Antigua Wedding: The Ultimate Guide for Canadian Couples
One quick clarification before anything else: this guide covers Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean island nation— not Antigua, Guatemala, a colonial city that shares the same name and shows up in search results for the same searches. If you're planning a beach wedding with direct flights from Canada, you're in the right place. Antigua is famous for having 365 beaches — one for every day of the year — and is home to Sandals Grande Antigua on Dickenson Bay. This guide covers flight logistics from Canada, real Sandals package pricing, and what an Antigua wedding costs.
Why Antigua Weddings Are Perfect for Canadian Couples
Antigua's defining feature is its sheer number of beaches — 365 of them, the local saying goes, one for every day of the year — which means genuine variety in ceremony settings even on a relatively small island. Dickenson Bay, on the northwest coast, is home to Sandals Grande Antigua and some of the calmest, most accessible water on the island.
Antigua also has a smaller, quieter resort footprint than islands like Jamaica or the Dominican Republic — a real draw for couples who want the reliability of a known Sandals property without the scale and crowds of a bigger destination.
Getting to Antigua from Canada
V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU), near St. John's, serves the island.
From Toronto (YYZ): Air Canada and WestJet have both operated direct seasonal service to Antigua, particularly during winter peak season, with flight time in the 4.5–5 hour range. Confirm current-season routing when booking.
From Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary: Expect a connection through Toronto or another Caribbean hub for most of the year.
Group flight coordination through a Canadian destination wedding specialist helps keep your guest list together on Antigua's more seasonal routing.
Antigua Wedding Packages: What Canadian Couples Can Expect
Sandals Grande Antigua runs the same Aisle to Isle wedding program used across all eight Sandals islands:
- Two Lovebirds — roughly $1,795 CAD, an intimate two-guest ceremony
- Sweetheart — roughly $1,380 CAD, or complimentary Monday–Thursday, 9am–2pm, with a qualifying 7+ night stay in a Club or Butler room; up to 10 guests
- Bliss — roughly $3,450–$5,315 CAD, for 20–50 guests
- Epic — roughly $10,490–$19,180 CAD, for 75–140 guests
See our full Sandals wedding guide for the complete inclusion breakdown. Royalton Antigua, St. James Club, and Carlisle Bay each publish their own separate package structures outside the Sandals program.
Sandals pricing above reflects the brand's published Aisle to Isle program, converted to CAD. Independent resort pricing is confirmed directly with each property. All prices subject to change.
Best Antigua Wedding Resorts and Venues
Sandals Grande Antigua, on Dickenson Bay, is the island's adults-only, all-inclusive option, backed by the brand's trusted Aisle to Isle program.
Royalton Antigua and St. James Club Antigua both offer wedding packages outside the Sandals system, with a broader mix of family-friendly and adults-only options. Carlisle Bay sits at the boutique-luxury end of the island's resort spectrum, for couples wanting a smaller, design-forward property.
Antigua Elopement Packages
For couples who want a genuinely small, intimate ceremony rather than a full wedding week, Antigua is well suited to an elopement-style booking. Sandals Grande Antigua's Two Lovebirds tier — a two-guest ceremony — is built exactly for this, and with 365 beaches to choose from, the island offers real variety in setting even for the smallest possible guest list.
Cost Breakdown: What Does an Antigua Wedding Really Cost in CAD?
An Antigua wedding for 30–40 guests runs comparably to Saint Lucia or Barbados, still well below the $50,000 CAD or more a traditional Canadian wedding now costs.
Wedding Cost Table for Canadian Couples (30–40 Guests)
| Expense Category | Budget Tier | Mid-Range Tier | Premium Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wedding Package | Complimentary–$1,800 CAD | $3,450–$5,315 CAD | $10,490+ CAD |
| Legal fees & documentation | $500–$700 CAD | $500–$700 CAD | $500–$700 CAD |
| Photography & videography upgrades | $700–$1,200 CAD | $1,800–$3,000 CAD | $3,500–$6,000 CAD |
| Flights & Accommodation (per person, 7 nights) | $2,700–$3,800 CAD | $3,800–$5,800 CAD | $6,500+ CAD |
Figures are directional planning estimates, not confirmed current pricing. Confirm exact current figures with your specialist. Prices in CAD, subject to change.
For a full cross-destination comparison, see our destination wedding costs in CAD guide.
Best Time to Visit Antigua for a Canadian Wedding
Peak Season (December–April): Dry, sunny, and the best fit for escaping the Canadian winter — also the highest resort rates.
Hurricane Season (June–November): Lower rates, offset by real storm risk — Antigua sits within the Atlantic hurricane belt. Comprehensive travel insurance is essential for a wedding booked in this window; see our travel insurance guide.
Legal Requirements for Canadian Couples Getting Married in Antigua
As a Commonwealth nation, Antigua and Barbuda has a relatively straightforward marriage licensing process for Canadian couples — confirm the current checklist with your resort's wedding coordinator, since requirements are periodically updated:
- Valid Canadian passports, typically with at least 6 months' validity beyond your travel dates
- An original or certified birth certificate for each partner
- A divorce decree or death certificate, if either partner was previously married
- A short minimum on-island waiting period before the license is issued — resort-dependent
Your resort's wedding coordinator manages the actual legal filing.
Planning Your Antigua Wedding with Canadian Experts
Between Sandals Grande Antigua, a handful of independent resorts, and genuine elopement territory on 365 beaches, a Canadian specialist can help you sort through which fits your guest list — and make sure your flights, resort research, and vendors are all pointed at the right Antigua from the start.
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Making Your Antigua Wedding Dreams Reality
Whether it's Sandals Grande Antigua, an independent resort like Carlisle Bay, or a two-person elopement on one of 365 beaches, Antigua and Barbuda offers real variety on a genuinely manageable island.
Start planning by exploring our destination wedding packages or comparing Antigua against other Caribbean options in our destinations guide.
Ready to start planning? Contact our Canadian destination wedding specialists for personalized Antigua resort recommendations and group flight coordination. Thinking about combining your wedding with a honeymoon? Explore our honeymoon guide.
Written by Lois Barbour
With 21 years in the industry, Lois is a Certified Destination Wedding and Honeymoon Specialist through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada, has additional Destination Wedding Specialist training, is a charter member of the Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Association, and has actually trained other travel advisors in romance travel.