Witness a land where Northern and Southern countries meet – a place where cultures and worlds mix. Come, fall in love, and have a beautiful Panama wedding.
Panama is known for its authentic energy, untamed rainforests, and cosmopolitan landscapes. If you want to seek more and taste more, this is where you should be.
Why be limited to one type of landscape when you can experience everything? From rainforests to deserts and from beaches to glamorous cities, this country has everything you need in your wedding destination. And of course, you can’t miss the unique lip-smacking dishes served here.
About Destination Weddings in Panama
Why Get Married in Panama
A Panama wedding costs less than a US wedding and offers the excitement of a destination wedding. Spend a few days here and revel in a cozy atmosphere as you unite with nature. Whether you want to have a large celebration or just with your family and close friends, you’ll have an unforgettable experience here.
Arrive a couple of weeks before the big day and enjoy the beauty of the place. Imagine tying the knot with your feet in the sand with the ocean waves crashing behind you. That’s the beauty of an island wedding. Experience it right here in Panama.
Average Cost of a Destination Wedding in Panama
A small ceremony with up to 10 guests will cost you about $2,000. This will include the ceremony setting, flowers, a wedding cake, and photography. A bigger event with up to 30 guests, including music and a rehearsal party, will cost about $6,000.
An even bigger event with up to 50 guests with a live band will cost $10,000. Dinner arrangements will cost about $50-$100 per person, depending on the menu you select.
These costs do not include flights and accommodation. The prices can go up or down depending on the customizations you make.
The Best Panama Wedding Venues & Packages
JW Marriott Panama
Enjoy unrivaled services and timeless luxury with JW Marriott Panama. Travel to the Punta Pacifica shores and find this high-rise hotel which offers an infinity pool that gives striking views of the city skyline.
You can visit the poolside restaurant for a handcrafted tropical cocktail to get the authentic taste of Panama. Try some traditional soul dishes prepared in MASI and indulge in the coziness of their comfortable accommodation.
The venue can bring your Panama wedding to life with its outdoor terrace that showcases a striking view of the ocean. Get a unique wedding reception with the best dishes prepared by experienced chefs of JW Marriott.
Hold your reception at any of their spacious meeting halls. And when you’re here, enjoy the place while their dedicated wedding planners work on the finer details as you sip champagne near the beach.
To accommodate your guests, you can book room blocks that will help you create a private space. Whether you want standard rooms or palatial suites, you’ll find them all here. With plunging bathtubs and all modern amenities, their special suites are designed for ultimate luxury.
Want to enjoy the sea? Lounge in the oceanfront suite and relish their yummy snacks. This venue lives up to the name of Marriott and provides a blissful wedding retreat.
Intercontinental Miramar Panama
Want to stay at the luxury hotel overseeing the Pacific Ocean? Try Intercontinental Miramar. It’s close to the financial district of Panama and offers spacious suites that provide views into Panama Canal.
Make sure you visit their spa before your wedding day to rejuvenate your body and senses. Have a memorable Panama wedding infused with local flavors. They offer customizable wedding packages that you can tailor according to your specific tastes.
There are 11 cutting-edge meeting rooms and a ballroom that can host up to 600 guests. They have certified wedding planners to help you with your special day.
When it comes to accommodation, you can choose Standard Rooms, Executive Rooms, or Suites. It’s a pet-friendly hotel so if you want your furry friend to be a part of your special day, you can bring them along.
Excite your taste buds at Bay View Restaurant or Lobby Bar. All dishes are made of fresh and locally-sourced ingredients. There’s an outdoor pool where you can take a dip after a long day of exploring the city.
They have a fully-equipped fitness center where you can go for daily workouts. The hotel has 186 rooms and is ready for a large-scale wedding.
Dreams Playa Bonita
Behold the place where green jungles merge with mountains and pristine blue waters. Have a Panama wedding like never before at Dreams Playa Bonita.
With suites and luxurious rooms that offer ocean views, you can try to catch sight of a ship entering The Panama Canal. How do you want to unwind? By the pool or in the spa? No matter what your preferences are, you’ll find the best options at Dreams Playa Bonita.
When you want to celebrate true love in a unique destination, Dreams Playa is here to help you with all-inclusive packages. They have options for intimate gatherings, small weddings, and large-scale celebrations.
This resort provides a dedicated wedding coordination team so they can manage the fine details as you relax and enjoy the celebrations.
If you want to plan a proposal or visit the venue before setting up your celebrations, there are special packages for all types of wedding-related activities.
The venue has 301 guest rooms and suites along with 11 seaside towers. Whether you want complete or partial sea views from your terrace or balcony, you’ll find them here in this venue.
Small dogs are welcome in this resort so you can bring along your tiny friend with you.
Riu Playa Blanca
Riu Playa Blanca sits at the Playa Blanca shores in Panama. It offers modern amenities and complete luxury, making it the ideal venue for a Panama wedding.
It’s a beachfront hotel that offers a perfect backdrop for your wedding. They have a dedicated staff for wedding preparations and offer all-inclusive wedding packages so you can relax and unwind while they manage everything.
