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

ALP Team Picks - Bre's Fave Weddings

Last, but certainly not least, is our girl Bre and her favorite weddings! Known for her stunning work with our team as one of the best second shooters on the planet (and the boss babe of her own newborn photography business), she stepped it up and beautifully lead shot five of our weddings in addition to a bunch of our engagement sessions (including the most amazing Central Park session in NYC)! She’ll be back this season as both a lead and a second photog, and she shared her favorite weddings from 2019. We can’t wait to see how she captures some of our lovers in 2020 and allll we can say is #gobrego

Emilee and Ben:
I loved the style that Emilee had for her wedding. The slick hair back with the bold red lip is something you don’t see often and she pulled it off so well. The groom is a golfer and they got married on the golf course which was a great personal touch. This couple grew up together, grew apart and came back together at a family gathering and now they are spending their future together and it was the most precious thing to see and everyone could feel it in the room. Their food was also the best food I had!

Laura and Conner:
I loved ending the year with this wedding at Los Pablanos. The color palette she chose was gorgeous with the landscape. I love ho laid back they were and having the cake cutting and toasts in the library made for an intimate setting. They braved the cold during their portraits and the fur she had for some of her portraits was stunning and fun to incorporate. They also had a perfect balance of having an intimate gathering and having a party.

Anna and John:
This New York couple was so cool and so down to earth, and we laughed a lot with them. She absolutely nailed her look for her wedding in that stunning Vera Wang gown, and then in their true style, she changed into a more dancing dress when they got announced at the reception. It was Gucci mixed with Granola vibe and I was there for it. It was quirky and elegant and so much fun.

Lead Photographer - Bre
Second Photographers - Molly, Cameron, and Melanie

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

2019 Wedding Moments

To our 2019 couples,
As the year winds down and we get ready for brand new decade, we cna’t help but reflect on all of 2019’s stellar weddings! From the super intimate, heartfelt days to the incredible bashes full of life and amazing details, this season was truly one for the books.

From Southern New Mexico to Albuquerque to Santa Fe, we’ve been to some pretty incredible places and seen some amazing love stories. We adored each and every one of our couples, from our New York City cuties to our Las Cruces lovers to our stunning Santa Fe babes, this season has been full of love from across the U.S.! We can’t wait for what’s to come and we can’t help but thank these beyond amazing couples for letting us be a little part of their forever! We adore each and every one of you to the moon and back!

Love,
The Alicia Lucia Photography Team

Our 2019 Lovers
Trey + Clara Peter Hurd Guest House and a Private Residence in San Patricio, NM
Qwist + Cara at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Patrick + Niki at Enchanted Vine Barn
Geoff + Jocelyn at Hacienda Doña Andrea
Gustav + Jackie at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Garrett + April at Casa Perea Art Space
Carter + Carrie at La Fonda on the Plaza
James + Lauren at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Morgan + Mattie at Las Campanas
Adam + Jill at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Zach + Coli at Hotel Albuquerque and Casas de Suenos
Ashwin + Lauren at Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi and The Inn & Spa at Loretto
Ashwin + Lauren at La Posada de Santa Fe
Ryan + Jennifer at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
Jake + Angela at Sandia Event Center
Pablo + Alejandrina at Old Town Albuquerque
John + Anna at La Fonda on the Plaza
Chris + Ari at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Jason + Ryan at Ghost Ranch
Ben + Emiliee at Sandia Event Center
Colton + Lindsey at Hyatt Tamaya
Drew + Lauren at La Mesita Ranch Estate
Jason + Natalie at La Fonda on the Plaza
Jordan + KC at Cristo Rey Catholic Church and La Fonda on the Plaza
Suraj + Celina at a Private Residence in Albuquerque, NM
Michael + Sarah at La Fonda on the Plaza (coming to the blog soon)
Bryan + Jennie at Loretto Chapel and Four Seasons Santa Fe
Brad + Kenna at Old Town Farm (coming to the blog soon)
Conner + Laura at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm (coming to the blog soon)

2019 Lead Photographers - Alicia Padilla, Ashley Shaw, Bre Bloomquist, and Brittany Miller
2019 Second Photographers - Cameron Storie, Melanie Montoya, Molly Morgan, and Brianna Archuleta
2019 Assistants - Jaclyn Younger, Cameron Storie, and Taylor DeJong

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Ben + Emilee, a Stunning Sandia Event Center Wedding

Long before Ben and Emilee said “I do” on the prettiest fall day, they met when they were just kids. Even though they’re seven years apart, these two soulmates still found each other and finally made it last name official this past year!

Growing up with their families being very close, Ben and Emilee have known each for a very long time (their dads even went to elementary school together!), but they didn’t hit it off until later in life. In between Emiliee’s junior and senior years of college, while her and Ben were living together in the same town, Ben told his future wifey that he wanted to propose. Despite fancy dinners and long, romantic walks (planned by Emilee), nothing happened! Finally, during a casual night in of grubbin’ on Jimmy John’s, right there in their living room Ben popped the question.

For these cuties, not only was a dreamy venue with views of the Sandia mountains important, but they wanted to have an all out party for their loved ones! Sandia Event Center was the obvious choice and they included so many lovely details from bespoke invitations by our pals at Funky Olive, to custom Nike reception shoes for Emliee, to Ben’s super unique suit jacket (that had a print of skiers in it!). Ben and Emilee kept their ceremony short and sweet — while incluing Emilee’s childhood pastor as officiant for the ceremony), snagged some of the prettiest dang romantics during golden hour, and then threw the bash of the century allllll night long! We wish that we could post every single photo from this day, it was nothing short of amazing and a total blast!

