Wedding Inspo - Our Top 4 Reasons to Elope

We love weddings so dang much, but there’s just something about elopements that we just can’t get enough of ever! If you’re on the fence about eloping instead of throwing a huge wedding bash, here’s four of our favorite reasons to elope.

1. Time
If there’s one thing that everyone knows about big weddings it’s that they can be extremely time consuming from start to finish. In the initial planning process and throughout the big day itself, weddings can take up a huge amount of your time. For couples wanting a day that doesn’t take up too much of their personal time, an elopement can be a quicker option that still allows for a ton of day-of fun.

2. Money
Another huge drawback for many couples when it comes to big weddings is money. Every single aspect of throwing a huge celebration can add up to a bill that may quickly go above a set budget. However, having a tiny day with just the two of you can cut out so many costs and allow you to spend money on the details that are most important to you and your lover.

3. Location
Large weddings can also limit where a couple can hold their nuptials, but the flexibility of eloping allows for you to say “I do” almost anywhere. From national parks to foreign countries to your favorite local hotspot, elopements open the door to all of the possibilities.

4. Intimate/Meaningful Moments
While big weddings are always filled to the brim with special moments, there’s something to be said about the day with just the two of you. Without the stress of managing a ton of people and worrying about all of the pieces falling into place, you and your hunny can make the most of your time together and soak up all of those first moments as newlyweds.

Featured Love Stories
Taylor + Jaxon at Lake Powell, AZ
Nicky + Sam at The Inn of the Five Graces
Andy + Sophia at Adobe and Pines Inn
Alanna + James at Casa Rondeña Winery
Cy + Joe in San Antonio, TX
Angie + Brittany at Stakeout Taos
Jordan + Dillon in Albuquerque, NM
Ashley + Bill at The Seraphim House
Will + Lindsay at Pecos National Monument

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

Wedding Inspo - Northern New Mexico Weddings

While Albuquerque and Santa Fe might be two of the cities we frequent the most for dreamy weddings, we can’t deny the absolute enchantment of northern New Mexico. From the painted deserts of Abiquiu to the mystic mountains of Taos to the serene aura of Eagle Nest Lake, there’s something charming to be found at every corner of this little part of New Mexico.

Over the past few seasons, we’ve been lucky enough to catch tiny glimpses of all the bewitching area that is northern New Mexico. We’re beyond smitten with every part of the north, whether its the pretty ranches, the historic monuments or even the tiniest, most intimate spaces.

We’re so excited for even more wonderful days in the north, here’s to all the beautiful love stories still to come!!!

Featured Locations + Love Stories
The Stakeout Taos - Nathan + Cathryn
Ghost Ranch - Jake + Becky
Taos Ski Valley - Logan + Audry
Angel Fire - Jacob + Lisa
Pecos Historical Site - Jimmy + Maggie
La Mesita Ranch Estate - Solve + Alex
Eagle Nest Lake - Boot + Mallory
El Monte Sagrado - Matthew + Alysia

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

Andrew + Natalie, a Camp Lucy Wedding

Even though Andrew and Natalie only recently said “I do” this spring, their journey together over the past few years has been nothing short of incredibly sweet and inspiring.

Long before these Texas hunnies made it last name official, they met through two mutual friends in Albuquerque. Natalie and Andrew first hit it off during a casual dinner with their friends Austin and Taylor (aka two of the best matchmakers around), but even though Natalie thought Andrew was handsome, she initially turned him down for a follow up date. However, Andrew’s persistence paid off when he asked Natalie out a second time and she said yes. They grabbed beers together, exchanged life stories, and realized that they had a special connection.

About four years later while living in Texas, Andrew knew that he wanted to propose, but the universe had other plans. In early 2019, Andrew was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and had to put off his initial proposal. After a successful fight, Andrew recovered fully and made plans to propose to Natalie on New Year’s Eve in Austin. However, once again, the universe intervened, but this time Natalie was sick that evening so Andrew once again pushed back his plans. Finally, in January of 2020, Andrew proposed in the gorgeous Texas Hill Country house he and Natalie were building for their next chapter together.

After 2020 threw even more curveballs, these sweethearts were finally able to do the dang thing in pretty little Dripping Springs, TX on the most gorgeous April day. From the most delicate bridal details to lush, springtime florals, to dreamy reception details (just peep that champagne trolley AND stunning neon signage) to spending so much time in that divine golden hour light for romantics, Andrew and Natalie made sure their day was beyond perfect and utterly enchanting. We adored every last second of this unreal Texas Hill Country day with these soulmates and were so honored to be a tiny part of their remarkable journey together.

