One thing we adore during our more quiet part of the year is adventuring out into the desert for the tiniest of sessions with lovers. This late December evening with Brent and Heather was by far one of the prettiest winter nights we’ve ever witnessed.
These cuties met up with us in the Sandia Foothills and dang were we mesmerized by these sweethearts. We loved catching every last moment of this evening’s golden hour light with Brent and Heather and all of their love for on another.
We already know that this year will be filled with even more gorgeous evenings like this one, we can’t freaking wait for all of the beauty to come!
Location - Sandia Foothills
Ring - Ooh Aah Jewelry
Photographer - Arielei
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Wedding Inspo - a Heavenly New Mexico Desert Elopement
Last season we finished off one of the prettiest years yet with a beyond dreamy evening way out west in the middle of the desert. This little styled elopement had all of the soft Southwestern touches we love with a touch of whimsical beauty.
We met up with real-life lovers Dillon and Jordan and our creative angel, Alanna Garcia, to bring this oh-so-special evening to life. This shoot had all the things we love: boho-chic wedding style, divine florals, unreal bridal glam, and a killer view. After wandering around in the desert, we topped off the day with a few shots of the epic Sandia mountains as the perfect backdrop.
Being able to dream up the prettiest evenings and roam around some of our favorite places definitely keep of hearts so dang full. Cheers to more wildly beautiful New Mexico evenings.
Vendors
Location - New Mexico
Styling - Alanna Garcia
Florals - Floral Elegance
Makeup - Alanna of Betty Rose by Alanna
Hair - Michelle of Betty Rose by Alanna
Bridal Gown - Wilderly Bride
Bridal Boutique - The Dressing Room West
Bride’s Hat - Brixton
Sunglasses - Ray Ban
Bride’s Boots - Betsey Johnson
Groom’s Jacket - Men’s Wearhouse
Models - Dillon + Jordan
Photographer - Alicia
Assistants - Jaclyn + Lexa
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Wedding Inspo - Southwestern Glam Celebrations
There’s no party quite like a party in the Southwest, so when our couples make sure to include tiny pieces of our little corner of the world into their special days, it seriously makes for the best celebrations. Southwestern inspired nuptials are truly something to behold and dang are we lucky to capture them every single season.
Whether its bolo ties, turquoise, or adobe venues, we adore when couples fully embrace all of the charm that the Southwest has to offer. Seeing lovers come from all over the country just to celebrate their new chapter in our pretty home state leaves us on cloud nine. Plus, any opportunity to explore an amazing, authentic part of New Mexico is always the perfect excuse for us to obsess over this gorgeous state.
Cheers to all the crazy-beautiful, wildly fun, downright enchanting celebrations of love to come!!
Featured Weddings + Styled Shoots
Jake + Becky at Ghost Ranch (coming soon to the blog)
Kenny + Molly at a Private Santa Fe Estate
Zac + Shelly at Hacienda Doña Andrea (coming soon to the blog)
Robert + Antonette in Old Town Albuquerque
Zach + Natalie at The Desert Compass
Paul + Carolyn at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Tyler + Cassie 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
Colin + Amber, a Dreamy Desert Engagement
We started off our summer engagements with these little darlings at a coveted spot in all the Southwest. Colin and Amber made this sweet evening so dang fun and beautiful.
The two first met on a dating app about 4 years ago and immediately hit it off with their mutual love for all things outdoors and being total homebodies (the best combination— in our opinion). A few years, and many fur babies later, these sweethearts are making it last name official with a gorgeous garden-inspired wedding at Amber’s grandfather’s home in the heart of Albuquerque's North Valley.
We can’t wait to capture all of the magic this fall with Colin and Amber!!!
Location - New Mexico
Hair + Makeup - Savannah of Betty Rose by Alanna
Photographer - Ashley
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Doug + Ray, a Romantic Desert Engagement
Earlier this spring we got to hang out with Doug and Ray for a whole evening and dang was it such an amazing night. These San Francisco hunnies are tying the knot in Santa Fe this fall, but we loved seeing them out in the wilds of New Mexico for the most gorgeous engagement session.
These two have been together for almost 7 years and first met in college, they even shared their first kiss at a Childish Gambino concert! All these years later, Ray and Doug still love doing new things together from skiing to playing pickle ball to trying all the amazing foods out there.
