Wedding Inspo - 5 Albuquerque Venues to Fall in Love With

Even though the past few wedding seasons have been filled with the most magical destinations both near and far from our beloved New Mexico, there’s nothing quite like The Land of Enchantment, especially our sweet little hometown of Albuquerque.

While we do spend a huge amount of time up north in Santa Fe, we never say no to enchanting celebrations in the city where everything started for us over a decade ago. On the surface, Albuquerque may not seem like a typical wedding destination, but if you you peek around all of its little corners you’ll be absolutely astonished with the divine wedding venues hidden in our quaint city. From heavenly lavender farms to epic historical landmarks to tranquil gardens, Albuquerque is truly a haven for wedding nuptials.

We couldn’t resist the chance to feature just a glimpse of a few of the Albuquerque wedding venues that continually take our breath away, season after season. Our hearts beat just a little faster every time we get to capture love at these incredibly special locations and we’re forever crossing our fingers for even more “I dos” at a few of our favorite gems.

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Venue - National Hispanic Cultural Center
Located right near downtown Albuquerque, this historic location is known for its grandiose performing arts center, unique architecture, and rich history. However, one of the many details we love so much about National Hispanic Culture Center is the way that it also makes for the most perfect of wedding locations. Its blend of soft garden touches and stunning southwestern flair makes it truly the best of both worlds.

Venue - Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm

While this world renowned lavender farm needs no introduction, we simply can’t help falling madly in love with it time and time again. With its downright bewitching grounds (including an endless lavender field, iconic silos, and countless gardens) this beauty is a place we are always able to find a little bit more charm in every single time we visit. We can’t wait for more of our darling couples to become as spellbound with Los Poblanos as we have been for all of these years.

Venue - Casas de Sueños + San Isidro de Capilla
We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to feature one of the most entrancing wedding location combination we’ve ever laid eyes upon. The pure white, non-denomination beauty of San Isidro de Capilla makes for the perfect blank canvas for any couple desiring a classic wedding chic feeling that still lends perfectly to the even the most modern of fêtes. And truthfully, we think that one of the most delightful ways to follow up a ceremony in this Albuquerque staple is with an al fresco celebration at Casas de Sueños, a tiny garden known for its irresistible beauty. This little spot is close enough to the stunning bosque, yet far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city, making it the most quaint location.

Venue - Old Town Farm
Perfectly tucked away right near Old Town Albuquerque, this darling little venue is truly the most peaceful of locations. From its stellar red barn to its tiny corn field to vast grounds, Old Town Farm is captivating beyond belief. And if its charming features weren’t enough, this alluring little spot perfectly reflects all of New Mexico’s seasons with its constantly changing foliage.

Venue - Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town
Last, but never least is one of our all time favorites and one of the first venues we ever photographed. Hotel Albuquerque is known for its incomparable beauty, from its Spanish-inspired ceremony pavilion to its stunning, open-air garden, to its famous architecture. We adore this space and the way that couples have continually loved it year after year. We couldn’t dream up a more romantic setting to make if official in the heart of Albuquerque.

Wedding Inspo - Summer Weddings

Now that we’re almost at the very end of our spring wedding season, we can just feel that incredible summer celebration mood. We adore all the lush, gorgeous, and care-free vibes that summer weddings are always sure to bring our way.

Summers are always one of our favorite seasons to capture all that dreamy wedding beauty and our couples always know how to completely level up their special days. From ethereal garden weddings filled with pops of color to rustic weddings in the middle of the desert to elegant, yet completely chic Southwestern celebrations, there’s a little something for everyone when it comes to hot weather soirées.

We’re beyond thrilled to kick off summer weddings with the best couples on the planet, cheers to all the amazing days to come!!

Featured Love Stories
Sean + Kristina at Camp Lucy
Garrett + Kyla at Four Seasons Santa Fe
Solve + Alex at La Mesita Ranch
Evan + Jocelyn at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Logan + Audry at Taos Ski Valley
Michael + Erika at Ghost Ranch
Taylor + Eliza at La Fonda on the Plaza
Eric + Amber at Eldorado Hotel and Spa
Chris + Lauren at The Neon Museum
Jebb + Abbie at a Private Estate

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Wedding Inspo - Bouquet Inspo Third Edition

No matter what kind of celebration we’re capturing, we know that there’s guaranteed to be some variety of magical florals involved. For us, bouquets always take the cake on wedding and elopement days, these beauties say so much about a couple, their nuptials, and their love story.

From the tiniest blooms to the biggest florals, bouquets are always one of our favorite details. Whether they’re dainty and soft or bold and bright, bouquets know how to steal the show. We love seeing our couples chose the most elegant, classic florals or even opting for something modern, colorful, and completely out-of-the-box.

2021’s bouquets were the downright dreamiest, we can’t wait to see what 2022 and beyond have in store for our floral-loving hearts!!!!

Featured Florists
Renegade Floral
Manmade and Sage
Bagels Florals
Floral Fetish
A Beautiful Theme
Mini Falls Farms
Floral Elegance
Floriography Flowers
La Flora Floristry
Viva Flora
Two Baroque Girls
Whim Hospitality
Noble Floral
The Flower Company
Stems of Austin
Good Seed Floral
Rose Rebels Floral Design
Foraged Santa Fe
Florecita Flowers
Albuquerque Florist
Something Special with Flowers

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

Wedding Inspo - Top 5 Albuquerque Wedding Venues

Albuquerque has been our number one spot for weddings and elopements over the last ten seasons and let’s just say that the cutie venues here never disappoint. Our sweet little city has some of the dreamiest places to say “I do” and we’re constantly blown away by the magical celebrations we get to capture at each of them.

From tiny little farms to lavender gardens to elegant hotels to quiet gardens, there truly is a venue in Albuquerque for every single couple out there. If you’re more of the classic, romantic type, Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town might be perfect for you, but if you’re more of a quaint, rustic kind of lover, Old Town Farm could be your jam. And if you’re looking for a historic, otherworldly place to elope or have a tiny wedding, the ever stunning Los Poblanos could make your dreams come true.

Every single time we visit these sweet little venues we’re reminded of why we adore Albuquerque so much and special this city really is to us. We can’t wait for even more lovers to tie the knot at these incredible spaces!!!

Featured Venues + Love Stories
Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town - Owen + Amelia and Zach + Coli
Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm - Evan + Jocelyn
Casa Perea Art Space - Ysidro + Celestina
Old Town Farm - Russell + Katie and Brad + Kenna
Casas de Sueños - Zach + Coli

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

Wedding Inspo - Boho Chic Celebrations

Over the past few seasons a newer trend, that we think is here to stay (!), has become a favorite for so many of our couples. Boho chic weddings and elopements bring together maximalist wedding vibes with unique details for some of the most wildly gorgeous days we’ve ever encountered.

Pampas grass, neon signage, hand-stitched wedding gowns, and that carefree-kind-of-love bring these stellar celebrations together. We adore how boho chic weddings can happen anywhere, whether its on a ranch in Texas Hill Country, in a tiny backyard in Albuquerque, or even at a luxury hotel in Santa Fe. These magnificent days have become a staple for so many of our couples and we are so dang here for it.

We’re so here for all of the larger-than-life, incredibly beautiful boho celebrations this year and beyond, bring on allllll the pretty!!!

Featured Love Stories
Stuart + Kelly at Sunset Ranch (Fredericksburg, TX)
Andrew + Shay at a Private Estate (Albuquerque, NM)
Drew + Lauren at La Mesita Ranch (Santa Fe, NM)
Patrick + Niki at Enchanted Vine Barn (Ruidoso, NM)
Jason + Natalie at La Fonda on the Plaza (Santa Fe, NM)
Mack + Shelby at Four Seasons Santa Fe (Santa Fe, NM)

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 - Classic Weddings

When it comes to wedding styles, we have the biggest space in our hearts for all things boho, minimalist, and currently on-trend, but we can’t lie when we say that we adore classic, chic celebrations so freaking much. We love the way that classic weddings perfectly blend the past and the present for the most elegant nuptials ever.

Besides just being obsessed with the sleek, romantic moments of classic weddings (e.g. the pristine black and white details, the simple florals, and the hints of glam), we are in love with how they can happen just about anywhere, Whether its on a ranch in Texas Hill County, in the middle of bustling downtown Albuquerque, at a quiet and tucked-away lavender farm in the North Valley, in the heart of historic Santa Fe, or even in the middle of nowhere in Southern New Mexico, classic weddings take on new life no matter the setting. These timeless days are the weddings we always reflect back on with so much nostalgia and love, their sheer elegance is always enough to take out breath away.

We’re so dang ready for even more of these divine, sophisticated days here in the Southwest and beyond. Bring on all the graceful beauty and all the opulent details.

Real Life Love Stories
Herbie + Kelsey at Ginger Ranch (Fredericksburg, TX)
Andrew + Deanna at Hotel Andaluz (Albuquerque, NM)
Derek + Brigitte at La Fonda on the Plaza (Santa Fe, NM)
Eric + Lauren at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm (Albuquerque, NM)
Trey + Clara at Peter Hurd House (San Patricio, NM)
Kirk + Taylor at Loretto Chapel and La Fonda on the Plaza (Santa Fe, NM)

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

Wedding Inspo - Groom Style, 4th Edition

Everyone who knows us already knows that we adore featuring our incredibly gorgeous brides all over the blog, but what about the grooms? Every year, we dedicate a special blog to all of the amazing dudes we get to meet on wedding and elopement days and, of course, take the opportunity feature their killer style.

With all of the changes to weddings in 2020, its no surprise that so many of our grooms opted for unique style choices. Whether it was a pastel blue suit, a simple yet breezy dress shirt paired with slacks, a sleek camel coat with boots, or even a classic black tux, all of the stellar outfit choices these handsome fellas made did not disappoint one bit.

We adore getting to see grooms express their personalities on wedding days, even if its through a simple attire choice, we’re beyond hyped to see what 2021 grooms have in store for us!

Our Favorite Groom Attire Designers + Shops
Bonobos
Ralph Lauren
J. Crew
Limatus Bespoke
Don Morphy
H&M
The Black Tux
Tom James
Men’s Wearhouse
Tommy Hilfiger
Kenneth Cole
Suit Supply
Ted Baker
ASOS
Jos A. Banks
Suits Unlimited

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

2021 Wedding + Elopement Trends

Despite all of the uncertainty and struggle of 2020, we’ve seen so many amazing things start to take hold in the wedding industry. From recognizing how amazing small, intentional celebrations can be to couples taking chances on brand new ideas for their special day, we’ve truly been in awe over all of it. We’re hoping that a few of the trends we’ve been crushing on become major elements of weddings and elopements in 2021!

We’re currently obsessed with:
- unique + colorful bridal gowns
- bright + funky florals
- soft baby’s breath bouquets
- tiny, intimate ceremonies with just friends + family
- unique, avant-garde cakes


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

Valentine's Feature - Florals We Heart

Out of all of the pretty things we’ve laid our eyes on, florals are always the detail that take our breath away. From the bright and bold to the delicate and soft, we’re obsessed with it all!

Over the last year we’ve been beyond lucky to capture so many incredibly divine floral creations from all over Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, and everywhere in-between. We’ve been completely obsessed with the new, brilliant ideas coming out of the tiny weddings and elopements of 2020. All of the insanely beautiful hanging installations and the dainty bouquets have us dreaming forever and ever.

We beyond hyped to see what new beauty 2021 brings to the realm of florals, but until then, feast your eyes on some of the most darling creations of all!

Featured Florists
Floral Fetish (Albuquerque, NM)
Renegade Floral (Santa Fe, NM)
Bagel’s Florals (Albuquerque, NM)
Albuquerque Florist (Albuquerque, NM)
Florecita Flowers (Albuquerque, NM)
A Beautiful Theme (Albuquerque, NM)
Marisa’s Millefiori (Santa Fe, NM)
Flower Loop (Albuquerque, NM)
The Flower Company (Albuquerque, NM)
Floral Elegance (Albuquerque, NM)
Rose Rebels Floral Designs (Albuquerque, NM)
Noble Floral Co (Portland, OR)
Stems Floral (Austin, TX)
Uptown Flowers (San Antonio, TX)
Good Seed Floral (Austin, TX)

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

2020 - Moments with Alicia Lucia Photography

2020 was by far one of the most challenging years our team has ever faced, yet through all the difficult descisons and make-or-break moments, we still found the light on the other side of it all.

After an intense global pandemic forced our weddings and shoots to a screeching halt, we weren’t sure what to do, but somehow we found a new path and gained a better perspective on our lives, our business, and our community. We found new ways to capture weddings/elopements and support our couples as they navigated this insane year. And we also found even more opportunities to create beauty through styled shoots and portrait sessions. If one thing is sure, 2020 reminded us of why we set out to do what we do in the first place: love. Watching love win over and over and over again this year, despite all of the odds was something to behold. And we once again fell in love with with what we have the immense privilege of doing, capturing those undeniably beautiful moments of pure joy.

