Sunset from the Four Seasons Rancho Encantado
Bride, groom, and bike at Four Seasons Rancho Encantado, just outside Santa Fe
There are so many reasons to have a destination wedding in Santa Fe. The stunning adobe skyline, the pristine high desert air, the galleries, the restaurants, the music—it’s like Disneyland for artsy grownups.
The only downside is that, just like Disneyland, it can get mighty crowded. Particularly in summer, when the streets around the main plaza sometimes look like a sea of turquoise earrings and hand-painted T-shirts. Trying to find a place for your guests to relax and mingle for the weekend can be a challenge.
If your budget can bear it, we’ve got the solution. Surrounded by a rugged high desert landscape, the Four Seasons Rancho Encantado is a 15-minute drive from the plaza—you’ll pass Santa Fe’s famous opera house on your way to its low-key entrance. Right now it’s the smallest Four Seasons in the world, so while it commands 60 acres, the place itself feels intimate. Just the spot for celebrating with a few dozen people who matter.
A lot of thought has gone into the wedding offerings: Monte Vista Terrace has to be one of the southwest’s prettiest ceremony sites, with a full-frontal view of sunset, a winding pathway banked with lavender and Russian sage, and a fire pit for cool nights. The open-air courtyard off the main restaurant would be ideal for lounge-y cocktail hour, and the ballroom’s simple hacienda-style design lends itself to all sorts of personalization, whether you want to smother the fireplace with 1,000 candles or cover an entire wall with flowers. And there are plenty of possibilities for pre-wedding gatherings as well; for the rehearsal dinner, picture mariachis leading your guests to a cowboy barbecue on the poolside lawn (brisket and jalapeño corn bread), or invite everyone to a taco stand with fresh lime margaritas.
To keep the gang busy, there are guided hikes, black SUVs to shuttle you into town (free), and an on-site adventure company, if you want to take everyone downhill mountain biking. And naturally there’s a spa.
But the thing that your guests may remember most is a small bit of housekeeping. Each day, as the room attendants tidy up your casita, they’ll arrange your toiletries atop small New Mexican style “rugs” placed next to the sinks. Your toothpaste never had it so good.
Courtyard cocktails at Four Seasons Rancho Encantado
The Four Seasons Rancho Encantado ballroom, all dressed up for a wedding