Doug and Ray are making their love story official with a dreamy Southwestern wedding complete with a ceremony at the historic Cathedral Basilica de Saint Francis of Assisi and a huge party at La Posada de Santa Fe. We can’t wait to celebration with these west coast babes in The City Different this October!!!
Location - New Mexico
Makeup - Ashley of Betty Rose by Alanna
Photographer - Alicia
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Where to Elope in New Mexico - Adventurous Locations
If last year showed us anything, its that you can elope literally anywhere in beautiful old New Mexico. Our couples traded luxe venues and typical wedding days for stunning desert landscapes and national parks, and lets just say that none of that wedding day magic was lost.
With the pandemic forcing so many couples to either postpone or drastically change their plans, so many of our lovers took their nuptials outside to some of the most epic locations. From White Sands National Park’s ethereal atmosphere to the unreal rock formations of White Mesa to the beautiful, yet tangible history of Pecos National Historical Site, our couples took us on some of our favorite adventures of all time.
Even as slightly bigger weddings start to return to our lives, we’re hopeful that couples will still opt for some of the stellar, natural locations in our gorgeous Southwest home. We’re so beyond ready for even more adventurous love stories all over the place!!!
Featured Locations + Love Stories
Owen + Amelia at Elena Gallegos Open Space
Ben + Chelsey at White Sands National Park
Jimmy + Maggie at Pecos National Historical Site
Travis + Rahni at White Mesa
Gabe + Amy in Grants
Brad + Kenna at White Mesa
Christian + Kristal in Santa Fe
Elopements by Alicia and Ashley of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Tyler + Taylor, a Styled Anniversary Session
When our girl Taylor, aka one of ALP’s amazing assistants, told us that she was planning a styled shoot to celebrate one whole year of marriage to her husband Tyler, we knew it had to be absolutely stunning. Even after we were initially rained out due to that New Mexico monsoon weather, we were still able to pull off this beautiful August evening.
Long before they were married and even before they went off to separate colleges, Tyler and Taylor were high school sweethearts. They met in a marketing class at La Cueva High School and according to Taylor, Tyler had that “swoopy boy band hair and brown eyes” that instantly caught her attention. A mutual friend in the class gave these two the ultimate excuse to get to know each other. That same year, Tyler asked Taylor to Homecoming and they’ve been together ever since. Taylor eventually went off to college in Texas to pursue a degree to Biology and to play colligate soccer while Tyler stayed in New Mexico to study pre-med. After about 3 years of long-distance, Tyler moved to Austin and they lived there together for 1 year before moving back to Albuquerque.
After many years of love, these two finally tied the knot in August of 2019 in Santa Fe. One of their biggest wedding themes was Paulo Coehlo’s The Alchemist, a book that they both read during their years apart in college. For these two, it was the perfect summation of their love story and how distance and time don’t always have to be the great decider in a love story, sometimes we get to make those choices and take those chances.
Tyler and Taylor currently live in Albuquerque with their gorgeous huskies Dash, the very sassy and very fluffy one, and Nyx, the snuggly sweetheart. Taylor also doubles as a styling and wedding day assistant for our girl Lauren of Just Lovely Weddings and Tyler is in his last year of med school before these two move for his residency(!!!!!).
Even though that New Mexico weather was working against us for this shoot and forced us to reschedule, we still did the damn thing. We were so beyond grateful for our angel Kim of Something Ginger for creating the most stellar glam not one, but two days in a row, for Floral Fetish with that beautiful bouquet, and Darling Details for letting us borrow a bit of magic for the evening. We adored how Taylor and Tyler not only planned the best outfits, but wore their actual wedding attire for the first half of the shoot (because why the heck not?!).
We’re so inspired by Tyler and Taylor’s enduring love for each other, for life, and for showing us that love really can withstand it all if you give it a chance.
Vendors
Location - New Mexico
Planning + Design - Taylor of Just Lovely Weddings
Florals - Floral Fetish
Rentals - Darling Details
Hair + MUA - Kim of Something Ginger
Rings - Kristin Coffin Jewelry + Samantha Louise Jewelry
Ring Box - Written in Ribbons
Bridal Gown - Willowby by Watters
Bridal Boutique - Blue Bridal Boutique (Denver, CO)
Bride’s Shoes - Vans
Bride’s Red Dress - Cleobella
Bride’s Hat - Goorin Bros
Groom’s Shirt - ASOS
Cake - Honey & Salt Cake Co.
