Best Wedding Destinations in the West

Why here: This high-desert destination is an art-lovers fantasy suite, with centuries-old adobe architecture, Native American markets, and a museum built solely for the works of Georgia O’Keeffe, who once described New Mexico was so beautiful it was “ridiculous.” She was right.

Your guests will love: Mixing up the days shopping, hiking, and hunting down the city’s best green-chile cheeseburger (hint: Start at El Parasol).

Why here: The SoCal village—just an hour from L.A., beneath the Topa Topa Mountains—is packed with citrus groves, mom-and-pop shops, and a cluster of cute country inns happy to host your big day.

Your guests will love: Meditation Mount (pictured), a 32-acre garden perched above town that’s dedicated to the art of introspection. They can hit up a free meditation session, or spread out along the grounds practicing the Electric Slide. $2 donation suggested; 10340 Reeves Rd.; meditationmount.org.

Why here: Warmer weather than Carmel, better tasting rooms than Monterey, and it’s home to two top-tier wedding venues in Holman Ranch and the 500-acre Carmel Valley Ranch, which offers Pilates, yoga, and beekeeping classes.

Your guests will love: Blissing out at the Refuge (pictured), an affordable day spa with hot pools, cedar saunas, and Adirondack-encircled firepits that look out to the hillside. refuge.com.

Why here: Because you love the outdoors, and this 80-mile-long valley gives you the best of them, incuding the top hiking, biking, and fishing on the continent. Plus you’re crazy-close to a little park called Yellowstone. And, really, is there a better marriage mascot than Old Faithful (pictured)?

Your guests will love: Yucking it up in the town of Jackson, an Old West burg with everything from Michelin-star dining to chaps-and-boot sellers to Harrison Ford and Dick Cheney, and the cowboys who take care of their horses.

Why here: Palm Springs has everything you want in a matrimonial getaway: desert scenery, luxe spas, and plenty of world-class swimming pools to sit around perfecting that low-back, strapless tan.

Your guests will love: Diving into the modern art and design scene, starting with a trip to the Palm Springs Visitor Center, a soaring-roofed monument to the midcentury architecture that put the town on the map.

Why here: Because there’s no rule that says your wedding can’t feel like a honeymoon. Hawaii‘s tourist center has all the aloha awesomeness—white sand, mai tais, water as blue as Ryan Gosling’s eyes—plus a lion’s share of the party venues.

Your guests will love: A pre-ceremony jaunt to Diamond Head, the ancient volcanic crater that overlooks Waikiki. From the summit they’ll see all of Honolulu and seemingly the entire Pacific Ocean sweeping half the globe.

Why here: Nearly 100,000 couples a year trade “I dos” in Sin City, which is probably why it’s called the “Wedding Capital of the World.” You want to get hitched in your car by an Elvis impersonator? You’re in the right place. How about a ride through the canals of faux Venice by a serenading gondolier? As with most everything in Vegas, it can be yours.

Your guests will love: Ditching the Strip for a day trip to the Neon Museum, a treasure trove of hundreds of rescued pieces of electric heraldry that include signs from the Flamingo and Stardust casinos.