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Wedding parties of 30 or less can use the Center’s Peace Garden, complete with wooden gazebo and Tibetan prayer flags. The Sedona Room, with wood-beamed ceiling and cozy fireplace, holds 80 guests and is popular for winter weddings, says Nancy Spheeris, Sedona Creative Life Center director.
Zoning restrictions prohibit alcohol or outdoor live music, so receptions typically go elsewhere. However, the Center’s beautiful patio with bronze sculptures and running water has hosted pre-reception gatherings. All celebrations must wrap up by 6:30 p.m.
Sedona Creative Life Center’s reasonable rates are refreshing: $300 (Chapel), $200 (Great Room or Peace Garden), and $150 (Sedona Room). Rates cover a minimum of two hours; additional hours can be reserved at an extra cost. A $100 security deposit is required for the Chapel and Great Room. The Center allows rehearsals. Call 928-282-9300 or visit www.sedonacreativelife.com.
Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village
Easily the most popular wedding location in Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village – filled with romantic venues that set hearts aflutter while evoking images of old-world Mexican charm – is the Chapel with its white-wash stucco walls, tiled floor, hand-carved leather pews and painting of St. Augustine, Pope Pius X, St. Bonaventure, Samuel, Peter, and John the Baptist. The Chapel seats 35 in the pews (50 with added chairs). Flowers, dripless candles and decorations are permitted, along with live music (the Chapel has amazing acoustics).
Outdoor weddings (60-guest maximum) take place at Patio del Norte and Terrace, known for its stunning water fountain filled with seasonal flowers. The Patio and Terrace are also available for receptions. A popular option includes a ceremony in the Chapel, cocktails on the Terrace and a reception in the Patio. Patio del Norte and Terrace is the only wedding venue in Tlaquepaque where you can see the red rocks.
For larger wedding parties or brides who relish a long walk down the aisle, Calle Independencia, Tlaquepaque’s main thoroughfare, can be reserved for weddings and receptions accommodating 100 guests, a buffet, and a dance floor with a DJ or band. Lights strung across the two buildings that flank Calle Independencia can add a festive touch. But if it’s intimacy you want, reserve Patio de las Campanas, a cobblestone courtyard bordering the Tlaquepaque bell tower with a maximum capacity of 60 (ceremony and receptions available). The Spanish-style arches and bubbling water fountain give it a cozy, romantic ambiance.
Wendy Lippman, Tlaquepaque’s resident partner and general manager, was married at the Chapel over Memorial Day weekend in 2001, followed by a reception at Patio del Norte, with a Native American blessing. Rene at Tlaquepaque catered the event. “It was pure romance,” Wendy says. “With the candles, flowers and pink-hued lighting you could imagine it was anywhere you wanted it to be. Our guests were content and never bored.”
Site fees range from $400 to $1,000, plus a cleaning deposit. Weddings cannot start before 5 p.m. and music is not allowed after 10 p.m. Tlaquepaque has a bridal changing room and La Sala de los Milagros – an indoor room for 100 people that can be used in bad weather. If you are not getting married at Tlaquepaque but wish to take pictures in its romantic settings, you must secure a photo permit in advance. Call 928-282-4838 or visit www.tlaq.com.
