 21, 2016 at 7:07 pm

What an excellent idea for a post. My wedding was sooo long ago but I still enjoyed reading the options you’ve put together, my very favourite being your wedding rings – such a great idea. I do love the cake toppers too. I’ve read about your wedding on the ship before and love that idea as well.

May 22, 2016 at 10:54 am

Hi Jan, Thanks, yes we love our rings very much. They are perfect for a travel blogging couple like us! ~ Jessica

Grey World Nomads Post author

May 21, 2016 at 9:02 am

Beautiful travel related articles for weddings! Never thought of something like this.

May 21, 2016 at 10:52 am

Thanks! What I love is that more than half these items are not wedding specific, but can be used for regular home decor, parties, entertaining, or to wear. ~ Jessica

terra phipps Post author

May 21, 2016 at 8:32 am

These ideas are simply amazing me and my fiancé would love them! I am planning a wedding for next fall and would love this plus a vacation to Hawaii.

May 21, 2016 at 10:50 am

Hi Terra, Glad you liked this ideas and congrats on your upcoming wedding. Best of luck in winning the map bouquet. I love Hawaii, a beautiful place for a honeymoon:) ~ Jessica

Corinne Post author

May 21, 2016 at 8:23 am

You’ve thought of it all. All the younger gens in our family love destination weddings, so I’ll be sure to send them to your site. I pinned…so cute those toppers.

May 21, 2016 at 10:48 am

Thanks so much for pinning Corinne! I love those cake toppers too 🙂

Tanja (the Red phone box travels) Post author

May 21, 2016 at 8:21 am

Some pretty cool ideas! We didn’t really do theme weddings in Croatia – mine was simple and traditional:) I spent more time on planning our honeymoon:)

May 21, 2016 at 10:47 am

Hi Tanja, yes, the honeymoon is important to spend time on planning as well! Since we were nomadic and traveling at the time, Laurence tells me we had a 6 month honeymoon, haha. ~ Jessica

Michelle Post author

May 21, 2016 at 4:35 am

This is a super timely article as I’m actually getting married next year! I love the map flowers bouquet idea because I’m not really fond of fresh cut flowers (found a bug in a bouquet once, ugh) and I think it’s a bit of a waste when they die so quickly after. Thanks for the inspiration!

May 21, 2016 at 5:19 am

Congrats on your upcoming wedding. Yes that map flowers bouquet is a great idea and I think paper flowers are becoming more popular for the reasons you are said, cleaner and can keep forever, but also because one can buy them ahead, travel with them, and store them just about anywhere. I also love the fact that you can customize these so much. Glad you found this post inspirational for your wedding! ~ Jessica

Anda Post author

May 20, 2016 at 8:13 pm

Your post made me so jealous! I got married almost 4o years ago, when there was no such thing as a ‘themed wedding.” In my country of origin people were married in a very traditional way, so this is how I got married to, but I would have loved to have a wedding like yours. Recently I attended a themed wedding for my niece though, in Florence. It was very beautiful, but nothing like yours. You’ve exceeded everything I’ve ever seen or heard so far. Wow!

May 21, 2016 at 4:48 am

Hi Anda, Yes, I think weddings, particularly for Americans, have become much more for the couple and what they would like to do and less about the family. I think it has to do partly with the fact that wedding couples are much more likely to pay for at least part, if not all, of their own wedding rather than the bride’s parents paying for most of it (many can’t afford to do this). Our wedding on the boat was private and fairly simple, and our wedding in Venice looks fabulous in photos, which it was of course, but it was also very small and informal. It was great for us as it was pretty stress-free! ~ Jessica

Lyn - A Hole in my Shoe Post author

May 20, 2016 at 5:21 pm

Jessica, we got our travel inspiration from our honeymoon, but if I could turn back time and have a travel inspired wedding I would chose some of these items. I love the bow tie, cufflinks, bouquet, cake topper and invitations, but adored your luggage. I first noticed your luggage in your wonderful Orient Express post. The rings are also a great idea for replacing expensive, sentimental rings when travelling which is something that is a need for many., but something I have never thought of doing. Finally I love that final photo of your dress and luggage on the bed in your beautiful Venetian hotel. Great post and thank you for linking up with #TheWeeklyPostcard

May 20, 2016 at 5:49 pm

Hi Lyn, Yes, I know, these make me want to get married again and I just got married! You have a good eye, yes, this is the same luggage we took on both the Queen Mary 2 and Orient Express. After the wedding the cosmetic case (because our wedding party didn’t have room to take it back) ended up traveling with us through Italy, Morocco, and Egypt…probably not the best choice of luggage for desert travel but it survived. Laurence is thinking about wearing his map bow tie and cufflinks when he gives a speech at an upcoming travel conference which I think will be perfect:) We love our rings, and if you are looking for unique travel rings, I can highly recommend Bruce. We got fabulous service, communication, and products from him! He has some amazing ready-to-buy designs and I love you can also customize. ~ Jessica

Anisa Post author

May 20, 2016 at 1:42 pm

So many great ideas here! And those cake toppers are too cute!

May 20, 2016 at 5:44 pm

I know, I love those cake toppers too! I can’t believe how detailed they are and it is no surprise Cecilia is in great demand for these. Each one is very unique and I love looking at all her examples in her Etsy store. ~ Jessica

Lindsay Post author

May 20, 2016 at 1:22 pm

I am getting married in March and we are looking to travel to a destination wedding somewhere! I love your ideas and your blog gives me so much inspiration!

May 20, 2016 at 5:41 pm

Hi Lindsay, a destination wedding can be a lot of fun! But even if you decide not to do a destination wedding, there are still a lot of great ways to incorporate travel. Best of luck with your upcoming wedding and in the giveaway! Jessica

Nicole Post author

May 19, 2016 at 8:11 pm

Such a cool idea for a wedding theme. We love to travel and I think thus is a really fun way to incorporate that. Thank you for the great ideas!!!

May 20, 2016 at 5:40 pm

Glad you got some ideas for your wedding! ~ Jessica

jenny stratton Post author

May 19, 2016 at 6:16 pm

I love the idea of a travel themed wedding. I’ll have to bring it up when my son decides to get married.

May 20, 2016 at 5:39 pm

Yes, if you son (and his bride-to-be) loves to travel, it can be a great theme. But even if not a theme per se, it can be great to include some travel elements:) ~ Jessica

Kristen Post author

May 19, 2016 at 2:07 pm

I love what you guys are up to with this post about incorporating wedding and travel! Clever work and exposure for the most popular travel blogging couple out there! Keep up the awesome works guys and I’ve incorporated you guys to our blogroll!

May 19, 2016 at 3:58 pm

Hi Kristen, Thanks so much for your kind words and thanks for including our travel blog on your website’s blogroll! Best, Jessica

Felicitas Post author

May 19, 2016 at 12:07 pm

I simply love Love LOVE all of the ideas! Nice work on collecting these and it’s a great article! Thank you for so much lovely inspiration!

May 19, 2016 at 3:56 pm

Hi Felicitas, Glad you enjoyed the ideas for a travel themed wedding and best of luck in the giveaway! Best, Jessica

Laura Post author

May 19, 2016 at 8:46 am

I think a travel themed wedding sounds awesome. I’ve never heard of this theme before. It’s very unique and different. I’m sure it will impress the guests!

May 19, 2016 at 11:24 am

Hi Laura, Glad that this post gave you a new idea for a wedding theme! Best of luck in winning the paper map wedding bouquet! Best, Jessica

Morgan Post author

May 18, 2016 at 12:33 pm

What a beautiful and unique theme! Everything from the rings to the paper bouquet are marvelous! The travel theme leaves so much room for creativity and gives everyone an opportunity to make it their own! This is absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing!

May 19, 2016 at 11:22 am

Hi Morgan, Thanks for commenting! Yes, we love this theme and were surprised how many ways you can find handmade items to fit it. We are so in love with our map rings and also are excited to give this beautiful map bridal bouquet to someone special for an upcoming wedding! ~ Jessica

Seana Turner Post author

May 17, 2016 at 5:07 am

So many great ideas here, Jessica! I am getting closer to this stage with my daughters (not quite yet!), but I know one of them has talked about a destination wedding. I actually bought the cuff links for my husband with our hometown on them, just for fun. The cake toppers are really cute – that would be so special. There are so many creative alternatives to the “standard issue” things I did back in the day. Helps you get excited for something very special:)

May 17, 2016 at 6:43 am

Hi Seana, That is very cool about the cufflinks. Yes, it is amazing how much customization is available to wedding couples these days and it doesn’t have to be super expensive! Sounds like you may be busy with wedding planning in the near future:) Best, Jessica

Diane Post author

May 15, 2016 at 12:43 pm

Wow, such a fantastic post! I am already long married but I love so many of the travel themed wedding ideas, especially the map bow ties, the passport invites, that beautiful orange luggage set, and the globe with the pearls. Also I had never thought of paper flowers, great idea to have after the wedding as a beautiful keepsake of the Big Day! I also love the map pin board and I am contemplating getting one for my niece and nephew. Saving this post for when I have relatives get married!

May 15, 2016 at 6:01 pm

Thanks Diane for taking the time to leave a comment! Yes, so many wonderful travel themed wedding items and it is amazing how many great and unique products and talented artists there are on Etsy. Yes, and as you noted many of these items like the luggage and map pin board are not wedding specificmand make great gifts for anyone who loves travel. Thanks for bookmarking our post! Best, Jessica

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of replies to my comment (just replies to your comment, no other e-mails, we promise!)

Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter where we share our latest travel news and tips

We only ask for your e-mail so we can verify you are human and if requested notify you of a reply. To do this, we store the data as outlined in our privacy policy . Your e-mail will not be published or used for any other reason other than those outlined above.

Your Travel Company for Luxury Destination

Weddings & Honeymoons

Search the world... Find your dream venues

Resort showcase.

Not sure where to host your celebration?

Our travel company offers a curated portfolio of the world’s best destinations and venues for romantic celebrations.

• Hayfield Manor

• The Cape, a Thompson Resort

• Thompson Zihuatanejo

• Hotel Esencia

JW Marriott Cancun Resort & SPA

• Mar del Cabo, a Velas Resort

• Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort

• Hotel de la Ville, a Rocco Forte Hotel

• Masseria Torre Maizza, a Rocco Forte Hotel

For a quick getaway, book here and enjoy our VIP perks!