Cheers to finding a love that endures all obstacles and to embracing every single step of life, we you love so much Mr. + Mrs. Hisey!!!!


Vendors
Venue - Camp Lucy
Planning - Hill Country Native
Florals - Whim Hospitality
Rentals - Bee Lavish Rentals
Invitations - Minted
Hair + Makeup - Katy Reddell Beauty
Bridal Gown - Monica Loretti
Bridal Boutique - Unbridaled
Bridesmaid Jumpsuits - Lulus
Bride’s Ring - Sarah O Jewelry
Groom’s Ring - Manly Bands
Groom’s Attire - Jos A Bank
Champagne Trolley - Champagne Supply Co
Cake - Sweet Treets Bakery
Band - Ice House Band
Videography - Moonlit Weddings
Lead Photographer - Alicia
Second Photographer - Diana

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

Erin, a Dreamy Downtown Bridal Session

For the last few years we’ve been head over heels in love with wedding gown designer Claire Pettibone and her effortless, vintage, and downright ethereal creations. So when we had a rare opportunity to photograph one of her divine gowns this summer on our angel Erin, we were absolutely on cloud nine.

Deciding to stick with simplicity and a focus on bridal portraits, we teamed up with our hair and makeup gals Kata + Diana of Something Ginger, local florist Flower Loop, and the jewelry babes of Ooh Aah Jewelry to make this styled bridal session one to remember. Erin was an absolute vision, from her gorgeous bridal glam (consisting of the most epic updo we’ve seen in awhile) to this Claire Pettibone gown that fit her perfectly, to her overall captivating aura and energy. When we say that Erin made our jobs easy we mean that Erin was an absolute DREAM to capture. So grateful for all of the laughs, beauty, and magnetic energy of this little evening in Downtown Albuquerque. Cheers to so many more connections and collaborations filled with love, joy, and genuine bliss.


We are so grateful to not only be feature on Claire Pettibone’s website, but also on her blog, follow both of the links below for all the magic and beauty!
Claire Pettibone Blog - All the Colors of Beauty
Claire Pettibone’s The Ophelia Gown

Vendors
Location - Downtown Albuquerque
Glam - Diana + Kata of Something Ginger
Bridal Gown - Claire Pettibone
Florals - Flower Loop
Jewelry - Ooh Aah Jewelry
Shoes - Steve Madden
Model - Erin Gibson
Photographer - Alicia
Coordinator + Assistant - Jaclyn of ALP

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 - Wedding Cakes

If you’ve been craving a sweet escape, we can’t help but mention that this blog is just for you! We’ve featured some of the most stunning cakes we’ve captured over the past two years and we’re still drooling over them.

From succulent accented beauties to bright and festive babes to the classic, yet pretty floral beauties, we gotta say that these cakes certainly had their own personalities (and some of them definitely stole the show). We love seeing when couples get super creative with wedding day details and its always such a treat to see how some of local baking beauties pull off these sweet masterpieces!

We’re still on a sugar high for some of these cakes so scroll through and find your new favorite sweet treat!!!

Featured Bakers
Maggie’s Wedding Cakes
Chocolate Maven
Simply Sweet by Darci
Mellow Cakery (formerly Maimie’s Cakes)
Bizzy B Cakes
Q’s Cakes & Sweet Boutique
Small Cakes
A Cake Odyssey
Emerald Pie Bar
Sassy Bakes (Heather of Los Poblanos)

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

Wedding Inspo - Bridal Style from Rothy's

We get asked about the perfect wedding day shoes almost daily. From brides-to-be who not only want to be comfortable, but also stylish! Lucky for us, our friends at Rothy’s have helped come up with the most perfect answer to this question, a few pairs of this dainty little shoes!

Comfy, minimlaist, and oh-so-pretty, Rothy’s flats are a perfect choice for any bride who wants to feel like she's walking on a cloud on her wedding day! Did we mention comfortable? Because even us as photographers love them for the long 8-10 hour days on our feet!! Not only are these beauties chic, they're also sustainable in a number of ways!

Every pair of Rothy's are made with materials from recycled plastic water bottles and this brand has repurposed over 3.7 million bottles so far! Additionally these babes include humanely sourced wool, recycled insoles, and eco-friendly outsoles! Truthfully, these cuties are the ultimate win-win!

