Wedding Inspo - Avant Garde Weddings

Over the past few seasons we’ve found ourselves falling head-over-heels for those bold, bright, completely unique avant-garde weddings and elopements. This modern, colorful spin on traditional celebrations always leaves us pining for more extraordinarily stunning days.

From rainbow florals to shag rug cakes to elegant wedding style with a touch of exceptionally individual details, these days always have so many moments to drool over. Avant-garde nuptials have the perfect mix of classic wedding elegance with modern funk. With disco balls as wedding decor, brides in designer gowns walking down the aisle to bluegrass music, and couples rolling dice with their wedding parties in the middle of an art galleries, these days have seriously never failed to blow us away.

Bring on all the exceptionally unique, wildly beautiful weddings and elopements. We’re so dang excited to capture more and more of these groovy days!!

Featured Love Stories + Shoots
Noah + Rachel at Camino Real Ranch (Austin, TX)
John + Anna at La Fonda on the Plaza (Santa Fe, NM)
Nate + Cait in Downtown Denver (Denver, CO)
Scott + Leanne at SITE Santa Fe (Santa Fe, NM)
Morgan + Mattie at Las Campananas (Santa Fe, NM)

Weddings + Elopements by Alicia, Ashley, Bre, and the ALP 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

Fathers' Day with ALP's Favorite Dads

Today more than ever we want to give a little extra love to all of the amazing dads, father figures, and dads-to-be that we’ve met over the years!

Wedding days are that much more special because of these wonderful men and all the love and guidance they bring our couples on their big days and beyond! We love getting to see all of the father-daughter first looks (and even a few flower girl and groom first looks with our grooms who are already lucky enough to be dads!), those emotional walks down the aisle, and of course parent dances during receptions.

Cheers to all the incredible fathers out there, our world is that much better because of your love and kindness!

Featured Weddings
Jake + Angela at Sandia Event Center
Stuart + Kelly at Los Poblanos (coming soon to the blog)
Morgan + Mattie at Las Campanas
Adam + Jill at Los Poblanos
Ashwin + Lauren at the Inn and Spa at Loretto and La Posada de Santa Fe
Gustav + Jackie at Los Poblanos
Garrett + April at Casa Perea Art Space
Chris + Ari at Los Poblanos
Patrick + Niki at Enchanted Vine Barn
Jordan + KC at La Fonda on the Plaza
Ben + Emilee at Sandia Event Center
Zach + Coli at Hotel Albuquerque and Casas de Suenos
Michael + Sarah at La Fonda on the Plaza
Drew + Lauren at La Mesita Ranch
John + Anna at La Fonda on the Plaza
Qwist + Cara at Los Poblanos
Trey + Clara at a Private Estate in San Patricio, NM
Carter + Carrie at La Fonda on the Plaza
James + Lauren at Los Poblanos

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

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

ALP Team Picks - Ashley's Fave Weddings

Our gal Ashley captures a big portion of our team’s weddings as a lead photographer and 2019 was extra special for her! Beyond just Albuquerque and Santa Fe weddings, she traveled to Southern New Mexico (twice!) for some of the most stunning days we’ve ever seen. These incredible, colorful days with some of the best couples were some of our favorite moments of last year!

Ashley:
”When Jaclyn asked us to send over our favorite 2019 weddings, my first thought was “can I just choose all of them?!” I truly treasure each and every wedding I had the privilege of photographing in 2019. Each had its own unique magic that I’ll keep with me forever! Sadly, I can’t take up the next month of blog posts with my favorite weddings!

Clara and Trey’s wedding was my first of the season and what a way to begin it! I remember driving into San Patricio, NM that morning and pulling up at the location where we were supposed to meet for bridal prep. This place, guys, I can’t even begin to describe this treasure of a spot but I was blown away! We ended up doing a bridesmaid first look and I got to be the one to help Clara get into her wedding dress which is a memory I will treasure! The emotion and love in the air during their outdoor ceremony was palpable. Trey’s reaction to Clara walking down the aisle will stay in my list of favorite images forever. We then got to sneak back to the little secret garden of a location for romantics and guys! I can’t even stress how important it is to carve out a good chunk of time for bride and groom portraits. We had so much fun and got such a variety of mindblowing images and Clara and Trey got time to just breathe and enjoy their first hour of being Mr. and Mrs. Correa. I still dream about that greenhouse, the gazebo and all the amazing walls and doors. This perfect day was topped off with the sweetest first dances and toasts under a stunning white tent on a beautiful April day. 


Nikki and Patrick’s day was what photographer dreams are made of! The details and the venue were out of this world (hello Louboutins ,amazing florals and an insanely beautifully decorated barn). I could spend an entire post just talking about these details! Can you please please look at the cake also? On top of these amazing touches was a couple that was seriously so beyond sweet and yet had so much passion as well. I was brought to tears multiple times during the day, starting with first look with dad and a prayer between Nikki and Patrick. We didn’t have to go far to get the prettiest light for bridal party pictures and romantics. Nikki in her amazing denim bridal jacket will remain one of my favorite bridal images ever. Everyone knew how to party at their reception and Nikki and Patrick really went for it with their cake cutting. Or do we call it a cake smash? I left that night with the biggest smile on my face, feeling lighter and happier after knowing these two!

