Weddings, one of life’s highly celebrated occasions, can be frustrating and challenging without thoughtful planning. If you are planning your wedding, one of the most important factors you have to consider is the venue. Where do you want to celebrate your special day? What is your wedding vision?
Regardless of the season, Arizona is the perfect place to host a wedding because of its unique and breathtaking landscape. A diversity of wedding styles—from garden weddings to rustic, modern, Tuscan, or country club weddings—are all available options in Arizona. Popular locations to get married in Arizona include Phoenix and the Metro areas, Tucson/Southern Arizona, the East and West Valley, the Northern Valley, and the coastal regions.
The Phoenix Metro, also referred to as Metro Phoenix or the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, includes 41 cities and towns. This area, which includes Maricopa and Pinal Counties, has rapidly grown in the last twenty years and makes up 66% of the population in Arizona. Within the combined counties there are several venue choices including golf and country clubs, private estates and villas, hotels, event centers, and beautiful mountain venues.
Mountain or desert weddings in the Tucson and Southern Arizona area offer spectacular backdrops of the mountains and deserts, tropical birds, beautiful grasslands, dramatic rock formations, as well as an opportunity to tour historic military and mining towns and experience what the Wild West was like. Wedding venues here include mansions, resorts, quaint inns, desert ranches, country clubs, museums, hotels, and even canyons!
In Scottsdale, Arizona, the intense colors of the desert boulders, the fascinating wildlife, and the soaring cacti of the Sonoran Desert work as eye-catching surroundings for a desert wedding.
If you are looking for a valley venue, both the East and West valley offer many options. You can choose an event center, a golf club, or a hotel or inn. In some area, ranches, villas, and private estates make attractive wedding venues.
Beautiful beach oases in the north and south valley are very popular wedding venues that give you the option of having an indoor or outdoor wedding for both small and large parties. One venue option includes an enchanting waterfall and lagoons, while another offers a luscious backdrop of mountains for your wedding celebration.
In Sedona/Flagstaff, and Northern Arizona, you can have your wedding with a naturally sculpted backdrop of the Grand Canyon, the White Mountains, within the red rocks in the valley, or in the towering Ponderosa Pines. Northern Arizona has many possibilities for weddings of all sizes, whether they are held outdoors in a vineyard or inside a resort. The summer weather in Northern Arizona is warm during the day, and cool and crisp in the evening. Here, the adventurous bride and groom can enjoy a leisurely hike up a mountain trail or relish the view while skiing down the mountain terrain!
In Arizona, there are two main seasons for weddings. In the east and mid-west regions, June is a popular month to say, “I do.” As the temperatures rise significantly from June through September in the metro areas, couples prefer to get married in spring and fall rather than under the hot sun in the summer. Getting married during the off-season can lower wedding venue costs overall as venues (and vendors) look for ways to fill up their event calendars.
Considering it is one of ten states in the US with lower taxes, Arizona venues—depending on the municipality—may charge between 2.57% and 5.3% in taxes. Services fees average 22%, but if you choose to have bar service, you can expect additional fees.
When you apply for a wedding license in Arizona, you will need to bring a form of identification, verification of current address, and verification of your date of birth. For applicants who are younger than 30 years old, you may need to bring a certified copy of your birth certificate depending on your county of residency. In addition, you must be prepared to pay $76 via cash or money order to cover the application fee.