The biggest thank you from the bottom of our hearts goes out to every single couple, family, and individual who continually put their trust in us during a year where everything was uncertain, yet everything mattered even more. And to all of our vendor friends, thank you for riding this one out with us, we’ve never had so much faith in the wedding community as we do right here and now.

No year will ever be quite like 2020, and while we’re grateful to see beacons of hope at start of the new year, we’re forever be grateful for the year that gave us all a chance to start anew and to believe in the magic that is love.

Weddings, Elopements, Styled Shoots, and Portrait Sessions by the Alicia Lucia Photography Team
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia

Wedding Inspo - Old Town Weddings and Elopements

If there’s one part of town we love getting to rediscover over and over every season its beautiful little Old Town Albuquerque. Even though wedding season looked a whole lot different this year, we loved every second spent in this enchanting little area capturing tiny nuptials.

Besides being incredibly iconic, Old Town is a place that oozes magic and charm around every single corner. Whether its an intimate wedding at the ever so quaint Old Town Farm, a grand wedding at the historic San Felipe de Neri Church right on the plaza, a quiet elopement at The Desert Compass, or a stunning ceremony at Hotel Albuquerque, we always find something new to love about this special part of town. We love getting to see new little venues thrive and older venue get lots of well-deserved love all in the same part of town.

We’re so excited for more enchanting days in this hidden gem of a place, cheers to many more years of our beloved Old Town!!!

Featured Weddings + Elopements
Zach + Natalie, a Desert Compass Styled Shoot
Rob + Antonette, an Old Town Styled Elopement
Russell + Katie, an Old Town Farm Elopement (coming soon to the blog)
Zach + Coli, a Hotel Albuquerque and Casas de Sueños Wedding
Michael + Caitlin, a San Felipe de Neri Wedding
Brad + Kenna, an Intimate Old Town Farm Wedding
Dillon + Stephanie, a Hotel Albuquerque Wedding

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

Eric + Lauren, an Intimate Los Poblanos Wedding

Every year we spend a whole lot of time at one of our favorite places on earth, Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm, and this year was no exception. Even though we captured mostly intimate weddings and elopements at this dreamy location for the better part of 2020, every single celebration was still magical. We were so dang thrilled when Eric and Lauren decided to tie the knot at this little slice of heaven on the most perfect September day.

These lovers first met at Wake Forest University in North Carolina during their senior year of college. Even though they parted their separate ways after graduation, Eric and Lauren reconnected in 2013 when they both were living in Washington, D.C. A few little years down the road in 2018, Eric decided to pursue his lifelong dream of sailing around the world and set off from Annapolis, MD. Although his entire journey would take about two and a half years, Eric decided to propose to Lauren in January 2019 while she was visiting him in New Zealand.

True to 2020 wedding form, Eric and Lauren had to change around their initial celebrations plans a whole lot, yet their day still turned out to be incredibly beautiful. They chose to keep their intimate ceremony black tie, which we think is amazing, and had the most beautiful garden ceremony in the heart of Los Poblanos. From a candle lighting ceremony during their vows to dreamy romantics to the most stunning first dance in the iconic La Quinta portal, this tiny day was one to remember. And if that wasn’t enough, these two made sure to select some of the most stellar, local, women-owned vendors for their day including glam queens Betty Rose by Alanna and Jewel Hair Design, stationary artist extraordinaire Funky Olive Design, and floral babes Florecita Flowers.

Intimate weddings like Eric and Lauren’s aren’t just a little extra magical, they’re days we absolutely adore capturing from start to finish. Congrats babes, we’re forever in love with your special day!

Vendors
Venue - Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Coordination - Shae
Florals - Florecita Flowers
Invitation Suite + Paper Goods - Funky Olive Design
Hair - Jewel Hair Design
MUA - Betty Rose by Alanna
Bridal Gown - Jenny Yoo
Bridal Boutique - BHLDN
Bride’s Shoes - Badgley Mischka
Engagement Ring - Vintage
Wedding Bands - Vrai
Groom’s Tux - The Black Tux
Ceremony Music - Diamond Empire Band
Lead Photographer - Bre
Second Photographer - Cameron
Assistant - Jaclyn

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

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