Photographer - Alicia
Assistant - Jaclyn
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Tim + Noelle, a Rad Couples Session in the Desert
If you know anything about us, you know that we LOVE hanging with the raddest couples around and we love running around in the desert with them even more. Spending the most perfect evening with Tim and Noelle, the coolest lovers around, was literally how we’d want to spend every single week night forever.
These hot babes have been married for 2 years, but dang do they just give off those madly-in-love feels. They brought their killer style and downright unreal power couple vibes to one of our fave spots, so yeah, we’re just a little obsessed. If you’re looking for married couple inspo, just take a glance at these two because Tim and Noelle only have eyes for each other and wow is it truly captivating to see.
So grateful to have crossed paths with these two for most crazy beautiful session in NM. Hey Tim and Noelle, we’re gonna need to make some more magic with you guys real soon!
Location - New Mexico
Photographer - Alicia
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Juliet, a Divine Styled Bridal Session
If there’s one thing more magical than a bridal session, its a New Mexico bridal session with that dark, yet gorgeous monsoon weather. We braved a tiny storm with Juliet, the loveliest little bride, for one of the prettiest evenings in the desert.
Our girl Alanna Garcia of Betty Rose by Alanna put together the most stunning styled bridal session and when she asked us to capture all of the beauty, we were over the moon! Our graceful Juliet glowed just a little extra thanks to Alanna’s beautiful makeup and Savannah’s elegant hair design (complete with the tiniest little floral details). Our sweet friend Darlene of Bridal Elegance by Darlene let us capture the most exquisite, romantic bridal gown, complete with removable sleeves and the lightest, most beautiful tulle fabric around. To top it all off, A Beautiful Theme created a truly otherworldly, moody bouquet that we’re still thinking about to this day.
We love love love getting to capture visions that our vendor friends dream up, we are so excited for all the beauty that’s still to come!!!
Vendors
Location - New Mexico
Concept + Styling - Alanna Garcia
MUA - Alanna of Betty Rose by Alanna
Hair - Savannah of Betty Rose by Alanna
Florals - A Beautiful Theme
Bridal Gown - Moonlight Bridal
Bridal Boutique - Bridal Elegance by Darlene
Model - Juliet Myers
Photographer - Alicia
Assistant - Jaclyn
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Aidan + Victoria, a Desert Couples Session
Exploring new spots and old favorites has been one of the best things about all of the incredible little sessions this summer!
We got to spend the most amazing evening at Petroglyph National Monument with Victoria and Aidan and we were absolutely in Babetown! These two hunnies have been together for 4 whole years and let’s just say they are still absolutely smitten with each other. And our girl Victoria looked extra stunning with just a little glam from our love Betty Rose by Alanna.
More evenings with the sweetest lovers please and thank you!!!!!
Location - Petroglyph National Monument
MUA - Betty Rose by Alanna
Photographers - Alicia + Ashley
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Sheree, a Desert Maternity Session
Just a few months ago we got to capture this sweet little mama-to-be in the middle of the desert. Even though those canyon winds came around, we still captured some of the sweetest moments!
Sheree, who is literally going to be the most stunning mom around, was a dream to capture. From her stellar outfits to that beautiful floral crown to her adorable pup, this session was such a special one.
Congrats on your new little chapter beautiful, we were grateful to capture a tiny piece of it!!!
Location - New Mexico
Photographer - Alicia
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Christian + Kristal, a Santa Fe Desert Elopement
Right in the middle of a New Mexico monsoon season, these two lovers decided to elope out in the Santa Fe wilderness and all we can say is WOW. That incredibly moody sky paired with the most perfect desert terrain made for an epic backdrop on Christian and Kristal’s amazing day.
Opting for some of the most unique, and so freaking killer, wedding attire, these babes gave us elopement inspiration for years That light blue suit and floral tie combo on Christian alongside Kristal’s neutral toned, lace dress made for an incredible look. And we couldn’t forget about that bright bridal bouquet that gave the most perfect little pop of color on this overcast Southwest day.
