Ask the Expert: A Roatán Reverie wedding with a wilder side

By Vivian Vassos

For couples drawn to the Caribbean’s less polished edges, Roatán has a particular pull: lush greenery, reef-filled waters and an invitation to spend as much time exploring as reclining. Our Ask the Expert series continues with this Honduran island, where a wedding can become a shared adventure with your favourite people. Sandra Montero, Certified Wedding & Event Planner and Associate Director of Catering at Kimpton Grand Roatán Resort & Spa, shares how thoughtful planning and personal touches can make the celebration feel as distinctive as its setting.

Insider advice for planning a Roatán wedding

“Beyond a beautiful destination, choose a property where guests will feel cared for and receive personalized service, rather than feeling lost in a large resort,” advises Kimpton Grand Roatán’s Sandra Montero. Ideally, she adds, couples should start planning about a year in advance, giving their guests enough time to budget, arrange travel and prepare for the celebration.

“Couples are looking to experience more of the destination rather than staying in one place. They want a location where they can host a welcome event, plan a group activity, explore the local culture and offer food and beverage experiences that can be personalized to their guests’ tastes,” she says. “And we’re definitely seeing more intimate celebrations. Couples are turning their destination wedding into a meaningful trip with their favourite people, creating experiences and memories that go beyond the wedding day itself.”

As for getting married legally in Roatán, Montero and her team recommend couples complete the legal marriage process in their home country and then celebrate with a symbolic ceremony in Roatán. “There can be quite a bit of paperwork involved, even for locals, so we prefer to save our couples the time and allow them to focus on enjoying the experience. Our in-house wedding planning team can then take care of the details and help create a seamless celebration, from the moment they arrive until they depart.”

Personalization, she adds, really begins with getting to know the couple. “That initial conversation helps us understand who they are, what they enjoy and what they want their guests to experience. From there, we can create an itinerary that truly reflects them, whether that includes water activities, wellness, cultural experiences or something completely unique. You name it, and we’ll find a way to make it happen.”

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Air Canada is launching new nonstop service from both Toronto and Montreal in December 2026 to Roatán, making it easier than ever for Canadian couples to celebrate their wedding on the island.

Next in our Ask the Expert series: Vancouver Island. We’re trading tropical shores for Canada’s west coast, where wild scenery sets the stage for a different kind of destination wedding.

More beautiful places to say “I do” await in our full digital Destination Wedding Guide.

Lesley Turner Editorial Content Writer

Lesley is a freelance writer and content strategist with a serious love for all things wedding. With a background in bridal fashion and over a decade of industry experience, she creates stylish, scroll-stopping content for Today's Bride and beyond.

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