Valle de Guadalupe's best 9 venues for your destination wedding

By Erick Falcón | Todos Santos

With marvellous natural landscapes, endless vineyard fields and world-class Baja Cuisine & wine, Mexico's Valle de Guadalupe is an idilic place for an intimate & unforgetable destination wedding. Here's our curated list of responsible, professionally-managed venues for you to consider and daydream about.

1. BODEGAS DE SANTO MÁS. Bodegas de Santo Tomás, Baja California’s first and most renowed winery, is without a doubt one of the most lovely and exclusive scenarios in the region for a wonderful destination wedding. From the charm of its vintage tasting room in the heart of Ensenada’s historic district, their lovely Valle de Guadalupe property or the magnificent vineyards at their Valle de Santo Tomás winery, Bodegas de Santo Tomás offers three different areas that will take your destination wedding to a whole new level of charm, privacy and luxury. Santo Tomás’ privileged locations are very unique, and you and your guests may enjoy many activities before and after your wedding. Let yourself indulge in Baja’s magnificent wine culture and let Santo Tomás be the perfect setting to share your love story, with absolute freedom to create the event you always dreamed of.

Photos: David Josué - @davidjosuephotographer | www.davidjosue.com Makeup: Camerino Pronovias - @camerinopronovias Flowers: Musgo Floral @musgofloral WP: Damián Eventos - @damianeventos Model: Anel Mancilla - @theuniverseinside

2. ALDO PALAFOX. Aldo Palafox’s passion for winemaking and commitment to upkeep the winery’s fabulous natural scenery make it a top contender for our best places to marry in Mexico’s foremost wine country. Located just 26 miles south of the city of Ensenada in Baja’s Old Wine Route, Aldo Palafox has secveral areas available to celebrate your wedding: ample gardens, lush vineyard fields and ancient oak trees, a terrace and other spaces well-suited for each stage of your event, from welcome cocktail to ceremony to late night fun. Equipped with rustic furniture, Italian outdoor lighting, a private resting house for the bride and groom, a stage and dance floor and many other services, including private transportation for you and your guests, Palafox winery gives a great deal that is hard to pass by for those looking for romance & an unmatched natural backdrop with affordable wedding packages. Their staff will be on hand to provide you with a hassle-free celebration at Mexico’s premier wine region.

Photos: Rafael Vázquez

3. CHATEAU CAMOU - Chateau Camou’s internationally acclaimed wines, lush natural landscapes and lovely Mission-style architecture make it one of Valle de Guadalupe’s most recognized wineries and most exclusive places for a destination wedding. The property is surrounded by vineyards and mountains, well secluded from the main road, perfect for absolute privacy for your dream event. The winery has ample parking space and designated areas for a civil reception and ceremony, but it really shines when it comes to more intimate events of up to 120 people. Their staff will be on hand to contact you with leading Baja wedding providers and aplanners, and their house wine, El Gran Vino Tinto, will surely be a highlight for an unforgettable celebration.

Photos: Edgar Lima

4. HOTEL CORAL & MARINA.-- Located only 15 minutes away from Baja’s famed wine country and 5 minutes from downtown Ensenada, Hotel Coral & Marina is a majestic oceanfront resort with several unique spaces fit for a dreamy oceanfront wedding. La Isla (the island), is a unique venue, surrounded by amazing views of the Pacific Ocean, with capacity for hosting over 500 guests; our terrace garden also has a lovely view of our marina, and we have 7 first-class event halls for more intimate celebrations, as well as the haute cuisine of our prized Bistro & Cava restaurant, which will offer you a custom 3-course menu made with fresh regional ingredients to delight friends and family. Enjoy your dream wedding with us with the support of our friendly staff and professional wedding planner, who will make sure eveything runs smooth from the first moment you step into our events office and up to your special day. We are ready to assist you with planning your special day following all health protocols in your 2021 events: our clients’ safety is of utmost importance to us. We have spaces for intimate ceremonies with friends and family.

