Zac + Shelly, a Stunning Hacienda Doña Andrea Wedding

When Austin sweethearts Zac and Shelly celebrated their marriage at Hacienda Doña Andrea this summer, it was definitely one of the most unique, beautiful days out there. These two made their wedding day completely their own and we are so in love with it all.

Zac and Shelly met several years ago through mutual friends and got engaged on New Years Eve of 2018. Zac proposed to Shelly at midnight on the rooftop of Austin Central Library during a New Years bash. Soon after, these cuties just knew that New Mexico was the most perfectly magical place to make it official.

These babes decided on one of our favorite locations on earth, Hacienda Doña Andrea, because of its spectacular views and cozy vibes. And even though they had to push back their special day an entire year, Zac and Shelly still put so much of their own personal style into their beautiful June day. Shelly, who was also the dreamiest bride btw, created almost all of the decor (just peep that insane seating chart and all of the gorgeous reception signage) and it was truly straight out of our wildest boho-southwestern dreams. In addition to adding a ton of unique touches on their day, Shelly and Zac also opted to create some of their traditions, such as walking with each other down the aisle, and getting rid of some of the usual traditions they weren’t in love with (tbh every single couple should do this!). They embraced the moody skies and rain for not only the sweetest romantics, but for the most epic dance party of the summer.

We were so beyond grateful to be tiny part of this extremely special day, cheers to Zac + Shelly forever and ever!!!

Vendors
Venue - Hacienda Doña Andrea
Planning + Decor + Hand Lettering - by bride
Day of Coordination - Simply Done Events
Florals - Florecita Flowers
Invitations - Small Fire Press on Etsy
Hair + MUA - Something Ginger
Bridal Gown - Floravere
Bride’s Headpiece - Lena Rom
Bride’s Shoes - Bella Belle
Bride’s Jewelry - Love Adorned
Bridesmaids Dresses - Fame and Partners + Amsale + ASOS + Amazon Fashion
Groom + Groomsmen Attire - The Black Tux
Groom’s Jewelry - Bario Neal
Officiant - Joseph Shivers
Catering - La Posas
Lead Photographer - Ashley
Second Photographer - Bri A.
Assistnat - Jaclyn

Wedding Inspo - Top 5 Santa Fe Wedding Venues

Being from the gorgeous state of New Mexico, we spend a whole lot of time in our beautiful capital city of Santa Fe. We picked our top five places to tie the knot in The City Different and, dang, are they dreamy.

From the adobe-adorned plaza to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to way out in the desert, there are so many uniquely stunning places to say “I do” in and around Santa Fe. We adore spending time at La Fonda on the Plaza and La Posada de Santa Fe, both of which are located right near the heart of the city and have the most divine, historic architecture. We’re also head-over-heels for all the venues out in the wilds of New Mexico. From Georgia O’Keeffe’s beloved gem Ghost Ranch to the the hidden mountain beauty of Four Seasons Santa Santa Fe to the eclectic, wildly unique vibes of Hacienda Doña Andrea, couples have a plethora of ethereal, Southwestern spots to make it last name official.

We’re obsessed with all the incredible celebrations we’ve captured at these stellar venues and can’t wait to witness even more love and magic at them soon!

Our Top 5 Santa Fe Venues w/Featured Love Stories
La Fonda on the Plaza - Carter + Carrie and Derek + Brigitte
Four Seasons Santa Fe - Garrett + Kyla and Adam + Shubha
Ghost Ranch - Jake + Becky and Jason + Ryan
Hacienda Doñ Andrea - Zac + Shelly and Geoff + Jocelyn
La Posada de Santa Fe - Ashwin + Lauren and Tyler + Cassie

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

Where to Elope in New Mexico - A Few of Our Fave Venues

In the aftermath of 2020, so many soon-to-be newlyweds are looking towards celebrating just a little bit differently this year. Couples are trading in giant wedding bashes for much smaller, intimate days and we’re so dang here for it. New Mexico is brimming with incredible places to make it last name official, even if its just you and your boo!

From a tiny adobe dwelling in the heart of Old Town to a majestic hacienda high in the mountains of northern New Mexico to a legendary lavender farm, there are so many unique, equally stunning places to finally say “I do” in the Land of Enchantment. We’ve been overwhelmed with inspiration by seeing our couples do the damn thing no matter what and we’ve been dying to share some of the most stellar spots for elopements.

