Planning Your Perfect Tlaquepaque Wedding: A Guide from an Arizona Wedding Videographer

Close your eyes and imagine your dream Arizona wedding. Maybe you want a traditional, neutral, or laid-back wedding day. Or just maybe in your mind’s eye, you want something a bit bigger. Maybe it’s being surrounded by vibrant colors, deep Arizona culture, and old world charm – and that’s exactly what Tlaquepaque brings to your big day.

As an Arizona wedding videographer who has seen it all (and who has been to numerous Arizona wedding venues), Tlaquepaque is one of the absolute best venues in Sedona. Marlene and Florencio celebrated their marriage here, and it could not have been a more beautiful and special day that I feel so lucky to have captured! 

Why Tlaquepaque is a Great Venue For Your Sedona Wedding

Tlaquepaque is a truly magical venue for your Sedona wedding, and that magic is reflected in your wedding video perfectly. Even just seeing photos and videos from Tlaquepaque weddings lets you see how special the venue is! 

This Sedona wedding venue has a stunning backdrop every way you turn (seriously, there’s not a bad place for photos or videos throughout this entire venue). It’s complete with elegant plazas, arched entryways, vine-covered stucco walls, and cobblestoned walkways, ensuring that there is beauty and charm no matter where you’re spending your wedding day! Learn more about booking Tlaquepaque for your Sedona wedding here.

Even though I could go on and on about how beautiful Tlaquepaque is, one of my favorite parts about the venue is that it has that traditional feel of a wedding day while being mixed with a little bit of adventure that just makes it perfect for a Sedona wedding. This mix of tradition and adventure is exactly what Marlene and Florencio dreamed of and what made it the best Sedona wedding venue imaginable for their big day. 

Marlene and Florencio’s Sedona Wedding Day: 

Marlene and Florencio’s Sedona wedding was the definition of a long-overdue party. They eloped way back in 2010 (iconic), but this was finally their chance to throw the celebration they’d always dreamed of—with their favorite people front and center. And let me tell you—it was so worth the wait. I still get goosebumps thinking about them saying “I do” all over again, this time with their families cheering them on.

The whole day was just overflowing with intention. Every detail felt like them—warm, joyful, and full of heart. It wasn’t just pretty for the sake of pretty. It meant something. And you can feel that in every second of their wedding film. It’s got that rare combo of excitement and soul, the kind that makes you grin and tear up at the same time.

And shoutout to the dream team of vendors who absolutely crushed it. This day came together like a dang fairytale, and it wouldn’t have been half as magical without the crew behind the scenes making it all happen.

Day of Coordinator: Eloni Tejada

Photographer: Ben Chavez

Florist: Jazz Bouquet

DJ: Eli Pedroza

Tips for Your Choosing Your Sedona Wedding Venue: 

1. Establish a budget

In the process of wedding planning, you may have learned that establishing a budget before looking at vendors can save you some trouble. Make sure that you have a budget set before starting to look at wedding venues! You don’t want to find the perfect one and it ends up being more than what you accounted for.

2. Determine the feel of your day

Choosing a venue can be tricky when there are so many gorgeous Arizona wedding venues! The best way to choose a wedding venue is to look at the big picture of your wedding day – how do you want it to feel? If you want a more rustic or laid-back feel, a barn venue may be your best bet. If you want it to feel intimate and charming, someplace like Tlaquepaque may be your dream. 

Bonus tip: Look at galleries and videos from previous weddings there to see how those feel, and make sure they match your desired vibe for the day! 

3. Nail down a guest list 

After determining the vibe of your day, you’ll have a better idea of how large or how small you’ll want your wedding to be. Knowing an approximate size of your guest list will help you narrow down wedding venues, because some may not be able to hold as many people as you want, and some may be too big and spaced out if you’re dreaming of a more intimate wedding. 

4. Tour venues and ask all the questions

Once you have these things narrowed down, it’s time to start touring to feel the locations in person! Touring wedding venues is so important because you can actually stand where you’ll stand, see what your guests will see, and feel what you’ll feel on your wedding day. Make sure to ask all the questions on your venue tour: how many people it holds, what is included in the wedding day package, preferred vendors, etc! 

Bonus tip: Walk off the venue a bit (if you can) to see all the locations. There is more to your venue than just the ceremony and reception locations! Think about where you’ll be getting ready, how you’ll set up all your details, and all the photo backdrops around the venue. One of my favorite things to do with couples as a wedding videographer is go off with just the two of them and capture some sweet and intimate moments, away from the crowd and the noise. These typically are the most special moments of the day, and when their love shines the brightest. If that’s important to you on your wedding day, make sure there are some good spots for that!

One of the best things about getting married at Tlaquepaque—or really, anywhere in Sedona—is that you can sneak away into the Red Rocks for portraits that actually feel like you. I always recommend building in a little extra time for this. Trust me, it’s not just about the views (though they are unreal)—it’s about creating space for moments you’ll never forget.

For Marlene and Florencio, that moment turned into something straight out of a movie. While we were out on a trail filming some extra footage, Florencio dropped to one knee and gave Marlene the proposal she never got the first time around. I’m not exaggerating when I say I was tearing up behind the camera. It was raw, emotional, and completely unexpected in the best way. Easily one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever filmed—and a reminder that the “extra” moments are often the most unforgettable.

If you’re looking for more Sedona wedding inspiration, visit my Pinterest! If you’re getting married in a Sedona wedding and looking for a videographer to authentically capture your wedding day and preserve your memories as a timeless heirloom, click here to inquire.