A new index from Compare the Market AU has ranked Dubai the best city in the world to host a destination wedding.
The index ranked six different factors and averaged them to create an overall score out of 10. The top and bottom five cities are listed in the tables below.
Top five cites for a destination wedding
| Rank | City | Country | Total wedding cost (USD) | Average rainy days in a year | Number of attractions | Number of places to stay | Instagram popularity | Monthly average search volume | Marriage equality | Wedding score |
| 1 | Dubai | UAE | $25,463.00 | 8 | 4,957 | 2,075 | 646,000 | 2,608 | No | 7.52 |
| 2 | Istanbul | Türkiye | $12,184.00 | 78 | 5,119 | 6,814 | 87,100 | 641 | No | 7.47 |
| 3 | Berlin | Germany | $12,304.00 | 97 | 3,441 | 1,525 | 104,000 | 27,217 | Yes | 7.25 |
| 4 | Rome | Italy | $18,333.00 | 75 | 6,474 | 8,326 | 36,100 | 1,340 | No | 7.12 |
| 5 | London | UK | $27,491.00 | 94 | 9,154 | 4,594 | 729,000 | 1,500 | Yes | 7.11 |
Dubai, UAE took the top spot on the index, largely thanks to its sunny weather and large interest on Instagram. Couples that choose to wed here can look forward to year-round sunshine, luxurious venues, iconic landmarks, and stunning backdrops of skyscrapers, sand dunes and gorgeous beaches.
Istanbul, Türkiye was second place. This historic capital offers couples relatively cheap weddings and otherwise good scores across the board. Here, wedding attendees can experience beautiful and historic architecture, stunning views of the Bosphorus Strait and a rich cultural scene.
Berlin, Germany also offers relatively cheap weddings, and has substantial monthly search volume – putting the city in third place overall. Germany’s capital is beautiful and historic, and its central location in Europe makes it an easy place to get to from all around the continent by train domestically, and by air for those internationally.
Bottom five cities for a destination wedding
| Rank | City | Country | Total wedding cost (USD) | Average rainy days in a year | Number of attractions | Number of places to stay | Instagram popularity | Monthly average search volume | Marriage equality | Wedding score |
| 35 | Zürich | Switzerland | $22,122.00 | 127 | 1,039 | 395 | 5,000 | 57 | Yes | 1.04 |
| 34 | Bruges | Belgium | $16,133.00 | 108 | 502 | 452 | 100 | 50 | Yes | 1.89 |
| 33 | Munich | Germany | $20,342.00 | 116 | 1,350 | 691 | 13,800 | 74 | Yes | 2.25 |
| 32 | Copenhagen | Denmark | $16,518.00 | 101 | 1,348 | 298 | 16,000 | 336 | Yes | 2.48 |
| 31 | Vancouver | Canada | $25,055.00 | 128 | 1,416 | 280 | 378,000 | 546 | Yes | 2.79 |
Zürich, Bruges and Munich landed at the bottom of the index. These cities had notable weaknesses and – while they are still good options to host a destination wedding – prospective brides and grooms should take these caveats into account before booking their big day. These included poor existing online interest as well as limited things to do and places to stay.
Compare the Market’s Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, said it is important that couples choose a destination that’s suited to their preferences.
“While choosing the right destination can make your big day feel all the more special, the location of your wedding is not the be-all and end-all of your celebration,” Taylor said.
“There are a lot of different factors to consider, and each couple will have different priorities and requirements to take into account, such as travelling options and your budget.”
Taylor also suggested that when planning a destination wedding, it might be a good idea to consider options for travel insurance.
“Planning a wedding can be stressful enough as it is. Having travel insurance can provide that extra peace of mind that your dream day won’t turn into a nightmare, particularly if some of your important luggage goes missing!”
To view the full tables and results, visit: https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/travel-insurance/features/best-destination-wedding-cities/