Here’s to all the tiny, unique nuptials out there, we can’t wait to see even more Southwestern elopements!

Featured Love Stories + Venues
Jeremy + Michelle at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Will + Jill at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Zach + Natalie at The Desert Compass
Nate + Symone at Casita de Cacti
Russell + Katie at Old Town Farm
Brad + Kenna at Old Town Farm
Geoff + Jocelyn at Hacienda Doña Andrea
Chris + Emma at Hacienda Doña Andrea

Weddings + Elopements by Alicia, Ashley, Bre, and the ALP 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 - Ceremony Altars

Whether its a mini-wedding with a handful of guests or a giant, incredibly lively wedding with a whole bunch of friends and family members, our couples always find a way to make their ceremonies extra gorgeous, especially when it comes to the backdrops they pick to stand in front of to say “I do”. From stunning floral installations to incredible ceremony arches, we’ve seen it all, but we love looking back at some of the most show-stopping ceremony set ups we’ve seen over the past year.

As expected, we captured a ton of floral arches, from the bright and bold to the soft and whimsical varieties. Arches, both of of the wooden variety and of the purely floral design are becoming a wedding staple that we’re sure will always be a fan fave.

But besides this new classic, what other beauties have adorned alters and made vows that much more special? There are a few pretty little designs that come to mind and wow, are we still drooling over them. Just a few of our current faves include a dreamy mauve-toned geometric backdrop, the most eye-catching florals being draped from a tiny balcony, and a boho rug framed with giant pampas grass arrangements. And, of course, we can’t forget how one of our couples opted for that wide open New Mexico sky to be their ceremony background as they exchanged vows at a backyard wedding in the Santa Fe mountains.

We’re not sure what new altar trends will take the wedding world by storm in the coming years, but we do know that they’ll be absolutely divines and we’re so dang here for it all.

Featured Weddings + Styled Shoots
Zach + Natalie at The Desert Compass
Emerson Venue Styled Wedding
Nathan + Caitlin in Denver, CO (coming soon to the blog)
Jawara + Jasmyn at Los Poblanos
Brittany + Angie in Nob Hill (coming soon to the blog)
Ben + Emilee at Sandia Event Center
Matt + Allie in Santa Fe, NM (coming soon to the blog)
Drew + Lauren at La Mesita Ranch Estate
John + Anna at La Fonda on the Plaza
Jeremy + Michelle at Los Poblanos (coming soon to the blog)
Patrick + Niki at Enchanted Vine Barn
Geoff + Jocelyn at Hacienda Doña Andrea
James + Lauren at Los Poblanos
Morgan + Mattie at Las Campanas
Carter + Carrie at La Fonda on the Plaza
Qwist + Cara at Los Poblanos
Trey + Clara in San Patricio, NM
Zach + Coli at Hotel Albuquerque
Chris + Ari at Los Poblanos
Ashwin + Lauren at La Posada de Santa Fe
Jordan + KC in Santa Fe, NM
Adam + Jill at Los Poblanos
Jason + Natalie at La Fonda on the Plaza
Colton + Lindsey at Hyatt Tamaya

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

Wedding Inspo - Wedding Planning Advice from Just Lovely Weddings

If there’s one thing we’ve learned so far in 2020, its to expect the unexpected and to embrace joy where we find it. Luckily for us, and for a ton of our couples, Lauren of Just Lovely Weddings and Darling Details Rentals has been an absolute angel in guiding everyone through it all.

This wedding coordinator queen gave us some insight on what couples are doing to still celebrate love during a pandemic, how to deal with planning a wedding/elopement in the face of uncertainty, and what to expect in the future of weddings!

Alicia Lucia Photography: Long before 2020 and all of its challenges, how did Just Lovely Weddings and Darling Details Rentals come to be?

Just Lovely: I got started with events in 2012, when I worked as a catering manager for a small hotel. I had a series of similar roles in the industry until early 2015, when I started Just Lovely and took on my first wedding that summer. It’s crazy to think that 2020 would’ve been/is my 6th season as an independent wedding planner & coordinator. Near the end of 2016 an industry colleague asked me if I wanted to take over Darling Details, and I have been working to grow our rental collection since then. I’ve loved being a part of so many special days, sometimes for both Just Lovely & Darling Details, and sometimes for just one or the other. 

ALP: With the major shifts of 2020, what are more and more weddings starting to look like?

JL: Every wedding is different, and the needs of each couple reflects that. None of us wanted this to happen, and it’s just terrible for everyone. I am so grateful that most of our clients have decided to postpone, but I also get why some couldn’t. A lot of couples have decided to elope this year and have a party later on when they feel it’s safe. Some have decided to downsize significantly and have very intimate ceremonies and go to dinner after. The best decision right now is the one that feels most comfortable to the couple. 

ALP: How is Just Lovely changing and pivoting during this time?

JL: My biggest goal in all of this has been to show up for our affected clients, providing advice and basically just guiding them through this challenging situation and showing them that they aren’t alone. We’ve helped them move dates and also transition to elopements. This is new territory for all of us and I am grateful to be in a position where I can guide my couples on the best options for them. 

ALP: How should/can couples plan a wedding during a pandemic?

JL: My advice is to trust your feelings. Planning right now is a challenge due to uncertainty, so if you’re starting to feel stressed or anxious about your date (and if gatherings will be allowed then) start to consider a backup plan and discuss options with your vendors. Also, the wedding industry has taken such a hit, so try to be patient with your vendors. Most of us are in this industry because it’s where our hearts are, and our lives have been turned upside down. Any grace that we’re shown is appreciated even more right now. 

ALP: How do you think this is going to change the industry? 

JL: With only smaller celebrations being allowed, many couples have had to transition to more intimate gatherings than they would’ve originally considered. I think that this shift has started to show couples that, truly, all that’s needed to get married is a couple of witnesses and an officiant. Everything else should be fun, so hopefully this will alleviate some of the pressure to plan in the future, and help guide couples to plan events that are meaningful to them.

ALP: What has been the hardest part of this pandemic for your business? And, conversely, what has been the most rewarding part for Just Lovely?

JL: The hardest part has been our hearts breaking for our couples whose plans changed overnight; they had to make some really tough decisions, but at the end of the day I think they all did what was best for them and their guests. The second hardest part has been losing the majority of our income for the year, for both businesses, while expenses did not change. 

The most rewarding part has been seeing the value of what a planner does, and how much we can truly help the couples we work with. Also, forcing myself to consider different sources of revenue and opportunities will make the businesses stronger in the long run. 

ALP: What are your goals for Just Lovely past this pandemic and into the future?

JL: My goal past the pandemic is to continue to show up for our couples. I have been thinking a lot about how I can provide more resources and more value, and have been working on new processes and content to be able to do that. In the future, I would also love to get into planning more corporate events as well!


ALP: Finally what do you miss the most about big weddings? And what do you love the most about little weddings?

JL: I love weddings of all sizes! What I miss most about weddings in general is seeing the love and friendship that surrounds a couple on their wedding day - that’s what is most important. I feel like there has been this pressure to live up to this standard of weddings that was exhausting for everyone. I hope that at the end of this we all just remember that weddings are celebrations, and they’re meant to be fun and filled with love.

Featured Weddings + Styled Shoots by Just Lovely Weddings
David + Lauren at La Fonda on the Plaza
Whimsical Wedding Inspo in Albuquerque, NM
Ashwin + Lauren, a Catholic-Hindu Wedding In Santa Fe
Desert Romance Styled Elopement at Los Poblanos
Intimate Desert Compass Wedding in Old Town Albuquerque (coming soon to the blog)
Tyler + Cassie, a La Posada Wedding
Geoff + Jocelyn, a Hacienda Doña Andrea Wedding
Michael + Lucia, a Los Poblanos Wedding
Drew + Lauren, a La Mesita Ranch Wedding
Michael + Caitlin, an Old Town Wedding
Tyler + Jordan, a La Fonda on the Plaza Wedding
Shane + Megan, a Backyard Albuquerque Wedding


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

What We Heart About Santa Fe Weddings

Anyone who knows our team has seen how much we adore Santa Fe weddings and all of the amazing little spots where we’ve captured our couples and their love stories. From its vast architecture to it rich culture, Santa Fe is a gem among the Southwest and we feel so dang lucky to spend so much time exploring it.

One of the most iconic locations for weddings is, of course, the Santa Fe Plaza, but what many don’t realize is the vast number of different venues of all shapes and sizes for weddings.

Do you want a huge wedding with a parade around the historic plaza followed by an outdoor reception? There are several hotels including La Fonda on the Plaza, The Inn and Spa at Loretto, and La Posada de Santa Fe that are pros at these celebrations.

Or are you a bit more low-key and want an intimate wedding at a stunning hacienda or tiny inn? Spots like Hacienda Corta Caro and The Inn of the Five Graces are the coziest of wedding nooks.

Maybe you want a venue with an iconic past or one that’s even an art gallery? Places like Peters Projects at Gerald Peters Gallery, SITE Santa Fe, and The Santa Fe Opera are just a few of those unique, art focused spaces.

There’s even two incredibly famous churches right on the plaza, Loretto Chapel and The Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, for more traditional weddings.

And what about places for couples wanting to venture a bit outside of the usual Santa Fe scene for venues nestled among the mountains and vast New Mexican landscape? Venues like La Mesita Ranch Estate, Las Campanas, Hacienda Doña Andrea, and Four Seasons Santa Fe all provide amazing views and details for any and all weddings they host.

Not only does Santa Fe have so many amazing venues, but so many unique New Mexican and Southwestern traditions have stayed in style season after season in The City Different. Every season mariachi parades around the plaza take center stage, tequila donkeys like sweet Conchita make an appearance at receptions, and all the chili, cactus, and skull details accent every inch of weddings. We love how couples from near and far fully embrace all the special little pieces of Santa Fe that we have such a soft spot for. And we can’t help but absolutely love it even more when our lovers from previous wedding seasons continue to visit Santa Fe year after year just to always have a part of the Southwest with them.

In our eyes, any venue in Santa Fe is the perfect venue and every tradition is beyond special. We’ve been so fortunate to capture a huge amount of couples in the most unique locations and honestly, we can’t wait to explore new places with brand new love stories.

Featured Santa Fe Venues
La Fonda on the Plaza
Hacienda Doña Andrea
La Mesita Ranch Estate
La Posada de Santa Fe
Santa Fe Opera
Las Campanas
SITE Santa Fe
Gerald Peters Gallery
Hacienda Corta Caro
Loretto Chapel
Inn and Spa at Loretto
Inn of the Five Graces
Eldorado Hotel and Spa
Four Seasons Santa Fe

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

Wedding Inspo - Sweetheart Tables

For weddings both big and small, we love any details that can make the day a touch more intimate for our couples, so of course we have a lot of love for precious little sweetheart tables. Seen in both large weddings and even the tiniest of elopements, sweetheart tables let couples steal away a few moments together while still being a part of the celebrations.

While sweetheart tables aren’t seen in every single wedding, they can add a special touch to a couple’s day. They can provide a sense of intimacy among the ongoing festivities as well as a focal point for guests. A sweetheart table can also give a couple or a wedding planner/designer the opportunity to create an additional decorative space that complements the entire wedding day!

We’ve seen these cute little tables decked out in everything from elaborate boho furniture and eye-catching florals to simple and elegant accents. We love getting to see a tiny hint of a couple’s personality with these reception staples.

Scroll through and maybe you’ll find the perfect sweetheart table with just the right accents, we can’t wait to capture more of these darling tables!

Featured Weddings + Styled Shoot
Desert Romance at Los Poblanos
Drew + Lauren at La Mesita Ranch
Whimsical Backyard Wedding Inspiration
Geoff + Jocelyn at Hacienda Dona Andrea
James + Lauren at Los Poblanos
Romantic Rockstar Styled Elopement at Los Poblanos
Ben + Emilee at Sandia Event Center
Michael + Caitlin at El Zocalo
Desert Styled Bridal
Joaquin + Alexandra at La Posada de Santa Fe
White Sands Styled Elopement
Josue + Brandy at Noah’s Event Venue
Trey + Clara at a Private Estate in San Patricio
Ghost Ranch Styled Vow Renewal
Brad + Kenna at Old Town Farm
Marble Dreams Styled Bridal
Jason + Ryan at Ghost Ranch
Ashwin + Lauren at La Posada de Santa Fe


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

Wedding Inspo - Boho Bridal Gowns

If we know anything, its that boho brides have taken over the wedding scene these past few seasons! They bring in a carefree, wild-in-love, major queen bridal vibes and we are so on board for them. One of our favorite highlights about these lovelies are their gowns and how these dresses perfectly encapsulate that free-spirit energy we love so much on wedding days!

And just like every other style of gown, boho bridal gowns can be found in every single season and for every type of wedding day. From a long sleeve Lillian West stunner during a winter elopement at Eagle’s Nest in Northern New Mexico to a sultry little Lovers Society number for a summer wedding at Enchanted Vine Barn in Southern New Mexico to the most incredible, glistening Chosen by One Day beauty for the most insane White Sands elopement, we’ve seen gowns beyond our dizziest daydreams.

We can’t wait to see how boho bridal gowns, and the incredible women who wear them, continue to awe us on wedding days and beyond!

Featured Bridal Gown Designers
Jasmine
Chosen by One Day
One Day
Lovers Society
Lillian West
Rue de Seine
Made With Love
Claire Pettibone
Lihi Hod

Featured Bridal Boutiques
Bridal Elegance by Darlene (Albuquerque, NM)
Lovely Bride Denver (Denver, CO)
Lovely Bride NYC (New York City, NY)
Lovely Bride Dallas (Dallas, TX)
The Dressing Room West (Santa Fe, NM)
Dress Me Bridal (Bullard, TX)
Unbridaled (Houston, TX)
The White Room (Minneapolis, MN)

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

Venue Feature - Hacienda Doña Andrea de Santa Fe

Hidden high up in the mountains of Madrid, New Mexico with only a short drive to Santa Fe, Hacienda Doña Andrea de Santa Fe is quickly becoming a new favorite gem for local and destination couples. We first shot at this quirky, yet totally magical spot last spring with Brooklyn lovers Ethan and Sarah and couldn’t help but adore its unique, colorful accents set against its traditional Southwestern adobe building. Since then, we’ve captured two more sweet couples, Chris + Emma last fall and Geoff+ Jocelyn this summer, at this special little hacienda and ALWAYS notice something new about it. Whether its finding a hidden hallway to capture a few quick romantics in or taking a ton of detail shots of all of this property’s insane art, Hacienda Doña Andrea never fails to surprise us with its interesting beauty and personality. We’ll be back next season and we can’t wait to see what we discover at this amazing little venue.

Venue
Hacienda Doña Andrea de Santa Fe

Real Life Love Stories
Geoff + Jocelyn
Chris + Emma
Ethan + Sarah

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

Geoff + Jocelyn, a Colorful Hacienda Doña Andrea Wedding

Geoff and Jocelyn invited us to party with them on a Monday (!) high above Madrid, NM at Hacienda Doña Andrea. This weekday wedding was one for the books: intimate, laughter filled, and completely amazing!

These lovers met at a mutual friend’s BBQ while petting the same dog (honestly the best way to meet anyone) and Geoff proposed in 2018 over Veteran’s Day Weekend during a road trip between LA and San Francisco. He asked Jocelyn to be his wife on Windy Hill, a special place from his childhood, and in addition to giving her a gorgeous ring, Geoff also gave her a photo album about their love story (forever teary eyed over this detail).

We adored how much fun and stress free Geoff and Jocelyn’s June wedding truly was, from their “friend testimonials” during the ceremony (complete with quotes from Wedding Crashers) to their uber pretty romantics around Hacienda Doña Andrea’s unique property to their downright fun reception, we’re wishing that we could party every single Monday with these two. Congrats Geoff and Jocelyn, let’s do it all over again!

Vendors
Venue - Hacienda Dona Andrea
Planning - Just Lovely Wedding
Bridal Bouquet + Groom’s Boutonnière - Renegade Floral
Arch + Centerpiece Florals - Marketplace
MUA - Betty Rose by Alanna
Bridal Gown - Jenny Yoo
Bridal Boutique - BHLDN
Bride’s Shoes - Kelly and Katie
Officiant - Amy Hope (family friend)
DJ - Oskar Porter (family friend)
Catering - Walter Burke Catering
Transportation - Road Runner Shuttle
Lead Photographer - Alicia
Second Photographer - Cameron
Assistant - Jaclyn

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography