How to Plan a Small Wedding Near Bogotá

More and more couples living outside Colombia, or simply looking to escape the buzz of the capital, are choosing to marry near Bogotá rather than in it. It makes sense: less than two hours from El Dorado airport there are reservoirs, mountains, and country estates where a small wedding feels intimate, considered, and completely your own, without losing the logistical ease that guests flying in from another country will appreciate. If you're planning a small wedding and want the setting to matter as much as the vows, this guide is for you.

Why the Tominé Reservoir works so well

Tominé, in Cundinamarca, is one of those places that catches people off guard the first time they see this side of Colombia: open water, mountains all around, a different quality of light than Bogotá, and a nautical atmosphere almost no one associates with the country until they've experienced it. For a small wedding, that's pure gold. You don't need a generic ballroom or an anonymous tent — the reservoir itself is the backdrop.

• Club Náutico Hansa hosts waterfront weddings with that mix of relaxed elegance and uninterrupted views that makes photos look stunning with almost no effort.
• Sailing Hotai lets you take the celebration literally onto the water, with dinner aboard a yacht for the couple and an intimate group of guests — something very few wedding destinations anywhere in the world can offer against an Andean backdrop.
• Club Náutico El Portillo, also equipped for events, is another option if you're after a more casual yacht-club feel for a reception or a next-day farewell brunch.

Being so close to Bogotá means you can hold the wedding at Tominé and still hand your guests an entire city to explore before or after, with no domestic flight and no night lost on the road.

Logistics for guests flying in from abroad

This is the part that causes the most anxiety, and the part that should worry you least if you plan ahead. Tominé sits roughly an hour and a half from Bogotá, a mountain drive with curves but entirely manageable in private transport.

• Shared transport: book one or two vans from a central point in Bogotá (the hotel where most guests are staying works well) for the day of the event. No one should be driving back after the celebration.
• Nearby lodging: there are places to stay in La Calera and around the reservoir, plus country estates with capacity for small groups. If your guest list is small, it's worth blocking a set of rooms months ahead.
• An extra day: encourage your international guests to arrive a day or two early. Bogotá has plenty to offer — food, museums, Monserrate — so the arrival doesn't feel rushed, and no one shows up to the wedding still jet-lagged.
• The weather: Cundinamarca can be cool and changeable. Let your guests know to pack a light jacket, especially if the celebration runs into the evening by the water.

A realistic timeline

A small wedding doesn't mean an improvised one. Here's the timing we recommend so everything comes together without drama:

• 6 to 9 months out: confirm the venue and catering, and lock in transport and lodging for guests coming from outside Bogotá. Weekends at Tominé book up well in advance, especially in dry season.
• 3 months out: finalize the menu with your private chef, settle the decor details, and confirm the final guest count so transport can be adjusted accordingly.
• 1 month out: send your international guests all the practical information — exact address, van departure times, what to bring, and a local emergency contact.
• Wedding week: consider a rehearsal or informal dinner the night before, either in the same area or in Bogotá, so guests traveling from afar have time to settle in before the big day.

If you'd also like to add an extra experience for your guests — a horseback ride at La Tartaria, an afternoon at the thermal springs at Club Duchi — this is the moment to arrange it, ideally the day after the wedding, when everyone can enjoy it without rushing.

Let the place tell your story

A small wedding near Bogotá isn't a scaled-down version of anything — it's the chance to choose every detail with intention, from the setting to the menu, and to give your guests an experience they'll remember long after the ceremony ends. If you're picturing your wedding on the water, in the mountains, or on a country estate with soul, write to us and let's design every moment of your experience together.