Cheers to adventuring out through it all with some of the most beautiful, in love couples on the planet, we’re SO dang here for it! Congrats Christian and Kristal, we adored this special little evening with you both!!
Dress - Windsor
Photographer - Alicia
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Nicole, Maternity + Newborn Sessions
Even though its been a while since we’ve captured a maternity or a newborn session, we knew that we had to make both moments extra special for new mama Nicole!
Nicole and our girl Alicia are friends that go way back, becoming besties nearly 20 years ago! They’ve made a ton of amazing little memories along the way, but for Alicia nothing is quite as memorable as this moment right here! The pregnancy and birth of Nicole’s baby girl, Sophia, was a major highlight of 2020 and it brought so much joy and happiness. Alicia is so proud of her amazing friend turned mama, Nicole, and is beyond excited to see her on this new journey of motherhood!
About a month ago we ventured out into the stunning bosque for the prettiest maternity session with Nicole and her sweet pup Kanga. Our hair and makeup angel Genica helped Nicole glow just a little extra and it was such a special evening to be a part of.
Just a few weeks later, heavenly little Sophia came into this world and we once again had the privilege of capturing beautiful Nicole being the incredible mama she was always meant to be, along with her amazing sister, for the most perfect newborn session.
Nicole, we can’t wait to see how your love for precious Sophia grows, we love and admire you beyond belief!
Hair + MUA - Genica Lee
Photos by Alicia of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Owen + Amelia, a New Mexico Desert Elopement
So far 2020 has been a year that has completely changed our usual wedding season, but we’ve been beyond lucky to be a part of intimate elopements in the place of our couples’ bigger celebrations. We were so excited when our lovers Owen and Amelia asked us to capture their sweet nuptials in the New Mexico desert.
Even though they had planned on a gorgeous Hotel Albuquerque wedding this May, Owen and Amelia didn’t let a pandemic stop them from becoming husband and wife. These lovers have been together for over 8 years, so seeing them become husband and wife on a pretty evening at Elena Gallegos Open Space surrounded by just four close friends, their fur baby Penelope, and their officiant was something beyond special to witness. After the sweetest little exchange of vows and rings, Owen and Amelia kicked off married life by popping champagne and spending a few sweet moments together in the New Mexico foothills. They made their little ceremony even more special with simple details including florals by Floral Elegance, the cutest two piece dress by A Basic Shop, and the prettiest glam done by the bride herself!!
Owen and Amelia, we can’t wait to celebrate your marriage with a huge party in 2021, congrats on your beautiful new beginning!
Vendors
Location - Elena Gallegos Open Space
Florals - Floral Elegance Weddings
Glam - by bride
Bridal Dress - A Basic Shop
Bride’s Shoes - Schutz
Groom’s Attire - Custom Suit from Men’s Wearhouse
Groom’s Tie - The Tie Bar
Rings - Albuquerque Gold and Silver
Officiant _ David Doyle of Abundant Blessings
Photographer - Alicia
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Bridal Inspo - Wedding + Engagement Rings
Even season we get to capture so many different couples and so many special love stories, but one of our favorite little details is getting to see all of the unique rings brides and grooms pick to express their love for each other!
From the simplest and most dainty diamond engagement rings to colorful gemstone rings, we’ve seen it all, but we’re always blown away by how stunning these beauties truly are in person and in photos. From custom rings to vintage rings, the sky is truly the limit when it comes to deciding on the perfect style for your hunny. For us, we love drooling over rings both online and in person, so we’ll take any chance to feature these gorgeous pieces of jewelry!
Scroll through this blog and find your new obsession, we won’t blame you if you bookmark a few of our favorite designers either!!!
A Few of Our Favorite Ring Designers + Boutiques
Trabert Goldsmiths
Brilliant Earth
deBella Jewelry
Zwikker & Zacher
Marisa Perry Atelier
Blue Nile Diamond
David Yurman
Michelle Fantaci
Octavia Elizabeth
Lauren Addison
Tiffany & Co.
Ashley Zhang
Vrai
Weddings + Engagements by Alicia, Ashley, Bre, and the ALP Team
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Wedding Inspo - Why We Adore Elopements
Here in New Mexico, our team thrives in shooting the many big, bold, beautiful weddings all over the state, but we also live for the moments when we get to be a part of the sweet, quaint, intimate elopements! Just like larger, more traditional weddings, the main focus is always love, devotion and commitment, however, elopements tend to be much simpler and, of course, much much smaller. Here’s a few reasons why we have a soft spot for elopements!
- Intimacy
While we absolutely love getting to spend the day capturing those huge celebrations, there’s something magical about being alone with a couple sharing their first moments of married life with no one else around. We of course get to see lots of the same emotions as a traditional wedding ceremony, but we get to be even more up close and personal with our couples which makes it that much more meaningful for us behind the cameras.
-Cost
Its no surprise that elopements cost much less than average weddings do and today many couples all over the world are opting for elopements for just this reason. You can still get a stunning gown, a pretty bouquet, and a stellar hair/makeup artist without spending too much cash which is a huge bonus of elopements. In financially hard times, elopements are a great way to still look and feel amazing on your wedding day while still supporting a few small businesses along the way.
-Stress
Most of our wedding seasons consist of pretty big wedding days with some jaw dropping details (from floral installations, to killer reception music, to out of this world bridal fashion), but we know that the stress of putting together days like this might not be for everyone. And for that reason, elopements are a great alternative because a simple, intimate day with just you and your sweetheart (and a photog you both love) doesn’t put any pressure on you to having a larger than life floral arch or entertainment all of your guests will love. You get to focus on something a little bit simpler and a lot longer lasting, your love story and your future together.
-Location
Lastly, a really neat factor about elopements is that they can take place pretty much anywhere your heart desires. You can take a more classic route and head to the courthouse or they can be in the middle of a desert. The world is truly your oyster when it comes to eloping and while we have a few favorite locations that we adore for elopements here in New Mexico, we love seeing how they unfold across the globe.
A Few of Our Favorite Elopement Spots in New Mexico
White Mesa (San Ysidro, NM)
Nob Hill (Albuquerque, NM)
Los Poblanos (Albuquerque, NM)
White Sands (Southern NM)
Ghost Ranch (Northern NM)
Eagle Nest (Northern NM)
Sandia Mountains (Albuquerque, NM)
Elopements + Styled Elopements by Alicia, Ashley, and Bre of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Wedding Inspo - Boho Bridal Gowns
If we know anything, its that boho brides have taken over the wedding scene these past few seasons! They bring in a carefree, wild-in-love, major queen bridal vibes and we are so on board for them. One of our favorite highlights about these lovelies are their gowns and how these dresses perfectly encapsulate that free-spirit energy we love so much on wedding days!
And just like every other style of gown, boho bridal gowns can be found in every single season and for every type of wedding day. From a long sleeve Lillian West stunner during a winter elopement at Eagle’s Nest in Northern New Mexico to a sultry little Lovers Society number for a summer wedding at Enchanted Vine Barn in Southern New Mexico to the most incredible, glistening Chosen by One Day beauty for the most insane White Sands elopement, we’ve seen gowns beyond our dizziest daydreams.
We can’t wait to see how boho bridal gowns, and the incredible women who wear them, continue to awe us on wedding days and beyond!
Featured Bridal Gown Designers
Jasmine
Chosen by One Day
One Day
Lovers Society
Lillian West
Rue de Seine
Made With Love
Claire Pettibone
Lihi Hod
Featured Bridal Boutiques
Bridal Elegance by Darlene (Albuquerque, NM)
Lovely Bride Denver (Denver, CO)
Lovely Bride NYC (New York City, NY)
Lovely Bride Dallas (Dallas, TX)
The Dressing Room West (Santa Fe, NM)
Dress Me Bridal (Bullard, TX)
Unbridaled (Houston, TX)
The White Room (Minneapolis, MN)
Weddings + Styled Shoots by Alicia, Ashley, Bre, and the Alicia Lucia Photography Team
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Brandyn + Larissa, an Old Town Engagement
Long before these two New Mexico babes were exploring the desert and twirling around Old Town Albuquerque with us, Brandyn and Larissa shared the ultimate love at first sight story!
Nearly two years ago in March of 2018, these lovers met through mutual friends while both enjoying a night out at the Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall, a local country bar known for its popular dance floor, with their respective friend groups. Brandyn, who was an old high school friend of one of Larissa’s acquaintances, was introduced to everyone and our girl Larissa was instantly smitten with his contagious smile and dashing good looks. Much to her surprise, Brandyn immediately asked Larissa to dance (even though she insisted that she was a terrible dancer). Despite constantly stepping on Brandyn’s toes, Larissa still felt so at ease with this charming stranger and he even invited for a second dance! Sensing a solid spark, Larissa and Brandyn shared their first kiss at the end of their second dance (don’t mind us having major heart eyes over this).
At the end of the night , they didn’t exchange numbers, but rather Larissa insisted to her friends that if it was meant to be, Brandyn would find a way to contact her (talk about a major power move). As we all know, Brandyn found a way to reach out and even though he lived in Denver, CO at the time, they made long distance work before he moved back to Albuquerque, NM.
A few years later and these cuties are making it last name official this fall. They’ll tie the knot at San Ysidro Catholic Church in Corrales with an outdoor reception at Prairie Star in Bernaillo! We had the most fun giggling with these babes and capturing their amazing love for each other this past February, we can’t wait for more with these two!!!!
Engagement by Bre of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Engagement Inspo - FAQ
Earlier this year we collaborated with our pals at Rocky Mountain Bride for a collaborative feature on our favorite engagement session locations, you can view that here. Following that, we opened up a Q+A on our Instagram for your questions on all things engagement sessions. We’ve sat down and come up with answers to all of your pressing questions with this sweet little guide. Cheers to all the newly engaged babes out there, this special blog is just for you!
Q: What’s the best time of day for engagement photos?
We prefer the evening light at dusk and into blue hour. This is when the light is at its most golden and softest, thus creating a very neutral, flattering, and most evenly dimensional light to work with.
Q: How do you make sure your couples feels comfortable especially if one is more shy?
This scenario is actually very common and typically the norm, as we usually rarely have a couple where both the bride and groom are super outgoing and extroverted. We've had tons of practice with the more introverted and shy type & we’d definitely say that making sure you find a photographer/photography team that you connect with and feel comfortable with will help make things feel more natural.
A few questions to mull over when considering a photographer should include: What do you feel when you look through their website and images? How do they make you feel corresponding through email and phone conversations? Typically those feelings are good indicators of what you'll feel at the session. Are you going through the galleries and images and seeing that they are excelling in connection and interaction? Or are the images more stale and impersonal? Chances are that if you get those warm and fuzzy vibes while looking through their work & interacting with them, that is most likely what you'll get at your shoot!
Through the years we've found that keeping the session more active and finding ways for our couples to interact with each other by giving easy prompts like: “Scott look over at Emma, Emma look at us, Scott place your forehead on Emma's temple, kiss her cheek or anywhere but her lips, whisper your favorite breakfast meal in your sexiest voice, now lock hands and walk towards us, look at each other, look at us!” Prompts like this will keep the session light hearted, silly, and fun, taking the shoot away from a stiff, awkward forced vibe to having your shy fiance come out of his or her shell for a bit!
Q: Suggestions for great outfits, designers, and style?
If you hired a professional wedding photographer, they should more than likely have tons of wardrobe and outfit ideas, suggestions and insight. With the ALP team, we gift our couples with a welcome box that includes a custom wedding magazine/guide covering things specifically like engagement sessions and wardrobe, timing, details and all things engagement session! A lot of our brides tend to wear brands like Anthropologie, Lulus, & Madewell to name a few! We'll cover outfits and styling in a little more detail below, but keeping it minimal, neutral, and something that is complementing to the location is always a safe start. You can always layer on accessories like a nice statement necklace, fun hat, unique belt or pretty scarf. If you are more of a patterns and bold colors type of girl (or guy!) then we’d maybe suggest keeping your location more simple to let you and your fiance's fun personality shine
Q: Speaking of location, what is the best location to capture all the southwest charm in New Mexico?
The Southwest charm is so broad and its hard for us to say what our favorite truly is . When we think Southwest, our minds immediately goes to our vast vegetation, the desert & yuccas/chamsia/cholla trifecta and the rolling hills and the views, but others think ristras, crushed adobe, and pueblo revival architecture. There is no right or wrong answer just tons of options so for the desert look, we’d go either far west for flat desert or far east for the rolling hills at the base of the Sandia mountains (that still provides the chamisa/cholla/yucca combo & where you can still get a desert vibe, strangely enough!). For adobe and ristras and that quintessential New Mexico look, we'd reccomend Old Town Albuquerque or downtown Santa Fe. Look through your photographer’s galleries and see what location you connect to and are attracted to the most. We put together a guide to some our most treasured locations with our friends at Rocky Mountain Bride, so more inspo, follow the link below!
Alicia Lucia’s Guide to the Top New Mexico Engagement Spots
Q What’s thebest attire for men?
This again ties back to personality and location chosen. We've had grooms show up to shoots in a 3 piece suit, rocking that dapper look, to grooms shutting it down in a jean jacket and beanie. Get with your photographer, nail down a location, and then base your attire on what the overall look your trying to achieve while still keeping your personality and the location in mind.
Q: How do we make sure our style doesn't clash with the location?
As mentioned earlier, a good photographer will be basing the location options off of your attire & this is why good/open communication is important and constant correspondences is so necessary. If your photographer is not in contact with you or helping/preparing you for your engagement session, then we'd definitely re-evaluate.
Q: How do we incorporate props?
Cover that with your photographer first to make sure a) the location allows it and doesn't have any restrictions and b) that the location is flattering/complimenting to the prop you are wanting to incorporate.
Q: How many photos should we expect to receive from one engagement session?
We typically deliver anywhere between 50-100 photos.
Q: How far in advance should we book?
Our brides book their wedding dates with us about a year to a year and a half out with their engagement sessions being booked about 4-8 months before their wedding
Q: What is the typical turn around for photos be? My sisters wedding photographer took a month.
We'd say that is probably average but we've worked hard to nail down our post wedding processing and have streamlined our process to a t so we can turn a round wedding galleries anywhere between a week to 3 weeks!
Featured Engagements
Jason + Natalie at White Sands (Alamogordo, NM)
Chris + Ari at Los Poblanos (Albuquerque, NM)
Derek + Brigitte at White Mesa (San Ysidro, NM)
Trey + Clara at Old Town (Albuquerque, NM)
Paul + Carolyn at the Bosque (Albuquerque, NM)
Tom + Justine in Central Park (New York, NY)
Evan + Jocelyn at White Mesa (San Ysidro, NM)
Matt + Allie at a Private Estate (Santa Fe, NM)
Geoff + Jocelyn at the Rock House (Albuquerque, NM)
Andrew + Deanna at Nob Hill + Old Town (Albuquerque, NM)
Engagements by Alicia, Ashley, and Bre of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography
Evan + Jocelyn, a Heavenly New Mexico Engagement
Even though its not quite the new year yet, we’re already head over heels in love with our stunning 2020 couples. Last month we spent a few hours at the absolutely unreal White Mesa with LA lovers Evan and Jocelyn. These babes set the bar soooo freaking high for our latest round of engagement sessions, its not hard to see why we’re obsessed with them!
These lovers met over four years ago while Jocelyn was attending grad school in Las Vegas and Evan was living in Los Angeles. Over one MLK weekend, Jocelyn decided to fly out to Los Angeles to see Van Morrison with some of her friends. While in the City of Angels, Jocelyn met Evan through mutual friends and his first move on her was offering a tequila shot at 4 p.m. These two ended up hitting it off and spent all day and night talking about everything and anything. Jocelyn, thinking that she probably wouldn’t see Evan again, hit him with the old “see you never” and headed back to Vegas. However, two weeks later Evan traveled to Vegas to take Jocelyn on a real first date and after graduation, Jocelyn moved to LA.
Besides being super sweet, down-to-earth babes, the love these two have for each other is beyond this world. For Jocelyn, Evan’s kindness, intelligence, and support makes her world go round. And for Evan, Jocelyn radiates beauty inside and out, she’s the one he can’t wait to explore the world with forever! (Brb, crying over these two).
These hotties are gonna raise the temperature this summer at Los Poblanos with a modern, romantic, bohemian wedding. And with families from both New Mexico and California, we know this day is gonna be killer!
Hey Evan and Jocelyn, is it July yet? We can’t wait to celebrate your love!!!!
Details
Location - White Mesa
Hair + MUA - Genica Lee
Dress - Cleobella
Engagement by Ashley of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography