Caribbean Destination Wedding | LGBTQ Destination Weddings | Sonesta Maho Beach All-Inclusive Weddings | Lesbian Wedding Photos
For these two brides, throwing an amazing destination wedding in St. Maarten was in their DNA. And what an adventure we had!
LGBTQ destination Caribbean wedding photos by wedding photographer Kathryn Cooper Weddings
To say Leigh and Joules are some of my favorite-ever clients would be an understatement. I’ve known them for 5 years now, and documenting their multi-day destination wedding in St. Martin was a most awesome experience!
Two Brides & Their Destination Wedding Maho Beach, SXM
My assistant and I flew out to the tropical island of St. Martin/Sint Maarten (more on this in a bit) during the cold February winter. As New York/New Jersey residents, these brides—and I—welcomed the warmth of the Caribbean islands.
It wasn’t my first time to this particular island, but it was my first time documenting a St. martin wedding at Maho Beach! Joules and Leigh chose the Sonesta Maho Beach—which is right near the airport and overlooking truly turquoise water—to have their wedding.
These two gals are just so awesome, and up for any adventure. In fact, these brides even went ziplining in their wedding attire!
Now, not every Caribbean nation is LGBTQ friendly like St. Martin. And, since the Caribbean islands are owned by so many different countries (France, the Netherlands, the UK, the USA, and more), there are different laws for LGBTQ weddings in each of them.
What Caribbean Islands are Safe for Destination LGBTQ Weddings?
Although it’s 2025, not everywhere in the Caribbean allow LGBTQ weddings.
That said, progress is being made! St. Lucia, as of summer/fall 2025, just struck down an old law banning LGBTQ relations. It’s possible to have an LGBTQ wedding in St. Lucia–including at several LGBT-welcoming resorts–though legally getting married there is still a challenge at this time.
There are also several island nations, countries, and commonwealths that are welcoming and filled with LGBTQ resorts, but don’t legally allow them. It’s important to check on the rules of each specific area, but here’s the Caribbean island LGBTQ list as of October 2025.
Here’s where it’s safe/legal to get married for your Caribbean destination LGBTQ wedding:
– U.S. Virgin Islands (where I have photographed over 50 destination weddings!)
– Puerto Rico
– St. Barths
– Guadeloupe
– Mexico
– Cuba
– Saba
– Martinique
Not legally recognized, but welcoming. Civil unions are recognized, but you’ll likely need documentation from a country where it’s legal, such as the USA:
– Curacao
– Aruba
– Anguilla
– Dominican Republic
– St. Lucia
– Turks and Caicos
– British Virgin Islands
– Sint Maarten
– Saint Martin
– Grand Cayman
Places to avoid for your LGBTQ wedding in the Caribbean:
– Jamaica
– Montserrat
– Dominica
– Haiti
– St. Kitts and Nevis
– Antigua and Barbuda
– St. Vincent and the Grenadines
– Barbados
While Sint Maarten/St. Martin is split (explained below map), French St. Martin allows gay marriage, while the Dutch side, Sint Maarten, does not recognize it. Just make sure to either do your paperwork at home, or do it on the French side!
Sint Maarten vs Saint Martin: A Split Island Nation
Yes, St. Martin is actually a split nation: St. Martin/Saint Martin is the French side, whereas Sint Maarten is the Dutch side. They actually speak different languages in the different areas (Dutch/English on the one side and French/English on the other), which makes for very interesting travel on any given day. The first time I traveled on the island, I remember speaking English on one bus ride, then having to switch to my basic French knowledge to get where I was going! It’s got a fascinating history as well, naturally. What split island nation doesn’t?
Because Leigh and Joules are two brides, and St. Martin has long been LGBTQ welcoming, it was a great choice for their tropical destination wedding in the Caribbean.
The Sonesta Maho Beach is actually within walking distance of the airport. It’s an all-inclusive resort, with a few pools, several restaurants, unlimited alcohol, and a casino on the premises. Unlike with other all-inclusives in other countries, this one is within walking and driving distance of many things on the island, so you’re not confined to one resort. Which is good, because the food at Sonesta, in my opinion, left much to be desired.
Weddings at this all inclusive resort can take place in several locations, but if you’re nice, you can get special approval to take photos in spots where guests can’t go.
Upon seeing each other at the hotel, I’ll never forget these two gals seeing me and my assistant, grinning, and literally running over to hug us and welcome us in. In fact, I was recently invited to their housewarming party—but was busy photographing a wedding, so unfortunately couldn’t attend.
The first days of the wedding, my assistant and I rented a car and scoped out the island for photo spots. I was hired to capture their post-wedding adventure session as well, so I wanted to make sure we had epic locations!
Once we arrived at the Sonesta, they had a rehearsal dinner and wedding rehearsal so I could make sure to plan my best spots.
Wedding Day at Sonesta Maho Beach
On their wedding day, Leigh got ready with her military and firefighting colleagues, while Joules got ready with several of her friends from her office and home. Both of them had family come in from the U.S., Haiti, and even Trinidad & Tobago! I took one of my favorite-ever shots during the getting ready. It shows such a strong, beautiful person getting ready for her wedding, with such thought in her eyes.
After getting ready, it was time for their first look. Leigh couldn’t believe it when she turned around and saw her beautiful bride.
An Oceanfront Wedding at the Sonesta Maho Beach
Turquoise waters in the background and a smart-looking mixed-gender wedding party (with mixed colors and outfits—just look at those smart women’s tuxes!), and the stage was set.
Both brides walked in and the wedding ceremony—officiated by one of their friends—started.
I made sure to get lots of angles during their signing of the marriage license, vows, and laughter. It was sealed with a kiss, and then it was time to party!
Now, I’ve photographed weddings for over a decade, and Leigh and Joules’ wedding remains the only time I’ve seen such a fun room erupt in dance, performing “the napkin dance.” It’s a Caribbean-influenced dance that involves waving cloth napkins around in a specific pattern, and wow was it fun. The entire catering staff was staring (and dancing)! Because their families are Haitian and Trinidadian, they blended their cultures into some incredible dancing.
It was a wonderful night, with more adventures to come the following day.
The party was so intense, one of the bridesmaids fell asleep in the lounge, and subsequently got a nap-based series of shots that will surely be held over her for years to come.
A Sint Maarten Wedding Adventure Session
My assistant and I picked up Joules and Leigh for their wedding adventure session. I’d picked several locations, and we got special approval at Loterie Farm–which I’d been to several years previous–to go on their ziplines and high ropes course—in their wedding attire (though Joules had a backup wedding dress that was safer for the technical aspects and harnesses.
The most epic shot, however, may have been the plane-overhead shot I planned out. Maho Beach is popular for having large planes fly directly over the beach—right across from the airport. In fact, crowds gather not only to swim in the accessible beach and watch planes land directly overhead (bring ear protection!), but to stand on the beach as large planes are taking off. The engine air output from panes gunning to take off actually blows people into the water—that’s how close this beach is to the airport.
So, that said, I used a flight tracker to plan out exactly when and where the next plane was going to land, and snapped a few shots as an immense shadow flew overhead. I also have a behind-the-scenes shot!
We also visited French ruins where we got an amazing sunset, a beach where we were the only folks there, and other spots. It was SO much fun!
This is why I always include a half-day adventure session whenever I do a destination wedding. Couples are so exhausted from wedding planning and the wedding day, that they often don’t have time/energy to leave their all-inclusive and actually explore the area. That’s a real shame, since the true beauty is pretty much always away from the resorts and crowds.
Luckily, these two trusted me to plan out the whole day, and it turned out magnificent!
An Incredible Destination Wedding Week
I was so sad to leave these two—and their wonderful, supportive friends and family, who made me feel so welcomed throughout the week. Whether the Bahamas, Hawaii, Barbados, the Caribbean, or tropical islands in Latin America, Asia, and beyond: Having a destination wedding in a location you love—or are excited to explore—is just such a darn fun way to celebrate.
You may not have the 150-person bash that tends to be “expected.” Instead, you’ll have time to explore a beautiful location with some of your favorite family and friends. Instead of one night of wedding celebrations, you can have 3 or 4. Smaller can be absolutely beautiful and joyful, as Leigh and Joules’ Saint Martin destination wedding proved. Love you two!~
Sonesta Maho Beach Wedding Vendors:
Venue: Sonesta Maho Beach
Photography: @kathryncooperweddings
Dress: @seng_couture
Suit: @michaelandrewsbespoke
Kathryn Cooper Weddings: Caribbean LGBTQ Wedding Photographer | LGBTQ Wedding Photographer USA | Maho Beach St. Maarten | Caribbean Wedding Photos 2 Brides