Wedding Inspo - Intimate Weddings

As 2020 progresses, it feels like there are different possibilities for weddings on a daily basis. And while big weddings, especially in New Mexico, might not be a reality for a little bit, we adore that intimate weddings are starting to become a bigger staple in the wedding industry.

For clarity, intimate weddings and elopements might seem similar, but they’re actually quite different. In a typical elopement, usually just the couple, the officiant, and the photographer are present. However, in an intimate wedding, usually both sets of parents of the couple, the officiant, a few close friends/family members, and the photographer are present. Sometimes, when there’s not a pandemic taking place, an intimate wedding can even look something like 15-45 guests, usually just a short list of the most important people in the couple’s life.

So far this year, we captured one of the sweetest intimate weddings here in Albuquerque at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm, but in the past we’ve captured a handful of tiny weddings that have filled our hearts with absolute joy. Some of the bonuses of intimate weddings aren’t just cost related (or in 2020’s case, health related), sometimes the best things about smaller weddings involved being able to spend quality time with pretty much every single guest. Another factor is even being able to allow moments of the day to feel less hectic such as making timelines that have less rushed portraits and ceremonies with smaller weddings parties (which means a lot less stress too).

While big weddings will someday be a possibility again, having intimate weddings in their place until we can all gather together safely again might just be the next best thing. Here’s to finding new ways to celebrate and never ever giving up on love, no matter what the universe throws our way!!

Featured Intimate Weddings + Styled Shoots
Brad + Kenna at Old Town Farm
Paul + Carolyn for Rocky Mountain Bride at Los Poblanos
Ben + Katy at The Inn of the Five Graces and Hacienda Corta Caro
Zach + Coli at Hotel Albuquerque and Casas de Sueños
Stuart + Kelly at Los Poblanos
Ryan + Jennifer at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
Daniel + Natzidielly at Los Poblanos
Ryan + Jason at Ghost Ranch
Daniel + Rebecca at Eldorado Hotel and Neptune Art Space
Oriol + Sarah at Gerald Peters Gallery
Angelo + Rocio at Los Poblanos

Weddings + Styled Shoots by Alicia, Ashley, Bre, and the ALP Team
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Wedding Inspo - Pampas Grass

We’ve always had a soft spot for that soft, flowy, ever so subtlety-netural toned plant known as pampas grass, so when this pretty little plant started to take off in the wedding world, we were absolutely thrilled to capture it even more!

Originating from Southern American countries including Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, pampas grass was first introduced to the United States in Santa Barbara, California in the mid 1800s. And while this plant can sometimes push out other vegetation, it still manages to be extremely beautiful, unique, and very photogenic. Besides its common golden-yellow hue, pampas grass can also grow in colors from silvery-white to a soft pink (two shades that we want to see up close and personal).

Over the past few seasons, we’ve seen more brides and grooms take advantage of this versatile plant in their wedding decor. From using it as an accents in bridal bouquets and boutonnieres to subtlety placing it in reception centerpieces to adorning floral headpieces with it to letting it take center stage in both ceremony arches and aisle arrangements, the range of of what pampas grass can do truly seems unlimited!

We have a feeling that this interesting plant is here to stay for a few more seasons (and hopefully forever in the wedding world) and honestly we can’t wait to see what our couples do with it next. Long live pampas grass and all the bohemian vibes it encompasses on wedding days!

Featured Florists
Renegade Floral
Viva Flora
Albuquerque Florist
Floriography Flowers
Forth & Floral
A Beautiful Theme
Gaia Stvdio
Blue Ridge Blossoms
Placed by Polito

Weddings and Styled Shoots by Alicia , Ashley, Bre, and the ALP Team
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Wedding Inspo - Bridal Bouquets

Wedding trends may come and go, but one thing that’s here to stay forever are dreamy bridal bouquets! We see a ton of these beauties each season and they come in just about every style, from the chic romantic arrangements to the wild boho stunners to larger-than-life ultra colorful varieties. We’re not history buffs, but we wanted to share just a few of our favorite facts about bridal bouquets!!!

The tradition of brides carrying bouquets down the aisle (and, in our case, all over) on wedding days stems back to ancient Roman times. Back then, bouquets were not only made of herbs, spices, and grains, but they were thought to ward off evil spirits and signify new beginnings. However, more modern floral bouquets didn’t pop up in the wedding scene until the mid 1800s during the Victorian era and tended to only include roses (we can’t deny how much we love this stunner of a flower). During this time period, sending specific flowers (based on their meanings) to a lover became increasingly popular, leading many brides to pick flowers for their bridal bouquets that best reflected their ideals.

Flashing forward to the 21st century and bridal bouquets come in soooo many amazing colors, varieties, and sizes that we’re truly overwhelmed by all the beauty! We can’t wait to see what new twists our 2020 brides will take with their own florals. Cheers to hundreds of more insanely beautiful bouquets!!!

Featured Florists
Floriography Flowers
Renegade Floral
Forth & Floral
Bagels’ Florals
Desert Flower Co.
Albuquerque Wedding Florist
Blue Ridge Blooms
Artichokes and Pomegranates
Florecita Flowers
Ruidoso Flower Shop
Agave Florist
The Bouqs Co
For the Love of Flowers
People’s Flowers

Weddings by Alicia, Ashley, and Bre of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Drew + Lauren, a Southwestern Wedding at La Mesita Ranch Estate

This fall we returned to one of our all time favorite hidden gems, La Mesita Ranch Estate right outside of Nambe Falls, NM. Drew and Lauren, aka one of the most amazing couples on the planet, planned a truly gorgeous, yet somehow carefree, Southwestern soirée on a perfect fall afternoon. Besides the incredible details, it was so apparent that these two are not only head over heels in love, but that Drew and Lauren are beyond perfect for each other.

In a modern twist on an actual fairytale, Drew and Lauren met on a dating app (Bumble) and immediately hit it off over conversations about football (Drew is a die-hard NY Giants fan while Lauren adores the Dallas Cowboys) and Drew’s recent to trip to Lauren’s hometown, Albuquerque. Even though Drew had to leave early (to do laundry!), they agreed to meet up for a second date and the rest is history.

Flash forward three years and these babes are vacationing in France, but little did Lauren know that it would be one of the best trips ever. While touring the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris (and sipping on wine) Drew proposed to Lauren and she (of course!) said yes.

After a year of amazing prep and planning, Drew and Lauren finally said “I do” in the Land of Enchantment. With the coordination by our girl Lauren Maestas of Just Lovely Weddings and stunning Western inspired details by Darling Details Rentals, this day was nothing short of everything we could have imagined (especially those epic pampas grass arrangements!). In addition to having dreamy details, Lauren and Drew included super personal touches as well. Lauren (whose father passed away five years prior) was moved to tears when her mom sewed his wedding ring into her dress pocket. This bride also made sure that her father was part of the reception by including his favorite dessert (Oreos) at the sweets table as well as biscochitos in the welcome bags (which were reminiscent of the ones Lauren and her father made every year at Christmas). A heartfelt ceremony followed by a quick hike up a mountain for romantics and an amazing bridal reception outfit made this day out of this freaking world.

Honestly we can’t really express just how much we love Drew and Lauren, truly two of the kindest, funniest, all-around wonderful couple. Cheers to a million more years of crushing on you two and your incredible love story!!! #romosaysidrew

Vendors
Venue - La Mesita Ranch Estate
Planning - Just Lovely Weddings
Rentals - Darling Details Rentals
Florals - Albuquerque Wedding Florist
Paper Goods - Protea Paper
Hair - Genica Lee
MUA - Betty Rose by Alanna
Bridal Gown - Jenny Yoo Collection
Bridal Boutique - Lovely Bride New York City
Bride’s Shoes - Frye
Bride’s Hat - Stetson
Bride’s Jacket - The Gap
Bridesmaids Dresses - Jenny Yoo Collection
Groom’s Attire - Bonobos
Groom’s Boots - Cody James
Groomsmen Attire - The Black Tux
Groomsmen Bowties - Etsy
Catering - Walter Burke Catering
Cake - Chocolate Maven
Band - Diamond Empire Band
Lead Photographer - Alicia
Second Photographer - Bre
Assistant - Jaclyn

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Wedding Inspo - First Look Moments

One of the biggest decisions to be made for your wedding is whether or not to do a first look, and if you know one thing about our gang its that we ADORE first looks!

The biggest bonus, besides being able to shake off some of the pre-ceremony jitters, is that with a first look you and your hunny get even more time alone together on your wedding day (something that is surprisingly hard to get on the biggest day of your lives!). In addition to extra time, you get a few special, quiet moments together to take in how gorgeous/handsome your future spouse looks without anyone else around (except for us of course!). Although some might argue that seeing each other before walking down the aisle takes away from emotional reactions, we couldn’t disagree more. In fact, first looks just add to that magic because you get to experience seeing your lover in front of all of your friends and family too!

There’s also the major plus of getting extra photos together during and after a first look! And who doesn’t want even more gorgeous wedding photos without having to stress about squeezing in all of the romantics into the day after the ceremony? And with a first look you can also get wedding party and family photos done which means that everyone gets to enjoy alllll of cocktail hour!

We could seriously list off five million reasons why first looks are amazing, but we’ll let all of our couples in this special post do the talking for us!

Our Real Life Love Stories
Chris + Ari at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Jason + Natalie at La Fonda on the Plaza (coming soon to the blog)
Colton + Lindsey at Hyatt Tamaya
John + Anna at La Fonda on the Plaza
Morgan + Mattie at Las Campanas
Geoff + Jocelyn at Hacienda Doña Andrea de Santa Fe
Ryan + Jennifer at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
Carter + Carrie at La Fonda on the Plaza
James + Lauren at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Randy + Elizabeth at the Santa Fe Opera
Shaun + Jessie at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
David + Lauren at La Fonda on the Plaza
Drew + Lauren at La Mesita Ranch Estate (coming soon to the blog)
Mack + Shelby at Four Seasons Santa Fe
Jake + Angela at Sandia Event Center
Jon + Paige at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm

Weddings by Alicia, Ashley, and Bre of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Ryan + Jennifer, a Sarabande Bed and Breakfast Wedding

In the midst of our totally crazy busy wedding season we ended up with the sweetest, most intimate B&B wedding in the heart of Albuquerque with Ryan and Jennifer. This day was not only gorgeous, but super laid back and still sooo dang fun!

Ryan and Jennifer’s love story began at everyone’s home away from home, work. Jennifer had recently moved back to her hometown, Albuquerque, and had started working for a local medical group where Ryan was a surgeon. She initially planned to move to Austin, TX, however, the universe had other plans. A co-worker, who may or may not be a modern day Cupid, conspired for Jennifer and Ryan to meet during a work presentation. Jennifer, who didn’t know who Ryan was yet or that she was destined to meet him, was desperately attempting to get out of said meeting (because who isn’t trying to avoid work meetings tbh). However, Jennifer ended up at the meeting and after seeing Ryan for the first time, decided to stay. After the meeting, Jennifer and Ryan chatted briefly about a few of their mutually similar things including their dogs, spending time with their families, and what its like moving back to Albuquerque after living elsewhere.

Over the course of several months these two crossed paths at drinks with co workers and work events, but after awhile Jennifer assumed Ryan wasn’t into her. Then one day, while monitoring her company’s Facebook page, Jennifer saw a touching message from a patient about how Ryan’s surgery on her had changed her life. Jennifer sent it over to Ryan and after several exchanges between them, Ryan finally asked Jennifer out. Ryan planned on proposing while they were on vacation in Italy in August of 2018, but decided to bump it up to their trip to Napa in July of 2018. However, Ryan didn’t want to wait anymore and in June of 2018 he pulled Jennifer into their home office on a random Tuesday night and asked her to marry him (honestly swoon).

After initially looking at several venues in Santa Fe, Ryan and Jennifer decided to check out our favorite little north valley gem, Sarabande Bed and Breakfast. They immediately fell in love with this uniquely beautiful space and knew it was where they wanted to make it official. With a tiny guest list and the dreamiest details, Jennifer and Ryan’s day was just one of those days where everyone feels so relaxed and like family. They kicked everything off with a 12 minute (!!!) ceremony and super fun romantics around their venue right before it started pouring rain. Everything about this day was genuine and intentional, from Jennifer’s sweet gifts to her two flower princesses to a teary-eyed father and daughter first look to a reception that felt more like a big family dinner and not just a wedding, this day was one we will always remember!

Cheers to the Tyners, we loved being a part of your day!!!

Vendors
Venue - Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
Coordination - Pilar of Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
Florals - Aspire Florals by Albuquerque Wedding Florist
Invitations - Minted
MUA - Betty Rose by Ashley
Hair - Revelry Salon
Bridal Gown - Wtoo by Watters
Bridal Boutique - BHLDN
Bride’s Shoes - Badgley Mischka
Groom’s Attire - Lanieri
Catering - Eatentions
Decor + Rentals - Simply Decor and Events
Music - Empire Strings
Bar - Quarters BBQ
Lead Photographer - Ashley
Second Photographer - Melanie
Assisitant - Jaclyn

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography