I want to talk to you directly for a moment — not as a planner, but as a person.
I am a Black woman who identifies as LGBTQ+. I live authentically and unapologetically. And I built my career in travel and destination wedding planning, in part, because I know what it feels like to walk into a space and wonder whether you will be truly welcomed there — or just tolerated.
That question follows LGBTQ+ couples everywhere they go. It follows them into venue consultations and vendor meetings. It follows them onto flights and into resort lobbies. And it absolutely follows them when they begin researching where in the world they want to get married.
I refuse to let it follow the couples I work with without having already done the work.
Every destination I recommend has been vetted — not just for legal protections, but for genuine cultural warmth, LGBTQ+-affirming vendor ecosystems, and the kind of welcome that makes a couple feel celebrated rather than accommodated. I am LGBTQ+ Wedding Certified through the Equality Institute and a proud member of IGLTA — the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association. Those credentials are not decorations. They are commitments.
Here are the Caribbean and Central American destinations I love most — and the couples I would send to each one.
| “I do not just send couples to beautiful places. I send them to places that will honor them.” |
The Destinations — and Who They Are For
| I would send you here if… You want a destination with genuine LGBTQ+ community energy, not just legal compliance. You are beach-and-culture people who want more than a resort bubble. |
| I would send you here if… You want a Caribbean-facing ceremony with world-class resort luxury. You love the idea of weaving cultural ritual into your wedding experience. You want photos that look like a magazine spread. |
| I would send you here if… You want domestic legal security without sacrificing Caribbean beauty. Your guests need accessibility. You want an island that feels festive, warm, and completely alive. |
| I would send you here if… You want intimacy over grandeur. You want a setting so beautiful it does all the heavy lifting. You want absolute legal security without having to leave U.S. jurisdiction. |
| I would send you here if… You want the most actively LGBTQ+ affirming resort and vendor ecosystem in the region. You want to feel the welcome not just at the venue, but everywhere you go. You want a destination that is visually extraordinary and logistically excellent. |
| I would send you here if… You are nature lovers. You want a setting with ecological and spiritual depth. You want a destination where the welcome feels genuine because it genuinely is. |
| I would send you here if… You are design-forward and culturally curious. A beach is not your idea of romance — great food, late nights, and a city that never stops is. You want something distinctive and deeply yours. |
| “Your wedding destination should not just be beautiful. It should be a place where you can walk down the street holding hands and feel nothing but joy.” |
One More Thing I Want You to Know
I do not take lightly the trust an LGBTQ+ couple places in me when they ask me to recommend a destination. I know that the stakes are different. I know that a bad recommendation is not just disappointing — it can be uncomfortable, unwelcoming, or in some parts of the world, genuinely unsafe.
That is why I vet every destination I recommend. That is why my IGLTA membership and my LGBTQ+ Wedding Certification are not just credentials on a website — they are how I stay connected to the most current information about LGBTQ+ safety and welcome around the world.
And that is why, when I recommend a destination to you, I want you to feel something settle in your chest — a quiet certainty that someone who truly has your back has already done the homework.
If you are ready to start planning, I would love to talk. My agency, Illusionz Destination Weddings, specializes in destination weddings and romance travel for LGBTQ+ couples who want a planner who is genuinely invested in making their celebration safe, beautiful, and completely unforgettable.
Schedule your complimentary consultation at illusionzdestinationweddings.com. Let’s find the destination that was made for your love story.
With love and intention,
— Shawndra Long
LGBTQ+ Wedding Certified ✦ IGLTA Member ✦ Romance Travel Specialist ✦ Owner, Illusionz Destination Weddings