LGBTQ Wedding Index | jewellerybox

It may have taken far too long to get to this point, but same-sex marriage is now legal in 28 countries around the world, meaning everyone has the option of a luxury destination wedding day to commit the rest of their lives to the one they love.

But with so many amazing and romantic cities and destinations around the world to choose from, where are the best locations to tie the knot?

We’ve ranked some of the most popular destinations around the world based on nine factors to find out.

MADRID - Spain

Spain is known as one of the most gay-friendly nations in the world, being the third country to permit same-sex marriage (in 2005).

Madrid just edges Barcelona in our ranking, with a slightly higher LGBTQ+ Openness Score of 4.87 and slightly cheaper accommodation, at £69.50 per night.

BARCELONA - Spain

Similarly to Madrid, Barcelona is a very open city, with annual Pride and LGBT events and festivals. It’s also located just down the coast from Stiges, which is known as Spain’s ‘queer capital’.

While it just falls behind the capital overall, it does boast a higher number of romantic hotels (119) and restaurants (881) and is also more popular on Instagram, with over 54 million hashtags.

PARIS - France

When it comes to romance, it’s hard to look past Paris. After all, it’s called the City of Love for a reason! It’s also an open-minded city, with a large gay scene centred around the historic Marais district.

In our ranking, “Gay Paree” scored top for number of romantic hotels (446), as well as ranking highly for LGBTQ+ Danger Index score (279) and LGBTQ+ openness in the city (4.45/5).

LGBTQ+ FRIENDLINESS LGBTQ+ Danger Index Score (higher = safer) LGBTQ+ Openess in City /5 Year Same-Sex Marriage was Legalised Number of Years Same-Sex Marriage Has Been Legal

DESIRABILITY Average Summer Temperature (°C) Average Summer Sunshine Hours Instagrammability City Hashtag

ROMANCE Number of Romantic Hotels Number of Romantic Restaurants Average Cost of Accommodation per Night

Select Currency:

			LGBTQ+ FRIENDLINESS				DESIRABILITY				ROMANCE			OVERALL SCORE
Rank	City	Country
1	Madrid		279	4.87	2005	15	23.7	10.7	37,410,820	#madrid	78	670	£69.50	7.03
2	Barcelona		279	4.75	2005	15	22.3	9.3	54,102,681	#barcelona	119	811	£74.50	7.00
3	Paris		287	4.45	2013	7	18.6	7.3	116,212,121	#paris	446	1449	£146.50	6.97
4	London		299	4.94	2014	6	18	6.3	134,902,802	#london	167	1688	£117.50	6.96
5	Toronto		309	4.78	2005	15	19.3	10.3	42,212,812	#toronto	23	313	£110.50	6.73
6	Montreal		309	4.6	2005	15	20	10.7	16,305,832	#montreal	38	304	£101.00	6.60
7	Amsterdam		265	4.72	2001	19	16.3	6.3	30,998,099	#amsterdam	65	514	£94.50	6.28
8	Valencia		279	3.94	2005	15	23.7	10.3	17,757,829	#valencia	21	308	£51.50	6.17
9	Vancouver		309	4.09	2005	15	16.7	11.3	20,996,934	#vancouver	24	145	£117.50	6.16
10	Lisbon		306	3.78	2010	10	22.7	10.3	9,182,947	#lisbon	129	620	£64.00	6.15
11	Sitges		279	4.57	2005	15	22.7	9.3	1,173,620	#sitges	12	59	£66.50	6.12
12	Ibiza Town		279	3.69	2005	15	24.3	13	91,905	#ibizatown	7	200	£66.00	6.11
13	Calgary		309	3.72	2005	15	16	11.3	5,913,686	#calgary	9	118	£70.50	5.94
14	Maspalomas		279	4.27	2005	15	22.3	10.7	614,010	#maspalomas	16	108	£149.50	5.89
15	Stockholm		322	4.18	2009	11	15.7	7.7	12,319,781	#stockholm	26	280	£85.00	5.74
16	Antwerp		301	3.51	2003	17	17	7.7	2,183,928	#antwerp	22	170	£82.00	5.61
17	Oslo		307	4.21	2009	11	16.7	7	7,354,307	#oslo	8	151	£84.00	5.47
18	New York City		187	4.91	2015	5	23.7	10.7	124,059,106	#nyc	94	1022	£338.00	5.41
19	Brussels		301	3.15	2003	17	17	5.3	6,365,464	#brussels	45	287	£89.50	5.28
20	Brighton		299	4.66	2014	6	16.3	7.3	6,241,211	#brighton	25	74	£82.00	5.25
21	Rotterdam		265	3.36	2001	19	16.3	6	5,614,475	#rotterdam	8	116	£72.50	5.17
22	Melbourne		238	4.84	2017	3	20.3	10	29,944,419	#melbourne	23	197	£95.50	5.10
23	Copenhagen		248	4.69	2012	8	16.3	7.7	9,359,460	#copenhagen	14	346	£119.00	5.03
24	Bristol		299	4.24	2014	6	17.3	6.7	5,182,477	#bristol	5	133	£73.00	5.02
25	Gothenburg		322	3.18	2009	11	15.7	7.6	1,408,580	#gothenburg	10	104	£92.00	5.01
26	Manchester		299	4.54	2014	6	15.3	5	13,804,334	#manchester	12	143	£78.00	5.00
27	Berlin		208	4.97	2017	3	17.7	7.7	42,022,704	#berlin	33	707	£69.00	4.97
28	Miami		187	4.51	2015	5	27.7	11.7	68,582,956	#miami	11	115	£187.50	4.95
29	Lyon		287	3.42	2013	7	20.3	8.7	7,506,354	#lyon	15	190	£65.00	4.92
30	Glasgow		299	4.39	2014	6	14.3	5	6,230,133	#glasgow	14	211	£70.50	4.90
31	San Francisco		187	5	2015	5	19.3	12.7	27,841,026	#sanfrancisco	42	267	£118.00	4.90
32	Sydney		238	4.33	2017	3	22.7	8.7	30,220,855	#sydney	31	298	£107.00	4.82
33	Helsinki		289	3.87	2017	3	15.3	11	6,429,756	#helsinki	8	121	£86.50	4.80
34	Chicago		187	4.15	2015	5	22	11	45,747,237	#chicago	47	326	£112.00	4.72
35	Las Vegas		187	3.63	2015	5	32.3	13	36,703,406	#lasvegas	19	229	£160.50	4.72
36	Marseille		287	2.42	2013	7	23	11	6,469,075	#marseille	18	152	£68.00	4.67
37	Durban		246	2.36	2006	14	24.7	8.3	2,113,183	#durban	60	35	£52.50	4.65
38	Edinburgh		299	3.27	2014	6	14.3	7.7	8,479,728	#edinburgh	61	258	£84.50	4.63
39	Cape Town		246	2.18	2006	14	21.7	10.7	10,554,383	#capetown	253	249	£257.00	4.63
40	Birmingham		299	3.81	2014	6	15.7	5	6,527,101	#birmingham	10	148	£66.50	4.61
41	Montpellier		287	2.54	2013	7	22.3	10	2,795,644	#montpellier	14	108	£51.50	4.61
42	Bergen		307	2.72	2009	11	14.7	7	2,883,717	#bergen	6	42	£59.00	4.60
43	Johannesburg		246	2.24	2006	14	20.3	10	2,237,614	#johannesburg	68	112	£83.00	4.57
44	Auckland		268	3.48	2013	7	19.3	7.3	4,675,706	#auckland	39	185	£97.00	4.55
45	Los Angeles		187	4.12	2015	5	21	13	64,195,529	#losangeles	59	246	£275.00	4.53
46	Bordeaux		287	2.81	2013	7	20.3	7.7	6,599,167	#bordeaux	29	144	£62.00	4.50
47	Austin		187	3.84	2015	5	29	12.7	11,435,723	#austin	0	104	£144.00	4.50
48	Buenos Aires		157	3.9	2010	10	23.3	8.7	16,061,722	#buenosaires	66	268	£67.00	4.49
49	Sao Paulo		176	4.36	2013	7	24.7	5.3	20,568,798	#saopaulo	10	486	£55.00	4.46
50	Leeds		299	3.45	2014	6	13.7	5.3	4,733,096	#leeds	16	164	£69.00	4.38
51	Vienna		229	4.3	2019	1	15.3	8.3	12,833,582	#vienna	49	429	£69.50	4.36
52	Reykjavik		283	3.54	2010	10	10.3	5.7	1,909,715	#reykjavik	14	65	£122.50	4.32
53	Rio de Janeiro		176	3.97	2013	7	26	6.7	30,314,880	#riodejaneiro	43	271	£107.50	4.31
54	Brisbane		238	3.21	2017	3	25.3	10	10,237,671	#brisbane	25	159	£89.00	4.29
55	Liverpool		299	3.24	2014	6	14.7	5	11,865,505	#liverpool	15	154	£81.00	4.28
56	Dublin		244	4.06	2015	5	15.3	5.7	11,654,061	#dublin	29	268	£101.50	4.25
57	Cardiff		299	2.93	2014	6	15.3	6.7	3,360,913	#cardiff	10	98	£76.50	4.23
58	Lille		287	2.69	2013	7	17	6.3	3,062,157	#lille	16	109	£61.00	4.14
59	Perth		238	2.75	2017	3	24	12	9,196,169	#perth	9	101	£90.00	4.13
60	Cologne		208	4.63	2017	3	17.3	5.7	6,607,868	#cologne	16	179	£71.00	4.12
61	Munich		208	4	2017	3	17	7.7	10,663,419	#munich	16	421	£68.50	4.10
62	Hamburg		208	4.03	2017	3	16.3	7	16,696,269	#hamburg	22	334	£79.50	4.00
63	Puerto Vallarta		170	3.75	-	0	27	8.3	2,160,813	#puertovallarta	45	149	£135.00	3.89
64	Frankfurt		208	3.66	2017	3	17.7	7.7	9,563,416	#frankfurt	2	218	£78.50	3.80
65	Adelaide		238	2.6	2017	3	21.7	9.7	5,459,658	#adelaide	6	69	£72.00	3.76
66	Seattle		187	3.3	2015	5	17.3	9.3	20,353,663	#seattle	25	180	£129.00	3.66
67	Boston		187	2.9	2015	5	22.3	9.3	21,408,398	#boston	25	164	£120.00	3.64
68	Leipzig		208	3.03	2017	3	17.3	7.7	2,936,929	#leipzig	11	57	£49.50	3.43
69	Dusseldorf		208	3.39	2017	3	17.3	5.7	924,868	#dusseldorf	11	167	£78.50	3.40
70	Nuremberg		208	2.97	2017	3	17.7	7.7	644,051	#nuremberg	3	91	£68.50	3.35
71	Cork		244	2.78	2015	5	14.7	5	1,975,228	#cork	13	69	£87.50	3.34
72	Stuttgart		208	2.39	2017	3	18	7.3	7,987,529	#stuttgart	5	146	£65.00	3.09

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We looked at some of the most visited cities around the world, as well as some which are known for being LGBTQ+ friendly and ranked them on the following nine factors, giving each place a score out of ten for each factor, before taking a weighted average out of ten, with double weighting for the LGBTQ+ friendliness factors.

LGBTQ+ DANGER INDEX SCORE

A score based on numerous different LGBTQ+ factors according to Asher & Lyric. Note that this score is applied at country level rather than city. In this case, a higher score indicates a country which is safer for the LGBTQ+ community. Factors accounted for in this score include the laws surrounding same-sex marriage, adoption recognition and protections for the LGBTQ+ community from violence and discrimination.

LGBTQ+ OPENESS IN CITY /5

A score out of five based on how open local citizens are towards different orientations, according to Nestpick.

NUMBER OF YEARS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE HAS BEEN LEGAL

The number of years since same-sex marriage has been fully legal and recognised in each country, according to Wikipedia’s timeline of same-sex marriage. In the case of the UK, we have taken the year when same-sex marriage was legalised in England, Wales and Scotland. However, this was not the case in Northern Ireland until January 2020.

AVERAGE SUMMER TEMPERATURE (°C)

The average temperature across June, July and August in Northern Hemisphere countries and December, January and February for Southern Hemisphere countries, according to Holiday-Weather.com.

AVERAGE SUMMER SUNSHINE HOURS

The average number of sunshine hours across June, July and August in Northern Hemisphere countries and December, January and February for Southern Hemisphere countries, according to Holiday-Weather.com.

INSTAGRAMMABILITY

The number of posts on Instagram that use the hashtag for the city. (The specific hashtag that we looked for each city can be seen in the full table.)

NUMBER OF ROMANTIC HOTELS

The number of hotels listed as ‘Romantic’ on TripAdvisor.

NUMBER OF ROMANTIC RESTAURANTS

The number of restaurants listed as ‘Romantic’ on TripAdvisor.

AVERAGE COST OF ACCOMMODATION PER NIGHT

The average cost of a hotel room per night according to Kayak.