5. BRUMA- Imagine a sun-bathed day, the air perfumed of lavender and enormous oak trees surrounding the table of a marvelllous feast in a never-ending field of vineyards; ecos of laughter and stories being shared, the night sky is now full of stars, perfection in the shape of an unforgettable moment. That’s a wedding in Bruma, that’s how it feels to say ‘yes, i do.’ The magic and purity of Valle de Guadalupe are only some of the virtues that define the Bruma experience, an exclusive oasis that will enchant those looking for a dream venue for their wedding. The winery has suites and villas, pool, terrace with a view of the vineyards, private tasting room and a beautiful wine garden hidden away between olive trees and vineyards, as well as the definitive touch of Fauna, Bruma’s restaurant, which offers catering headed by renowed chef David Castro-Hussong, one of contemporary Mexican cuisine’s leading creative chefs.

PHOTOS: David Josue Photographer | davidjosue.com IMAGE: Camerino Pro Novias DECOR: ProBodas DRESS: Adriana Lugo Bridal

6. RANCHO L-86. --- With a rustic, bucolic ambiance framed by an oak forest that pairs wonderfully with an innovative architecture, Rancho L-86 is without a doubt one of the most impressive options for a wedding venue in Ensenada’s wine country. The perfect area for your wedding reception is a brick esplanade with a lovely vertical garden, and its terrace surrounded by oaks and a view of the arroyo is a great place for a cocktail; rustic chic at its best, this will be the ideal stage for an unforgettable day for you and your loved ones. The hotel is fully booked in exclusive for your wedding, and can lodge up to 25 guests. Their staff will offer excellent personalized service, equipment rental, catering, cocktail bar and other services and ammenities to guarantee a perfect event.

7. - LA TOSCANA DEL VALLE-- To say I do! in a warm atmosphere with a beautiful sunset as your backdrop has no price. La Toscana Viñedos del Valle is full of romance, and the company’s staff is very attentive to every detail, which will be of great help planning a dream wedding in Valle de Guadalupe. Located in Mexico’s prestigious wine country and only 15 minutes south of the city of Ensenada, La Toscana Viñedos del Valle has luxury infrastructure and facilities to host intimate weddings or larger events, as its capacity can run from a minimum 100 guests to up to 900 people. There are two pergolas, terraces, dance floor, ample gardens, lounge-style bathrooms, a fountain and abundant parking space. It should be mentioned that La Toscana is one of the most flexible venues in the Wine Route, as there is no uncorking fee, no time restrictions or conflicts if you notify your schedule early on, and there’s no limitations on hiring additional wedding providers, which makes for a very competitive venue option for weddings and outdoor events.

8. EL CIELO VALLE DE GUADALUPE---- Get married in a vineyard! The Valle de Guadalupe is a hidden paradise, with unique landscapes and home to the main wine route in Mexico. In this magical place, every couple will find the ideal setting to say yes. El Cielo Winery is a place to fall in love. All your friends and family will witness love under the stars or with postcard-worthy sunsets. El Cielo Winery and Resort by Karisma is the ideal option to host your guests, who will be pampered by a team of hospitality professionals. Get married in the best place. Let us be part of the most important experience of your life. Let’s celebrate love together!

9. MUSEO DEL VINO One of Valle de Guadalupe’s favorite destination wedding venues, Museo del Vino has over 40K square feet of space and a lovely 6-acre field with a marvellous view of its surrounding vineyards. You can choose to organize your event in its thematic gardens, two outdoor terraces that can host up to 1,000 guests and an amphitheater for over 600 guests, as well as a 250-car parking lot. Its second floor has three event halls and terraces that can serve up to 80, 140 and 700 people each, depending on the type of event and distribution. There is also a designated area for catering, bathrooms, reception and several other convenient spaces and services available for weddings, and several leading Baja wedding vendors are already familiar with the logistics of organizing events here, so everything will run smooth on your big day.

PHOTOS: Organieventos / Oskar Escalante