Temple with crypts cover but NO RUG

Ruins Of The Church Of Santa Clara (Ruinas De Santa Clara)

Everything you wanted to know!

One of the most known, biggest and most stunning venues in Antigua Guatemala. It was founded in 1700 and it was destroyed in 1773 by an earthquake , but fortunately, some elements of the original structure remain intact, such as the church stonework facade, the arched niches, gardens and part of the courtyard. Is the only one church that keeps it original front facade with all the work in stucco and beautiful details.

Why Santa Clara I so popular for weddings?​

Maybe we can blame to the Instagram or to those popular Wedding blogs that had been featured this amazing venue, but the true is, this ruin is a gem for destination weddings, specially if you are looking for something laid back- and with a  familiar look.

Lets talk about !​

The agenda to book this and any other ruin is open every 01 June of every year. Is a personal tramit in the Cnpag office in Antigua Guatemala . According to how people are reserving on person, they will arrange the space of the available dates.

  • Santa Clara courtyard area capacity: 250 people (using courtyard Hallways)
  • Santa Clara temple /church area capacity: 200 people – for reception 140 people.
  • Santa Clara Sacristy area capacity: 50 people 
  • Each area has an individual cost for rent (Temple with Coro alto and Coro Bajo) (Clouster) (Sacristy) (garden) (Just Coro Alto and Coro Bajo without Temple)
  • No bistro lights are accepted but you need to use external bases to hang them but is not recommended because the wind.
  • No draping is allow over the tables or in the walls.
  • Any event must end at 9pm
  • No band of live music are allow , just Dj’s or Trio of guitar.
  •  No  pyrothechnics , no fog machine. no CO2 guns or fire columns are allow and no confetti.
  • You have 05 hours to the entrance of all your vendors, rentals , and set all the decor, dance floor, catering, lounges etc.
  • You have just 01 hour to dissemble everything.
  • Dogs , Cats and pets are not allow in any of the ruins.

What to take in consideration for my Wedding​

Do its

If you wedding is a small wedding between 50 guest book Santa Clara Convent. Santa Clara has just a few areas cover in case it rain(coro alto, coro bajo and sacristia, each are individual and in each area you can have 50people without counting enough area for a dance floor, dj, bars etc)   so for bigger events I don’t recommend Santa Clara.

Do it! Book Santa Clara for your Ceremony but have other venue (covered or with a tent) for reception.

Santa Clara and all the rest of the ruins don’t allow to set tents bigger than 4 x 6 Mts, so image, if you have 10 tables you will have a lot of little tents around the patio.

Do it! for your rehearsal dinner or Welcome Party cocktail!

The Don’ts

Don’t set your wedding in Santa Clara convent in a date in a rainy season and expect a miracle, the true is the climate has change a lot a nothing can be predicted.

Don’t expect a low price If you have an elaborated design logistically talking , take in consideration that it may be a little bit expensive because your florist will charge you more because he or she will need more people to set everything in the short period of time.

Don’t expect a low price if … Santa Clara Ruin don’t allow to enter one day before, just in the same day of the event , so all the vendors only have 05 hours to set everything and  just 01 hour to dissemble .

Don’t touch anything! fabrics over the tables from wall to wall or from column to column are allow, you can’t touch any of the original building.

AREAS ​

1.The Temple

One of the unique areas in the ruin is the temple with the open roof, the capacity of the temple and based in my experience:

  • 200 people for ceremonies
  • 150 people for receptions. (14 to 15 tables round and square tables)

Take a note that the  photo below was a dinner for 100 pax in an LONG IMPERIAL TABLE and the other photo was Wedding reception with 14 tables .

The Temple has the crypts (yes! crypts that were using to bury the conventuals-nuns that used to live in the convent, actually is empty , for events you will need to cover them, you can hire the guardian of the convent to cover them for your event .

Photos by : Daniel Lopez Perez – Joseph Nance- and Cnpag website.

Florals by: Bea De La Roca from Addy Florales and Team.


2.The Claustro – Courtyard​

Accordingly with the capacity of the courtyard  and based in my experience:

  • 250 people 
  • You can set just Tents of 6 x 4 Mts is not allow to have bigger tent to cover all the area.
  • Is not allow any metallic installation for a DanceFloor (Truss).

Photos by : Daniel Lopez Perez and Deirdre.Alston 

Florals by: Bea De La Roca from Addy Florales and Team.


3. Coro Bajo &
4. Coro Alto ​

Accordingly with a typical old century convent, Santa Clara has 02 special cover areas, the Cora alto and Coro bajo are the areas next  to the temple, so you can see the temple from there. Through coro bajo you get access to the temple.

  • Capacity in Coro Alto 50 people capacity for Coro Bajo 50 people.

5. Sacristia​

Sacristia is the small space next to the altar of the temple, to get there you need to walk through a small Tunel. Is perfect for small ceremonies for 50 people.


6. Jardin (near to the bathrooms)​

This area is next to the bathrooms and is perfect to have the cocktail hour there because is a little away from the temple and the courtyard.

The capacity is 100 people.(not enough space for single formal tables, just cocktail tables).


Santa Clara Layout

Thank you to Saguzo Eventos and Carolina Méndez Events to provide information for this article.

and special thanks to Corina from CNPAG

Photos in this post By

Daniel Lopez Perez Photography

Joseph Nance photography

Deirdre.Alston photography

and CNPAG website.

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