I first got to meet Mattie and Morgan at their beautiful rehearsal dinner and instantly loved them both. Both of them so down to earth and go with the flow. That entire weekend just flew by without one stressful moment! Just the details at the rehearsal dinner made me so excited for what the next day would bring and I was far from disappointed. I walked in to Mattie’s parents breathtaking home to see all of Mattie’s bridesmaids (as well as her Mother and Mother-In-Law) clothed in these beautiful embroidered Mexican day dresses. They were all so relaxed, just sitting around watching chick flicks and enjoying each other's company. We then got to have first looks with Mattie’s dad, her bridesmaids and finally with Morgan. When we made it to the venue for the ceremony, I was speechless. I need you to look at these florals. All of them. The most stunning variety of florals I have ever witnessed. We had such beautiful weather for their outdoor ceremony and reception, followed by some of the prettiest golden hour romantics. The tequila donkey kicked off the beginning to one of the most fun-filled, lively receptions I’ve ever gotten to attend.”

Ashley’s Fave Weddings
Patrick + Niki at Enchanted Vine Barn in Ruidoso, NM
Trey + Clara at Peter Hurd House and Private Estate in San Patricio, NM
Morgan + Mattie at Las Campanas in Santa Fe, NM

Lead Photographer - Ashley
Second Photographers - Melanie, Bre

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

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 - 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

Wedding Inspo - Summer Wedding Florals Second Edition

Even though fall wedding season is quickly approaching, we couldn’t help but share some of our favorite, recent summer bouquets. From the insanely colorful floral arches to the soft, subdued reception centerpieces, to the bold and bright bridal bouquets, summer weddings always bring a wide palette of color options! We adored every single one of these florals and can’t wait for what beauty the rest of this season will bring!

Featured Florists
Forth & Floral
Floriography
Renegade Floral
The Bouqs Co.
Bloomstream Flowers
Florectia Flowers
Mauldin’s Flowers


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

Morgan + Mattie, a Big Colorful Las Campanas Santa Fe Wedding

In late July we were beyond lucky enough to capture Texas sweethearts Morgan and Mattie during their epic wedding weekend. From rehearsal dinner to wedding day, these to were nothing short of sweet, fun, and overall a dream couple! Their love story kicked off its next chapter in Santa Fe, but these babes had the cutest beginning.

Morgan and Mattie met over five years ago a bar called Reinfields Corner in Dallas, TX. Morgan made a big move by approaching Mattie and her group of friends with fireball shots. These two hit it off instantly and had their first date a week later. Flash forward to July 2018 when Mattie and Morgan visited Santa Fe. Mattie, who is incredibly hard to surprise, was completely surprised when Morgan popped the question at the Nedra Matteucci art gallery!

Mattie and Morgan wanted to make it last name official in Santa Fe and selected some of our all time favorite vendor pals to make their dream day a gorgeous reality. Floriography Flowers brought the lush, maximalist florals to this day, our literal angel Genica Lee made Mattie even more beautiful than normal with the prettiest hair + makeup, and Ashley of A Beautiful Theme made sure that every last detail and design at Las Campanas was absolutely stunning! Mattie paired the classic couture of her Reem Acra dress with the coolest custom cowboy boot from Miron Crosby and we are soooo here for that bridal western wear. To make this day even more fun, Mattie and Morgan not only brought their chocolate lab Bingley to New Mexico as their Best Dog (he even got a floral wreath to wear for the day), but they also gave him the ultimate honor of being part of their wedding day hashtag ,and our favorite one yet tbh, #bingelygetsadad.

We wish that every single wedding could be as insanely gorgeous, detailed oriented, and wonderfully fun as this day! Congrats to Mr and Mrs Mitchell, we love y’all (and Bingley too)!

Vendors
Venue - Las Campanas
Planning + Coordination - A Beautiful Theme
Florals - Floriography Flowers
Tents + Rentals - Occasion Services and Events
Glass Painted Signs - Darling Details
Invitations - Southern Fried Paper
Calligraphy - The Left Handed Calligrapher
Hair + MUA - Genica Lee
Getting Ready Dresses - Mi Golondrina
Bridal Gown - Reem Acra
Bridal Veil - Monvieve
Bridal Gown - Warren Barron Bridal
Bride’s Boots - Miron Crosby
Bridesmaid Dresses - Bella Bridesmaids + Jenny Yoo Collection + Amsale Bridesmaids
Groom + Groomsmen Attire - The Black Tux
Groom’s Boots - Lucchese
Place Cards + Table Numbers - Lauren Jacks Calligraphy
Table Linens - La Tavola Fine Linen + BBJ Linens
Watercolor Crest - Pearly Gates Designs
Band - Diamond Empire Band
Lead Photographer - Ashley
Second Photographer - Briana
Assistant - Cameron

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography