Where to Have a Summer Wedding in Albuquerque in 2009

Albuquerque Garden Center
10120 Lomas Boulevard
(505) 296-6020

The Albuquerque Garden Center, located at Lomas and Eubank in Los Altos Park, is one of the best summer wedding venues in Albuquerque, and also one of the best kept secrets of Albuquerque summer wedding venues. This was where I held my wedding in 2008, and I highly recommend it to 2009 summer brides.

A lush oasis in the middle of the city, the Albuquerque Garden Center hosts summer weddings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Garden Center is in full bloom during the summer months, providing a colorful and beautiful background for your summer wedding in Albuquerque. Outdoor ceremonies are usually conducted beneath a Japanese-style gazebo, but smaller parties may also choose to hold the ceremony on a section of open lawn amidst the flowers. There are several packages available, but the best deal is the Garden Package which gives you access to the entire facility, including the gardens, kitchen, reception hall and an extra room/dressing room, for the entire day from 9 am to midnight. The Garden Package costs only $1600, or $1750 with an alcohol contract.

The Garden Center has a private gated parking lot where wedding guests can park for free, and a security guard is provided for the evening hours. You can choose any caterer or any decorating service; there is a kitchen but the facilities are to be used mostly for storage and warming rather than for major cooking. Alcohol services must be obtained through The Cooperage, and a small extra fee is included with each package price for alcohol liability. The reception hall provides 70 rectangular tables and 230 chairs, but be warned, the chairs are a bright orange color, so unless that's part of your color scheme, you still may need to invest in rental chairs or chair covers.

See the Albuquerque Garden Center website for more information, including smaller wedding packages starting as low as $600.

Website: http://www.albuquerquegardencenter.org/

Rio Grande Botanic Gardens
2601 Central Ave. NW

The Botanic Garden is one of the most beautiful venues for an Albuquerque summer wedding in 2009. There are two wonderful locations to choose from: the Ceremonial Rose Garden and the Festival Green, both of which provide a gorgeous flower-filled background perfect for a summer wedding. The Ceremonial Rose Garden can host up to 125 guests, while the Festival Green can accommodate up to 250 guests. Both locations cost the same: a reasonable $1100.

One of the benefits of getting married at the Botanic Gardens is that you won't need to do much decorating. Plan for a quick setup and tear-down, because the wedding rental contract is for a maximum of three hours, and weddings are only booked for evening hours. Also make plans to don your wedding gown somewhere else, because there are no dressing rooms available at the Botanic Gardens. The Rio Grande Botanic Gardens offers free parking to all wedding guests.

Catering must be done through the Botanic Gardens catering company, A Taste of the Wild, and no outside food or beverage is allowed. For a pretty penny, you can rent a plaza at the Botanic Gardens or Aquarium, or for a more modest budget, the reception can be held at the Aquarium next to a shark or sea horse tank. The very cool Shark Reef Café can also be booked for parties up to 150. In addition to space rental fees, meal prices begin around $25 per person.

The Botanic Gardens are one of the most popular summer wedding venues in Albuquerque, so be sure to book early. Wedding reservations can be made for evening weddings from May through September.

Sandia Crest

Wondering where to have a summer wedding in Albuquerque that will be unique and adventurous? What about the top of the mountain? Not only is it a picturesque and gorgeous environment for your big day, but Sandia Crest is a great venue for a summer wedding because you can escape the summer heat.

Plan to have your reception at the High Finance restaurant at the top of the crest. Lunch prices for groups start at $35 per person and dinner prices start at $50. The price of the meal includes a tram ticket, so wedding guests can park at the base of the mountain and take a scenic trip up the longest tram in the world to join the party. An alternative location for the reception is Sandiago's Mexican Grill at the base of the tram, where prices start at $26 per person.

Or, if you're planning a more casual 2009 wedding, Sandia Crest is the perfect place for a picnic reception. Another fun activity that can supplement a summer wedding at Sandia Crest is a summer chair lift, which offers a discounted group price.

Weddings and picnics can be held on Sandia Crest between 10 am and 4 pm. For reservations, call 505-856-6419.

Tanoan Country Club
10801 Academy Road NE

The Tanoan Country Club is one of the best summer wedding venues in Albuquerque. If you're wondering where to have a summer wedding in Albuquerque where every detail will be handled by high-class professional planners, the Tanoan Country Club is the summer wedding venue you're looking for. A gorgeous golf course near the base of the mountains creates a perfect backdrop for a summer wedding.

The professional planning staff provides all setup, linens and audio visual equipment, as well as professional wait staff for the reception. You'll meet with the planners approximately 45 days before the wedding to pick out the menu and choose decoration and linen details. There are rooms best for small weddings with up to 50 guests, and larger rooms to accommodate as many as 200 guests. Two different patio locations are available for beautiful outdoor ceremonies. Wedding packages offer access to the grounds for up to five hours, giving ample time for a heartfelt ceremony and rocking reception. Guests have access to free parking.

Prices vary greatly, based on your chosen location, menu, time and day, but Tanoan Country Club is definitely a summer wedding venue for a higher budget. The Country Club is available to both members and non-members, but non-members should expect to pay a small extra fee.

Casa de Sueños
310 Rio Grande Blvd

Casa de Sueños is a bed and breakfast near Old Town Albuquerque, and is one of the only summer wedding venues in Albuquerque to offer an all inclusive summer wedding package that includes ceremonial grounds, reception area and a honeymoon suite all at the same location.

Weddings are held in the gardens, in a beautiful wedding gazebo. Casa de Sueños provides white wedding chairs and 60 round tables with white linens. You can work with the onsite wedding coordinator to decide the setup and color coordination. Guests have access to free parking, and Old Town Albuquerque is within walking distance of the wedding venue.

If you're wondering where to have a summer wedding in Albuquerque that will maximize the Southwest appeal, take a look at Casa de Sueños. It's a cozy space that can accommodate 120 guests for an Albuquerque wedding, and a number of rooms at the Bed & Breakfast can be reserved for out-of-town guests. The honeymoon suite is included with the wedding package, and features a romantic private hot tub to help the newlyweds unwind. Breakfast, of course, is provided the following morning.

Rates in 2008 were around $3500 for a wedding package, but call the wedding coordinator at 1-800-665-7002 to discuss rates for this summer wedding venue in 2009.