Congrats Ben and Emilee, we love you two and your absolutely FAIRYTALE love story!!

Vendors
Venue - The Event Center at Sandia Resort and Casino
Florals - Peoples’ Flowers
Paper Goods - Funky Olive Design
Decor - Black Swan Events
Hair - Amanda of D’Ambrosio Designs Hair Studio
MUA - Susan Grace
Bridal Gown - Lazaro Bridal
Bridal Boutique - Schaffers’ Bridal (Scottsdale, AZ)
Bride’s Shoes - Stuart Weitzman
Reception Shoes - Nike
Bridesmaid Dresses - BHLDN
Groom’s Suit - Icon Suits
Groomsmen Suits - Mr. Tux
Officiant - Scott Sharp
Cake - Simply Sweet by Darci
Cookies - Jaylyn Clayton
Sweets - Brenda’s Perfect Brittle
Champagne - Gruet Winery
Ceremony Music - Giovanni String Quartet
DJ - Cutmaster Music
Lead Photographer - Bre
Second Photographer - Molly

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

Wedding Inspo - Glass Wedding Signs

This year we’ve seen some of the most dazzling wedding day details and displays, but the one that has really caught our eyes (& hearts) is glass signage! Tons of our couples have displayed this growing trend on their special days that we couldn’t help but share the beauty of these unique details with all of you!

Each of these signs were not only unique in color and design, but each set truly represented the couple they were created for. From the simple cactus drawings, to the handprinted colored beauties, to the mirror-like signs, all of these wedding day details were beyond dreamy.

Check out all of these incredibly beautiful, yet so modern glass wedding signs, they are certainly a sight to behold.

Sign Designers
Darling Details Rentals
Funky Olive Design
Mulberry Market Designs
Etsy
Lindsey Woodruff

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

Wedding Inspo - Ballgown Bridal Gowns

As any wedding lover knows, classic and chic bridal looks are always in style. So this week we honed in on one of the original and most beloved bridal gown styles to date, ballgown wedding gowns.

While this wedding dress silhouette has seen dozens of changes over the last century, we know one thing is certain about ballgown dresses, they never fail to make our brides look like absolute queens all day long. The last few seasons we’ve captured a few absolute stunners including an unreal Pnina Tornai beauty that pulled major inspiration from Duchess Kate Middleton’s iconic gown to an enchanting Reem Acra number that gave just the right amount of couture to an epic summer wedding to a charming Randy Fenoli creation that brought all the delicate jewel details imaginable.

If you’re looking for the perfect addition to a modern yet classic wedding day, ballgown wedding gowns can add the right amount of elegance. Not only do they look flattering on every single bride out there, but these ballgown beauties add the right touch of bridal style magic to every soon-to-be wifey.

Bridal Gown Designers
Reem Acra
Lazaro Bridal
Pnina Tornai
Jenny Yoo Collection
David’s Bridal
Alfred Angelo
Randy Fenoli

Bridal Boutiques
Warren Barron Bridal (Dallas, TX)
Schaffer’s Bridal (Scottsdale, AZ)
Kleinfeld Bridal (New York City, NY)
Lovely Bride (New York City, NY)
David’s Bridal
Uptown Bride (Albuquerque, NM)
White Lace Bridal (El Paso, TX)

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

Jake + Angela, a Sandia Wedding

Even though Jake and Angela just tied the knot this September we’ve known these sweet lovers, and their two precious daughters for many years! Getting to hang out with them on their big day was a huge honor for our team and was such a amazing day to be a part of, we loved getting to capture the love of a couple that feels like family to us!

Jake and Angela met at the end of 2012 while Jake was out celebrating a work promotion and Angela was celebrating the completion of her Masters degree. Jake asked Angela to dance (with the wax on wax off dance) and the rest is history. Over the past 7 years, these two have had two beautiful daughters, welcomed three dogs into their home, and bought a house together! For them, this wedding was the cherry on top of an already beautiful life!

Although we haven’t captured a wedding Sandia Event Center since 2016, Jake and Angela’s big day was the perfect welcome back. Everything from this couple’s gorgeous navy and burgandy details, to dreamy romantics during blue hour to a first dance with their daughters to “Blessed” by Thomas Rhett was nothing short of perfection.

Vendors
Venue - Sandia Event Center
Florals - For the Love of Flowers
Invitations - Shutterfly
Signage - Esty
Hair + MUA - Genica Lee
Bridal Gown - Maggie Sottero
Bridal Boutique - Bridal Elegance by Darlene
Bride’s Shoes - Jewel by Badgley Mischka
Bride’s Earrings + Headpiece - Luxe Bride Co
Bride’s Ring - Mark’s Diamonds
Flower Girl Dresses - Fattie Pie Dresses
Groom’s Attire - Suits Unlimited
Groom’s Wedding Band - Manly Bands
Officiant - Denovo Concierge Pastors
Cake - Simply Sweet by Darci
Videography - Southwest Wedding Films
DJ - Cutmaster Music
Lead Photographer - Alicia
Second Photographer - Cameron

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography