Wedding Inspo - Intimate Weddings Part II

Earlier this year we posted a blog about some of our favorite intimate wedding inspiration, but after about a dozen more tiny weddings just in the past few months, we decided to make a part two!

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a dozen times, we ADORE intimate weddings. Everything about these little weddings is absolute perfection, from being able to spend more time with your guests to having a less limited budget due to overall lower costs to even just being able to enjoy more moments soaking up those first few hours of marriage. Over the past few months, we’ve been absolutely blown away by how our couples have taken intimate weddings to the next freaking level. Backyard weddings with all the pretty garden details, stoop weddings followed by mini parades, and the most adorable little farm weddings have just been the beginning of a whole new era of micro-weddings.

We’re not sure when giant weddings will be a consistent possibility in the coming months, but dang are we thankful for these beautiful, heartfelt, downright incredible intimate weddings. We can’t wait to share even more of these gorgeous days still to come!

Real Love Stories + Styled Shoots
Ysidro + Celestina at Casa Pera Art Space (coming soon to the blog)
Andrew + Deanna at Hotel Andaluz (coming soon to the blog)
Kenny + Molly at a Private Estate in Santa Fe (coming soon to the blog)
Eric + Lauren at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm (coming soon to the blog)
Angie + Brittany at a Private Home in Nob Hill
Gates + C.C. at a Private Estate in New Mexico
Matt + Allie at a Private Home in Santa Fe
Nate + Cait in Downtown Denver, CO
Brad + Kenna at Old Town Farm
Stuart + Kelly at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Zach + Natalie at The Desert Compass
Andrew + Shay at a Private Home in Albuquerque (coming soon to the blog)
Jawara + Jazz at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Ryan + Jennifer at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
Zach + Coli at Hotel Albuquerque and Casas de Sueños
Paul + Carolyn at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm

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

Vendor Feature - Bagels' Florals

Each wedding season we’re lucky enough to work with a vast amount of talented wedding vendors and creatives, but we’ve felt extremely grateful to have crossed paths with Abigail of Bagels’ Florals just two short years ago. Not only is this amazing florist beyond her years in talent, she’s one of the brightest, most inspirational souls we know. We knew that we couldn’t let 2020 end without featuring her ethereal, colorful and exquisite work.

We are always beyond excited for every single celebration we get to capture that features Bagels’ work. A true artist at heart, every single bouquet, boutonnière, installment, and arrangement she creates is done with care, intention, and a passion to make the world a brighter place. We were especially honored to capture Bagels’ first two bouquet wedding ( a very special moment for her, an LGBTQ florist) this year for our lovers Brittany + Angie and she did a tremendously gorgeous job (we’re honestly still obsessed with her creations from that sweet little backyard wedding).

Beyond simply being an incredibly gifted florist and gardener, Bagels is also a major community leader in the New Mexico wedding industry. She consistently uses her platform to speak up for social change and action, inspiring other vendors and community members (especially us!) to do the same. We’re consistently blown away by how much love and passion Bagels holds for making New Mexico, and truthfully this world, a more compassionate accepting place for everyone.

We feel so increasingly fortunate to even know someone as talented, smart, and driven as Bagels and we know that everyone will continued to be inspired by this amazing human being.

Florist - Bagels Florals

Real Love Stories
Angie + Brittany in Nob Hill, Albuquerque
Nate + Cait in Denver, CO
Jimmy + Maggie at Pecos National Historical Monument
Chris + Ari at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Shaun + Jessie at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
Ethan + Sarah at Hacienda Doña Andrea

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

Wedding Inspo - Invitation Suite Inspo

A lot of things may have changed for weddings this year, but one element that always remains is beautiful invitation suites. We adore seeing how our couples pull together their special day with this tiny, but stunning detail.

From bespoke invitation suites with watercolor details to minimalist and modern stationary to bright and colorful invites, we’ve seen some incredible designs over the past season!

We can’t wait to see what unique and beautiful concepts our couples pull into their invitation suites in the future, we already know that we’ll be absolutely awestruck over them all!!

Invitation Designers
Funky Olive Design
Letterpress Made
Minted
Natalie Soud Studio
Silver Swirl Studios
Sweet Sentimentality
Basic Invite
Protea Press
Shutterfly
K.Laine Design
Southern Fried Paper
Dandylion Paper

Weddings by the Alicia Lucia Photography Team
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

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

Mother's Day with ALP's Wedding Day Mamas

If there’s one group of amazing women we appreciate more than anything, its all the incredible mamas out there! For us, Mother’s Day is the perfect excuse to celebrate these incredible women, but honestly we want to make all of the mothers in our lives feel extra special everyday!

Due to all of our pretty weddings and elopements, we’ve met some beyond wonderful mamas. From mothers of the brides and grooms, to stepmoms, to mother-in-laws, to grandmothers to mother figures, we’ve witnessed so many angelic women make wedding days that much more beautiful with their love, compassion, and light.

Our team is made up of a strong group of gals and many double as badass mamas as well. We’re in awe of the mothers we’ve met on wedding days and the mothers we have in our very own lives. Cheers to being surrounded with so many stellar women, today and every single day of the year!

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

Wedding Inspo - Groom Style Third Edition

While its true that we have a huge affinity for stellar bridal style on the blog, we can’t help but share a little bit of love with our stylish, dapper, and downright handsome grooms! Not only are these guys total on-camera knockouts, they’re also some of the kindest, most personable dudes you could ever ask for on wedding days!

We love a sleek, traditional black suit or tux, so how do grooms elevate this classic style? Our grooms have tapped into everything, from incorporating Southwestern flair with bolo ties or designer cowboy boots to adding personal touches like a cool pair of sunglasses or a surprise pop of color in their boutonniere or suit jacket lining!

And we’ve had plenty of grooms chose other colors for their wedding days suits as well including blue, grey, tan, and even mix-and-match colors! We’ve loved seeing how these guys dressed up colors other than black for their big day and adored seeing so many unique details including ties with tiny prints on them (from polka dots to florals) to broaches (instead of a traditional bow tie or tie) to opting for unique textures like wool.

Last season we saw an incredible variety of groom style and honestly we’re thrilled to see what our next guys have in store for us, we’re crossing our fingers for a few extra daring grooms with non-traditional suit colors! Until then, take a look at these wedding day hunks, we had the best time capturing each one of these wedding day hubbies!

A Few of Our Favorite Suit Designers + Shops
The Black Tux
Bonobos
ASOS
Mango
Ralph Lauren
Indochino
Suit Supply
Ted Baker
Lanieri
Neiman Marcus
Jos. A Bank
Banana Republic
J. Crew
Kenneth Cole
Hockerty
The Tie Bar
Tommy Hilfiger
Perry Ellis
Joseph Abboud
Men’s Wearhouse
Suits Unlimited

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

Wedding Inspo - A Whimsical Backyard Wedding

Have you ever seen a wedding that looked and felt like an absolute movie from start to finish? One where the couple is dreamy, the details are amazing, and every last piece of the day is just pure perfection? Well, that’s what we were treated to last fall and we can’t stop obsessing over all the pretty little parts of this day!

If there’s one way to our hearts, it’s through killer bridal style and this day was filled with it. A stunning sheath gown from Bridal Elegance by Darlene, moody fall florals from Agave Florist, and gorgeous makeup by our gal Kata Baron, made this bride absolutely radiant. Our lovers not only made our dreams come true with golden hour romantics to die for, but they also included special touches like a vintage mint-colored trunk, a mini confetti toss, and a backyard swing!

To top it all off, these babes had the most magical reception with a little help from Just Lovely Weddings and Darling Details Rentals. From a tent adorned with sparkling star lanterns to hand painted tiles for table numbers to one of the coziest fall lounge situations we’ve ever seen, we’re forever wishing we could just live in this day forever!

Cheers to more beautiful wedding days that turn into awe-inspiring nights, we’re so here for all the beauty!

Vendors
Venues - Sarabande Bed and Breakfast + Private Estate
Planning - Just Lovely Weddings
Rentals - Darling Details Rentals
Florals - Agave Florist
Hair - Kerbi K of Blo Bar Albuquerque
MUA - Kata Baron
Bridal Boutique - Bridal Elegance by Darlene
Bride’s Shoes - Badgley Miskcha
Ring Box - The Mrs Box
Lead Photographer - Ashley
Second Photographer - Briana A
Assistant - Cameron

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

Wedding Inspo - Bridal Shoes Second Edition

If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, we’re pretty sure that gorgeous bridal shoes come in a close second place! We’re forever envying these pretty styles: dainty nude heels, sparkly couture pumps, vintage boots, subtlety beautiful flats, and of course those bright, bold colorful stilettos! We don’t blame you if you feel the need to make a little extra room in your closet after this blog, our brides brought some of the most amazing shoe style out there to their wedding days!

Shoe Designers
Christian Louboutin
Kelly and Katie
Enzo Angiolini
Brian Atwood
The Gap (vintage boots)
Badgley Mischka
Steve Madden
Stuart Weitzman
Jimmy Choo
Lucky Brand
Pelle Moda
Tieks
INC by Macy’s
Kate Spade x Keds
Blue by Betsey Johnson
Aldo
Madewell

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

Wedding Inspo - Writing Your Own Vows

Besides all of the amazing little details and decisions that weddings involve, many couples find themselves with another wedding day choice, whether or not to write their own vows. And while we love traditional vows in their many forms, there’s a special place in our hearts for those super personal, tearful, joyous, and even downright fun vows our couples have written in the past. Lucky for us, one of our cutie pie couples from last year, Ryan and Cristina, were able to give us insight on this cool little ceremony trend.

What inspired you and your spouse to write your own vows?
Cristina: “Ryan told me I had to write my own vows. Other than that, writing your own vows makes the ceremony more personal and intimate.”
Ryan: “Growing up, I watched a lot of rom-coms and always wanted to write my own vows. Also, I knew how much and why I loved Cristina, but not everyone else did, so it was my opportunity to tell everyone myself.”

How long did it take you to write your own vows?
Cristina: “On and off for a few months.”
Ryan: “When I proposed to Cristina 18 months before our wedding, I had memorized a long speech that I was supposed to say before proposing, but I forgot the entire speech when the time came, so I used parts of that speech to create my vows. Then, on and off until the wedding, I kept a document of sentences or quotes that I wanted to include. I wrote my final vows about a month before the wedding.”

What was your favorite part of writing your own vows?
Cristina: “Being able to express my love for Ryan.”
Ryan: “Of course, expressing my love for Cristina. But, there was this quote from J.D. Salinger that I had read when I was in high school (Cristina and I started dating at 17) and I always felt that it summarized how I felt about Cristina, but I never shared the quote with her until our wedding day. So, it was pretty exciting to share that after all these years.”

What advice do you have for couples considering writing their own vows?
Ryan: “While writing your vows is a nice way to express your love and say nice things about your significant other, at the end of the day, it's your choice and, while it is a chance to make the ceremony fun and intimate, it's really just about the person standing across from you.”

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