As soon as he proposes, and suddenly you are engaged and have a fiancé—almost as a new social status—
it is a must to start looking for the ceremony venue. In the case of Catholic ceremonies in Cartagena,
it’s mandatory to perform them in a church, so today we are going shopping!
With this information, I hope you can do what we do to buy something we have been thinking about
-at least what most women and I do: look, study, compare, look again, and then decide.
The beautiful Cartagena is the most important tourist city in Colombia and is equipped with a
variety of churches within and outside the Walled City, where couples can find the kind of style they dream of
and the closest to them to give a special touch to their wedding ceremony:
colonial, baroque, republican architecture…
… here to see the most desired ones for weddings in Cartagena.
Church of San Pedro Claver – Iglesia de San Pedro Claver
The cloisters and convents of the city enclose an unparalleled charm that takes us back to colonial times and slavery, where the San Pedro Claver is the most important of all. This church and convent with a baroque portal is the largest and most beautiful in the area. It was built in the early eighteenth century and is where San Pedro Claver lived and died; he is the “slave of slaves” or “Apostle of the slaves” so the church was dedicated to him in the last century on the occasion of his beatification. Contained under the main altar, in an urn, are half of the remains of the saint, who for 40 years defended and evangelized the African slaves who arrived by thousands for the construction of the walls and forts. The other half of his body is in the Vatican. The present Church of San Pedro Claver, which was first named San Ignacio de Loyola and then San Juan de Dios, was inspired by the Temple of Jesus in Rome and is an essential scenario for travelers arriving in Cartagena.
Ceremony hours: 4:30 PM + 7:30 PM, 3:30 PM on Sundays
Approximate cost: $3.000.000 – $3.500.000
Capacity: 400-500 people
Air Conditioning: No
* It’s located inside the walled city, by Centro (downtown), in the Square of San Pedro Claver
Find out more:
https://www.instagram.com/santuariosanpedroclaver/
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2023/03/catholic-church-ceremony-elizabeth-and.html
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2022/11/julia-and-andrea-had-catholic-wedding.html
http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2018/11/por-tu-amor-volvi-nacer-y-quiero.html
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2017/04/cartagena-wedding-lili-flo-andas-en-mi.html
Church of Santo Domingo – Iglesia de Santo Domingo
Located on the square of the same name, it is one of the most important religious monuments of Cartagena and the first convent founded in the city by the Dominican Order in 1539. The temple is the oldest civil work and has a central nave and two aisles. At the right, there is a wooden altar where the miraculous image of Christ of the Expiration is placed; it was carved in the late sixteenth century by a “mysterious being,” according to the legend. The twisted tower and buttresses that support the thrust of the structure are architectural peculiarities of the temple. By weak construction, during the last century, great stands were added to the little side street, which, since then, is known as “Callejon de Los Estribos”. The facade of the church is composed of two covers and flanked by columns in coral stone, which is the most complete sample of local religious craft.
Ceremony hours: 3:30 + 6:30 + 8:00 PM
Approximate cost: $3.000.000 – $3.500.000
Capacity: 250-300 people
Air Conditioning: No
* It’s located inside the walled city, by Centro (downtown), in the Square of Santo Domingo
Find out more:
https://www.instagram.com/santodomingoctg/
https://www.facebook.com/santuario.cristodelaexpiracion.5/
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2024/06/catholic-wedding-ceremony-in-cartagena.html
http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2018/07/cartagena-wedding-ive-got-you-under-my.html
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2018/06/un-amor-para-la-historia-mi-boda-en.html
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2017/05/i-love-you-like-xo-laura-andrew-get-wed.html
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2015/05/lyssa-joshuas-wedding-in-cartagena.html
Cathedral Church – Iglesia de la Catedral, Santa Catalina de Alejandría
The construction of this church, dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria (its full name is “Catedral Santa Catalina de Alejandria”), was in the late sixteenth and early eighteenth centuries. It is considered an analogy to the church of Santa María de Antequera in Andalusia. Its understated design style corresponds to medieval Spanish and was conducted in coral stone and mortar. The interior has three naves and is breathtaking; this highlights the two rows of cylindrical columns and the robust high altar that shows a beautiful colonial craft, made of wood, and the gilded and colored marble pulpit with elaborate carvings. The facade has a great artistic interest, was unfortunately plastered, and the old “Holy Stones” (Santos de Piedra—which gave name to the street—) were removed from their niches and placed in an interior wall. In the exterior stands the bell tower of elegant Florentine style, which was built in the late nineteenth century, and in the southeast corner of the cathedral, a curious sundial, probably contemporary with the metropolitan church.
Ceremony hours: 3:30 + 5:00 + 7:30 PM
Approximate cost: $3.000.000 – $3.500.000
Capacity: 500-600 people
Air Conditioning: No
* It’s located inside the walled city, by Centro (downtown), in the Square of La Proclamacion.
Find out more:
https://www.instagram.com/catedraldecartagena/
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2024/10/candlelit-church-wedding-in-cartagena.html
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2023/03/cathedral-cartagena-candlelight.html
http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2023/03/cartagena-destination-wedding-for-mya.html
http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2022/03/cartagena-wedding-catholic-ceremony.html
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2019/05/cartagena-wedding-ceremony-diana-john.html
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2018/10/laura-y-jose-mi-boda-en-cartagena.html
Church of Santo Toribio – Iglesia de Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo
It is the parish church of the colonial district of San Diego and makes an angle with the square dedicated to the hero Fernandez de Madrid. His full name is “Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo” and it is another authentic sample of religious architecture dating back to 1665. Although in small proportions, it is cozy and beautiful inside, and for the beauty and warmth of its architecture, it is a favorite for the celebrations of marriages of distinguished people of Colombia and the world. Highlighted is the beautiful craftsmanship of the high altar, carved in black lacquer and covered in gold foil. The two fonts of holy water and the sink in the sacristy, which feature carved alabaster pieces in the Sevillian Renaissance style, are also examples of art. As a curiosity, the cannonball embedded in its “Wall of the Gospel” was fired by a ship of the fleet of Admiral Vernon in the assault he made on Cartagena and caused no damage to the structure.
Ceremony hours: 4pm, 5pm, 7pm, 8pm
Approximate cost: $4.000.000 – $4.500.000
Capacity: 160-200 people
Air Conditioning: Yes
* It’s located inside the walled city, by San Diego (the neighborhood’s name inside downtown, in the Square Fernandez Madrid)
Find out more:
https://www.instagram.com/santo_toribio_de_mogrovejo/
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2018/03/fun-cartagena-colombia-wedding.html
http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2017/04/ignasi-y-lina-la-suerte-de-mi-vida-mi.html
https://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2017/05/amor-en-cartagena-luisa-y-cesar.html
Ermita de El Cabrero – Hermitage of El Cabrero
This church is known as “Ermita de El Cabrero” but its full name is Church of Maria de las Mercedes. The church is situated in Apollo Park, outside the Walled City, yet only four minutes away, in the neighborhood of the same name (Cabrero). It was built by Rafael Nuñez for his wife, Soledad Román, so she could pray quietly, as in other churches she was not allowed to enter or was subject to all sorts of criticism. The reason for the scandal was that she had married a divorced man, Rafael Nuñez, which was considered quite controversial in nineteenth-century Cartagena society. In the chapel, on both sides of the altar, there are two mausoleums where their remains lie. He was a writer, poet, four-time president of the Republic, and author of the national anthem of Colombia.
Ceremony hours: 4pm, 7pm
Approximate cost: $3.000.000
Capacity: 60-70 people
Air Conditioning: Yes
* Not colonial, but republican style.
*** It’s located outside but very close to the walled city, by El Cabrero (neighborhood’s name)
Find out more:
https://www.instagram.com/ermitadelcabreroymarbella/
Church of The Third Order – Iglesia de la Tercera Orden
(credit: colleague event, not MBC’s)
It is located on the corner of Larga de Getsemaní Street, across from the Julio César Turbay Ayala Convention Center. This headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Virgin of Sorrows was built in the 18th century and was initially part of the religious complex of the Convent of San Francisco, next to the Church of San Francisco (converted into a theater) and the cloister. It is a simple but admirable building. The sacristy houses the body of military engineer Juan Bautista MacEvan, who worked on the construction of Cartagena’s fortifications and civil works. Its interior is decorated with redwood pews, a crystallized marble floor, an image of Our Lady of Sorrows, two black basalt holy water fonts, and a mosaic ceiling, reflecting the beauty of Catholic architecture.
Ceremony hours: 6pm, 8pm (depends on the day)
Approximate cost: $3.000.000
Capacity: 100-120 people
Air Conditioning: No
*** It’s located outside the walled city, by Getsemaní (neighborhood’s name) – really busy corner in that street 
Find out more:
https://www.instagram.com/terceraordenctg/
3 – Church of San Pedro Claver – Iglesia de San Pedro Claver
13 – Church of Santo Domingo – Iglesia de Santo Domingo
14 – Cathedral Church – Iglesia de la Catedral
20 – Church of Santo Toribio – Iglesia de Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo
24 – Church of the Third Order – Iglesia de la Tercera Orden
32 – Ermita de El Cabrero – Hermitage of El Cabrero
Wedding Planner: Itala Vasquez | Website: http://www.mibodaencartagena.com | E-mail: itala@mibodaencartagena.com
Mi Boda En Cartagena is planning weddings in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
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Post by Ítala Vásquez
Wedding Planner Cartagena
CONTACT FORM HERE
E-mail me and I will be your Wedding Planner in Cartagena: mibodaencartagena@gmail.com
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