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2026 Honeymoon Destinations & Wedding Trends Report

A Preview of 2026 Wedding & Honeymoon Trends—from Popular Honeymoon Destinations to Budgets to AI Wedding Planning

Discover how couples are planning weddings and honeymoons in 2026—using insights from 10,000+ real Honeyfund accounts and a survey of 2026 wedding planning couples.  This report reveals emerging travel trends from the year’s most popular destination wedding locations and honeymoon destinations, as well as 2026 wedding and honeymoon budgets. Finally, the report explores how AI is reshaping the way couples plan weddings and honeymoons.

Key Takeaways

2026 Honeymoon Destination Rankings

  • Hawaii maintains it's position as the all-time most popular honeymoon destination in 2026.

  • Italy ranks #2; Japan rises to #3

  • For the first time, Mexico falls out of the top 3 honeymoon destinations

  • The average honeymoon budget is $6,500

  • 23% of honeymoons are domestic

2026 Wedding Planning Trends

  • 31% of weddings are destination weddings; 2/3 of those are domestic

  • 57% of couples are only somewhat or not at all confident in their wedding budget

  • 25% of couples use AI for wedding or honeymoon planning

  • 44% of couples are opting for a micro-wedding

Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations for 2026

Top 5 honeymoon destinations are Hawaii, Italy, Japan, Greece & Mexico

Top honeymoon destinations #6-#10 are Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Jamaica, Tennessee, and Thailand

Want the full list of our top 20 destinations? Contact press@honeyfund.com

TRENDING HONEYMOON DESTINATIONS

Where Interest is Rising—and Where It’s Dropping

Destinations Gaining Popularity

Why Couples Choose These Places

Average Honeymoon Budget in 2026 as a % of Wedding Budget

Average honeymoon budget as a percent of the wedding budget is $6,500 for 2026

Couples are dedicating a larger portion of their wedding budget

Couples now spend

26%

of their wedding budget on their honeymoon

Driven by experience-first

planning

and less need for traditional household gifts.

Most Popular Honeymoon Splurges

43% splurge on room upgrades, 32% splurge on dining experiences, 23% splurge on private tours, 22% splurge on high end food/beverage, and 12% splurge on flight upgrades

How Couples are Using AI to Plan a Honeymoon

Top Travel Trends for Couples in 2026

Experience-First Travel

Cultural immersion and shared memories over formal luxury

Domestic "Gems" Are In

Passport-free US destinations rising fast with affordability and ease

Adventure + Wellness

Nature, hiking, and wellness retreats replacing lounge-only trips

Bucket-List Travel

Once-in-a-lifetime dreams after years of delayed travel

Affordable Luxury & Rewards Travel

All-inclusive stays and credit-card points make luxury accessible

Anniversary Travel Ideas: Where Couples Travel Next

Most Popular Anniversary Fund Destinations

New York, NY & Florida, USA

Hawai'i, USA & Pars, France

How Couples are Getting Married in 2026

Most Popular Wedding Formats

44% of couples are having micro-wedding/intimate size format in 2026, 39% of couples are having a large traditional wedding format in 2026, 21% of couples are having a weekend-long experience wedding format in 2026, 16% of couples are having a dream destination wedding format in 2026, 13% of couples are having a sustainable/eco-friendly forward wedding format in 2026, 7% of couples are having a luxury upgraded wedding format in 2026, and 95 of couples are having other types of wedding formats in 2026.
31% of couples are opting for destination weddings in 2026

Destination Wedding Popularity

Pie chart showing that of couples choosing to have a destination wedding in 2026, 66% of those couples are having a domestic destination wedding and 34% are having an international destination wedding in 2026

How Much Weddings Cost in 2026

Local Weddings most common budget is $10,000. The bar graph shows that the average budget is $20,000 but the most common budget is $10,000.

International destination weddings' most common budget is $23,000 but the most common budget is $15,000.$15,000. The bar graph shows the average budget

How Confident Are Couples in Their Wedding Budget

43% of couples are confident with their 2026 wedding budget, while 48% are somewhat confident, and 9% are not confident with their 2026 wedding budget.

International destination wedding couples = least confident

More variables and fluctuating travel costs make planning harder, especially when couples are coordinating flights, hotels, and guests across multiple locations.

Why Couples are Choosing Destination Weddings in 2026

Two reasons couples are choosing destination weddings are for scenic/Instagram-ready backdrops and resort & all-inclusive packages.

Two other reasons couples are choosing destination weddings are for affordability compared to local options and fulfilling travel dreams.

Top Destination Wedding Destinations: U.S. & Abroad

Top International Wedding Destinations in 2026 are Italy, the Bahamas, and Mexico.

Top U.S. Destination Wedding destinations are Florida, California, and Hawai'i.

How Couples are Using AI to Plan their Wedding

25% of couples are using AI tools for planning their 2026 wedding.

Top Uses:

Couples who are planning a 2026 wedding are using AI to create playlists, decor mockups, get help with their budget, and invitation wording.

Top Uses:

ChatGPT

Pinterest AI

Gemini

Contact press@honeyfund.com for more information

Turning Insights Into Experiences

Behind every trend and data point is a couple figuring out how to make their dream trip real. Honeyfund makes that easier. Use these insights to plan with clarity—then let Honeyfund help you turn your honeymoon into an experience you'll never forget.

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