Hacienda Sac Chich Weddings: The Complete Venue Guide
Hacienda Sac Chich is a restored 17th-century henequen hacienda in Acanceh, Yucatán, about 30 minutes from Mérida. It sleeps 21 guests across three separate houses, hosts weddings for up to 150 people, and rents exclusively. For a wedding, the entire property is yours.
I photographed Michelle and Bart's wedding here: 65 adults, two children, a trilingual ceremony, and a party that ran until one in the morning. This guide covers what the property actually is, what it costs, where each part of a wedding day happens, and what I noticed working there that you won't find on a venue website.
What Hacienda Sac Chich is
The hacienda was built around the henequen industry, the agave fibre that was spun into rope and twine and shipped worldwide, and that funded most of Yucatán's grand estates. The factory buildings date to 1850. The restoration kept the evidence of that industrial life rather than smoothing it away: iron wheels, massive wooden beams, an 85-foot chimney rising over the property, and an original water tower converted into a bathroom.
Layered onto that is contemporary architecture that holds its own against the ruins. The result is a venue that photographs two entirely different ways depending on which side of the property you're standing on.
The estate is divided into three separate residences.
Casa de Maquinas is the historic heart, a complex of three limestone buildings called Casa Vieja, Casa Nueva and the Loggia, each roughly 2,000 square feet, surrounded by palm-filled gardens. Five king bedrooms, a loft with a single and double bed, five full bathrooms, a full kitchen, living room, an outdoor dining and living pavilion, and a 40-foot pool. Sleeps 13.
Casa Sisal is the contemporary counterpoint. Built in the hacienda's two-acre henequen drying fields and enclosed by the original 11-foot wall, it's 2,000 square feet (186 m²) of indoor-outdoor living surrounded by water lily reflecting ponds, with an infinity-edge pool. One king bedroom, one bedroom with two queens, two full bathrooms, kitchen and living room. Sleeps 6. It sits across the Great Lawn from Casa de Maquinas, which gives both houses genuine privacy.
Casita Caliza is the newest addition and the smallest, with one queen bedroom, a private bathroom with an oversized stone bathtub, its own garden and fish pond. Sleeps 2. It was built using mampostería, the traditional colonial hand-cut stone method known in Maya as pak'il naj, with a steeply sloped roof of vintage French tiles. It sits behind stone walls beside Casa Vieja's pool garden.
Together: 21 guests on the property, in three houses that feel like three different places.
Every stay includes daily housekeeping, organic toiletries, Nespresso machines, air conditioning, Starlink wifi and Bluetooth stereos.
How many guests can stay at Hacienda Sac Chich
This distinction matters more than couples expect, and it's the thing I'd get straight before falling in love with the place. Hacienda Sac Chich sleeps a maximum of 21 guests across its three houses, and hosts weddings for a maximum of 150. The standard event package covers use of the property for one event of up to 100 guests.
Twenty-one people stay. Everyone else arrives for the day and leaves. That shapes the entire structure of the weekend. You get a small group living together on the property for three nights, and a larger celebration that happens on one of those days.
For Michelle and Bart, that meant a shuttle collecting guests in Mérida in the early afternoon and delivering them to the hacienda in a single wave before the ceremony. If most of your guest list is staying in Mérida, transport isn't optional. Build it into the budget from the start.
One point to confirm directly with the venue: the standard event fee covers exteriors for one event up to 100 guests, while the stated maximum is 150. Ask what happens between 100 and 150, because the answer affects your budget materially.
How much does a wedding at Hacienda Sac Chich cost?
For the 2027 season, the venue's event package is $12,160 USD.
That covers exclusive rental of the entire property for three nights' lodging for up to 21 guests, use of the hacienda exteriors for one event of up to 100 guests, on-site event restrooms with attendants, daily housekeeping, ample parking, Starlink wifi and concierge service.
It does not cover 16% VAT plus 5% lodging tax, a 10% staff gratuity, or the $1,000 refundable damage deposit.
Discounts run 15% for mid-week dates in high season and 25% for weekends between May and September. Holiday rates apply from December 20 to January 5. Weddings of 50 guests or fewer get $1,000 off the event fee.
Rates change year to year, so treat these as the 2027 shape of the deal and confirm current numbers with the hacienda directly.
What you're actually paying for
The venue also publishes nightly lodging rates for each house, which makes it possible to see what the event package really contains.
| Season | All three houses per night | Minimum stay | Lodging at minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 to Sep 30 | $1,555 | 2 nights | $3,110 |
| Oct 1 to Apr 30 | $2,305 | 3 nights | $6,915 |
| Dec 20 to Jan 4 | $2,605 | 5 nights | $13,025 |
Combined nightly rate for Casa de Maquinas, Casa Sisal and Casita Caliza. Rates shown in USD and subject to change. Confirm current pricing with the venue.
The event package includes three nights across all three houses. In high season those same three nights cost $6,915 as pure lodging, which means the wedding component of the $12,160 is roughly $5,245.
That's worth understanding before you compare Hacienda Sac Chich to a resort's ceremony fee. You aren't paying $12,160 for a venue. You're paying for a three-night, whole-property buyout for 21 people, with the right to hold a wedding on one of those days. Different product, different number.
One consequence: the December 20 to January 4 window carries a five-night minimum totalling $13,025 in lodging alone, more than the entire standard event package. A holiday wedding here is a materially different budget.
What the venue fee doesn't include is the larger part of a wedding budget: catering and bar, planning, floral and décor, furniture rental, lighting and generator, music, transport, and photography. Yucatán haciendas are typically bare-canvas venues, which is why couples work with a planner here rather than a resort coordinator. Almost everything arrives on a truck from Mérida.
The practical consequence: a hacienda wedding is not cheaper than a resort wedding of the same size. It buys you something different: privacy, three days on the property, and a place nobody else is getting married at that weekend.
The ceremony and reception spaces
The property has several distinct outdoor settings, and the sequence you choose determines how the day moves.
Casa Vieja Pool Garden. An enclosed garden beside the historic pool, dense with palms and greenery. The most intimate ceremony option. Reflected light off the water fills in shadows in a way that flatters everyone.
The Main Arch. A weathered stone arch set against a lily pond, arguably the property's signature image. Works as a ceremony backdrop and as the single strongest portrait location on the estate.
The Bamboo Garden. A stand of mature bamboo, tall enough to enclose completely. Light filters through it in vertical shafts. It photographs unlike anywhere else in Yucatán.
The Great Lawn. A long lawn lined with royal palms, the largest space on the property and where most full-size receptions land. Long tables under string lights strung between the palms.
The Interior Garden. An enclosed courtyard ringed by the ruined arcade, used for candlelit dinners at a smaller scale.
The Shell Tunnel. A low stone passage lit with candles. A transition space rather than an event space, and a memorable entrance.
Michelle and Bart used the property in the classic sequence: ceremony in the late afternoon, cocktail hour at Casa de Maquinas among the ruins, then dinner and dancing in the reception area.
How a wedding day actually runs here
Here's how Michelle and Bart's day unfolded.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1:00 pm | Getting ready begins |
| 2:00 pm | Photography coverage starts |
| 2:45 pm | Guest shuttle departs Mérida |
| 3:30 to 4:00 pm | Guests arrive, welcome drinks in the shade |
| 4:10 pm | Ceremony |
| 4:50 pm | Ceremony ends |
| 5:00 to 7:00 pm | Cocktail hour at Casa de Maquinas |
| 6:55 pm | Guests seated, couple's entrance |
| 7:00 pm | Speeches |
| 7:15 to 8:15 pm | Dinner |
| 8:15 pm | First dance, party begins |
| 1:00 am | Party ends |
Michelle and Bart's wedding, 9 October 2021. Photography by Luke FotoliV, planning by S.O.S. Wedding Planners.
Two things worth noticing.
The ceremony sits at 4:10 pm, not sunset. In Yucatán in October that puts vows in warm late-afternoon light with a full two hours of cocktail hour still in daylight, which is where most of the portrait work happens. Pushing a ceremony later here compresses everything.
And the ceremony itself ran in three languages. Michelle and Bart's ran in English, Spanish and Dutch, with two celebrants trading translation and four family members speaking. It took forty minutes rather than the usual twenty. If your families don't share a language, plan for that. It's one of the genuine pleasures of a destination wedding and it needs the time.
What I noticed shooting here
The thing that struck me at Hacienda Sac Chich is that time slows down. It feels like a warm day in the countryside. It might be the colonial architecture, it might be the Yucatán itself, but I never felt rushed on the wedding day.
That is very different from how we work in the Riviera Maya. There you are constantly checking the clock and the timeline, tracking what comes next. Here the day moved slower, more intentional, and it felt right. Twelve to fourteen hours of shooting went by without strain.
That has a practical implication for your planning. Couples arriving from a resort-wedding mindset often over-schedule a hacienda day. You don't need to. The property rewards leaving space in the timeline: the long cocktail hour among the ruins, the walk to the bamboo, the slow arrival of evening on the Great Lawn. Build in the gaps and the day gives them back to you.
Best time of year for a Yucatán hacienda wedding
Winter. I'd stick to December through March.
Yucatán is hot, and the Mérida area gets seriously hot in summer, the kind of heat that changes how a day feels for guests in formal clothes. Haciendas amplify it. The tall walls that make these properties feel private also block the wind, so the courtyards and enclosed gardens hold heat longer than an open beach venue would. The cooler the month, the better the day.
The venue's own calendar reflects this. October 1 through April 30 is high season, priced accordingly, with a separate holiday tier from December 20 to January 4. May 1 through September 30 is low season, cheaper across the board, and the venue discounts event weekends 25% during those months.
If budget is the deciding factor, a May-to-September weekend is a genuine saving. Just go in knowing what you're accepting: heat, humidity, and a higher chance of afternoon rain.
