--- title: "Destination Weddings in Colombia: Where, When and How to Plan From Abroad" url: "https://lovialat.com/en/" markdown_url: "https://lovialat.com/en.md" type: "page" date_published: "2026-10-06T17:39:09+00:00" date_modified: "2026-10-06T17:39:09+00:00" language: "es-CO" renderer_version: "3" --- # Destination Weddings in Colombia: Where, When and How to Plan From Abroad ## Content # Destination Weddings in Colombia: Where, When and How to Plan From Abroad Colombia puts the Caribbean coast, the Andes and coffee country within a short domestic flight of each other, and more couples from abroad are choosing it for their wedding. In a 2024 survey of 70 romance-travel companies by ProColombia, the government agency that promotes tourism, 71% of the foreign couples marrying in Colombia came from the United States. LOVIA is a directory of more than 4,200 wedding venues and vendors across Colombia. This page is your starting point in English: the main destinations, the months that work best, what couples typically spend, the legal basics, and how our team can help you reach vendors for free. ## Why couples choose Colombia for a destination wedding In the same ProColombia survey, couples named the beauty of the destination (23%), family ties (17%) and the venues themselves (15%) as their main reasons. A few other things make Colombia work well for a wedding trip: - **Variety in one country.** A colonial walled city on the Caribbean, beaches backed by the highest coastal mountain range in the world, a spring-like city in the Andes, and haciendas in coffee country. - **Guests turn it into a vacation.** More than 40% of guests at foreign weddings stay four to six days, and more than 70% of these weddings have between 50 and 150 guests, according to ProColombia. - **Nonstop flights from the U.S.** Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena all have nonstop service from several U.S. cities, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the New York area. ## Where to get married in Colombia ### Cartagena Colombia’s destination-wedding capital. The walled old city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984, and the city hosts more than 500 destination and Catholic weddings a year, according to its tourism board. Choose between hotels in the historic center, beachfront hotels and the islands offshore. [Cartagena weddings guide](/en/cartagena-weddings/) ### Santa Marta Founded in 1525, Santa Marta is the oldest surviving city in Colombia. It sits on a Caribbean bay at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, close to Tayrona National Park, and is a natural choice for a beach wedding. [Santa Marta weddings guide](/en/santa-marta-weddings/) ### Medellín Known as the City of Eternal Spring, with an average temperature of about 22 °C (72 °F). Choose a hotel or rooftop in the city, or a hacienda in the cooler hills around Rionegro and Llanogrande. [Medellín weddings guide](/en/medellin-weddings/) ### Bogotá The capital sits at about 2,600 meters (8,500 feet) and is cool all year. Many couples who celebrate near Bogotá choose a hacienda in the Sabana, the high plain around the city, and hire planners, photographers and caterers based in the capital. [Bogotá weddings guide](/en/bogota-weddings/) ### The Coffee Region (Eje Cafetero) Green hills, coffee farms and small towns. The Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, which covers parts of Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011. Pereira, with an average of about 21 °C (70 °F), has its own airport and its own venues and vendors; Salento, near the Cocora Valley and its wax palms, Colombia’s national tree, suits a small weekend wedding. ### Haciendas and country estates in Pereira - [El Refugio de Balsora](https://lovialat.com/directorio/el-refugio-de-balsora/)· Corregimiento · 4.8 on Google (157 reviews) - [Club Campestre Pereira](https://lovialat.com/directorio/club-campestre-pereira/)· 4.7 on Google (1,016 reviews) - [Hacienda San José](https://lovialat.com/directorio/hacienda-san-jose/)· 4.7 on Google (439 reviews) - [Apopori Pereira](https://lovialat.com/directorio/apopori-pereira/)· Cerritos · 4.6 on Google (191 reviews) - [Finca Los Guaduales](https://lovialat.com/directorio/finca-los-guaduales/)· Combia · 4.7 on Google (7 reviews) - [Finca Villa Daniela](https://lovialat.com/directorio/finca-villa-daniela/) - [La Margarita Eventos](https://lovialat.com/directorio/la-margarita-eventos/) Listings open in Spanish. Order: featured businesses first, then the best rated by couples. Ratings are from Google. ### Hotels in Salento - [Pino Hermoso Ecohotel](https://lovialat.com/directorio/pino-hermoso-ecohotel/)· 5.0 on Google (126 reviews) - [El Rancho de Salento](https://lovialat.com/directorio/el-rancho-de-salento/)· 4.7 on Google (383 reviews) - [Hotel Salento Real](https://lovialat.com/directorio/hotel-salento-real/)· 4.5 on Google (994 reviews) Listings open in Spanish. Order: featured businesses first, then the best rated by couples. Ratings are from Google. ### Villa de Leyva and Barichara Two colonial towns for an intimate wedding weekend. Villa de Leyva, a drive north of Bogotá, has a huge cobblestone main square and an average temperature of about 18 °C (64 °F). Barichara, in Santander, keeps its late-18th-century colonial architecture and its historic center is a national monument. In both, book lodging for your guests early. ## When to get married in Colombia Colombia is close to the equator, so the weather depends more on altitude than on the month. ProColombia’s survey puts the high season for destination weddings in **December, November, March and August**. - **Caribbean coast.** Hot all year. In Cartagena, the rainier months are usually April–May and October–November, and November to February are the breeziest. In Santa Marta, the driest months run from December to April. - **Andes.** Medellín is mild all year and Bogotá is cool, especially at night. Rain can come in any season, so every outdoor plan needs a covered backup. - **Planning time.** Couples in Colombia usually plan six to twelve months ahead. For December on the coast, start as early as you can. ## What a destination wedding in Colombia costs There’s no single price. According to ProColombia, **more than 40% of foreign weddings in Colombia fall between US$20,000 and US$50,000**, and some planners report weddings of up to US$100,000. Your total depends on: - the number of guests and the date; - the venue, and whether it asks for a minimum number of rooms or guests; - catering per person, the planner, photography, music and flowers; - guest transportation and, for island or countryside venues, transfers. Ask every venue and vendor for an itemized quote based on the same guest count and date, so you can compare them fairly. ## Getting legally married in Colombia: the short version Foreigners can marry in a civil ceremony before a Colombian notary (*notaría*). Notaries in Cartagena and Bogotá list these documents for foreign partners: - valid passports; - birth certificates with an apostille (or legalized by a Colombian consulate if your country doesn’t use the apostille); - proof of single status, also apostilled; - if either of you was married before, the divorce decree or death certificate; - Spanish translations of every document by an official translator. Some details vary by notary. At least one notary in Cartagena asks for birth certificates issued within the last three months, documents filed at least seven business days ahead, and that one partner has lived in the city for the previous six months. The notary also posts a public notice (*edicto*) for five business days before the wedding. Requirements can change; confirm with the notary before booking flights. Most foreign couples choose the simpler route: they marry legally at home and hold a **symbolic ceremony** in Colombia, with no paperwork in Spanish. This is a summary, not legal advice. ## How LOVIA helps couples planning from abroad LOVIA is a free directory. You compare venues and vendors and request a quote from each business at no cost. We don’t charge commission and we’re not involved in payments: you deal directly with each vendor. Our directory is in Spanish, and every link on this page leads to Spanish-language pages and listings. A few words to know: *lugares y venues* (venues), *planeación integral* (full-service wedding planning), *fotografía de bodas* (wedding photography), *hacienda y espacio campestre* (hacienda or countryside venue) and *salón de eventos* (event hall). If you’d rather not navigate in Spanish, our team can help. Fill in the form below in English, tell us your destination, date and guest count, and we’ll reply and put you in touch with vendors. Many vendors work in Spanish; our team can help you reach them. This help is free. **Tell us about your wedding — free help in English** ## Preguntas frecuentes Can foreigners get legally married in Colombia?Yes. Foreigners can marry in a civil ceremony before a Colombian notary. You'll need passports, apostilled birth certificates, proof of single status and official Spanish translations. Some notaries also require that one partner has lived in the city for months. Requirements can change; confirm with the notary before booking flights. Many couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Colombia.When is the best time for a destination wedding in Colombia?It depends on the destination. ProColombia puts the high season for destination weddings in December, November, March and August. On the Caribbean coast, Cartagena is breeziest from November to February and Santa Marta is driest from December to April. In the Andes, rain can come in any month, so plan a covered backup for any outdoor ceremony.How much does a destination wedding in Colombia cost?According to ProColombia, more than 40% of foreign weddings in Colombia fall between US$20,000 and US$50,000. The total depends on your guest count, date, venue, catering, planner and guest transportation. Ask each venue and vendor for an itemized quote with the same guest count and date so you can compare them side by side.Where should we get married in Colombia?Cartagena is the most popular choice for a colonial city on the Caribbean. Santa Marta suits a beach wedding near the Sierra Nevada. Medellín offers mild weather and mountain haciendas, and the Bogotá area has haciendas in the Sabana. For a smaller, rural wedding, look at the Coffee Region, Villa de Leyva or Barichara.Do vendors in Colombia speak English, and does LOVIA charge for help?Some vendors work in English, but many work only in Spanish. Our team can help you reach them: fill in the form in English and we'll reply and connect you with vendors. LOVIA's help is free, we don't charge commission, and we're not involved in payments. You agree on prices and pay each vendor directly.