The Three Regions of Jamaica

The three main regions of Jamaica to host your Jamaican destination wedding or enjoy for your honeymoon are: Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril. Each includes stunning views, a variety of resorts, and unique attractions. Jamaica has so much to offer for your destination wedding or elopement. All three regions of Jamaica are gorgeous and of course romantic. Marriages in Jamaica are recognized by US law, saving you a trip to the courthouse. We love photographing our couples in the tropical environment and on the spectacular sandy beaches – continue reading for more insight into Jamaica! 

Montego Bay Region of Jamaica

• Close to the airport – resorts are only 5-40 minutes away from MBJ airport
• Excellence Oyster Bay – beautiful wedding packages plus a private beach 
• Royalton Blue Waters Resort and Royalton White Sands Resort – lots of food options, water sports, and is family friendly (they have a waterpark!)
• Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall – our top pick for family friendly resorts in this area!
• Secrets Resorts: St. James and Wild Orchid are adults only and luxurious
• Glistening Waters – nighttime lagoon tours! 
• There are lots of beaches but you won’t really find cliffs here
• Beautiful sunsets – though, not as direct as Negril, but still some gorgeous sunsets and sunrises
• Catamaran Tours – A 2022 Sara June Couple’s choice of excursion for their guests
• Margaritaville 
• Rafting along Martha Brae River

Ocho Rios Region of Jamaica

• About an hour and a half from the airport
• Private beaches, as most resorts are set on coves – this is great because you won’t have vendors walking the beach while you’re trying to relax
• Wavy and a little more rocky beaches – the water is the most still in the morning before 9am… it’s one of the reasons why sunset sessions are my favorite!
• Dunn’s River Falls
• Mystic Mountain – sky explorer, zip line, bobsled 
• The Konoko Garden and Falls
• The Blue Hole
• Beaches Resorts
• Couples Sans Souci Resort – romantic, luscious jungles to wander; we love the beach here!
• Couples Tower Isle Resort – this is where WE honeymooned over ten years ago. They have the best food (seriously, you won’t believe it’s an all-inclusive resort when you see and taste the food) and a private island for weddings!
• Margaritaville
• Delicious Jerk Centre 

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Negril Region of Jamaica

• Seven Mile Beach – public beach with gorgeous sunsets! You’ll have vendors walking the beach but you’ll also be able to take a long romantic walk along the water’s edge. So romantic!
• Direct sunsets (Because Negril is on the west side of Jamaica – sunsets are spectacular and fill the sky!)
• Picturesque cliffs – did someone say cliff jumping?!
• About an hour and a half from the airport
• YS Falls
• Mayfield Falls
• Beaches Resort – the family friendly branch of Sandals Resorts
• Royalton Negril Resort and Hideaway at Royalton Negril Resort
• Margaritaville – are you sensing a theme here? Yes, there are Margaritaville’s everywhere… even in the airport.
• Negril Treehouse Restaurant and Resort
• Arthur’s Beach Bar & Grill
• Couples Negril Resort – all Couples Resorts have water sports and a lot of excursions included in the price! 
• Couples Swept Away Resort – family owned with four branches around Jamaica for endless beaches and destination wedding options

General Excursions and Attractions in the Three Regions of Jamaica

• Snorkeling
• Scuba diving
• Catamaran tours – very popular! 
• Delicious restaurants
• Heritage tours – Seville Great House & Marcus Garvey
• Cliff jumping
• Surfing
• Rafting
• Glass-bottom boat tours
• Hiking
• Shopping
• Beach activities

Bonus Region of Jamaica

Sandals has a resort at the Southcoast of Jamaica, and it’s called (surprise, surprise) Sandals Southcoast. It’s not really a touristy area, and you drive about an hour and a half from the airport through the mountains to get to it. Sandals Southcoast has a beautiful long beach (truly the reason to go!), offers Over the Water Bungalows, and regular features like spas and restaurants. Don’t miss out on an exhilarating Catamaran tour! 

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Looking for more destination wedding planning tips? We’ve got your back!  Click here to read more of our blogs that will help you.And, if you’re ready to find your destination wedding photographer, contact us! We offer photo and video services, no travel fees, and custom collections for every single one of our couples.We can help make your dream wedding day come true.