Stunning Thailand Gay Wedding at W Koh Samui

Two grooms walk hand in hand down an aisle on a beach, surrounded by guests and red floral decorations, with a decorative arch in the background.

Stunning Thailand Gay Wedding at W Koh Samui

June 3, 2026
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Photos courtesy of

Chris and Kai’s love story started the way the best ones do, totally unplanned. The two were introduced through mutual friends while vacationing in Fire Island, NY, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Two men in suits stand face to face on an outdoor life-size chessboard, surrounded by large chess pieces and concrete walls.

Why Thailand?

When it came time to plan a wedding, a January ceremony in New York was a hard pass. But the decision to head to Thailand wasn’t just about escaping the cold. One of the grooms’ families lives in Asia, so Southeast Asia made practical and personal sense. And the timing lined up perfectly, a big group of their friends was already headed to Bangkok for New Year’s, so extending the trip to a Koh Samui wedding was a natural next step.

A rooftop with a large "W" logo overlooks lush greenery, a coastline, and distant mountains under a cloudy sky.

The couple had visited Koh Samui before and loved it, so the destination wasn’t a gamble so much as a homecoming. After researching a handful of venues on the island, they landed on the W Koh Samui; it matched their style, fit their budget, and came with a wedding planner they clicked with immediately, Piyaporn “Sugar” Kaewnim.

A large stone sculpture of a face wearing oversized headphones sits on a circular platform by the water, with a calm sea and mountains in the background.

Planning from 8,000 Miles Away

Here’s where it gets real: Chris and Kai planned the whole thing remotely, without ever being able to taste the food, see the flowers in person, or walk the space ahead of time. Their advice? Get a great planner and trust the process.

“It would not have been possible without our wedding planner, Sugar,” they say. “Having a competent and reliable planner is critical when planning from afar.”

A long outdoor dining table with white chairs, red napkins, and a centerpiece of red and orange flowers under large white lanterns and string lights by the beach.

They got a lucky break when a friend happened to be passing through Koh Samui about a month before the wedding and was able to do a quick walkthrough on their behalf. Everything looked great. Though the couple admits they probably would have been just as happy without the sneak peek, Sugar had it handled.

A beige hand fan with red floral and bird designs, featuring a ribbon bow and text including a date, against a plain white background.

One detail they did take into their own hands: the altar backdrop. Chris and Kai designed a custom motif based on the paired-wing bird, a figure from Chinese mythology representing two souls that are incomplete on their own and destined to find each other. They had it printed in New York, packed it up, and brought it to Koh Samui, where the hotel staff mounted it behind the altar. The same design made its way onto the stationery and paper fans handed out to guests.

A man in a white suit holding red roses walks down an outdoor aisle with a woman in a red dress, surrounded by guests seated on white chairs decorated with red flowers.

The Big Day

The wedding kicked off with a Chinese tea ceremony, a meaningful nod to family and heritage before the main event. Then it was on to the ceremony itself, held at the W with that stunning paired-wing bird backdrop as the centerpiece.

Two men stand facing each other holding hands on a beach while an officiant holds a ring box. A decorative fan and red flowers are displayed in the background. Two grooms stand facing each other on a beach as an officiant speaks; guests are seated nearby, some in red suits, with floral decorations around.

The ceremony blended religious traditions from both grooms’ upbringings, but the moment everyone was waiting for was the vows. Chris and Kai wrote their own, because, as they put it, reciting something pre-written just wasn’t them.

Chris wore a custom look from Sebastian Cruz Couture. Guests fanned themselves with the hand-printed bird fans (yes, those came in handy in the January Koh Samui heat). Photographer Aidan Dockery captured it all to perfection.

Two grooms kiss in front of a floral arch and decorative fan with red birds during an outdoor wedding ceremony by the water. Five men dressed in formal and semi-formal attire take a group selfie on a sandy beach with wedding decorations and the sea in the background. A group of people in formal attire stand on a beach, smiling and tossing paper fans into the air, with a floral heart shape on the sand in front of them.

Their Best Advice

For couples thinking about going the destination wedding route, Chris and Kai put it simply: “It’s never too early to start planning, small and simple details can still leave a huge impact, and make sure you are working with someone willing to engage in the process iteratively, allowing you to continuously refine the plan until you’re happy with it. And don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good!”

Outdoor event setup at night with a decorated table, a display board with photos, flowers, and a large white "W" structure in the background. Guests seated at decorated tables watch a speaker on stage during an outdoor evening event with string lights and large lanterns overhead.

Vendors: Venue: W Koh Samui; Planner: Piyaporn “Sugar” Kaewnim; Photography: Aidan Dockery; Grooms’ Attire: Sebastian Cruz Couture; Florals, Cake, Stationery & Hair/Makeup: Arranged by W Koh Samui

A group of people stand and clap around a decorated dinner table outdoors at night, with large lanterns and floral arrangements in the background. Two grooms sit back-to-back during their wedding reception, each holding up a shoe, surrounded by guests under string lights and lanterns.