Whether you wear them during your rehearsal dinner, on your wedding day, or even on your honeymoon, Rothy’s are an amazing choice for any and all bridal babes out there!!!

Featured Brand - Rothy’s

Photos by Alicia of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Wedding Inspo - Wedding Guest Style

Who says wedding parties get to have all the fun when it comes to style? One the past few seasons, we’ve seen wedding guests up the ante with some MAJOR looks that went above and beyond our dreams!

Even though wedding style varies from wedding to wedding (based on the overall vibe of the day and the couple), time and time again guests have left us awe struck with their incredible celebration outfit choices. From intricate and colorful dresses to sparkly jumpsuits to cowboy black tie- inspired numbers to modern twists on classic outfits, we love finding our favorite look of every wedding we get to capture!

Scroll through, find your fave, and maybe let these amazing guests inspire your next look!!!

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

Wedding Inspo - First Dance Songs We Heart

Even though we adore every aspect of wedding days, there’s something that hits us extra hard in the feels when it comes to first dance songs. Whether they’re sweet and lighthearted, slow and romantic, or absolute tear-jerkers, a first dance song not only sets the tone for the reception, but also says so dang much about a couple!

For us, we’ve heard about ten million love songs, but here are some of our faves from last year’s weddings, a few from our 2020 couples (!), and some songs that we can never get enough of:

- Home by Leon Bridges
- Bloom by The Paper Kites
- Speechless by Dan + Shay
- Into the Mystic by Van Morrison
- This Must Be the Place by The Talking Heads
- Still the One by Shania Twain
- If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys
- Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer
- Sail Away by David Gray
- The Best Thing by H.E.R. + Daniel Caesar
- Its Not Living (If Its Not With You) by The 1975
- Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You by Lauryn Hill
- More I Cannot Wish for You by Paul McCartney
- Beyond by Leon Bridges
- I Do by Fox + Hound
- Hold You Here by The Wild Life
- Venus by Sleeping at Last
- Lover by Taylor Swift
- Grey by Exes
- 10,000 Hours by Dan + Shay
- Tell Me Its Real by K-c + JoJo
- Good Together by HONNE
- Diamonds or Twine by Ryan Hurd
- At Last by Etta James
- Blessed by Thomas Rhett
- Real Love Baby by Father John Misty
- LOVE by Kendrick Lamar
- I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie
- More of You by Chris Stapleton
- Off the Market by ASL

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

Wedding Inspo - Wedding Trends We Heart

Now that February, aka Love Month is well underway and Valentines’ Day is just on the horizon this week, we wanted to be just a little festive on the blog! We’re kicking off this week of love with trends we are absolutely head-over-heels in love with and that we hope to see for years to come! Scroll through to see a few of our favorite things and maybe you’ll fall for a few of the trends we heart!

Mix & Match Bridesmaid Gowns
This is one trend we’ve seen soar in popularity the last few wedding seasons and we are so here for it! We love the idea of not only letting each of your gals pick a dress style/cut/fit that flatters their own body, but also adore having different colored dresses to coordinate with the overall wedding colors and tones. We can’t say enough good things about this trend and we’re praying its here to stay forever and ever. A few of our favorite bridesmaid designers include:
Jenny Yoo Collection
BHLDN
Show Me Your MuMu
Katie May
ASOS
Lulus
Revolve

Mariachi Parades
Truly more New Mexican tradition than trend, this mini wedding day party still made our list because of how much we adore all things Southwestern. Similar to a New Orleans second line parade, mariachi parades combine two of the best things imaginable: weddings & live music! We love getting the opportunity of getting to dance around the historic Santa Fe Plaza with our couples who chose to add this festive flair to their day, but we’ve also seen amazing mariachis at receptions all over the state! More of this please!

