Ireland, Italy, or Another Destination?
Why are couples choosing europe for their 2025, 2026, and 2027 multi day weekend weddings & intimate adventure elopements?
This is an industry insider opinion to help you discover why couples are choosing Europe for their weddings and flocking to places like Ireland, Italy, and Spain for their wedding or elopement in 2025, 2026, and 2027. You maybe even considering someone with destination wedding and travel experience for your own wedding! What better way than choosing someone like us to document it? All of our clients receive wThe Combs Creative’s signature cinematic documentary meets loose editorial storytelling.
Why Couples Are Choosing Europe for Their Weddings?
It’s no secret that Europe has become one of the hottest destinations for weddings and elopements. From castle weddings in Ireland to cliffside intimate ceremonies in Italy, couples are skipping traditional ballroom receptions at home and instead curating experiences rooted in travel, intention, and adventure.
Maybe you’ve always dreamed of a castle wedding. Maybe you’ve pinned Amalfi Coast vow renewals for years (we’d love to gush about our own Italian vow renewal to you!). Or maybe, like many of our couples, you simply want something that feels different: a day built around your love, your story, and your passions. A day filled with all of your favorite things from waking up and having coffee together to stomping through the cobblestone streets of an old city.
As a couple ourselves who’ve planned our own wedding, we know first hand how many decisions are required with our years of creative experience, the fact that we too renewed our vows on the Amalfi Coast for our five-year anniversary; we can say we’ve seen it all from various trends to huge impactful moments that are never going out of style. As photographers and filmmakers based in Boston and Las Vegas with regular travel to Ireland and the American Southwest, we’ve had the honor of documenting hundreds of weddings worldwide. Take this as our personal and professional perspective, on why couples are choosing Europe for their weddings and it is the top destination choice for 2025, 2026, and 2027 destination weddings and adventure elopements.
The Rise of Luxury Elopements and Intimate Weddings Abroad
For decades, elopements meant something small, secret, and almost rebellious. Today? Elopements are intentional, luxurious, and deeply personal.
Couples are quickly moving away from 200-guest traditional weddings and leaning into experiences that reflect their quirks, passions, and sense of adventure. Sometimes that looks like:
- A morning hike followed by vows at a cliffside overlook.
- Writing vows together in a castle library, chandeliers glowing overhead.
- Champagne in an Italian villa with waves crashing below.
- A cozy pub celebration after an Irish countryside ceremony.
What unites these moments is intention: a day built around what matters most to you.
Why Ireland? Ireland Wedding Locations and Ideas
Ireland is one of the most enchanting wedding destinations in the world. History feels alive in every cobblestone and every ancient oak tree. Our couples often describe it as “stepping into a fairytale.”
Here’s why:
- Historic Castles with sprawling grounds.
- Boutique Estates where intimacy feels luxurious.
- Rolling Green Hills and dramatic cliffsides.
- Slow-Paced Celebrations where weekends stretch into memory-making.
Ireland offers not just a venue but an entire experience. Weddings here are rarely rushed, they’re about gathering, storytelling, and soaking up every single meaningful moment.
Ireland Wedding Venues Worth Traveling For
Castle Leslie Estate
Castle Leslie is a name that carries weight. With its grand ballrooms, ornate details, and sweeping lawns, it’s the kind of venue where you can feel both history and romance in every corner.
In September 2023, we captured Carly & Derrik’s Castle Leslie wedding. They met almost fifteen years before in a confirmation class and chose Ireland because travel has always been at the center of their story. Derrik’s mother—well-known in Las Vegas for planning luxury events—helped bring the day together with equal parts elegance and family tradition.
A Few Vendors from Carly & Derrik’s Wedding:
- Venue: Castle Leslie Estate
- Planner: Byanca’s Events and Decor
Hilton Park Estate
In spring of 2025, we attended a retreat at Hilton Park Estate, a family-owned estate with over 300 years of history. Joanna, the owner, walked us through libraries, fireplaces, and gardens, telling stories of her family’s heritage.
From editorial-style couple sessions to intimate fireside dinners, Hilton Park embodied what makes Ireland so special: heritage, artistry, and warmth.
Vendors from Hilton Park Retreat:
- Venue: Hilton Park Estate
- Planner: Wilde and Sage Co.
- Floral: RBT Florals
- Hair & Makeup: Triplow Beauty
- Rentals: CaterHire IE
How to Plan a European Wedding From the U.S.
Planning abroad can feel overwhelming, but that’s where we step in. With hundreds of weddings under our belts, we know how to make the creative planning seamless.
Our approach includes:
- Trusted Vendor Recommendations across the United States and Europe.
- Timeline Guidance built around the light, travel, and day-of experiences.
- Editorial & Documentary Coverage so your gallery feels cinematic and honest.
- Concierge-Level Support for logistics with local tips.
Pro Tip: Build buffer time into your weekend. The most beautiful galleries include not just the ceremony, but dinners, brunches, and spontaneous adventures.
More Than One Day: Full Wedding Weekends
European weddings shine when they’re stretched across multiple days. Imagine:
- Day 1: Welcome dinner in a cozy pub with live music.
- Day 2: Vows in a chapel, portraits on castle grounds, dancing until sunrise.
- Day 3: Brunch followed by cliffside portraits or exploring Dublin’s streets.
We’ve documented barefoot castle lawn runs, golden-hour champagne toasts, and rain-soaked dances under umbrellas. These aren’t just photos, they’re living memories.
The Editorial + Documentary Blend
Our photography style bridges two worlds:
- Editorial: Curated, cinematic, and inspired by Vogue, Over The Moon, The Wed, and other top publications.
- Documentary: Honest, raw, and unposed. Inspired by movies and our own home films.
It means we’ll direct when needed (to capture that sweeping veil shot at golden hour), but we’ll also step back to let the real emotions unfold. The tear in your partners eye. The laughter during the after-party. The quiet morning writing vows in a castle suite. The dancing under twinkle lights.
Beyond Ireland: Europe’s Other Gems
Ireland may be our most-requested destination, but Europe is filled with many other dream-worthy options.
Newly engaged and wedding couples are also flocking to:
- Italy: Amalfi Coast vow renewals, Tuscan vineyard weddings.
- France: Paris elopements and countryside chateaux.
- Spain: Seaside ceremonies in Mallorca or Ibiza.
- Iceland: Elopements against dramatic volcanic landscapes.
Trend Watch (2025–2027): According to Pinterest trends and publications like Brides and Vogue, couples are increasingly drawn to extended wedding weekends in European destinations. Instead of a single day, weddings are becoming experiences from multi-day events filled with culture, cuisine, and adventure.
Connecting Boston, Las Vegas, and the Southwest
While Ireland and Europe are becoming central to our work, we’re equally rooted in Boston, Las Vegas, and the American Southwest.
Our Boston couples often want the intimacy of New England venues with the drama of coastal dreamy destination wedding photography and high flash parties. Vegas couples love bringing fun, editorial flair to neon-lit downtown adventures with film add-ons. And the Southwest has become a playground for desert elopements and many editorial creative retreats.
This duality sets us apart: you’re not just hiring local only photographers, you’re hiring a team with global perspective and experience in many different destinations with a variety in lighting, textures, and surroundings.
On Our 2026 and 2027 Travel Schedule and Wedding Bucket List
Already on our calendar or on our bucket list for dreamy destination weddings and intimate elopements:
- Ireland & Europe: Castle Leslie, Hilton Park, Belle Isle Estate, Amalfi Coast, Milan, Paris, Tuscany, London
- Las Vegas: Sure Thing Chapel, Commonwealth, Fremont Street, Hellbent Hitchings, Little White Chapel, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire
- Boston & New England: Vermont fall foliage weddings, Cape Cod summer coastlines, Boston rooftops at sunset, Beacon Street cherry blossoms, New York city chic, New Hampshire fields
- American Southwest: Utah canyons, Arizona red rocks, New Mexico deserts, Palm Springs Mid Century Modern charm
If your vision aligns with any of these destinations, now is the time to connect. Our clients tend to book their weddings about eight to fifteen months out and our average starting booking rate ranges from $6,200 to $8,500 for a more all inclusive collection.
Should you have a european destination wedding in 2026 or 2027?
Ireland isn’t just a location, it’s a feeling. A place where stories come alive in castles, countrysides, and pubs. And across Europe, from Amalfi cliffs to Parisian streets, couples are finding spaces that reflect who they are and how they love.
Whether your vision is Ireland, Italy, Boston, Las Vegas, or the Southwest, our promise remains the same:
to tell your story with:
honesty, artistry, and heart.
Ready to plan your Ireland or European wedding?
Inquire with The Combs Creative today and let’s begin crafting your story with intention and detail.
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