In 2023 I was so thrilled to niche more into my passion for wedding photography and working with the most down-to-earth couples. The best part about it was getting to explore and create at some of our most reputable wedding venues in Flagstaff, Arizona! While I love doing engagement sessions or elopements out in the Coconino National Forest or in the Red Rocks of Sedona, feeling like a resource among our local wedding industry in Flagstaff really humbles me.
I'd love to spotlight some of my favorite venues I partnered up with during 2023 and that I'm looking forward to great relationships with in the years to come. Today I'm so excited to share my experience with Aldea in the Woods with you! Aldea in the Woods is a rustic, woodsy wedding venue with little modern touches throughout its interior. The venue itself is nestled just outside of Flagstaff, making it a little more of an escape than if you were to utilize one of our in-town wedding venues. The removal from town adds to our impressive dark skies and makes you feel like you're in your own oasis of an area.
The wedding I photographed at Aldea in the Woods in Flagstaff, Arizona was an October wedding and in the evening it can get a little chillier in the evenings but I can imagine if you are planning a summer wedding in Flagstaff this particular venue would be absolutely stunning with plenty of greenery and warm weather through the day and evening.
The indoor spaces, while intentionally designed with modern touches, weren't really utilized for much outside of a grooms suite with lounge space and a foosball table, bridal suite, with lounge space and getting ready stations, bathrooms and a sitting and living area where the dessert was set up. The venue definitely seems to encourage use of its outdoor spaces for primary use, but I'm curious to see how other couples use the indoor areas in the future. There's potential, but they are removed and tucked away from the rest of the gathering spaces.
The true beauty of Aldea in the Woods is that its spaces for hosting are outdoors in the beauty of our forest. That means a stunning outdoor ceremony site on the west end of the property with a backdrop of our Coconino National Forest, and a big deck which hosted a cocktail hour and party dance floor space on the east end of the property. The covered pergola is also on the east side of the property and is where my clients had their dinner. This area offers a unique covered option in the case of our weather taking an unexpected turn to monsoon rains, which I like much much better than a portable / temporary tent. But in a best case scenario, the ceremony site has wooden benches facing the beauty of the coconino national forest.
In between the main deck and the ceremony site is a smaller, raised private deck which we utilized for my client's private first look and vow exchange. Finally, if you're okay with a little off roading into the woods there is a beautiful open space behind the ceremony site among the pine trees for group photos and bridal portraits. What works really well about this is that it's on the other side of the venue from the cocktail hour and gathering spaces so the bridal party and couple can have privacy during these photos and not a full audience watching their photoshoot. Some people may not care, but I personally love being able to give my clients some breathing room and privacy.
To sum it up, I really love this venue. I think it's an absolute goldmine if you're someone looking for an outdoor wedding venue in Flagstaff and if you're planning a summer wedding. Aldea in the Woods, being a few miles out of our town, is a woodsy getaway even for those who live local to the area. Being planted among our Coconino National Forest, it offers countless stunning forest backdrops with pine trees, tall green grass in the summer and some festive orange, yellow and red colors in the fall. If you're a lake and cabin lover, Aldea's giant deck and wooden elements will definitely give you a feeling like you're near the lake (which seems to be the only real thing missing!).
The one pretty significant thing that Aldea can improve on is more intention in supporting and utilizing our local Flagstaff vendors. From what I understand, the venue is part of a collection of Phoenix-based venues and because of that the Aldea in the Woods property currently only seems to have Phoenix-based vendors promoted on its vendor referral lists.
Such a massive part of what my clients look for when planning a Flagstaff wedding is supporting local vendors and small businesses. My client for this wedding was one of those brides! She took the extra intention of bringing some of our best vendors to this property for the first time and we were all surprised that none of us had been able to celebrate at this rad venue before.
I hope this spotlight introduced you to a hidden gem in the Flagstaff Wedding Venue directory! Let me know in the comments if you end up using this property for your own event!
Vendor Team Credits
Venue: Aldea in the Woods
Photography: Nettik Photography | Flagstaff-Based (assisted by E. Belle Photography | Greater Phoenix and Colorado Areas)
Videography: Lombardi Videography | Flagstaff-Based
Florals: Four Sisters Floral | Flagstaff-Based
DJ / Entertainment: FRSH Entertainment | Flagstaff-Based
Hair + Makeup: Monarch Studios | Flagstaff-Based