Michelle and Bart married on 9 October 2021, right at the start of high season. Warm, green, and the light stayed soft later in the afternoon than it does deeper into winter
Getting there and where guests stay
Hacienda Sac Chich is about 30 minutes from Mérida, in Acanceh. Mérida International Airport (MID) is the closest airport; many US guests connect through Mexico City, or fly into Cancún and drive, which takes around four hours.
With only 21 beds on site, most of your guests will stay in Mérida, usually in or near Centro, where the colonial hotels and restaurants are. Shuttle transport between Mérida and the hacienda is standard practice here, not a luxury.
I stay at Hotel Kavia Premium Mérida when I'm working in the area. Underground private parking, sensible prices, and walkable to the centre. For guests wanting something more upscale, NH Collection Mérida Paseo Montejo and Hyatt Regency Mérida are both solid options.
Working with a planner
The venue recommends working with a wedding planner, and after nearly two decades of events they maintain a vetted vendor list of people they've worked with directly.
Michelle and Bart worked with S.O.S. Wedding Planners, coordinated by Maggie Gallardo. Their team ran catering through Alta Porta, florals through Harmonia Diseño Floral, bar through Tahiti Mixology, music through DJ Advance, guest transport through El Buen Chofer, and a late-night churro station from La Principal.
That vendor list is the practical answer to "how does a bare-canvas venue become a wedding": every one of those companies drove out from Mérida and built it.
Photographing a wedding at Hacienda Sac Chich
I work documentary. I follow the day rather than direct it, and the pictures come from what actually happens. At a property like this that approach earns its keep, because the venue is doing so much on its own. The ruins, the bamboo, the arch and the palms don't need staging. They need someone who knows where to stand and when.
If you're planning a wedding at Hacienda Sac Chich, or weighing it against other Yucatán haciendas, I'm happy to talk through the property and how a day tends to run there, whether or not you end up booking me.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Hacienda Sac Chich? Hacienda Sac Chich is in Acanceh, Yucatán, Mexico, about a 30-minute drive from Mérida. The nearest airport is Mérida International (MID); Cancún International is roughly four hours away by car.
How many guests can Hacienda Sac Chich hold for a wedding? The maximum wedding guest count is 150. The standard event package covers use of the hacienda exteriors for one event of up to 100 guests, so confirm the arrangement for guest counts between 100 and 150 directly with the venue.
How many people can sleep at Hacienda Sac Chich? Twenty-one, across three houses: Casa de Maquinas sleeps 13, Casa Sisal sleeps 6, and Casita Caliza sleeps 2. All other wedding guests stay off site, usually in Mérida.
How much does a wedding at Hacienda Sac Chich cost? The 2027 event package is $12,160 USD, covering exclusive rental of the whole property for three nights for up to 21 guests plus use of the exteriors for one event of up to 100 guests. Excluded: 16% VAT, 5% lodging tax, 10% staff gratuity and a $1,000 refundable damage deposit. Catering, bar, planning, florals, furniture, lighting, music, transport and photography are all separate. Confirm current rates with the venue.
Are there discounts on the venue fee? Yes. The venue offers 15% off mid-week dates in high season and 25% off weekends between May and September. Weddings of 50 guests or fewer receive $1,000 off the event fee. Holiday rates apply from December 20 to January 5.
Is the whole property private during a wedding? Yes. The event rate is for exclusive rental of the entire estate, so no other guests or events share the property.
Where can you hold a ceremony at Hacienda Sac Chich? The main options are the Casa Vieja Pool Garden, the Main Arch beside the lily pond, the Bamboo Garden, and the Great Lawn. The Great Lawn is the largest and usually hosts full-size receptions; the pool garden suits smaller ceremonies.
What is the best time of year to get married at Hacienda Sac Chich? Winter, and December through March is the window I recommend. Yucatán is hot, and haciendas hold heat because their tall walls block the wind. The venue treats October 1 to April 30 as high season, with a holiday tier from December 20 to January 4; May 1 to September 30 is low season and cheaper, but hotter and wetter.
Do you need a wedding planner at Hacienda Sac Chich? In practice, yes. The hacienda is a bare-canvas venue: catering, bar, furniture, lighting and power all come in from Mérida. The venue maintains a vetted vendor list from close to two decades of hosting events.
How old is Hacienda Sac Chich? The hacienda's origins are 17th century, and the Casa de Maquinas factory buildings date to 1850. It was a henequen estate before being restored as a private residence and event property, with an 85-foot chimney and original iron machinery still standing.
Is Hacienda Sac Chich right for your wedding?
Hacienda Sac Chich suits a specific kind of wedding. If you want 21 people living together on a private estate for three nights, a celebration for a hundred or so guests who arrive by shuttle from Mérida, and a property that photographs like two different places depending on where you stand, it's hard to beat in the Yucatán.
It's less suited to a large guest list wanting to stay on site, or to a couple hoping the venue will handle everything. This is a bare canvas. Catering, bar, furniture, lighting and power all arrive from Mérida, and you'll want a planner who knows the property.
What you're really buying is three days rather than one afternoon. That's what changed the day for me when I photographed here: nobody was watching the clock, and the wedding had room to happen at its own speed.
Get in touch and tell us about your wedding day.