In destination weddings, how guests reach the destination is becoming as important to the selection process as venue location, accommodation capacity and price. A new study by Top100 Wedding Venues, prepared with 2027 planning in mind, shows that accessibility cannot be measured by direct flights alone, as the journey after landing can significantly affect the overall travel burden.
Based on October 2026 data, the study examined a total of 3,101 wedding venues across Mexico, the Caribbean, Italy, France, Spain, Croatia, Greece, Ireland and Scotland. It also compared direct flights to the destinations’ main gateways from five major U.S. departure points: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami.
Direct Flights Alone Are Not Enough
According to the study, Cancun, Rome, Paris, Madrid and Dublin receive direct flights from all five U.S. cities examined. However, being able to reach a destination’s main airport nonstop does not necessarily mean that getting to the wedding venue is equally easy. In Spain, the median distance between wedding venues and the nearest scheduled airport is 19.9 kilometers. Yet 23.7 percent of the venues examined in the country are located in the Balearic and Canary Islands. As a result, a guest arriving directly in Madrid may still need a second flight or another form of transfer to reach an island destination.
The difference is even more pronounced in Greece. While 56.3 percent of the country’s wedding venues are located on islands, Athens receives direct flights from only New York and Chicago among the five U.S. cities examined. Although local airports in destinations such as Santorini, Mykonos, Crete and Corfu shorten the final leg of the journey, international guests may still require a domestic flight, ferry or additional transfer.
The Journey After the Airport Makes a Difference
The Caribbean stands out in the study as the market with the shortest post-airport journey. The median distance between wedding venues and the nearest scheduled airport is 7.8 kilometers, while 95.8 percent of venues are located within 30 kilometers of an airport. The median distance is 20.1 kilometers in Mexico, 19.9 kilometers in Spain, 20.2 kilometers in Greece and 22.1 kilometers in Croatia. It rises to 30 kilometers in Italy, 31.9 kilometers in France and 37.2 kilometers in Ireland.
The data shows that a long-haul flight does not always mean the most difficult journey. A short ground transfer after a direct flight can be easier for guests than reaching a closer destination that requires a connection, regional flight or ferry.
Guest Costs Do Not End With the Airfare
The impact of transportation on destination weddings is not limited to travel time. According to The Knot data used in the study, a guest who flies to a wedding spends an average of approximately $1,680. The figure is around $840 for guests traveling by car and approximately $270 for those attending a wedding in their own city.
At the same time, most couples do not cover their guests’ travel expenses. According to Zola data, 84 percent of couples expect guests to pay their own transportation costs, while only 7 percent cover those expenses. Among couples planning destination weddings, 79 percent also say they expect smaller gifts because of the travel costs incurred by guests. Connecting flights, airport transfers, ferries and additional hotel nights therefore make destination selection more than a decision about the couple’s own budget. The total cost borne by guests can also influence attendance, particularly for international weddings requiring multi-stage journeys.
Transportation Becomes Part of the Event in the Luxury Segment
In the high-end destination wedding segment, models that incorporate a greater share of the guest journey into the overall event are becoming more prominent. One example cited in the study puts the cost of a one-way group charter flight for 19 people between Miami and Punta Cana at approximately $37,000 to $42,000. A more common approach is to provide airport transfers, group transportation, boat transfers or accommodation support rather than covering all airfare. Particularly in island destinations, these services require the guest experience to be managed before the wedding program itself begins.
The Top100 Wedding Venues study shows that in 2027 planning, destinations are being assessed not only on venue, price and visual appeal, but also on the total journey from a guest’s home to the wedding venue. Direct flights remain a strong advantage, while the duration, complexity and cost of onward connections are becoming increasingly visible factors in competition between destinations.
