Saturday, October 16, 2027
Oaxaca de Juárez, México
4:30 PMCeremony at Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán
6:30 PMReception to Follow at Quinta Real
Black Tie
Ceremony
4:30 PM · Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán
Calle Macedonio Alcalá s/n, Centro Histórico, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez
Our wedding mass will be held in the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, the 450+ year old church in the center of Oaxaca City. We recommend arriving 20–30 minutes before the ceremony begins to truly take in this sacred space.
Following the ceremony, guests are invited to join us for a traditional calenda parade through the city to the reception. A calenda is a joyful Oaxacan procession filled with music, dance, giant puppets, and of course, mezcal.
Reception
6:30 PM · Quinta Real Oaxaca
Calle 5 de Mayo 300, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez
Quinta Real occupies the former Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena, built in 1576. Cocktails in the stone courtyard, dinner under the arches, and dancing until the staff politely turn the lights up. It is a short and very pleasant walk from the church, and we'll have someone leading the way.
Dress Code
Black tie. Tuxedos for men & floor-length colorful gowns for women — wear the fabulous dress you've always wanted to wear but never had an occasion for! October evenings in Oaxaca settle around 55°F once the sun goes down, so bring a wrap or a jacket you don't mind dancing in.
The welcome party on Friday is fiesta attire — bright, festive, and a good deal more relaxed. Think color.
A practical note: the streets of the Centro are cobblestone, and the courtyard at Quinta Real is uneven stone. A block heel or a flat will serve you far better than a stiletto. We promise nobody will be looking at your shoes.
Children
We love your children. For this one, we've kept the guest list to adults so that everyone — parents very much included — can stay out as late as they like.
Photographs
We're asking for an unplugged ceremony: phones away, cameras down, just for the half hour in the church. We have wonderful photographers and we'd rather see your faces than your screens. After that, please photograph everything.
Thursday, October 14
Photo — Monte Albán
Monte Albán & Mezcal
Thursday, October 14
Join us for a day trip to Monte Albán, a historical archaeological site just 20 minutes outside of the city. Perched atop a 1,300-foot tall plateau, Monte Albán was the capital of the Zapotec civilization, dating back to 500 BC — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second largest ceremonial site in all of Central America. Our wedding planner is organizing a tour; please reach out to Friederike at [email protected] if you are interested in attending.
In the evening, join us for mezcal tasting at a location to be disclosed soon!
Friday, October 15
Photo — Hierve el Agua
Hierve el Agua
Friday, October 15 · Morning · Optional
For those who would like to be adventurous before the Fiesta de Bienvenida, our wedding planner is organizing a tour to Hierve el Agua — the frozen rock waterfalls (more info in the Oaxaca Guide). Please reach out to Friederike at [email protected] if you're interested in joining.
Photo — Pitiona
Fiesta de Bienvenida
Friday, October 15 · TIME · Fiesta attire
Please join us for rooftop tacos, hors d'oeuvres, and cocktails to start the party! The mezcal will be flowing and the dance floor will most definitely be open. We cannot wait to welcome you to Oaxaca.
Ignacio Allende 114, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax.
Saturday, October 16
Photo — Santo Domingo
The Wedding Ceremony
Saturday, October 16 · TIME · Black tie
Our wedding mass will be held in Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, the 450+ year old church in the center of Oaxaca City. We recommend arriving 20–30 minutes before the ceremony begins to truly take in this sacred space.
Following the ceremony, guests are invited to join us for a traditional calenda parade through the city to the reception. A calenda is a joyful Oaxacan procession filled with music, dance, giant puppets, and of course, mezcal.
C. Macedonio Alcalá s/n, Ruta Independencia, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax.
Photo — Quinta Real
The Wedding Reception
Saturday, October 16 · until 2:00 AM · Black tie
The calenda parade will conclude at our final destination, Quinta Real — the former Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena, built in 1576. Cocktail hour will take place in the Jardín Los Lavaderos and the reception will be inside La Capilla. We can't wait to dance the night away!
5 de Mayo 300, Ruta Independencia, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax.
* The Fiesta de Bienvenida and all wedding day events are within walking distance in the city center.
