Part One: Off Site Venues
Wooohooo ! We are super excited to start (and revamp) this three part series on OFF SITE venues!! That is RIGHT, we are going OFF the “typical all inclusive resort”.
[PSSSST: So glad you found us here! It can be so frustrating to spend hours searching for wedding planning information when a majority of what you find online is either *so old* or completely geared toward all inclusive resort weddings. WE MADE THIS FOR YOU. In this 100+ page guide, there is information about all inclusive weddings (of course) but there is also PAGES & PAGES of budgeting, hiring vendors (when they aren’t all put in a nice little package for you), choosing a destination, arranging travel for your guests and so much more]
This post was originally published in 2020 but has been updated in 2023.
Now let’s get started and when you are feeling inspired contact us here!
Borghinvilla in Jamaica
Borghinvilla has been featured in Jamaica Experience Magazine, Jamaica Gleaner, Global News, The Wedding Opera, Destination wedding details, Belle the Magazine, The Coordinated bride blog, Black Bride Magazine, Munaluchi Magazine, Jet Fete, Wedding Essentials and more. For couples wanting an experience that is unique to them, Borghinvilla offers a venue with no rules, no restrictions, no outside vendor fees. Your wedding at Borghinvilla will also be completely private (only one wedding per day on two acres!). For your ceremony, you can choose between a cliff side, beach, deck, or garden setting. The idea of Borghinvilla was to promote all the amazing vendors in Jamaica.
Top 10 reasons why Borghinvilla is the BEST destination wedding venue for you!
1. Two acres of lush tropical gardens, beach and cliffs view of the endless Caribbean sea.
2. You can bring your own vendors without additional fees
3. It’s exclusive so you will not have uninvited guests at your wedding or in your photos
4. Ceremony start times are your choice as we aren’t fitting you into a time slot
5. We only host one wedding per day so you won’t cross paths with any other brides
6. Reception can end when you are ready to stop the party
7. Air conditioned, Ocean view walk out bridal suite so your hair and make up can be as fresh as possible
8. Spectacular sunset year round
9. We reply to our emails promptly so you can plan your wedding at your convenience
10. We don’t charge any additional fees for guests not staying at your hotel.
aK’iin in Tulum, Mexico
Akiin Tulum is one of the top wedding locations in Mexico – only about two hours from the Cancun international Airport. They have a few more restrictions than your “typical” off site venue, but some of their restrictions are designed to respect the environment and keep the venue a perfect beach paradise for couples. aK’iin Tulum’s event schedule runs between 4pm and 1am but they allow set up as early as 8am on the wedding day. They have officially been in business over ten years (opened in 2018) and operate by the saying “a dream becomes true and the truth becomes magic”. If you are looking for an off-site venue in Tulum, you would be in good hands here.
Isla Pasion in Cozumel, Mexico
If you are looking for a private island off the coast of Cozumel, Isla Pasion would be a great choice. This small island is just one km in length, making it the perfect place for an intimate (and private) wedding. Their packages all start with ten guests, but they can accommodate up to 700 people on their island. Don’t worry, they include the boat ride from your resort in Cozumel. They even have a Catholic Chapel on the island, one of the few beach venues where you can celebrate an official catholic wedding.
Sunset Monalisa in Los Cabos, Mexico
This is one of the most beautiful Off Site Venues we have ever had the pleasure of visiting. The venue is actually a mediterranean restaurant with amazing food and jaw-dropping views. If food is a top priority for the wedding, you can’t go wrong with their 7 course menu. There is no doubt the food is amazing, but the highlight of the venue is definitely the view, you can literally watch the sunset over the famous Los Cabos Arch. Depending on the size of your wedding, you can rent the whole open-air restaurant so it is completely private. Don’t have the guest count to justify renting out the entire restaurant? You can also rent out a private terrace since the venue consists of different levels built on a cliff.
Jellyfish Beach Restaurant in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Bavaro Beach is undoubtedly the most gorgeous beach in the Dominican Republic and Jellyfish, the best Beach Club. Jellyfish has a long standing reputations for throwing amazing weddings, they have been around for a long time. They have a team of on-site wedding planners and Jellyfish decorators that take care of you from overall planning to the smallest decoration. At Jellyfish, they believe your wedding should reflect you (and don’t we all?). This seafood restaurant/beach club offers a beautiful venue for your dream destination wedding if you are envisioning white sand, turquoise waters and palm trees.
WILD Tulum in Riviera Maya, Mexico
Karen Young, the owner, was formally a music festival promoter but now has all of her focus on this beautiful off-grid restaurant in the middle of the jungle. WILD Tulum is new on the scene and the perfect place to execute those moody & boho weddings on your Pinterest board. In the same way, they always say that “no two weddings are ever the same”. It is also the place to enjoy the perfect cocktail and enjoy farm-to-table international cuisine with a Mexican flair. Even though this is a new hot spot, we have a feeling it isn’t going anywhere soon.
Pearl Beach Club in Dominican Republic
This beach club is on a totally private stretch of beach and enjoys modern infrastructure while still maintaining a classic tropical feel. They do not charge any vendor fees so you can put together your dream team (don’t worry, we will help). They have both beach and garden areas for the ceremony, and an absolutely stunning and unique stage venue for the reception. Enjoy a completely unique & private setting under the stars in the open bar. This resort is just a short drive from Catalonia La Romana – a popular 4* all inclusive resort.
Las Caletas in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
I have to admit – this venue was completely different than what I expected and I am so grateful I had the chance to tour it in person. When you here “private island” you might assume luxury and even though this venue is not “budget” by any stretch of the imagination, it is affordable and has a rustic vibe. There is no power on the island! They only allow evening weddings (ideal for destination weddings anyway) and have the most beautiful sunsets. This venue is ran by Adventure Weddings and they have a majority of their own vendors so Las Caletas isn’t necessarily as “flexible” as other outside venues. Absolutely stunning though!
Le Kliff in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Fun fact: this is where “one of our own” Keana got married. This is a beautiful restaurant set up a cliff south of Puerto Vallarta with the most stunning cliff ceremony venue. THE VIEWS. We love the Pacific side because of their near perfect sunsets and can’t imagine a dreamier place to exchange vows. There is a max of 40 chairs for the ceremony deck but the reception area can fit up to 200 guests. We can’t say enough amazing things about the venue and the staff here!
Ocean Events Cancun in Cancun, Mexico
We absolutely adore the wedding coordinators here. Originally, we connected at Love Mexico in 2018 and we are still thinking about their positive and relaxed energy almost two years later. They LOVE working with wedding planners (you actually get a discount if you have one!). The wedding venue is absolutely STUNNING – and actually, one of the more affordable off site venues. If you like the idea of an off site wedding venue but still want the comfort of a “wedding package”, their packages include almost everything.
Feeling Inspired?
We could probably have listed at least more off site venues that we would highly recommend but the point of this was to just give you a little teaser. If you aren’t sure yet if an off-site venue is right for you, stay tuned in the weeks to come or hang out with us on Instagram for unlimited Destination Wedding Inspiration.
Wondering if you need to hire a Destination Wedding Planner or a Destination Wedding Travel Agent? We wrote a whole post about who you need to hire here. But here is the short version: we would recommend considering our destination wedding planner services if you are considering an off site venue because there are so many extra variables to consider.
For one of the off site venues above, planning services will be between $3500-$5000 (after we get in touch we will get you an exact quote). This is not mandatory – but we think you will appreciate the extra support and somebody to be there with you the day of! If you are only looking for destination wedding travel agent services we would still love to help you find your dream off site venue and get your guests set up at a nearby all inclusive for the rest of the week.
April 13, 2023