Cozy Reception Lounges
While a still relatively new tradition, cozy reception lounges are becoming one of the hottest, most popular wedding day accents around. We love the idea of pairing an additional, extra comfy space for guests to hang out during cocktail hour and the actual reception with a hint of boho style! Some of our most beloved reception lounge details include velvet couches, pretty accent pillow, and, of course, little neon signs. Some of our favorite local rental queens specializing in amazing lounges include:
Just Lovely Weddings + Darling Details Rentals
For the Love Events + Rust Vintage

Colorful Bridal Gowns
Last, but certainly not least on our favorite current trend lists are colorful wedding gowns. Straying away from typical white and cream hues, these gowns can bring not only personality and unique style to a wedding day, but they can also bring in multicultural traditions (as seen with our bride Lauren and her THREE different Hindu wedding gowns). A little known fact is that white gowns weren’t typically worn by brides until after Queen Victoria worn a stunning white lace gown for her marriage to Albert Saxe-Coberg in 1840. Before this iconic wedding, brides tended to select different colored dresses (with black being an incredibly popular shade in Scandinavia). With so many options from bridal designers, we love when brides take a jump and choose something not only different than the norm, but something that brings out their personalities. Some of our fave dress designers (both near and far) that specialize in gowns of all hues include:
Chosen by One Day
Terese Rose Designs
Grace Loves Lace
Watters
Monique Lhuillier

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

Vendor Feature - Funky Olive Design

Everyone knows that our little team adores details so its no surprise that we live for those stunning invitation suites. Our local friends at Funky Olive Design give us major design inspo on wedding days with all of their gorgeous creations. From simple and minimalist stationary to wildly colorful and dramatic designs, Funky Olive seriously never disappoints. We can’t wait to capture more and more of their lovely work this season and beyond!

Stationary - Funky Olive Design

Featured Weddings + Editorial Shoots
Rocky Mountain Bride at Los Poblanos
Tyler + Jordan at La Fonda on the Plaza
Qwist + Cara at Los Poblanos
Bohemian Bridal in Santa Fe (featured on Junebug Weddings)
Desert Bridal in New Mexico
Josh + Roushan at Los Poblanos

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

Wedding Inspiration - Non Traditional Wedding Gowns

If you know one thing about our little wedding team its that we’re complete suckers for all the gorgeous bridal details. One of our favorite trends we’ve been capturing more and more are unique, non-traditional wedding dresses. Whether its something as simple as selecting a blush-tone or cream dress to a more modern two-piece wedding gown (either of the matching and mix/matching set variety) to a super non-traditional caftan gown, there’s something out there for every bride wanting to shake it up on her special day. Move over pure white wedding gowns, we’ve rounded up our favorite, spot-light stealing gowns that are anything but ordinary.

Wedding Gown Designers
Blush Toned Off-The-Shouler Gown - Mia Solano at Luv Bridal
Blush Two Piece Crop Top + Tulle Skirt - Grace Loves Lace
Red Ombre Skirt + Blue Grey Ombre Skirt - Sweet Caroline Styles
Leather Mrs Jacket - Wild Rose Creative
Caftan Dress - New Crop Shop
Cream + Beaded Gown - ModCloth
Purple/Grey Gown - David’s Bridal

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

Table Setting Inspo

When we’re not obsessing over the amazing pre-wedding details our couples always bring to wedding days, falling in love with first looks, or crying our eyes out during ceremonies, you can find our team swooning over reception table details at basically every single wedding we capture. We’re seriously so lucky that every couple we work with brings their a-game to all of the little touches that make receptions so special. From the clean and classic, to the glittering and pastel, to the rustic and boho chic, girly and glam, muted and minimalistic .. we’re not sure what our favorite has been so far because we’re in love with every set up! Shout out to the rockstar planners and rental companies we’ve worked with, y’all know how to make wedding day dreams come true!

Coorinators + Planners
For the Love Events
Jessie Baca
Just Lovely Weddings
Rocky Mountain Bride

Rentals
Rust Vintage
Darling Details Rentals
Adobo Catering
AA Events and Tents
Ocassion Services

Venues
Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
La Posada de Santa Fe
Santa Fe Opera
Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs, CO)
La Fonda on the Plaza
Ghost Ranch
Four Seasons Santa Fe
SITE Santa Fe
High Country Lodge (Pagosa Springs, CO)
El Zocalo
La Mesita Ranch

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

Real Wedding Inspo - Dogs in Weddings

Even though there are so many wedding day details and little touches we love, we're pretty sure that nothing will ever top dogs in weddings! We've added all of the best pups we've been lucky enough to photograph (and pet) in one little blog post. Cheers to these fur babies and the amazing couples that adore them beyond words!!!

Venues
Paa-ko Ridge Golf Club
La Posada de Santa Fe
Four Seasons Santa Fe
La Fonda on the Plaza
Inn of the Five Graces
Hacienda Corta Caro
Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm

Photos by Alicia Padilla and Ashley Shaw of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn Younger of Alicia Lucia Photography