State ranks among top 20 wedding destinations

Don’t get me wrong: Hawaii remains the top destination on the planet for couples to coo.

“Couples mainly go to honeymoon destinations like Hawaii and Mexico,” said Sara Margulis, co-founder and CEO of Honeyfund, a honeymoon registry site that has helped 1.5 million couples finance romantic getaways.

But as more couples seek adventure, affordability and novelty, the hierarchy of honeymoon ports is changing. Since Honeyfund has a lot of user data, including bookings, they already have a good idea of ​​where newlyweds are going in 2026.

On the international stage, Japan and Italy are hot, “but we’re also seeing a lot of growth in U.S. destinations like Tennessee, California, Florida and Alaska,” she said.

“We’ve really seen Tennessee do well the last few years. I think it has to do with that cozy Gatlinburg mountain cabin vibe, which is really lovely.”

In fact, Alaska cracks the registry’s top 20 honeymoon destinations in 2026, ranking at No. 18, after ranking at No. 21 the previous two years. That’s just below California’s 17th place. Meanwhile, Tennessee is currently ranked No. 9 in 2026 after landing in the state in 2024. Adjusting for escapes from the continental United States, they jumped to No. 5 and No. 3, respectively. (Hawaii, Florida and California make up the remainder of the top five domestically.)

A spokesperson for the company added: “These shifts are based on the post-pandemic shift towards affordability, driveability and passport-free destinations.”

But perhaps it’s no surprise that these two very different destinations – 3,241 miles apart as the birds fly – have become hotbeds for honeymooners.

Planning your own adventure behind the altar? We’ve rounded up the latest and greatest ways to fall in love in these two very different yet equally stunning places.

Amore in Alaska

Cruise ships now come in two sizes: jumbo and extra-small. If you want to see Alaska the right way, you have to start small.

Azamara Cruises’ 390-cabin Pursuit cruises the Alaska coast from May to August, calling in ports from Whittier to the remote town of Ketchikan.

Azamara has just launched 10 new surf routes for 2026, allowing you to experience the Alaskan wilderness on land and sea.

These “cruises” combine sailing with scenic rail adventures, river boat tours, farm visits, cultural experiences, and encounters with the area’s scenery and wildlife in Denali National Park. Or stop before or after your cruise at Alyeska Resort, a ski resort outside Anchorage in the Chugach Mountains, for a Nordic spa treatment.

Prices start at $8,049 per person for a 15-night cruise that includes Hubbard Glacier and Ice Straits, and a four-night Denali river boat and rail trip.

Want to test your lover’s mettle? Try Gondwana Ecotours’ Alaska Whale and Waterfalls Yacht Adventure Tour. Company representative Adam York said it was “a quintessential romantic getaway, offering couples and honeymooners a private and luxurious setting”.

This trip to Southeast Alaska begins on a 20-passenger yacht sailing in stunning bays inaccessible to larger boats. See whales, glaciers and waterfalls, and enjoy delicious food when you visit Fords Terror and the tranquil Windham Bay Wilderness Area.

Onshore, you can also hike in the Tongass National Forest (the largest national forest in the country), visit salmon hatcheries, and take boating excursions.

Prices start at $11,995 per person for a cabin.

Tennessee tryst

The Great Smoky Mountains have attracted generations of visitors to towns like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, which still offer affordable and scenic mountain cabins in some of the most beautiful forests in the United States. But these days, East Tennessee resorts are raising the bar on service and culinary excellence.

The culprit is Blackberry Ranch, a luxury farm-to-table resort owned by Relais & Châteaux that provides an excuse for private jets to land in Walland, Tennessee. In 2018, this ultra-unique operation opened a sister farm a few miles away in the Smoky Mountains called Blackberry Hill. The 5,200-acre estate has just 36 cabins, cabins and suites, and a host of chefs, including Joel Werner and Joey Edwards of the on-site Three Sisters restaurant.

Chef Phillip Hare is captain of Firetower’s mountaintop restaurant, while Logan Griffin handles other duties as culinary director. It’s all about eating farm fresh food and drinking it in a somewhat epic and cozy atmosphere.

Prices start at $1,995 per night.

But it’s not just the far reaches of East Tennessee that lend themselves to drama. The Cumberland Plateau features lush landscapes and almost jungle-like waterfalls (fun fact: they filmed the 1994 live-action film The Jungle Book in these locations).

Drive two hours south of Nashville and you’ll find a wooded wonderland at Bolt Farm Treehouse on the outskirts of Chattanooga.

This is a 55-acre, adults-only, five-star resort founded by husband-and-wife team Tori and Seth Bolt. Unique accommodations here range from hilltop treehouses and domes to mirrored cabins with private hot tubs and fire pits.

Most recently, they launched their honeymoon treehouse, complete with a hot tub, outdoor shower, and best of all, a private pizza oven.

Nightly rates start at $749.