Venue guide · Ahualulco de Mercado, Jalisco, Mexico
Hacienda el Carmen
Wedding video + photos
A centuries-old hacienda turned boutique hotel and spa, surrounded by agave and cane fields about an hour west of Guadalajara. Jessica and Seth brought guests from all over the world here for their wedding weekend.
A film we shot at Hacienda el Carmen
From the wedding we filmed here
Jessica and Seth's weekend started the night before with a welcome party at a lienzo charro, a traditional charro arena: a roping show and a live mariachi band, then dinner under stone arches. At the reception here at Hacienda el Carmen, Jessica's dad gave a toast, just as he had at her sister Veronica's wedding in Sicily, servers in hand-painted masks danced around a tequila fountain, and fireworks closed the night. And look for the ivy-covered stone staircase in their film: nobody noticed it at first, and it turned out to be the perfect spot for a quick portrait of the two of them.
Quick facts
- Roots in the 1500s; Carmelite monks built the heart of the current house in 1722
- Suites set around a central plaza, with views toward the Tequila and Ameca volcanoes
- About an hour west of Guadalajara, near the town of Tequila and its agave landscape
- Hotels a short drive away; our crew stayed about 10 minutes from the hacienda
From behind the camera
Filming at Hacienda el Carmen: what we've learned.
- Best first look spot
- No first look. Jessica and Seth saved that moment for the ceremony and saw each other for the first time in front of the priest.
- The light
- May in Jalisco is warm, golden light from morning to night. It rakes across old stone walls and deep green gardens, the volcanoes of Tequila and Ameca sit on the horizon, and at golden hour the whole hacienda glows. After dark, the stone and the courtyards take on a warmer, quieter mood all their own.
- The ceremony
- A full Catholic Mass in the hacienda's small chapel. The chapel is intimate, so many guests sat just outside its doors, and they still felt part of every moment.
- The reception
- Dinner and speeches inside, then everyone moved outdoors for dancing, the bar and the fireworks. Watch for the servers in hand-painted traditional masks dancing around the tequila fountain.
- If it rains
- We had perfect weather: comfortable temperatures, no rain and no wind, so a rain plan never came into play.
- Drone-friendly?
- Yes, with no issues. We flew at both venues over the two days, and the establishing shots of the hacienda open Jessica and Seth's feature film above.
- One tip for your timeline
- Let yourselves be fully present. Hacienda el Carmen feels a world away, all green fields and old stone, so once your family and friends arrive, it's just you and the people you love. Leave everything else outside the gates and take in the day the way a wedding is meant to feel.
Questions
Hacienda el Carmen questions.
Have you filmed a wedding at Hacienda el Carmen?
Yes. We filmed Jessica & Seth's wedding at Hacienda el Carmen. Their film is on this page.
Where's the best spot for a first look at Hacienda el Carmen?
No first look. Jessica and Seth saved that moment for the ceremony and saw each other for the first time in front of the priest.
What happens if it rains at Hacienda el Carmen?
We had perfect weather: comfortable temperatures, no rain and no wind, so a rain plan never came into play.