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

Vendor Feature - Bagels' Florals

Each wedding season we’re lucky enough to work with a vast amount of talented wedding vendors and creatives, but we’ve felt extremely grateful to have crossed paths with Abigail of Bagels’ Florals just two short years ago. Not only is this amazing florist beyond her years in talent, she’s one of the brightest, most inspirational souls we know. We knew that we couldn’t let 2020 end without featuring her ethereal, colorful and exquisite work.

We are always beyond excited for every single celebration we get to capture that features Bagels’ work. A true artist at heart, every single bouquet, boutonnière, installment, and arrangement she creates is done with care, intention, and a passion to make the world a brighter place. We were especially honored to capture Bagels’ first two bouquet wedding ( a very special moment for her, an LGBTQ florist) this year for our lovers Brittany + Angie and she did a tremendously gorgeous job (we’re honestly still obsessed with her creations from that sweet little backyard wedding).

Beyond simply being an incredibly gifted florist and gardener, Bagels is also a major community leader in the New Mexico wedding industry. She consistently uses her platform to speak up for social change and action, inspiring other vendors and community members (especially us!) to do the same. We’re consistently blown away by how much love and passion Bagels holds for making New Mexico, and truthfully this world, a more compassionate accepting place for everyone.

We feel so increasingly fortunate to even know someone as talented, smart, and driven as Bagels and we know that everyone will continued to be inspired by this amazing human being.

Florist - Bagels Florals

Real Love Stories
Angie + Brittany in Nob Hill, Albuquerque
Nate + Cait in Denver, CO
Jimmy + Maggie at Pecos National Historical Monument
Chris + Ari at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Shaun + Jessie at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
Ethan + Sarah at Hacienda Doña Andrea

Weddings by Alicia, Ashley, Bre, and the Alicia Lucia Photography 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

Bridal Inspo - Strapless Wedding Gowns

A true bridal classic we see season after season, strapless wedding gowns are both elegant and just a tiny bit flirty. From the constructed couture variety to the plush blush styles to even the most gorgeous hand painted ones, strapless wedding gowns are definitely the perfect canvas for any bride to find her own unique style in for her big day!

One of the most special aspects of strapless wedding gowns is that the silhouette can still come in a multitude of styles. From sleek curve hugging gowns to ballgown inspired dresses to even the slightest mermaid bridal train, strapless gowns are each incredibly individual and downright beautiful!

We’re so excited to see what new designs and inspirations future strapless gowns will take on and we can’t wait to capture all of them!!!


Featured Bridal Gown Designers
Vera Wang
Eisen Stein Bridal
Ines di Santo
David’s Bridal
Stella York
Allure Bridals
Maggie Sottero
Hayley Paige
Reem Acra
Kelly Faetanini
Casa Blanca Bridal
Lillian West
Watters

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

Wedding Inspo - Spring Florals

Even though we’re staying indoors a whole lot more this spring, we can’t help but be extremely inspired by all of the nature in full bloom we still get to witness. We’ve found our favorite spring infused color palettes from some of the sweetest wedding days to add a little bit of light to the blog!

Although some of these weddings weren’t necessarily spring weddings, these florals still made us daydream of the perfect April or May wedding, full of muted pastels, bright whites, or even softly colorful tones. From sage and white bouquets to blush tinted to arrangements to to even subtly bright floral arches, these flowers still light up our little worlds to this day.

Here’s to some of the beauty that we can continue to find in our world every single day, we can’t wait to capture more stunning florals like this in the future!

Featured Florists
Bagels’ Florals
Floriography Flowers
Renegade Floral
Albuquerque Florist
Viva Flora
Florecita Flowers
The Bouq’s Co
People’s Flowers
A Beautiful Theme
Shannon Loves Flowers

Weddings + Styled Sessions 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 - Pampas Grass

We’ve always had a soft spot for that soft, flowy, ever so subtlety-netural toned plant known as pampas grass, so when this pretty little plant started to take off in the wedding world, we were absolutely thrilled to capture it even more!

Originating from Southern American countries including Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, pampas grass was first introduced to the United States in Santa Barbara, California in the mid 1800s. And while this plant can sometimes push out other vegetation, it still manages to be extremely beautiful, unique, and very photogenic. Besides its common golden-yellow hue, pampas grass can also grow in colors from silvery-white to a soft pink (two shades that we want to see up close and personal).

Over the past few seasons, we’ve seen more brides and grooms take advantage of this versatile plant in their wedding decor. From using it as an accents in bridal bouquets and boutonnieres to subtlety placing it in reception centerpieces to adorning floral headpieces with it to letting it take center stage in both ceremony arches and aisle arrangements, the range of of what pampas grass can do truly seems unlimited!

We have a feeling that this interesting plant is here to stay for a few more seasons (and hopefully forever in the wedding world) and honestly we can’t wait to see what our couples do with it next. Long live pampas grass and all the bohemian vibes it encompasses on wedding days!

Featured Florists
Renegade Floral
Viva Flora
Albuquerque Florist
Floriography Flowers
Forth & Floral
A Beautiful Theme
Gaia Stvdio
Blue Ridge Blossoms
Placed by Polito

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

Vendor Feature - Beauty Bar Santa Fe

It should come as no surprise that we spend a ton of time during wedding season in our sister city, Santa Fe, and that we get to become wedding day besties with lots of amazing vendors who call The City Different their home! This season, we got to capture the stunning work of The Beauty Bar Santa Fe, a sweet little glam team that just knows how to make our brides look angelic beyond belief!

