Three of the best wedding destinations for diving enthusiasts

For couples who share a passion for the ocean, a wedding that combines romance on land with adventure beneath the waves is perfect. Planning a destination wedding is a lot of fun, but first you have to decide where you are going to host your big day. Whether you dream of exchanging vows on a sandy beach before diving into crystal-clear waters together, or even want to tie the knot underwater, these are three of the best wedding destinations for diving enthusiasts.

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Bora Bora boasts turquoise lagoons, overwater bungalows, and stunning coral reefs – ideal for couples seeking a luxurious and scenic wedding backdrop combined with world-class diving. This South Pacific paradise is surrounded with warm waters teeming with manta and eagle rays, intricate coral gardens, and a variety of sharks. 

Shallow dives and snorkeling adventures allow you to enjoy the coral reefs and colourful fish with your guests, even if they’re new to diving. Or, for thrill seeking couples, why not enjoy a guided shark tour to get up close to blacktip, lemon, and reef sharks?

For your wedding ceremony, you can say “I do” on a private islet surrounded by a panoramic vista of Mount Otemanu. Many resorts here offer wedding packages that include traditional Polynesian blessings, flower crowns, and sunset cruises – so you and your guests will be able to relish every moment in tropical luxury.

Cozumel, Mexico

Located just off the coast of Mexico’s Yacatán Peninsula, Cozumel is a lively and welcoming island well-known for its hospitality, stunning reefs, and accessibility. It’s a more affordable option for couples who want to feel like tropical royalty on their special day, and is abundant in natural beauty and exceptional dive sites.

There’s a wide range of resort-style wedding packages available and intimate beach ceremonies across the island, with some dive operators even offering underwater weddings. Be sure to check out Palancar Reef, one of the top dive sites in the Caribbean, for coral-covered passages, sponges, and sheer drop offs. The steady currents surrounding Cozumel create natural drift dives, perfect for a minimal effort, relaxing underwater journey before or after your wedding. 

Night diving is also popular here – discover bioluminescent plankton, octopuses, and sleeping parrotfish under the moonlit for the ultimate romantic dive experience.

The Maldives

The Maldives tops most bucket lists when it comes to romantic, tropical escapes, and for good reason. If you can stretch your budget, you’ll find impossibly clear waters, unmatched marine diversity, and a secluded, opulent experience here that feels tailor-made just for couples. 

While legal wedding ceremonies must be held outside of the Maldives for foreign couples, symbolic ceremonies on any of the 1,192 islands of this archipelago are nothing short of magical. Think a barefoot beach ceremony followed by days of diving your way across the atolls, being pampered in a luxury spa, sunset dinners by the shore, and sleeping in your own private over-water villa.

The perfect mix

For diving enthusiasts, it makes sense to want your wedding to incorporate both the land and sea. These destinations offer a dreamy blend of romance and adventure that’s sure to make your special day impossible to forget for both you and your guests.