Relish delicious feasts made with fish and seafood such as lobster, crab, octopus, shrimp, and guavina. Also taste popular soups like fufu and sancocho and munch on yummy tamales. Complete the dinner with sopa de borracha when you’re in Riu Playa Blanca.
Keep up your energy by working out at their on-site gym. The hotels have different clubs to indulge you in singing, dancing, volleyball, and other activities so you stay entertained throughout your stay.
You’ll find three swimming pools and one kid’s pool at the venue. There’s a children’s playground and a Riuland where they can have kiddie activities.
Indulge in shows, discos, and live music at the night, and enjoy a cocktail under the moon with your loved one.
Gamboa Rainforest Resort
It’s a rainforest reserve that gives you opportunities to celebrate your wedding in the lush green jungles. It sits deep in Soberanía National Park and watches the amalgamation of the Panama Canal and the Chagres River.
Experience fascinating adventure combined with the comfort of contemporary living in this unspoiled beauty inside the rainforest.
This Panama wedding venue is just a 30 minutes drive from Panama City and consists of 340 acres of land. There are eco-lodge-style rooms that offer an authentic natural escape from the distractions and bustle of the city.
The place offers all-inclusive wedding packages and a dedicated wedding coordinator who will arrange everything while you enjoy raw nature in the reserve.
Visit the night safaris and aerial train rides in this one-of-a-kind wedding venue that will make your special day even more memorable.
Whether you want views of a tropical-style pool, gardens, or rivers, you’ll find them all here with 27 suites and 137 rooms. The accommodation is natural and rustic, yet comfortable and with all modern amenities.
Wake up every morning with the chirping of tropical birds on your private balcony and lose yourself in the serenity and tranquility of this rainforest reserve.
Panama Wedding Legal Requirements
Legal Weddings vs. Symbolic Weddings
You can have a legal wedding or a symbolic wedding in Panama. While you’ll have to read vows and have a ceremony in both types of weddings, there are some major differences.
With a legal or a civil ceremony, you’ll need to get married in Panama and hold a ceremony here. But with a symbolic ceremony, you can get married in your home country and come to Panama for just the ceremony.
As you can imagine, there will be some paperwork involved in the legal ceremony. But don’t worry, most hotels and resorts will help you out with that.
Required Legal Documents & Cost
Here are the documents you need for your Panama wedding:
- Passports of both parties
- Corresponding visas of both parties
- Birth certificates of both parties
- Health certificates of both parties
- Birth certificates of children of both parties, if any
- Divorce or death certificates of previous spouses of both parties, if any
The health certificate must be made within 15 days before the ceremony. It has to be made by a registered physician and must include results of general medical tests including urinalysis and HIV test.
Legal Marriage Timeline
If you want a legal or a civil ceremony, you need to be in Panama 20 days before the wedding day. The legal ceremony would cost you $400.
Collect the documents mentioned above. You’ll also need a signed declaration that expresses your intent of getting married. This document should have your details such as full names, ages, professions, nationalities, and other details mentioned on the form.
You’ll also need two witnesses. They shouldn’t be related to either party. Discuss things with the hotel or resort in which you’re planning to stay. Generally, they can arrange witnesses for you.
Panama Wedding Planning Tips
How to Get There
You can fly to Panama City through Tocumen International Airport. There are daily flights from the US (mostly through Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and Miami). Flights also come daily from South and Central American cities.
There are three land routes from Costa Rica with frequent buses. You can also drive to Panama using this route.
If you want to reach via the water route, you can get a boat from Cartagena (Colombia) through the San Blas islands. All cruises that cross this region also go via Panama Canal.
Panama Weather
Panama has Pacific and Atlantic sides and the weather conditions on both sides are remarkably different, especially rainfalls.
The Caribbean slopes get almost double the rainfall received on the Pacific side. There are showers throughout the year on the Caribbean side but the Pacific side shows seasonal variations.
The country has a tropical climate, which means it stays hot all year. Panama has cloudy skies and not all days are bright and sunny.
Temperature can go up to 31oC in summer (March to September) and down to 23oC in winter (December and January).
Budgeting Tips
Here are some tips to save money on your Panama wedding:
- Select local dishes in the menu instead of exquisite dishes from all across the globe.
- Flying to Panama can be expensive. Instead, you can take the waterways. However, keep in mind that it will take more time to reach.
- If you’re on a budget, try to have an intimate wedding with under 20 guests.
- Many hotels and resorts run deals and discounts. Ask your preferred hotel if they have any current deals running.
Best Time of Year to Get Married in Panama
The weather is a bit on the cooler side from January to mid-April. In these months, it receives the least rainfall and hence stays sunny for most parts. Get married in this season and you’ll enjoy the tropical nature of the place.
On the Caribbean coast, there are heavy but short bursts of rain almost every day. On the Pacific coast, the wet season stays from May to November.
Since the temperatures stay pretty much constant throughout the year, you can visit it any time. If rain showers don’t bother you, you can save money while having a destination wedding in the rainy season.
Looking for Mexican destination wedding options. Read here about Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, and Cozumel weddings.