Effortless travel.

Our hotel booking platform is your ticket to independent, seamless booking . CLICK HERE for a quick explanation of how it works.

If you do not see the property you’re looking for, type it in or contact [email protected] .

Our Travel Specialty

Destination weddings & honeymoons.

We make once-in-a-lifetime experiences unforgettable by leveraging our international network of venues with 30+ years of travel expertise.

Travel services:

• Wedding venue sourcing, property buyouts, and room block bookings
• Wedding planner referrals
• Ground logistics: Tours, transportation handling, and booking
• Concierge services to elevate guest experiences

Anywhere in the World

Whether you’re dreaming of your luxury vacation, exchanging vows on sun-kissed tropical shores or within the walls of a historic European castle, here you’ll find a curated selection of the most breathtaking wedding venues and honeymoon destinations worldwide.

A Glimpse of our Top Luxury Partners

Testimonials

Follow our journey...

@wedawaystravel.

You cannot add any more items to the compare

Top wedding destinations, resort showcase.

• JW Marriott Cancun Resort & SPA

TOP HONEYMOON DESTINATIONS

• Los Cabos, Mexico
• Cancun, Mexico
• Riviera Maya, Mexico
• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• Tuscany, Italy

POPULAR BLOG POSTS

• Destination Wedding Planners Answer FAQs
• Wedaways: Your Wedding & Honeymoon Travel Solution
• Destination Wedding Styled Shoots: What They Are and Why We Do Them
• How Much Does A Luxury Honeymoon Really Cost?
• Top 7 Destinations For Beach Weddings

Powered by:

ABOUT WEDAWAYS

• B2B Partners
• Copyright ⓒ Wedaways, inc.
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy

Stay in the know + get access to insider deals & perks

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Stay in the know + get access to insider deals & travel perks. 

Your message has been received!

, let us know more about your wedding.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser .

• Guide to Russia
• Experience Russia

Fairytale Wedding in Russia

Photo by Aleksandr Neplokhov  on Pexels

How are weddings celebrated in Russia?

• Ransoms: This tradition comes from the south of Russia. The bride is kidnapped by friends and on the morning of the wedding the groom must try to win her back. Generally, this is done by bribery but sometimes dancing or even drinking contests are held.
• Trickery: When the hopeful groom comes round in the morning to collect his bride, some devious parents-in-law present him with another woman dressed in a wedding gown and veil or, if they’re feeling especially mean, they might even dress-up a man!
• “Gorka!”: This one word can be heard at every single Russian wedding. It means bitter and guests chant this at the after-party so as to implore the new couple to kiss earnestly and therefore bring sweetness where once there was bitterness.
• Predictions: After the wedding ceremony, Russians have fun by trying to predict what gender the couple’s first baby will be. Before this used to be done by bits of paper, but now the predictions are often made by text!

Rossiya—that word alone elicits images of opulent churches, resplendent palaces and breathtaking cathedrals. In summer, equally stunning gardens form blooming borders to Russia’s countless palaces and the soft trickling of fountains, tucked away in shady corners, set the pace to the lovely and long days during white nights. And, in the seemingly endless winter, the sparkling white of snow softens the edges of Russia’s formal landscapes; making for a veritable winter wonderland. A more magical setting to say “I do” couldn’t have been dreamt up. Russia is the place where fairytales really can come true.

St Petersburg

A historic city need not be very old. Such is the case with St Petersburg. The city of dreams or, more specifically, of Peter the Great’s dreams has only been around for a little over three centuries, yet its streets are as rich in stories as the ancient cities of the Golden Ring. As the seat of the Romanov family, the city’s grand squares have seen an endless stream of royal wedding carriages roll through them. Though royal weddings are no longer, partners can still declare their love for one another in much the same way as the tsareviches and tsarinas did. A visit to St. Petersburg is still perfect for a wedding. At all the palaces and manors listed below weddings of all shapes and sizes can be effortlessly organized.

Catherine Palace

Photo by Dan Tuykavin on Unsplash  

The baby blue façade, edged with touches of white and gold, of Tsarina Elizabeth’s beloved summer retreat makes for an ever so romantic backdrop. Its acres of elegantly structured gardens and wide, open vistas are reminiscent of Versailles. Though outdoor weddings are all the rage, it would be a mistake not to take advantage of the exquisite rooms within the palace when planning a wedding. Many of the lavish halls within the palace were designed by one of the greatest architects of all time, Rastrelli and the Amber room is considered to be one of the most beautiful rooms ever created.

For those wanting a more low-key, natural wedding, the estate where Catherine Palace is based, Tsarskoye Selo, has a few smaller palaces and pavilions on the grounds. The bright and airy halls of the Cameron Gallery, for example, with French doors opening up onto a lovely terrace and a grand marble staircase make for a simple yet classy backdrop for a wedding ceremony. While the intimate pavilion on the island, set in a forest of trees, has interiors that are almost splendid as the Catherine palace.

St.Petersburg, Pushkin, Sadovaya str. 7 T: +7(812)465 2024

Yelagin Palace

Photo by A.Savin  on Wikipedia

In the very heart of St Petersburg lies an island full of rolling meadows, flower beds and oaks. Apart from being the city’s most treasured weekend spot, it’s also one of the most popular wedding venues. Though the charming Yelagin palace is out of the reach of most Russian couples, brides and their grooms often come after the nuptials to release balloons and pose on bridges arching over the canals.

St.Petersburg, Elagin Island, 4 T: +7(812)430 1010

Ethnography Museum

Yes, in Russia it’s even possible to get married in a museum! For a wedding that will have a lasting impression on your guests, the majestic Marble Hall of the Ethnographic museum is sure to take everyone’s breath away. Just imagine waltzing past the rows of 24 ton rose-colored columns with a vast crystal ceiling above and a sprawling marble floor below; it’s the stuff dreams are made of.

St.Petersburg, Inzhenernaya str., 4 T: +7(812)570 5768

Marble Palace

Due to their historical significance, some of St Petersburg’s palaces can’t be rented out in their entirety; however, the Marble Palace is an exception. Built for Catherine the Great’s lover, Count Orlov, the palace was made to be as rich and lavish as possible. With three-tiered chandeliers and mirrored ballrooms, all the ingredients for a royal wedding are to be found within this rather imposing building.

St.Petersburg, Millionnaya st., 5/1 T: +7(812)595 4240

Yusupov Palace

So affluent were the Yusupov family, that they were said to have more riches than the Tsar. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that their family seat in St Petersburg, the Yusupov Palace , is perhaps one of the most lavish buildings in the city. Despite its beauty, the mansion isn’t as popular with couples as other palaces. Perhaps the fact that Rasputin was murdered in the basement puts people off…

St.Petersburg, Naberezhnaya Reki Moyki, 94 T: +7(812)314 9892

In the heart of Russia, the country’s glitziest and most glamorous shindigs are held. Helipads, floating stages and musical fountains are commonplace at wedding venues. Any desire, no matter how fanciful or flamboyant, can be fulfilled: the question is not ‘how?’ but rather how much one is willing to spend.

Royal Yacht Club

Only a few minutes’ drive from the city center lies one of the most glamorous wedding spots in Russia. With a Michelin-level restaurant (which can accommodate 500 guests), chic terraces, floating stages and faultless service; it’s no wonder so many celebrities have chosen to say ‘I do’ here. Naturally, plenty of fun can be had with the many gorgeous boats at the yacht club (imagine the entrance you could make, arriving by speed boat!).

Leningradskoye Hwy, д. 39/6, Moscow, 125212 T: +7 (495) 961-88-66

Four Seasons Hotel Moscow

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

The most iconic hotel in Moscow is undoubtedly the Four Seasons. Looking directly over the Red Square, it’s as central as you can get and, despite its soviet-esque exterior, it is in reality as modern as it gets, having been opened in 2014. Smoke machines, floating bouquets and ice sculptures, have all been used to make the most memorable weddings. For the wedding of your wildest dreams, trust the team at the Four Seasons to make it all come true.

Ulitsa Okhotnyy Ryad, 2, Moscow, 109012 T: +7 (499) 277-71-00

Tsaritsyno Estate

One of Catherine the Great’s many ambitions was to build an Imperial estate for herself in the south of Moscow. Unfortunately, she died before she could see the surreal beauty of her pet project. Nestled within its picturesque, 405 hectares are countless greenhouses, pavilions, palaces and more that date back to the 18th century. Though the whole estate cannot be rented out, the main manor house can be fully disposed for a wedding ceremony and after-party. In fine weather, newlyweds have the option of exploring the estate on horseback or by boat and giant outdoor tents can be set up on the lawns.

Dol'skaya Ulitsa, 1, Moscow, 115569 T: +7 (495) 322-44-33

Our travel brands include

Express to Russia

Join us on Facebook

We invite you to become a fan of our company on Facebook and read Russian news and travel stories. To become a fan, click here .

Join our own Russian Travel, Culture and Literature Club on Facebook. The club was created to be a place for everyone with an interest in Russia to get to know each other and share experiences, stories, pictures and advice. To join our club, please follow this link .

We use cookies to improve your experience on our Website, and to facilitate providing you with services available through our Website. To opt out of non-essential cookies, please click here . By continuing to use our Website, you accept our use of cookies, the terms of our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service . I agree

Always a homecoming

University Inn – Our Wedding Venues

Looking for one of the best wedding venues in North Idaho? Look no further than the Best Western Plus University Inn Moscow! We have everything you need to make your big day perfect, from our elegant event rooms to our scenic outdoor spaces.

Our experienced event planners will be with you every step of the way to ensure that your important day is everything you've ever dreamed of. As one of the best hotels in Moscow, Idaho, we are committed to providing the best experience possible. Read on to learn more about what our wedding venues have to offer, and plan your important day now!

Make Your Wedding Day Stress-Free

What we offer....

• Full Catering and Beverage Services
• Reception sites for up to 350 guests
• An Outdoor Courtyard that offers accommodations for any of your wedding day needs
• Local businesses that will provide you with the best cakes, flowers, music, and professional photographers that Moscow, Idaho has to offer
• Guest room accommodations at special rates
• On-Site staff to help you plan throughout the entire process, so you can focus on enjoying your time here

Enjoy More From Your Wedding With The Inn

After we've helped you plan your Best Western Plus venue, you and your guests can enjoy the rest of what our hotel has to offer. We have poolside suites for everyone to relax in beforehand, or you can get a good workout at our fitness center on-site. Don't forget our complimentary breakfast buffet which offers some of the best all-you-can-eat food in Moscow, Idaho with hours of 5:30 am to 9:00 am every day (even longer on the weekends!).