Specializing in hair and makeup, this girl squad always brings the big guns (aka the most amazing bridal looks) to every single wedding and styled shoot we’ve ever captured with them! From simple natural looks to full on dramatic glam, The Beauty Bar is a team who can make literally any look happen. And when they team up with other NM glam squads, the possibilities are seriously incredible!!!

We’re so excited to see what these ladies pull out for the 2020 season, see you babes in the new year!!!

Hair + Makeup Team - The Beauty Bar Santa Fe

Featured Weddings + Styled Shoots
John + Anna at La Fonda on the Plaza
Ashwin + Lauren at La Posada de Santa Fe
Ghost Ranch Styled Wedding
Chris + Alexa at La Fonda on the Plaza
Keith + Clare at La Posada de Santa Fe
Carter + Carrie at La Fonda on the Plaza

Weddings + Styled Shoots by Alicia, Ashley, and Bre of Alicia Lucia Photography
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

John + Anna, an avant-garde La Fonda wedding

Over the last few wedding seasons we’ve spent a lot of time at the ever gorgeous historic La Fonda on the Plaza and we’ve captured so much love at this beautiful venue. So when John and Anna came all the way from Brooklyn, NY to celebrate their big day at La Fonda, we couldn’t wait to see how they’d make their day so perfectly unique. Lets just say, they did not disappoint. These lovers not only brought big East Coast glam to the heart of the Southwest, but they did it in a way that was outrageously fun, remarkable, and truly a celebration like no other!

John and Anna met through mutual friends at a holiday party and although John tried to get Anna’s number from their friend James, he was unsuccessful (but still managed to get in contact with her!). After several years together, John (discreetly) proposed to Anna with her grandmother’s wedding diamond (swoon) at Grand Central Station before surprising her with dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in upstate New York.

Even though their wedding day had a surprise rainstorm, Anna and John didn’t let anything stop them from celebrating their love! During a slight drizzle (which truly made their ceremony all the more romantic), these two said “I do”surrounded by all of their loved ones on La Fonda’s famous La Terraza balcony. And if their ceremony wasn’t enough to make us super heart-eyed over them, John and Anna’s absolutely killer vendor team including Renegade Floral (bringing those stunning arches and bouquets), Maggie’s Wedding Cakes (with the craziest rainbow creation, shag rug inspired greatness), makeup artist Kata Baron (who’s the queen b of that natural bridal glow), Vera Wang (with a classic yet so dang modern bridal gown) and Diamond Empire Band (a crew that always brings down the house with reception jams) made this day one for the books! They also brought in paper goods and signage from their incredibly talented friend Natalie Soud (please come design our entire lives!) and bluegrass ceremony music courtesy of Santa Fe based Kitty Jo Creek Band.

To top it all off, these two surprised everyone with a choreographed first dance that included just the right amount of both ballroom dancing and disco! John and Anna didn’t just have a super glam wedding, they had a wedding that was completely theirs, true to them and we adore them so much for it! Thank you for letting us be a part of your epic Santa Fe party, congrats Mr and Mrs Redmond!!!

Vendors
Venue - La Fonda on the Plaza
Invitations + Paper Goods + Signage - Natalie Soud
Florals - Renegade Floral
Hair - Beauty Bar Santa Fe
MUA - Kata Baron
Bridal Gown + Boutique - Vera Wang
Bride’s Shoes - Ralph Lauren + Stuart Weitzman
Bride’s Earrings + Rings - Zwikker and Zacher
Reception Gown - The Law Bridal from The One Bridal Boutique
Ring Box - The Mrs Box
Bride’s PJs - Oliva Von Halle
Bride’s Purse - Loeffler Randall
Bridesmaids’ Robes - Ten Thousand Waves Resort
Groom’s Suit - Ralph Lauren
Groom’s Bolo Tie - Moonlight Gemstones
Groom’s Boots - Lucchese
Ceremony Music - Kitty Jo Creek Band
Reception Music - Diamond Empire Band
Cake - Maggie’s Wedding Cakes
Lead Photographer - Bre
Second Photographer - Melanie
Assistant - Jaclyn

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

Ethan + Sarah, a Hacienda Doña Andrea Wedding

Originally from two different midwest states, current New Yorkers Ethan and Sarah decided that after 9 years of love and happiness it was time to make it official with a destination wedding at the ever quaint, wildly Southwestern Hacienda Doña Andrea in Santa Fe. Ethan popped the question on a picturesque morning in Sterling, Utah where the couple had been staying while road tripping through a few Rocky Mountain states over Memorial Day weekend in 2017. These Brooklyn babes met through mutual friends and started out as roommates nearly a decade ago! Their wedding included friends and family from Ohio, Michigan, California, Colorado, and New York and was a super amazing, laid-back celebration! The ceremony featured a few really rad details including Ethan's cousin Maggie as the officiant and the newlyweds' recessional music as "Africa" by Toto. We are beyond stoked for these East Coast lovers, thank you for letting us be a part of your Southwestern love story!!

Vendors:
Venue - Hacienda Doña Andrea de Santa Fe
Florals - Bagels' Florals
MUA - The Honeycomb Beauty Studio
Bridal Gown - Stella York
Bridal Boutique - Wendy's Bridal
Bridal Shoes - Hitherto
Groom's Suit - JCrew
Groom's Tie - Comme des Garcons
Catering - Whole Hog Cafe
Sweets - Planty Sweets
 

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