Travel & Accommodations
Getting there, staying there
We are so grateful that you're making the trip to Oaxaca to celebrate with us! As much as this weekend is about us committing to a lifetime together, we hope it's also a trip of a lifetime for all of you. We can't wait to experience Oaxaca together, and hope you fall in love with it, just like we did.
Room Block
A block of rooms has been reserved at Quinta Real Oaxaca, a UNESCO World Heritage boutique hotel in a restored 16th-century convent located in the heart of Oaxaca City. The wedding reception will take place at Quinta Real, which is just footsteps from the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, where the ceremony will be held.
To make your reservation, please call Quinta Real at +52 951 501 6100 ext. 322 (from the US) or email Emmanuel Barrita at [email protected] and provide the following to receive our wedding rate:
- Your name(s)
- Wedding code: SOPHIA & LUCAS
- Arrival date
- Departure date
- Credit card to hold the room
Air Travel
Fly into Oaxaca International Airport (OAX), also called the Xoxocotlán International Airport. There are direct flights from Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.
Getting Around
From the airport, official taxi colectivo and private taxi desks sit just outside baggage claim; a private car to the Centro runs roughly 300–400 pesos. Didi (Mexican ride share app) works well once you are in the city and is usually cheaper than a street taxi.
If you are staying in the Centro (which we recommend!) you won't need a car. Almost everything is within a twenty-minute walk.
Documents, Money, Weather
Passport valid for the length of your stay. Check the expiration date and ensure there are at least six months remaining from your date of travel. No visa is required for U.S., German, or Japanese citizens for tourism.
Money. Cards are widely accepted in restaurants and hotels, but markets, mezcalerías and taxis are cash. ATMs in the Centro are plentiful.
Weather. Mid-October the weather is close to perfect: high 70s°F, mid 50s at night. Bring a layer for the evenings and sunscreen for the afternoons — Oaxaca sits at 5,100 feet and the sun is stronger than it feels.
Come Early, Stay Late
If you can possibly manage it, give yourself extra days. There's a whole page of reasons why.
Our Oaxaca Guide
Where we eat, what we love
Oaxaca has spent the last several years at or near the top of every list of the best cities in the world to visit, and for once the lists are right. What follows is not comprehensive — it's just what we'd tell a friend.
Where to Eat & Drink
Photo — Casa Oaxaca
Casa Oaxaca
The one we send everyone to first. Alejandro Ruiz cooks the food of this state with total confidence, and the rooftop looks straight across at Santo Domingo — which at dusk is about as good as a dinner table gets. Book ahead; it is not a walk-in restaurant. Order the aguachile, then let them steer you.
C. de la Constitución 104-A, Ruta Independencia, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez
Photo — Tierra del Sol
Tierra del Sol
Our breakfast. Olga Cabrera Oropeza cooks from the Mixteca, and the rooftop looks out over the ethnobotanical garden across the street. Get the café de olla — coffee brewed with cinnamon and raw cane sugar in a clay pot — and the hot chocolate, and do not skip the hand-pressed tortillas. They serve lunch and dinner too, and there's a small café downstairs if you want something fast.
Reforma 411, Ruta Independencia, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez
Photo — Alfonsina
Alfonsina
Worth the taxi and then some. Jorge León cooks out of his family's home on the edge of the city, in a dining room that seats a few dozen people and feels like being invited somewhere rather than booked into it. He trained at Casa Oaxaca and then under Enrique Olvera at Pujol, and his mole madre is the dish people fly here for. Thirty minutes south of the Centro, near the airport — easy to fold into your departure day.
C. García Vigil 183, 71232 San Juan Bautista la Raya, Oax.
Photo — Boulenc
Boulenc
A bakery that turned into the best casual breakfast in town. Go early, when the ovens are still going and the city is just opening up. The menu wanders from eggs to shakshuka to sourdough pizza and somehow all of it is good. Expect a wait without a reservation — take the wait. Five minutes on foot from Quinta Real.
C. Porfirio Díaz 207, Ruta Independencia, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez
Photo — Criollo
Criollo
Enrique Olvera's Oaxaca project, set in a quiet colonial house with a courtyard you'll want to move into. A single tasting menu, changing constantly, built entirely out of what's good that week within about an hour's drive. If you're only going to do one special dinner here besides Casa Oaxaca, make it this one.
Francisco I. Madero 129, Santa María del Marquesado, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez
Photo — Selva
Selva Cocktail Bar
There is no shortage of mezcalerías in Oaxaca and you should wander into several. Selva is the one we keep returning to: a small art-deco room upstairs on the Alcalá, a genuinely inventive menu built on local ingredients, and window seats over the street. Steps from the hotel, which is either a feature or a hazard.
C. Macedonio Alcalá 403, int. 6, Ruta Independencia, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez
What to See
Photo — Jardín Etnobotánico
Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca
Two and a half acres of the old monastery grounds behind Santo Domingo, turned into a garden of nothing but plants native to Oaxaca — agaves, cacti, dye plants, the trees that became the buildings. It was conceived in part by the artist Francisco Toledo, and it's arranged to tell the story of how people and plants here have shaped each other. Entry is by guided tour only; the English tours are limited, so check times and go early.
Reforma s/n, Ruta Independencia, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez
Photo — Monte Albán
Monte Albán
A Zapotec city leveled into the top of a mountain 1,300 feet above the valley floor, begun around 500 BC and occupied for more than a thousand years. The scale of it only registers once you're standing in the main plaza. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, thirty minutes from the Centro, and about two hours to walk properly.
We're running a group shuttle and English-language tour on Thursday, October 14 at 10:00 AM for anyone in town early — see the Events page.
Photo — Museo Textil
Museo Textil de Oaxaca
A small, exceptionally well-kept museum in a restored colonial house in the Centro, devoted to the weaving and dyeing traditions of Oaxaca and beyond. Go before you buy anything in the markets — an hour here will completely change what you notice. Free entry.
Miguel Hidalgo 917, Centro Histórico, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez
Photo — Hierve el Agua
Hierve el Agua
"The water boils" — mineral springs at the edge of a cliff that have, over thousands of years, deposited calcium carbonate down the rock face until it looks exactly like a frozen waterfall. There are shallow natural pools at the top and two larger built ones, all of them looking out over the Sierra. Ninety minutes each way by taxi, and worth giving the whole day to; most people pair it with Teotitlán del Valle or the mezcal palenques on the way back.
Makers & Ateliers
The valley around the city is full of workshops that have been doing the same thing for generations. Most welcome visitors; calling ahead is polite and often necessary.
La ChicharraCeramics
Local 22, Plaza Casa de Barro, Reforma 703, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca
Colectivo 1050°Ceramics
Xolotl s/n, esquina con Rufino Tamayo, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca
Espacio ComalCeramics
Mártires de Tacubaya 308C, Ruta Independencia, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca
Bii DaüüTextiles
A. Iturbide 19, Tecutlan, 70420 Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca
Casa VivianaWax & Candles
Abasolo s/n, Centro, 70420 Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca
Taller Manos que VenCeramics
Calle Libertad 24, 2da Secc, 71520 San Antonino Castillo Velasco, Oaxaca
Mujeres de Barro RojoCeramics
Matamoros 18, 70406 San Marcos Tlapazola, Oaxaca
Questions
Everything we've been asked so far
If we've missed something, just ask — we'd rather answer it twice than have you guess.
What to Wear
What is the dress code for the wedding?
Black tie. For men, a tuxedo — black bow tie, dress shoes. For women, a floor-length colorful gown — wear the fabulous dress you've always wanted to wear but never had an occasion for!
Two practical things. The Centro is cobblestone and the courtyard at Quinta Real is uneven stone, so a block heel or a dressy flat will serve you far better than a stiletto — nobody will be looking at your shoes. And once the sun goes down Oaxaca drops to the mid-fifties, so bring a wrap, shawl or jacket you don't mind dancing in.
What is "fiesta attire" for the welcome party?
Festive, colorful, and a good deal more relaxed than Saturday. This is the one night to wear something you'd never get away with at a black tie wedding.
- Think: bright colors, embroidery, florals, a guayabera, a sundress or a patterned cocktail dress, linen.
- Skip: black tie, anything floor-length, and anything you'd be sad to spill mezcal on.
- Shoes: Pitiona is a rooftop and you'll be standing and moving all evening. Comfortable over elegant.
If you'd like to buy something here, the markets and the shops along the Alcalá are full of beautiful embroidered pieces.
What should I wear to the excursions?
Casual and comfortable for both. Monte Albán is open, exposed and involves real walking on uneven stone — sneakers or walking shoes, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. The mezcal palenques are working farms with dirt floors, so closed-toe shoes you don't mind getting dusty.
Getting There
When should I arrive, and how long should I stay?
Arrive by Thursday if you can. It gives you time to adjust, see the city properly, and join the excursions — and Oaxaca rewards the extra days more than almost anywhere we've been. At a minimum, plan to be here by Friday afternoon for the welcome party.
Do I need a passport or a visa?
A passport valid through the length of your stay, yes — ensure at least six months remain from your date of travel. No visa is required for tourism for U.S., German, or Japanese citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own requirements early — some nationalities do need one.
ConfirmIs there a shuttle between the church and the reception?
Quinta Real is a five minute walk from Santo Domingo and we'll walk over together. Let us know if you'd rather be driven and we'll arrange it.
How do I get around the city?
On foot, mostly — the Centro is compact and nearly everything is within a twenty minute walk. Didi works well and is cheaper than street taxis. You will not need a rental car, and parking in the Centro is genuinely miserable.
Practical Things
What will the weather be like?
Mid-October is the tail end of the rainy season and close to ideal: high 70s°F and dry during the day, mid-50s at night. Oaxaca sits at about 5,100 feet, so the sun is stronger than it feels — wear sunscreen even when it's mild.
Is the altitude an issue?
For most people, no, but 5,100 feet is enough to notice. Drink more water than you think you need for the first day or two, go easy on the mezcal the first night, and don't be surprised if stairs feel steeper than usual.
Can I drink the water?
Stick to bottled or filtered, which every hotel and restaurant provides. Ice in established restaurants and bars is made with purified water and is fine.
Cash or card?
Both. Hotels and restaurants take cards; markets, mezcalerías, taxis and the workshops are cash. Pull pesos from an ATM rather than exchanging dollars, and always decline the machine's offer to charge you in USD.
Do people speak English?
Widely in hotels, restaurants and anywhere used to visitors. Less so in markets, taxis and the villages. A few words of Spanish go a long way and are received very warmly.
The Guest List
ConfirmCan I bring a guest?
Your invitation names everyone we've reserved a seat for. If it says "and guest," you're very welcome to bring someone — just add them when you RSVP.
Are children invited?
We love your children. For this one we've kept the celebration to adults, so that everyone — parents very much included — can stay out as late as they like.
I have a dietary restriction. Can you accommodate it?
Yes, easily. Tell us when you RSVP and we'll pass it to both venues. Oaxaca handles vegetarian beautifully; vegan and gluten-free take a little more coordination, which is exactly why we want to know in advance.
Can I take photos?
Everywhere except the ceremony. We're asking for an unplugged half hour in the church — phones away, cameras down. After that, please photograph everything and send it all to us.
ConfirmIs there a hashtag or a photo album?
We'll share a link closer to the date where everyone can upload what they took.
Anything Else
What if my plans change after I RSVP?
Just tell us. You can update your response any time before July 16, 2027, and after that an email is all it takes.
ConfirmWho do I contact with questions?
Email us at [email protected] and we'll get back to you.
RSVP
Kindly reply by July 16, 2027
Please respond for each guest named on your invitation. It takes about two minutes.
Respond Here
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How it works
Search for your name exactly as it appears on your invitation. Everyone in your party will come up together, and you can accept or decline for each person, for each event.
What you'll be asked
Which of the weekend's events you'll join — the Monte Albán shuttle on Thursday, the mezcal tour and the welcome party at Pitiona on Friday, and the ceremony and reception on Saturday. Then dietary restrictions, and a song that will get you onto the dance floor. We are taking that last one seriously.
If something goes wrong
If you can't find your name, or your plans change after you've replied, just email us and we'll sort it out. You can also come back and change your answer any time before July 16, 2027.
Registry
With gratitude
The biggest gift is having you celebrate our special wedding weekend together in Oaxaca.
However, for friends and family who have expressed an interest, we have created a registry on Zola.
Click Here
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