If that hasn’t convinced you, we also offer:

• Food delivery directly to your room
• Shuttle service to and from the airport to take care of your travel needs and focus on the big day
• Complimentary Wi-Fi for all your entertainment or work purposes
• Pet-friendly rooms for guests to bring their furry friends

Why Should You Choose The Inn?

There are a lot of reasons to choose the Best Western Plus University Inn for your wedding venue needs, but ultimately it comes down to this: we offer everything you need to make your wedding day perfect. With our experienced event planners, scenic outdoor spaces, full catering and beverage services, and on-site staff, we will take care of everything so that you can focus on enjoying your big day.

We guarantee you and your guests will be happy with the University Inn suites, poolside rooms, and overall amenities at Best Western Plus. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!

To request a tour, specific pricing, menus, live-streaming options, or for any additional information:

Director of Catering & Conference Services:   [email protected] or 208/882-0550 extension 322.

For information regarding Guest Rooms, please contact our Sales Manager at [email protected]  or 208/882-0550 extension 323.

• Meeting Room Floorplan/Map and Information
• Our Catering Menu  with some of the best food in Moscow, Idaho

MEETINGS & EVENTS

With 12,000 sq. feet of meeting space, we are here to assist with your meetings and events from 3 to 350 guests.

BOOK YOUR EVENTS

CLICK TO SEE OUR WEDDING PHOTO GALLERY

Interested in this vendor?

Attributes highlighted by couples

Based in Moscow, Idaho, Megan Mack Photography is a photography company that specializes in capturing timeless wedding images. This business is owned and operated by the eponymous Megan Mack, who is a graduate of the renowned Pratt Institute in New York. As this photographer accepts only one event per day, you can rest assured that Megan will provide your event with all the care and attention that it deserves.

Services Offered

Megan Mack Photography works with a blend of contemporary, natural, and photojournalistic styles to capture your day. Additional hours are available upon request, ensuring that Megan can be available on your day as long as you need her. After the festivities, you can avail of a range of keepsakes and mementos, including albums, prints, and digital files.

• Woman-owned

Follow Megan Mack Photography on

Vendors you may like

See other vendors that are popular with couples right now

Award winner

Frequently asked questions

What is the starting price for your wedding photography services, which of the following are included in the starting price, what is the price of your most popular wedding package, which of the following are included in the price of your most popular wedding package, what primary photographic style do you identify with, what photography services do you offer, what photography items do you offer.

Any other questions?

Reviews of Megan Mack Photography

• Quality of service 5 out of 5 rating 5.0
• Average response time 5 out of 5 rating 5.0
• Professionalism 5 out of 5 rating 5.0
• Value 5 out of 5 rating 5.0
• Flexibility 5 out of 5 rating 5.0

Beautiful photos + lovely photographer

LOVE our wedding photos!!

Are you interested?

Explore other vendors in your area

Find your ideal vendor among popular ones and Couples' Choice Award winners.

Photography Pricing

Other vendors in Spokane for your wedding

Wedding vendors.

• Wedding DJs
• Wedding Hair & Makeup
• Wedding Planners
• Wedding Caterers
• Wedding Florists
• Wedding Videographers
• Wedding Officiants
• Wedding Rentals
• Photo Booths
• Wedding Bands
• Wedding Dresses
• Wedding Cakes
• Wedding Limos
• Wedding Musicians
• Wedding Decor & Lighting
• Wedding Invitations
• Travel Agents
• Wedding Jewelers
• Wedding Favors

Megan Mack Photography

• Meet the Team
• Our Manifesto
• Work with Us
• Budget Travel
• Personal Development
• Work & Travel
• United Kingdom
• More of Europe
• Philippines
• More of Southeast Asia
• More of South America
• More of Central America
• South Korea
• More of Asia
• More of North America
• New Zealand
• Pacific Islands
• More of Oceania
• South Africa
• More of Africa
• More of the Middle East
• Travel Essentials
• Travel Gear

Home » Europe » Moscow

EPIC MOSCOW Itinerary! (2024)

Moscow is the heart of Mother Russia. Just the mention of this city conjures images of colorful bulbous pointed domes, crisp temperatures, and a uniquely original spirit!

Moscow has an incredibly turbulent history, a seemingly resilient culture, and a unique enchantment that pulls countless tourists to the city each year! Although the warmer months make exploring Moscow’s attractions more favorable, there’s just something about a fresh snowfall that only enhances the appearance of the city’s iconic sites!

If you’re a first-time visitor to Moscow, or simply wanting to see as much of the city as possible, this Moscow itinerary will help you do just that!

Unlock Our GREATEST Travel Secrets!

Sign up for our newsletter and get the best travel tips delivered right to your inbox.

Best Time To Visit Moscow

Where to stay in moscow, moscow itinerary, day 1 itinerary in moscow, day 2 itinerary in moscow, day 3 and beyond, staying safe in moscow, day trips from moscow, faq on moscow itinerary.

Here is a quick look at the seasons so you can decide when to visit Moscow!

The summer months (June-August) are a great time to travel to Moscow to take advantage of the enjoyable mild temperatures. This is considered peak travel season. Bear in mind that hotel prices rise along with the temperatures!

The Broke Backpacker is supported by you . Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more .

If you’re planning a trip to Moscow during fall (September-November) try to plan for early fall. This way the temperatures will still be pleasant and winter won’t be threatening.

Russian winters (December-February) are not for the faint of heart as Napoleon learned to his peril. Some days the sun will be out for less than an hour, and snow is guaranteed. Although winters are exceptionally cold, this is when you’ll get a true glimpse of the Moscow experience!

The best time to visit Moscow is during spring  (March-May). The temperatures will begin to creep up and the sun begins to shine for significant portions of the day. Hotel rates will also have yet to skyrocket into peak ranges!

With a Moscow City Pass , you can experience the best of Moscow at the CHEAPEST prices. Discounts, attractions, tickets, and even public transport are all standards in any good city pass – be sure invest now and save them $$$ when you arrive!

Moscow is a large city with many accommodation options to choose from. Staying in a location that fits with your travel plans will only enhance your Moscow itinerary. Here is a brief introduction to a few great areas of the city we recommend checking out!

The best place to stay in Moscow to be close to all the action is Kitay-Gorod. This charming neighborhood will put you within walking distance to Moscow’s famous Red Square, thus cutting down on travel time. This will allow you to see more of the city in a shorter amount of time!

It’s surrounded by restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops. If you’re a first-time visitor to Moscow, or just planning a quick weekend in Moscow, then this area is perfect for you!

Another great area to consider is the Zamoskvorechye district. This area of the city offers a blend of new and old Moscow. It has an artsy vibe and there are plenty of fun sites you can explore outside of the main touristy areas of Moscow.

Of course, as in all areas of Moscow, it’s close to public transportation that will quickly connect you with the rest of the city and make your Moscow itinerary super accessible!

Best Airbnb in Moscow – Exclusive Apartment in Old Moscow

Modern and cozy, this apartment is in the heart of Old Moscow. Bordering the Basmanny and Kitay-Gorod districts, this two-bedroom flat is walking distance to the Kremlin and Red Square. Safe, quiet, and comfortable, this is the best Airbnb in Moscow, no question!

Best Budget Hotel in Moscow – Izmailovo Alfa Hotel

The Izmailovo Alfa Hotel is a very highly rated accommodation that provides all the components necessary for a comfortable trip to Moscow. There is an on-site restaurant, bar, fitness center, and an airport shuttle service. The rooms are modern and spacious and are equipped with a TV, heating/air conditioning, minibar, and more!

Best Luxury Hotel in Moscow – Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre

If you’re touring Moscow in luxury, the Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre is the hotel for you! Elegantly furnished rooms are equipped with a minibar, flat-screen TV,  in-room safes, as well as tea and coffee making facilities! Bathrooms come with bathrobes, slippers, and free toiletries. There is also an onsite restaurant, bar, and fitness center.

Best Hostel in Moscow – Godzillas Hostel

Godzillas Hostel is located in the center of Moscow, just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions and the metro station. Guests will enjoy all the usual hostel perks such as self-catering facilities, 24-hour reception, Free Wi-Fi, and security lockers. This is one of the best hostels in Moscow and its wonderful social atmosphere and will make your vacation in Moscow extra special!

An important aspect of planning any trip is figuring out the transportation situation. You’re probably wondering how you’re going to get to all of your Moscow points of interest right? Luckily, this sprawling city has an excellent network of public transportation that will make traveling a breeze!

The underground metro system is the quickest and most efficient way to travel around Moscow. Most visitors rely exclusively on this super-efficient transportation system, which allows you to get to pretty much anywhere in the city! It’s also a great option if you’re planning a Moscow itinerary during the colder months, as you’ll be sheltered from the snow and freezing temperatures!

If you prefer above-ground transportation, buses, trams, and trolleybuses, run throughout the city and provide a rather comfortable alternative to the metro.

Moscow’s metro, buses, trams, and trolleybuses are all accessible with a ‘Troika’ card. This card can be topped up with any sum of money at a metro cash desk. The ticket is simple, convenient, and even refundable upon return to a cashier!

No matter which method you choose, you’ll never find yourself without an easy means of getting from point A to point B!

Want to save money on accommodation?

We got you. For reals.

Red Square | Moscow Kremlin | Lenin’s Mausoleum | St. Basil’s Cathedral  | GUM Department Store

Spend the first day of your itinerary taking your own self guided Moscow walking tour around the historic Red Square! This is Moscow’s compact city center and every stop on this list is within easy walking distance to the next! Get ready to see all of the top Moscow landmarks!

Day 1 / Stop 1 – The Red Square

• Why it’s awesome: The Red Square is the most recognizable area in Moscow, it has mesmerizing architecture and centuries worth of history attached to its name.
• Cost: Free to walk around, individual attractions in the square have separate fees. 
• Food nearby: Check out Bar BQ Cafe for friendly service and good food in a great location! The atmosphere is upbeat and they’re open 24/7!

The Red Square is Moscow’s historic fortress and the center of the Russian government. The origins of the square date back to the late 15th century, when Ivan the Great decided to expand the Kremlin to reflect Moscow’s growing power and prestige!

During the 20th century, the square became famous as the site for demonstrations designed to showcase Soviet strength. Visiting the Red Square today, you’ll find it teeming with tourists, who come to witness its magical architecture up close!

The square is the picture postcard of Russian tourism, so make sure to bring your camera when you visit! No matter the season, or the time of day, it’s delightfully photogenic! 

It’s also home to some of Russia’s most distinguishing and important landmarks, which we’ve made sure to include further down in this itinerary. It’s an important center of Russia’s cultural life and one of the top places to visit in Moscow!

In 1990, UNESCO designated Russia’s Red Square as a World Heritage site. Visiting this historic site is a true bucket-list event and essential addition to your itinerary for Moscow!

Day 1 / Stop 2 – The Moscow Kremlin

• Why it’s awesome: The Moscow Kremlin complex includes several palaces and cathedrals and is surrounded by the Kremlin wall. It also houses the principal museum of Russia (the Kremlin Armory).
• Cost: USD $15.00
• Food nearby: Bosco Cafe is a charming place to grat a casual bite to eat. They have excellent coffee and wonderful views of the Red Square and the Moscow Kremlin!

The iconic Moscow Kremlin , also known as the Kremlin museum complex, sits on Borovitsky Hill, rising above the Moscow River. It is a fortified complex in the center of the city, overlooking several iconic buildings in the Red Square!

It’s the best known of the Russian Kremlins – citadels or fortress’ protecting and dominating a city. During the early decades of the Soviet era, the Kremlin was a private enclave where the state’s governing elite lived and worked.

The Kremlin is outlined by an irregularly shaped triangular wall that encloses an area of 68 acres! The existing walls and towers were built from 1485 to 1495. Inside the Kremlin museum complex, there are five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers.

The Armoury Chamber is a part of the Grand Kremlin Palace’s complex and is one of the oldest museums of Moscow, established in 1851. It showcases Russian history and displays many cherished relics. Definitely make sure to check out this museum while you’re here!

The churches inside the Moscow Kremlin are the Cathedral of the Dormition, Church of the Archangel, Church of the Annunciation, and the bell tower of Ivan Veliki (a church tower).

The five-domed Cathedral of the Dormition is considered the most famous. It was built from 1475–1479 by an Italian architect and has served as a wedding and coronation place for great princes, tsars, and emperors of Russia. Church services are given in the Kremlin’s numerous cathedrals on a regular basis.

The Grand Kremlin Palace was the former Tsar’s Moscow residence and today it serves as the official workplace of the President of the Russian Federation (Vladimir Putin seems to have bagged that title for life) .

Insider Tip: The Kremlin is closed every Thursday! Make sure to plan this stop on your Moscow itinerary for any other day of the week!

Day 1 / Stop 3 – Lenin’s Mausoleum

• Why it’s awesome: The mausoleum displays the preserved body of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin .
• Cost: Free!
• Food nearby: Khinkal’naya is a charming Georgian restaurant with vaulted ceilings and exposed brick. It’s a popular place with locals and right next to the Red Square!

Lenin’s Mausoleum, also known as Lenin’s Tomb, is the modernist mausoleum for the revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin. It’s located within the Red Square and serves as the resting place for the Soviet leader! His preserved body has been on public display since shortly after his death in 1924.

It’s located just a few steps away from the Kremlin Wall and is one of the most controversial yet popular Moscow attractions!

Admission is free for everyone, you’ll only need to pay if you need to check a bag. Before visitors are allowed to enter the mausoleum, they have to go through a metal detector first. No metal objects, liquids, or large bags are allowed in the mausoleum!

Expect a line to enter the building, and while you’re inside the building, you’ll be constantly moving in line with other visitors. This means you won’t be able to spend as long as you’d like viewing the mausoleum, but you’ll still be able to get a good look. Pictures and filming while inside the building are strictly prohibited, and security guards will stop you if they see you breaking this rule.

The mausoleum is only open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday – unless it’s a public holiday or a day scheduled for maintenance. The hours it’s open for each day are limited, make sure to check online before you visit to make sure you can fit this into your Moscow itinerary for that day!

Insider Tip: The Lenin’s Museum is there for people to pay their respect; remember to keep silent and move along quickly, it’s not intended for people to congregate around. Also, men are not allowed to wear hats and everyone must take their hands out of their pockets when inside the building.

Day 1 / Stop 4 – St. Basil’s Cathedral

• Why it’s awesome: A dazzling designed cathedral that showcases Russia’s unique architecture. This cathedral is one of the most recognizable symbols of the country!
• Cost: USD $8.00
• Food nearby: Moskovskiy Chaynyy Klub is a cozy cafe serving food items and pipping hot tea; it’s the perfect place to go if you’re visiting Moscow during the winter months!

Located in the Red Square, the ornate 16th-century St. Basil’s Cathedral is probably the building you picture when you think of Moscow’s unique architecture. Its colorful onion-shaped domes tower over the Moscow skyline!

The cathedral was built from 1555-1561 by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It was designed with an iconic onion dome facade and enchanting colors that captivate all who see it. Fun fact: If you’re wondering why Russian churches have onion domes, they are popularly believed to symbolize burning candles!

This iconic cathedral has become a symbol of Russia due to its distinguishing architecture and prominent position inside the Red Square. It’s one of the most beautiful, wonderful, and mesmerizing historical cathedrals in the world!

The interior of the church surprises most people when they visit. In contrast to the large exterior, the inside is not so much one large area, but rather a collection of smaller areas, with many corridors and small rooms. There are 9 small chapels and one mausoleum grouped around a central tower.

Visiting the inside is like walking through a maze, there are even small signs all around the cathedral tracing where to walk, and pointing you in the right direction! The walls are meticulously decorated and painted with intricate floral designs and religious themes.

The church rarely holds service and is instead a museum open for the public to visit.

Insider Tip: During the summer months the line to go inside the cathedral can get quite long! Make sure to arrive early or reserve your tickets online to guarantee quick access into the cathedral!

Day 1 / Stop 5 – GUM Department Store

• Why it’s awesome: This is Russia’s most famous shopping mall! It’s designed with elegant and opulent architecture and provides a real sense of nostalgia!
• Cost: Free to enter
• Food nearby: Stolovaya 57 is a cafeteria-style restaurant with a variety of inexpensive Russian cuisine menu items including soups, salads, meat dishes, and desserts. It’s also located inside the GUM department store, making it very easily accessible when you’re shopping!

The enormous GUM Department Store is located within the historic Red Square. It has a whimsical enchantment to it that sets it apart from your typical department store.

A massive domed glass ceiling lines the top of the building and fills the interior with natural sunlight. There are live plants and flowers placed throughout the mall that give the shopping complex a lively and cheerful feel! A playful fountain sits in the center, further adding to the malls inviting a sense of wonder and amusement!

The GUM department store opened on December 2, 1893. Today, it includes local and luxury stores, including Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and many more! There are numerous cafes, restaurants, and even a movie theater inside!

For a special treat, head into Gastronom 1. This 1950s-style shop sells gourmet food items, like wine, freshly-baked pastries, cheese, Russian chocolate, and of course, vodka! Also, be on the lookout for a bicycle pedaling ice cream truck with an employing selling ice cream!

The ambiance is simply amazing, a trip to this idyllic shopping mall is an absolute must on any Moscow itinerary!

Insider Tip: Make sure to carry some small change on you in case you need to use the restroom, you’ll need to pay 50 rubles – or about USD $0.80 to use the bathroom in GUM.

Wanna know how to pack like a pro? Well for a start you need the right gear….

These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

Or, y’know… you can stick to just chucking it all in your backpack…

Novodevichy Convent | Gorky Park | State Tretyakov Gallery | All-Russian Exhibition Center | Bolshoi Theater

On your 2 day itinerary in Moscow, you’ll have a chance to use the city’s excellent public transportation service! You’ll explore a few more of Moscow’s historic highlight as well as some modern attractions. These sites are a little more spread out, but still very easily accessible thanks to the metro!

Day 2 / Stop 1 – Novodevichy Convent

• Why it’s awesome: The Novodevichy Convent is rich in imperial Russian history and contains some of Russia’s best examples of classical architecture!
• Cost: USD $5.00
• Food nearby: Culinary Shop Karavaevs Brothers is a cozy and simple place to have a quick bite, they also have vegetarian options!

The Novodevichy Convent is the best-known and most popular cloister of Moscow. The convent complex is contained within high walls, and there are many attractions this site is known for! 

The six-pillared five-domed Smolensk Cathedral is the main attraction. It was built to resemble the Kremlin’s Assumption Cathedral and its facade boasts beautiful snowy white walls and a pristine golden onion dome as its centerpiece. It’s the oldest structure in the convent, built from 1524 -1525, and is situated in the center of the complex between the two entrance gates.

There are other churches inside the convent as well, all dating back from many centuries past. The convent is filled with an abundance of 16th and 17th-century religious artworks, including numerous large and extravagant frescos!

Just outside the convent’s grounds lies the Novodevichy Cemetery. Here, you can visit the graves of famous Russians, including esteemed authors, composers, and politicians. Probably the most intriguing gravestone belongs to Russian politician Nikita Khruschev!

The Novodevichy Convent is located near the Moscow River and offers a peaceful retreat from the busy city. In 2004, it was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The convent remains remarkably well-preserved and is an outstanding example of Moscow Baroque architecture! 

Insider Tip: To enter the cathedrals inside the complex, women are advised to cover their heads and shoulders, while men should wear long pants.

Day 2 / Stop 2 – Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure

• Why it’s awesome: A large amusement area in the heart of the city offering many attractions!
• Cost: Free! 
• Food nearby: Check out Mepkato, located inside Gorky Central Park for a casual meal in a cozy setting. There are indoor and outdoor seating options and the restaurant is child-friendly!

Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure is a large green space in the heart of Moscow. The park opened in 1928, and it stretches along the scenic embankment of the Moskva River. It covers an area of 300-acres and offers a lovely contrast from the compact city center.

You’ll find all sorts of wonderful attractions, from boat rides to bike rentals to tennis courts and ping-pong tables, and much more! there are an open-air cinema and festive events and concerts scheduled in the summer months.  A wide selection of free fitness classes is also offered on a regular basis, including jogging, roller skating, and dancing!

Although many of the options you’ll find here are more suited for outdoor leisure during the summer, you’ll also a selection of winter attractions, including one of Europe’s largest ice rinks for ice-skating!

If you’re trying to decide what to do in Moscow with kids, the park also offers several venues designed specifically for kids. Check out the year-round Green School which offers hands-on classes in gardening and art! You can also feed the squirrels and birds at the Golitsinsky Ponds!

The park is very well maintained and kept clean and the entrance is free of charge, although most individual attractions cost money. There is also Wi-Fi available throughout the park.

With so many attractions, you could easily spend all day here! If you’re only planning a 2 day itinerary in Moscow, make sure to plan your time accordingly and map out all the areas you want to see beforehand!

Day 2 / Stop 3 – The State Tretyakov Gallery

• Why it’s awesome: The gallery’s collection consists entirely of Russian art made by Russian artists!
• Food nearby : Brothers Tretyakovs is located right across the street from the gallery. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric restaurant serving top quality food and drinks!

The State Tretyakov Gallery was founded in 1856 by influential merchant and collector Pavel Tretyakov.  The gallery is a national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the most important museums in Russia!

It houses the world’s best collection of Russian art and contains more than 130, 000 paintings, sculptures, and graphics! These works have been created throughout the centuries by generations of Russia’s most talented artists!

The exhibits range from mysterious 12th-century images to politically charged canvases. The collection is rich and revealing and offers great insight into the history and attitudes of this long-suffering yet inspired people!

All pictures are also labeled in English. If you plan to take your time and see everything inside the museum it will take a good 3-4 hours, so make sure to plan your Moscow trip itinerary accordingly! This gallery is a must-see stop for art lovers, or anyone wanting to explore the local culture and history of Russia in a creative and insightful manner! 

Insider Tip: When planning your 2 days in Moscow itinerary, keep in mind that most museums in Moscow are closed on Mondays, this includes The State Tretyakov Gallery!

Day 2 / Stop 4 – All-Russian Exhibition Center

• Why it’s awesome: This large exhibition center showcases the achievements of the Soviet Union in several different spheres. 
• Food nearby: Varenichnaya No. 1 serves authentic and homestyle Russian cuisine in an intimate and casual setting.

The All-Russian Exhibition Center is a massive park that presents the glory of the Soviet era! It pays homage to the achievements of Soviet Russia with its many different sites found on the property.

The center was officially opened in 1939 to exhibit the achievements of the Soviet Union. It’s a huge complex of buildings and the largest exhibition center in Moscow. There are several exhibition halls dedicated to different achievements and every year there are more than one hundred and fifty specialized exhibitions!

The Peoples Friendship Fountain was constructed in 1954 and is a highlight of the park. The stunning gold fountain features 16 gilded statues of girls, each representing the former Soviet Union republics. 

The Stone Flower Fountain was also built in 1954 and is worth checking out. The centerpiece of this large fountain is a flower carved from stones from the Ural Mountains! Along the side of the fountain are various bronze sculptures.

You will find many people zipping around on rollerblades and bicycles across the large area that the venue covers. It’s also home to amusement rides and carousels, making it the perfect place to stop with kids on your Moscow itinerary! Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and allow a few hours to explore all the areas that interest you!

Day 2 / Stop 5 – Bolshoi Theater

• Why it’s awesome: The Bolshoi Theater is a historic venue that hosts world-class ballet and opera performances!
• Cost: Prices vary largely between USD $2.00 –  USD $228.00 based on seat location.
• Food nearby: Head to the Russian restaurant, Bolshoi for high-quality food and drinks and excellent service!

The Bolshoi Theater is among the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world! It also boasts the world’s biggest ballet company, with more than 200 dancers!

The theater has been rebuilt and renovated several times during its long history. In 2011 it finished its most recent renovation after an extensive six-year restoration that started in 2005. The renovation included an improvement in acoustics and the restoration of the original Imperial decor.

The Bolshoi Theater has put on many of the world’s most famous ballet acts! Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered at the theater in 1877 and other notable performances of the Bolshoi repertoire include Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker!

Today, when you visit the theater, you can expect a magical performance from skilled singers, dancers, and musicians with the highest level of technique!

If you don’t have time to see a show, the theater also provides guided tours on select days of the week. Tours are given in both Russian and English and will provide visitors with a more intimate look at the different areas of the theater!

The stage of this iconic Russian theater has seen many outstanding performances. If you’re a fan of the performing arts, the Bolshoi Theater is one of the greatest and oldest ballet and opera companies in the world, making it a must-see attraction on your Moscow itinerary!

Godzillas Hostel

Godzillas Hostel is located in the center of Moscow, just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions and the metro station.

• Towels Included

Cosmonautics Museum | Alexander Garden | Ostankino Tower | Izmaylovo District | Soviet Arcade Museum

Now that we’ve covered what to do in Moscow in 2 days, if you’re able to spend more time in the city you’re going to need more attractions to fill your time. Here are a few more really cool things to do in Moscow we recommend!

Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

• Hear the timeline of the ‘space race’ from the Russian perspective
• This museum is fun for both adults and children!
• Admission is USD $4.00

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a museum dedicated to space exploration! The museum explores the history of flight, astronomy, space exploration, space technology, and space in the arts. It houses a large assortment of Soviet and Russian space-related exhibits, and the museum’s collection holds approximately 85,000 different items!

The museum does an excellent job of telling the full story of the exciting space race between the USSR and the US! It highlights the brightest moments in Russian history and humanity and is very interesting and fun for all ages!

If you’re a fan of space or just curious about gaining insight into Russia’s fascinating history of space exploration, make sure to add this to your 3 day itinerary in Moscow!

The Alexander Garden

• A tranquil place to relax near the Red Square
• Green lawns dotted with sculptures and lovely water features
• The park is open every day and has no entrance fee

The Alexander Garden was one of the first urban public parks in Moscow! The garden premiered in 1821 and was built to celebrate Russia’s victory over Napoleon’s forces in 1812!

The park is beautiful and well maintained with paths to walk on and benches to rest on. The park contains three separate gardens: the upper garden, middle garden, and lower garden.

Located in the upper garden, towards the main entrance to the park is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with its eternal flame. This monument was created in 1967 and contains the body of a soldier who fell during the Great Patriotic War!

The park stretches along all the length of the western Kremlin wall for about half a mile. Due to its central location in the city, it’ll be easily accessible when you’re out exploring The Red Square.

It provides a bit of relief from the city’s high-energy city streets. Bring a picnic lunch, go for a walk, or just sit and people watch, this is one of the best Moscow sites to wind-down and relax!

Ostankino Television Tower

• Television and radio tower in Moscow
• Currently the tallest free-standing structure in Europe
• Make sure you bring your passport when you visit, you can’t go up without it!

For spectacular views of the city, make sure to add the Ostankino Television Tower to your itinerary for Moscow! This impressive free-standing structure provides stunning views of the city in every direction. The glass floor at the top also provides great alternative views of the city!

It takes just 58 seconds for visitors to reach the Tower’s observation deck by super fast elevator. The tower is open every day for long hours and is a great site in Moscow to check out! There is even a restaurant at the top where you can enjoy rotating views of the city while you dine on traditional Russian cuisine or European cuisine!

The tower is somewhat of an architectural surprise in a city that is not known for skyscrapers! To see the city from a new perspective, make sure to add this stop to your Moscow itinerary!

Izmaylovo District

• The most popular attractions in this district are the kremlin and the flea market
• Outside of the city center and easy to reach via metro
• Most popular during the summer and on weekends

Travel outside the city center and discover a unique area of the city! The Izmaylovo District is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, and one of the coolest places to see in Moscow! The two main attractions we recommend checking out are the Kremlin and the flea market.

The Izmailovo Kremlin was established as a cultural center and molded after traditional Russian architecture. This colorful complex is home to several single-subject museums, including a Russian folk art museum and a vodka museum!

Next to the Kremlin is the Izmailovo open-air market, which dates back to the 17th century! The market is connected to the Izmailovo Kremlin by a wooden bridge. Pick up all your Russian souvenirs here, including traditional handicrafts, paintings, books, retro toys, and Soviet memorabilia!

You will find many hand-made and hand-painted options available at higher prices, as well as mass-produced souvenir options at lower prices!

Museum of Soviet Arcade Games

• Closed on Mondays
• Filled with old arcade games that visitors get to try out!
• The museum also includes a small cafe and burger shop

For something a little different, check out the Museum of Soviet Arcade Games! The museum features roughly 60 machines from the Soviet era, including video games, pinball machines, and collaborative hockey foosball! The machines inside the museum were produced in the USSR in the mid-1970s.

The best part is, most of the games are still playable! Purchase tickets and try the games out for yourself! The museum also has a neat little screening room that plays old Soviet cartoons and an area with Soviet magazines! This unique attraction is a fun addition to a 3 day itinerary in Moscow, and an attraction that all ages will enjoy! 

Whether you’re spending one day in Moscow, or more, safety is an important thing to keep in mind when traveling to a big city! Overall, Moscow is a very safe place to visit. However, it is always recommended that tourists take certain precautions when traveling to a new destination!

The police in Moscow is extremely effective at making the city a safe place to visit and do their best to patrol all of the top Moscow, Russia tourist attractions. However, tourists can still be a target for pickpockets and scammers.

Moscow has a huge flow of tourists, therefore there is a risk for pickpocketing. Simple precautions will help eliminate your chances of being robbed. Stay vigilant, keep your items close to you at all times, and don’t flash your valuables!

If you’re planning a solo Moscow itinerary, you should have no need to worry, as the city is also considered safe for solo travelers, even women. Stay in the populated areas, try and not travel alone late at night, and never accept rides from strangers or taxis without a meter and correct signage.

The threat of natural disasters in Moscow is low, with the exception of severe winters when the temperature can dip below freezing! Bring a good, warm jacket if you visit in Winter.

However, please note that Russian views on homsexuality are far less accepting than those in Western Europe. Likewise, Non-Caucasian travellers may sadly encounter racism in Russia .

Don’t Forget Your Travel Insurance for Moscow

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

Now that we’ve covered all the top things to see in Moscow, we thought we’d include some exciting day trips to other areas of the country!

Sergiev Posad (Golden Ring)

On this 7-hour guided tour, you’ll visit several scenic and historic areas of Russia. Start your day with hotel pick-up as you’re transferred by a comfortable car or minivan to Sergiev Posad. Admire the charming Russian countryside on your drive and enjoy a quick stop to visit the Russian village, Rudonezh!

You’ll see the majestic Saint Spring and the Church of Sergiev Radonezh. You’ll also visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, one of the most famous Orthodox sites in Russia!

Lastly, you’ll swing by the local Matreshka market and enjoy a break in a nice Russian restaurant before returning to Moscow!

Day Trip to Vladimir and Suzdal

On this 13-hour trip, you’ll discover old Russia, with its picturesque landscapes and white-stoned beautiful churches! You’ll visit the main towns of the famous Golden Ring of Russia – the name for several cities and smaller towns north-east of Moscow.

Your first stop will be in the town of Vladimir, the ancient capital of all Russian principalities. The city dates back to the 11th century and is one of the oldest and the most important towns along the Ring! Next, you’ll visit Suzdal, a calm ancient Russian town north of Vladimir with only 13,000 inhabitants!

The old-style architecture and buildings of Suzdal are kept wonderfully intact. If you’re spending three days in Moscow, or more, this is a great option for exploring the charming areas outside the city!

Zvenigorod Day Trip and Russian Countryside

On this 9-hour private tour, you’ll explore the ancient town of Zvenigorod, one of the oldest towns in the Moscow region! As you leave Moscow you’ll enjoy the stunning scenery along the Moscow River, and make a few stops at old churches along the way to Zvenigorod.

Upon arrival, you’ll explore the medieval center, including the 14th-century Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery. Next, you’ll take a break for lunch (own expense) where you’ll have the chance to try out the Russian cuisine! Next, you’ll visit the Museum of Russian Dessert and sip on tea at a Russian tea ceremony.

The final stop of the day is at the Ershovo Estate, a gorgeous place to walk around and enjoy nature!

Day Trip to St Petersburg by Train visiting Hermitage & Faberge

On this full-day tour, you’ll enjoy a a full round trip to St Petersburg where you’ll spend an exciting day exploring another popular Russian city! You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Moscow and be transferred to the train station where you’ll ride the high-speed train ‘Sapsan’ to St Petersburg.

Upon arrival, you’ll start the day by touring the Hermitage Museum and the Winter Palace. Next, you’ll visit the Faberge Museum, where you’ll explore the impressive collection of rare Faberge Eggs! In the afternoon, enjoy a sightseeing boat ride and a traditional 3-course Russian lunch.

If you’re spending 3 days in Moscow, or more, this is an excellent trip to take!

Trip to Kolomna – Authentic Cultural Experience from Moscow

On this 10-hour tour, you’ll escape the city and travel to the historic town of Kolomna! First, you’ll visit the 14th-century Kolomna Kremlin, home to the Assumption Cathedral and an abundance of museums!

Next, enjoy lunch at a local cafe (own expense) before embarking on a tour of the Marshmallow Museum – of course, a marshmallow tasting is provided!  Your final stop is the Museum of Forging Settlements, where displays include armor and accessories for fishing and hunting.

Discover this beautiful Russian fairytale city on a private trip, where all of the planning is taken care of for you!

Stash your cash safely with this money belt. It will keep your valuables safely concealed, no matter where you go.

It looks exactly like a normal belt  except for a SECRET interior pocket perfectly designed to hide a wad of cash, a passport photocopy or anything else you may wish to hide. Never get caught with your pants down again! (Unless you want to…)

Find out what people want to know when planning their Moscow itinerary.

How many days you need in Moscow?

We recommend that you spend at least two or three days in Moscow to take it all in.

What’s the best month to visit Moscow?

The best time to visit Moscow is over the spring, from March to May as temperatures are mild, crowds are thin and prices are reasonable.

What are some unusual things to do in Moscow?

I mean, queuing up to see an almost 100 year old corpse is pretty unsual! Check out Lenin’s Mausoleum if you fancy it!

What are some fun things to do in Moscow?

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a fun place to explore the famous space race from the perspective of the ‘other side’!

We hope you enjoyed our Moscow itinerary! We’ve made sure to cover all the Moscow must-sees as well as some unique attractions in the city! Our addition of insider tips, favorite food stops, and day trips from Moscow is an added bonus and will guarantee you make the most out of your exciting Russian vacation!

Immerse yourself in the modern and traditional Russian lifestyle! Get lost in museums, witness awe-inspiring architecture, and indulge in Russian cuisine! Spend the day strolling through all of the charming sites of Moscow, admiring the beautiful scenery and discovering the city’s fairytale-like enchantment!

Made it this far? You get 15% OFF to book a place to stay ! Offer valid exclusively for Broke Backpackers 😉

Alya and Campbell

Share or save this post

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

• Price (Low - High)
• Price (High - Low)
• Most Recommended
• Most Popular
• Capacity (Low - High)
• Capacity (High - Low)

• Availability
• Wedding Venues

Wedding Venues near Moscow, ID

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Climate 100
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Airbnb is offering £150 towards your wedding outfit if you are travelling to these destinations

There is help at hand to avoid fashion faux pas this year – and save money in the process, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts

Get simon calder’s travel email, thanks for signing up to the simon calder’s travel email.

Airbnb has partnered up with By Rotation, a fashion rental app, to offer Brits who have been invited to weddings overseas this year £150 in credit to spend on a designer outfit rental – plus £100 in Airbnb credit for their next trip.

As summer is in full swing, a lot of spouses-to-be would have planned their weddings around making the most of the sunny weather, yet there is also a rise in trend in the couples planning destination weddings outside the UK .

While being invited to someone’s special day is exciting, budgeting for a wedding, overseas or at home, is not necessarily an easy task, especially when you have to think about flights and where to stay, on top of staying stylish with a new outfit.

According to research by Airbnb, around 53 per cent of guests from the UK say they struggle with the cost of attending a wedding.

However, Airbnb and By Rotation have teamed up to try and help alleviate the stress and lower the costs of planning a trip to another country for a wedding, and perhaps an extended holiday , too.

The average British wedding guest will spend £661 per wedding, according to Airbnb’s research, with 17 per cent saying that wedding presents for the happy couple, contribute to the financial strain.

Ten per cent also say the same thing about having to splash out on new clothes for the wedding, yet if you are staying in an Airbnb for a wedding this year , you may find yourself flaunting a new Ganni two-piece or even a sought-after Farm Rio dress.

While England still takes the number one spot for wedding locations for Brits this summer, followed by Northern Ireland and Ireland second and Wales third, other couples have also set their sights on European destinations and beyond to get married in, Airbnb’s research states.

In the middle of the top ten wedding locations, guests can expect to be invited to classic holiday destinations such as Spain , Italy  and Franc e for the big day, yet North America  does take the seventh spot after these countries.

Completing the list are Greece (including the islands) and the Caribbean . If you find yourself being invited to a wedding before the end of 2024 in any of these top 10 destinations and are also staying in an Airbnb , the holiday rental company is offering for you to apply for £150 in By Rotation credit to rent yourself a designer outfit for the big day.

“Watching loved ones tie the knot should be a cause for celebration, not worry. With our research showing that guest stress is snowballing, we want to try and ease that pressure,” Amanda Cupples, general manager for the UK and Northern Europe at Airbnb, said.

“Partnering with By Rotation couldn’t have ‘married’ up more perfectly, as their fashion expertise enables wedding guests to hire their dream outfit in a more sustainable and cost-friendly way,” she added. “This, combined with Airbnb’s range of unforgettable stays all over the globe, where you can have the place totally to yourself, helps make the wedding guest experience all the more easy, and affordable too.”

An astonishing 83 per cent of Brits will attend at least one wedding in 2024, with a staggering 31 per cent attending four or more big days, meaning that watching your loved one getting married can be an expensive occasion, especially if you are trying to stay stylish at each and every one.

While jetting off to an overseas wedding can blow the yearly holiday budget, some guests attending destination weddings have already found ways to cut costs.

Over half (53 per cent) of those say they prefer to stay with a group, and then split the accommodation bill between them, showing a proactive effort to make it more affordable.

Airbnb’s new offer also sees £100 off any future bookings through the platform.

As more couples have chosen to tie the knot overseas, many of their guests are choosing to use their big day as an opportunity to have an extended holiday, their research stated.

Over half, 59 per cent, of Brits attending a wedding abroad see this as a chance to also use the time in another country as being on holiday.

“Airbnb has revolutionised the way we travel, promoting a community-driven approach. The brand is a huge source of inspiration behind the online fashion marketplace we have created at By Rotation,” Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder and CEO at By Rotation, said.

“Weddings are such joyous occasions, and attending them should be as stress-free as possible. We believe both our brands can help with that -  combining the best of travel, accessible fashion, for your wedding calendar.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

The Straits Times

• International
• Print Edition
• news with benefits
• SPH Rewards
• STClassifieds
• Berita Harian
• Hardwarezone
• Shin Min Daily News
• Tamil Murasu
• The Business Times
• The New Paper
• Lianhe Zaobao
• Advertise with us

My small, quick Danish wedding: Where international couples go to get hitched

AABENRAA, Denmark – The ceremony lasted just around 10 minutes. Rings and a kiss were exchanged, and photos were taken. A tear ran down the bride’s cheek. It was a special moment for the young couple.

For the town, however, it was business as usual.

Aabenraa, a coastal Danish town with fewer than 17,000 inhabitants about half an hour’s drive from the German border, is not exactly a major tourist destination. Yet, the visitors it receives are surprisingly diverse.

Many stay for just one or two nights, and come for the same reason: to get married. Dozens of couples arrive each week, and about 90 per cent from abroad. 

The phenomenon is not limited to Aabenraa. The whole of Denmark has developed a reputation as the Las Vegas of Europe – a comparison that rankles some Danes – for its hassle-free weddings.

In 2023, the country issued more than 18,000 international wedding certificates, compared with about 31,500 to couples with at least one spouse residing in Denmark. Since it became the first country in the world to recognise same-sex partnerships in 1989, it has also been especially popular with LGBTQ+ couples.  

“I have nothing but kudos for getting married in Denmark,” said Mr Garry Sullivan, a professional drummer from New York City who initially planned to marry his German girlfriend in Hamburg. “The process in Germany was horribly bureaucratic. One day, the clerk said, ‘If you want to get married quickly, you should go to Denmark.’”

Mr Sullivan and his now-wife followed that advice, joining the roughly 800 couples who have said “I do” in Aabenraa’s two centuries-old town hall in 2024.

The experience was better than expected and relatively affordable. The total costs came to just over US$1,000 (S$1,340) for four people, including trains, a night in a hotel and restaurant visits.

Central to Denmark’s appeal is its lack of red tape. Couples can do all the paperwork online, no birth certificates are needed and applications are usually handled within five working days. If all goes smoothly, the whole process can take between seven and 10 days, and the certificates are recognised worldwide.

That is a stark contrast to Germany, where international couples must submit original documents and bureaucracy can take up to a year; and to Spain and France, where at least one partner must be a resident.

Many European countries also require a recently issued birth certificate, which can pose a problem for people from conflict zones such as Ukraine or Gaza. 

“Most marriage laws are built for two Germans getting married in Germany or two Irish people getting married in Ireland,” said Mr Rasmus Sorensen, founder of Getting Married in Denmark, a service that helps couples navigate the process.

“But today, you have more complex situations. People meet across borders and, all of a sudden, the laws work against the couples.” 

Denmark is also a popular wedding destination for same-sex couples from countries in which such partnerships are not legal or recognised.

They do it as “a symbolic thing. It’s a commitment within the couple”, said Ms Martina Lanotte, an LGBTQ+ wedding photographer based in Copenhagen.

“Some couples are openly queer for the first time in public and it takes some time for them to realise that no one’s going mock them,” she added. “It’s just beautiful to watch.”

Ms Eva Aaen Damsleth, a marriage registrar in Aabenraa, has officiated ceremonies for around 15 years and witnessed how civil weddings have evolved from simple events to extravagant affairs.

People come with harpists and pets, and one couple showed up in roller skates. Some dress in sweatpants, others in elaborate formal attire. Since 2023, couples have also had the option of getting married on the beach for no extra cost.

While Aabenraa primarily attracts visitors from Germany, people come from all over the world, Ms Damsleth said, adding that she has yet to marry anybody from Greenland or Vatican City. 

To accommodate the demand and diversity, the town has ramped up capacity to handle foreign weddings to five days a week, and offers ceremonies in English, German and Danish.

During one recent marriage, a Russian-speaking bride teared up, and Ms Damsleth fished a tissue out of her drawer without interrupting her speech. “Tears are my success criteria,” she later explained.

Aabenraa’s efforts seem to be working. In 2023, the number of international weddings doubled to more than 1,000.

Local businesses are adapting in turn. A gift shop near the town hall now offers a commemorative poster of the building, and a century-old photo studio has seen sales surge. A cafe directly opposite the town hall has also become an unofficial post-wedding venue, with staff making sure there is always a ready bottle of champagne on ice.

More marriages can make a difference for local economies. Aero, a Baltic island beloved by couples, hosts about 2,000 ceremonies a year, which translates to an annual boost of almost US$2 million, according to VisitAero, the island’s tourism board.

While Aabenraa is enjoying the boost, its ambitions are not only economic.

“We want our population to grow and have more children and young families here,” said Mr Thomas Andresen, a former mayor of the Aabenraa municipality. “Wedding tourism is part of a bigger strategy. It’s an opportunity to make a good impression, so that Aabenraa is the first choice for couples who want to settle in Denmark.” 

On a Thursday afternoon in Aabenraa, the sun broke through the clouds. Ms Damsleth closed the door behind the last couple of the day and exhaled deeply. It had been a busy week with around 15 weddings, and she was ready to go home and watch a movie with a glass of rose.

“Sometimes, I’m exhausted from all the smiling and switching between so many languages,” she said. “But I love my job. You meet happy people from all over the world, and you kind of make a difference.” 

Like her colleagues, she hopes that some of the couples she married will return as tourists.

For Mr Sullivan, the newlywed drummer, that seems all but certain. “This town is a hidden gem,” he said. “We are absolutely coming back for our anniversary next year.” BLOOMBERG

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

• Travel and leisure
• Weddings and engagements

Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards

Spin the wheel now

Top Choice: Lotte Hotel Moscow Voted Best in the Area

Lotte Hotel Moscow has been selected as the best hotel in the region. Its exceptional facilities and stylish interior have received high praise.

According to Zoon, a Russian review specialist media, on the 24th, Lotte Hotel Moscow was chosen as the “Best Local Hotel.” Zoon selected superior hotels based on evaluations of the hotel’s rooms, amenities, interior, location, and service.

Lotte Hotel Moscow has received rave reviews for its nearly 538-square-foot(50㎡) large suite rooms and 300 rooms with fashionable interiors. The rooms, decorated with a luxurious yet modern sensibility, are highly praised for providing a comfortable rest.

The hotel also scored high for its comprehensive amenities, including a spa, fitness center, swimming pool, and banquet hall, which are capable of meeting various customer needs. It was also mentioned as an advantage that guests can use the parking lot for free.

Read more: Singapore Embraces Nuclear Energy for Sustainability

Zoon stated, “The world-class Lotte Hotel Moscow is always ready to welcome customers,” adding, “In particular, the hotel rooms are equipped with all conditions for a comfortable rest and business activities.”

With Lotte Hotel Moscow receiving continuous high praise, the hotel’s position in the local market is expected to strengthen. Peterburg Center, a Russian travel information platform, selected Lotte Hotel Moscow as the “Best Wedding Venue in Moscow” last August. Its excellent service and superior environment have received high praise for its competitive banquet services.

A representative from Lotte Hotel said, “We are honored that Lotte Hotel Moscow has been selected as an excellent hotel by a local Russian review specialist media. We will continue to do our best to provide the best experience for our customers through differentiated facilities and Korean-style services.”

Meanwhile, Lotte Hotel opened Lotte Hotel Moscow in September 2010. It is the first Lotte Hotel to open in a region outside of Asia. It is located on New Arbat Avenue, near Russia ’s representative Red Square and Kremlin Palace.

Most Viewed in Gangnam Times

• China’s Electric Vehicle Boom Fuels Investment Interest in Battery Sector
• HYBE’s Youngest I’LL-IT Makes Hot Debut With ‘SUPER REAL ME’ Album
• Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Shift Towards Automated Manufacturing

Richard Branson’s Private Caribbean Island, Beautiful Vineyard Wedding Destinations And More Travel News

Plus: How Disney is expanding its theme parks, Qsuites get an upgrade, and expert tips for combatting travel anxiety.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Live Like Royalty at Richard Branson’s Private Caribbean Island

Since 2014, billionaire Richard Branson’s Moskito Island, a 125-acre retreat in the British Virgin Islands, has been a vacation destination for jetsetters. Now four homeowners on the private Caribbean island have decided to rent their estates . Each villa can accommodate around 20 guests, all of whom have access the island's three beaches, botanical gardens, swimming pools and several bars. Two tennis courts, hiking trails, a gym and a water sports center are also available to all island guests.

What To Know About Disney’s Expansion Plans

It may be a small world after all, but Disney is always looking to expand it. This week, the entertainment giant’s theme park division announced major changes to Walt Disney World in Orlando and Anaheim’s Disneyland. Among the new projects are a Villains Land and a Monsters, Inc. roller coaster in Orlando and a new Avatar ride and several new Marvel Studios attractions in California. Here’s what you need to know about Disney’s expansion plans .

This is the published version of Forbes’ Passport newsletter, which offers a first-class guide to luxury travel. Click here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday.

Europe’s most beautiful vineyard wedding venues.

With vineyard weddings becoming a bigger trend, the European ferry operator DFDS recently conducted a study to identify the most beautiful wineries in Europe that also serve as wedding venues . From the hills of Italy and France to standout vineyards in Croatia and Albania, here’s where to say “I do” with a Premier Cru.

Travel anxiety can ruin a vacation even before it begins. Here are five expert-recommended approaches—using psychological techniques, spiritual aids and mindfulness practices—to help you manage—and overcome—travel anxiety .

Inside Qatar Airways’ New Business Class Qsuite

Ever since Qatar Airways revolutionized business class travel in 2017 with the introduction of the Qsuite, premium seating with a door is now the gold standard for long-haul travel. Last month, in an effort to compete with other carriers, Qatar Airways revealed major upgrades to its Qsuite service . In addition to longer and wider seats—which can be configured into a double bed—the new Qsuite also features 22” 4K OLED screens and Starlink WiFi. But the biggest change is that two window seats can now be combined to face one another to form a “Companion Suite.” But behave yourself—the walls to the cabin aren’t a mile high.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Martha's Blog
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

It's Going to Be a Very Wet and Snowy Winter—See the Farmers' Almanac Forecast Map Here

Expect a lot of snow, rain, and wind this winter.

Madeline Buiano is an editor at MarthaStewart.com, sharing her knowledge on a range of topics—from gardening and cleaning to home.

massimo colombo / Getty Images

Although the dog days of summer are still in full swing, winter weather will be here before you know it. To help you prepare for the chilly months ahead, the Farmers' Almanac just released its 2024-2025 extended winter weather forecast. And it looks like it's going to be a wet and snowy one.

While the beginning of winter (late December) is expected to get off to a chilly start, the coldest outbreak of the season will likely occur during the final week of January into the beginning of February. During this time, Arctic air will bring a dip in temperatures to most of the country.

Farmers' Almanac

The Northern Plains to the Great Lakes region can expect to bear the brunt of this cold front, but areas east of the Rockies into the Appalachians may also experience many periods of cold weather. As the cold air moves across the Great Lakes, the Farmers' Almanac predicts heavy snow showers and snow squalls will bring snow to the east of the Lakes.

However, it's not all snow storms for the U.S. New England and the Northeast will experience above-normal amounts of winter rain and above-normal temperatures. It may still snow in mountainous terrains in these areas, but sleet and rain will be more common near the coast.

People living in Texas, the Southern Plains, and across the Southeast and Atlantic coast should expect warmish weather this winter. The Southeast is expected to see average winter temperatures, while it will be unseasonably cold and wet in the Pacific Northwest.

During the final weeks of January, a majority of the eastern half of the country may experience heavy precipitation and strong winds. From January 20 to 27, the Farmers' Almanac says to expect an influx of snow, rain, sleet, and ice.

Related Articles

Advertisement

Supported by

Tim Walz’s Long Relationship With China Defies Easy Stereotypes

Mr. Walz, the Democrats’ vice-presidential nominee, taught in China and has visited the country around 30 times. But he has also been critical of the Chinese government’s human rights record.

• Share full article

By Amy Qin and Keith Bradsher

Amy Qin reported from Washington, and Keith Bradsher reported from Foshan, China.

In the summer of 1989, Tim Walz faced a difficult choice.

A newly minted college graduate from small-town Nebraska, he had just turned down a stable, 9-to-5 job offer and moved across the world to teach at a local high school in China. He had made it as far as Hong Kong, just across the Chinese border, when People’s Liberation Army tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square to crush pro-democracy protests.

Rumors were flying about a possible civil war in China. Many foreigners, including most American teachers, had fled the country. Should he go back home or continue his journey into China?

He decided to go in.

“It was my belief at that time that the diplomacy was going to happen on many levels, certainly people to people,” Mr. Walz recalled in 2014 during a congressional hearing marking the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. “The opportunity to be in a Chinese high school at that critical time seemed to me to be really important.”

The one year that Mr. Walz spent teaching English in southern China was the start of what would become a decades-long relationship with the country. As high school teachers in Nebraska and Minnesota, Mr. Walz and his wife, Gwen, regularly led trips to China in the 1990s and early 2000s to introduce students to China’s history and culture. Mr. Walz has said that he has traveled to China some 30 times, including for his honeymoon.

That deep history of engagement with China reflects a lesser-known international dimension of the Democratic vice-presidential candidate. If elected vice president, Mr. Walz would bring to the White House unusually extensive personal experience in China — a history that supporters say could be an asset at a time of volatile relations between Washington and Beijing.

But the campaign has so far made little mention of Mr. Walz’s experience there, even as it has leaned into depictions of the Minnesota governor as an avuncular Midwestern dad, coach and teacher. And it has yet to lay out how Vice President Kamala Harris or Mr. Walz would handle China, which both the Biden and Trump administrations have treated with toughness.

Republicans, by contrast, have already begun to seize on the governor’s personal experience in China to accuse him of being soft on a country that is now seen as America’s greatest military and economic rival.

Richard Grenell, who served as ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence in the Trump administration, said on X that “Communist China” was “very happy” with Ms. Harris’s choice of Mr. Walz as her running mate. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas said that Mr. Walz owed “the American people an explanation about his unusual, 35-year relationship with Communist China.”

A spokesman for Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz’s campaign accused Republicans of “twisting basic facts” and “desperately lying” to distract from former President Donald J. Trump’s agenda.

“Throughout his career, Governor Walz has stood up to the CCP, fought for human rights and democracy, and always put American jobs and manufacturing first,” said James Singer, the spokesman, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. “Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will ensure we win the competition with China, and will always stand up for our values and interests in the face of China’s threats.”

Mr. Walz’s record in the House, from 2007 to 2019, showed a lawmaker who often drew on his personal experience in the country to lay out sharp critiques of China’s human rights record. He took a special interest in Tibet and Hong Kong, meeting with both the Dalai Lama and Joshua Wong, a prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist.

An adventure

Years before Mr. Walz became an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, he was a wide-eyed college graduate eager to learn more about the world beyond the farms and ranches of Nebraska.

Mr. Walz was 25 when he arrived at Foshan No. 1 High School in southern China, near Hong Kong, as part of the WorldTeach program, a nonprofit affiliated with Harvard University. The school is in one of Foshan’s oldest neighborhoods, where thick banyan trees dangle aerial roots over sidewalks and streets.

Mr. Walz soon settled into the cocoon of daily life on a small-town campus, even as the chaos of the Tiananmen Square crackdown more than 1,100 miles away rippled across the country. He taught four English and U.S. history classes a day with about 65 students in each class. As one of the first American teachers at the school, he was afforded small luxuries like an air-conditioner and a monthly salary of around $80 — double what the local teachers earned.

Students loved their “big-nosed” teacher, giving him the nickname “Fields of China” because his kindness, they explained to him, was so expansive. For Christmas, some of his students and friends cut down a pine tree, decorated it and brought it to his room.

“No matter how long I live, I’ll never be treated that well again,” Mr. Walz told the Star-Herald in Scottsbluff, Neb., in 1990.

He also took a train up to Beijing and visited Tiananmen Square, where soldiers had fatally shot hundreds, maybe thousands, of protesters and bystanders not long before.

Upon his return to Nebraska in 1990, he told the Star-Herald that going to China was “one of the best things” he had ever done. But he said he also felt that the Chinese people had been mistreated and cheated by their government for years.

“If they had the proper leadership, there are no limits on what they could accomplish,” Mr. Walz said at the time. “They are such kind, generous, capable people.”

Returning again and again

By 1994, Mr. Walz had taken a job teaching social studies at Alliance High School in western Nebraska. There, he met and fell in love with a fellow teacher, Gwen Whipple. They married on June 4 — which happened to be the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. He later would say, “There was no doubt I would remember that date.”

Shortly after, they left for a trip that effectively became their honeymoon: a field trip to China with 60 students.

Mr. Walz was determined to share with his students the marvel of discovering the wider world beyond small-town America, according to interviews with four former students and a professor who went on the yearly trips that the Walzes had organized in the 1990s.

The students, most of whom had never traveled abroad, barely spent any time in the classroom. In addition to sightseeing, they met with tai chi masters, practiced their chopstick skills at family-style meals and tried Chinese calligraphy.

On the trip in 1993, Mr. Walz brought the group to meet his former students at Foshan No. 1 High School. One of Mr. Walz’s friends guided them throughout the two-week trip and was so beloved that one of the students, Kyle Lierk, recalled crying when they had to say goodbye.

“It was clear that Tim was able to build the trip around humanity,” recalled Mr. Lierk, now 47.

Shay Armstrong, a former student who went in 1993 and 1994, recalled learning about some of the more disturbing aspects of Chinese Communist Party rule. They were told about the harsh “one-child” policy, under which most couples who had more than one child were forced to pay fines.

While visiting Tiananmen Square, Mr. Walz explained the history of the bloody crackdown and the brutal governance of Mao Zedong, China’s former chairman, she said.

“It wasn’t all bubbles, hearts and rainbows,” recalled Ms. Armstrong, now 46.

The Walzes continued leading the student trips to China even after they moved in 1996 to Mankato, Minn., organizing the visits through a company that they had established called Educational Travel Adventures.

A vocal critic of China

As a congressman, Mr. Walz did not shy away from talking about his experience in China.

But he was also critical of the Chinese government from the start. And over his 12-year tenure in the House, Mr. Walz’s criticisms of China’s human rights record became even sharper, especially as the Chinese government took a more authoritarian turn under Xi Jinping.

Mr. Walz served on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a bipartisan group of lawmakers focused on monitoring and reporting on human rights and the rule of law in China. Transcripts show that other commission members often praised Mr. Walz for his expertise.

“You are a great asset to our commission,” Representative Chris Smith, Republican from New Jersey and then-chairman of the commission, said to Mr. Walz during a 2011 hearing.

Mr. Walz cosponsored a resolution demanding the release of Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident and Nobel laureate. He criticized China’s unfair trade practices and crackdown on rights lawyers and religious groups.

In 2015, Mr. Walz participated in a rare American delegation to Tibet led by Nancy Pelosi, then the House minority leader. The next year, he met with the Dalai Lama in what he later described in a social media post as a “life-changing” lunch.

Jeffrey Ngo, a prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist, credited Mr. Walz with being at one point the only House Democrat willing to continue backing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which would compel the U.S. government to impose sanctions on officials responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong.

Mr. Ngo said Mr. Walz’s support helped keep the bill alive at a crucial time until it was eventually passed.

“Walz is perhaps the most solid candidate when it comes to human rights and China on a major-party ticket in recent memory, if not ever,” Mr. Ngo said.

Toward the end of his tenure in Congress, Mr. Walz continued to stress the importance of identifying areas of cooperation with China. But he also began to question the long-held wisdom that opening up trade with China would lead the country to become more open and democratic.

“I certainly was under the illusion that liberalizing trade and openness would have a significant impact on liberalization of personal freedoms,” Mr. Walz said during a congressional hearing in 2016. “I have now seen that is not the case.”

In the decades since Mr. Walz arrived at Foshan, the high school that launched his lifelong interest in China has expanded considerably.

On a visit to the high school on Wednesday, news of Mr. Walz’s ascent to the Democratic ticket drew vastly different reactions.

As students in blue and white uniforms exited the school’s gates, they said that their school’s connection to a suddenly prominent American politician had been the talk of classrooms and online chat rooms.

Meanwhile, a school dean said that the school had no comment on Mr. Walz. And guards at the school gate prevented journalists from entering the grounds to see the campus museum.

Dionne Searcey , Amy Chang Chien , Li You and Alain Delaquérière contributed reporting and research.

An earlier version of this article misstated the last name of the person who took the photograph featuring Mr. Walz and students at the Great Wall of China. She is Jillian Walker, not Jillian Taylor.

How we handle corrections

Amy Qin writes about Asian American communities for The Times. More about Amy Qin

Keith Bradsher is the Beijing bureau chief for The Times. He previously served as bureau chief in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Detroit and as a Washington correspondent. He has lived and reported in mainland China through the pandemic. More about Keith Bradsher

Keep Up With the 2024 Election

The presidential election is 80 days away . Here’s our guide to the run-up to Election Day.

Tracking the Polls . The state of the race, according to the latest polling data.

Election Calendar. Take a look at key dates and voting deadlines.

Swing State Ratings. The presidential race is likely to be decided by these states.

Candidates’ Careers. How Trump, Vance, Harris and Walz got here.

Harris on the Issues. Where Harris stands on immigration, abortion and more.

Trump’s 2025 Plans. Trump is preparing to radically reshape the government.

1912 Center

412 East Third Street, Moscow, ID

About this vendor

Pricing details, amenities + details.

• Woman-owned Business
• Historic Venue
• Rentals & Equipment
• Service Staff
• Top reviews
• Newest first
• Oldest first
• Highest rated
• Lowest rated

Wedding vendors in Moscow

• 301 or more
• Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
• Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
• Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
• For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.
• Wedding Vendors /
• Wedding Venues /
• Idaho Wedding Venues /
• Moscow Wedding Venues /