Alanna + James, an Emotional Casa Rondeña Elopement

Over the years, we’ve always held the biggest place in our hearts for sweet angel Alanna of Betty Rose by Alanna, so when she asked us to capture her nuptials we were truly on cloud nine. Alanna and her love, James, are truly some of the most incredible people with a gentle, beautiful love story that we can’t get out of our heads.

James and Alanna met many moons ago while both working at a surgery center in Albuquerque. James’ bright energy and sweet demeanor caught Alanna’s eye, however, both of these cuties were already in relationships. About four years later, after both of them had gone through devastating breakups, James asked Alanna out on a date and they immediately knew their connection was written in the stars. Alanna, who had never envisioned herself as a stepmom, was instantly taken with James’ sweet kids and fully embraced her new, exciting role in life. Several years down the road, James surprised Alanna by proposing to her on the plot of land they were currently building their forever home on.

Instead of having a big wedding, these angels opted for a very intimate afternoon with just their family present. Alanna, who’s had her fair share of big wedding days while working as a professional makeup artist in the wedding industry, wanted their day to be simple, calm, and true to her’s and James’ love story. After getting ready with some of her closest girls (including her little bestie/stepdaughter, Scarlett), Alanna met up with James and the rest of their loved ones at Casa Rondeña for the most divine evening. We got a front row seat to all of Alanna and James’ sweetness as these lovebirds roamed around, fully immersed in their newlywed bliss. Being able to bear witness to such a genuine, deep love was beyond anything we could have planned for this little day.

Cheers to love that defies all the odds and to the lovers who continually make us the biggest fans of happily-ever-afters.

Vendors
Venue - Casa Rondeña Winery
Florals - A Beautiful Theme
Makeup - Ashley of Betty Rose by Alanna
Hair - Savannah of Betty Rose by Alanna
Hair Color - H.Artistry Salon
Bridal Gown - Willowby by Watters
Bridal Boutique - Raw and Golden Rentals
Bridesmaid Dresses - Baltic Born
Groom’s Attire - Mr.Tux
Cake - Sweet Grace Cake Co

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Miles + Kelley, a Moody Hyatt Tamaya Wedding

Right in the middle of our sunny, warm summer wedding season, we were lucky enough to capture Kelley and Miles’ moody, yet completely gorgeous day at Hyatt Tamaya. These lovebirds filled their sweet celebration with a whole lot of joy and romance.

Miles and Kelley first met almost a decade ago while playing sand volleyball and even though they may have been a little bit competitive with one another at first, sparks eventually flew between these cuties. These two began the most beautiful relationship filled with going on lots of adventures, helping each other through grad school, and falling more and more in love with one another. A few years down the line, Miles surprised Kelley by proposing at Disney World right in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle (extremely magical if we don’t say so ourselves). And to top it off, Kelley’s family from the East Coast was there to witness their incredibly special moment.

These babes knew that they wanted a wedding that reflected the natural beauty of the Southwest as well as one that gave off those elegantly classic vibes, so they headed just a little bit north to the iconic Hyatt Tamaya for the most stunning July day. From their dreamy ceremony under a gazebo to the most breathtaking romantics out in the desert, this day was full of everything that we adore about weddings. Every last second with Kelley and Miles was sweet, intentional, and downright divine.

Here’s to dream couples and dream days that keep us up on cloud nine for years to come!!!

Vendors
Venue - Hyatt Tamaya
Planning + Coordination - Just Lovely Weddings
Florals - Albuquerque Florist
Makeup - Ashley of Betty Rose by Alanna
Hair - Jayce of Betty Rose by Alanna
Bridal Gown - Wtoo by Watters
Bridal Boutique - BHLDN
Bride’s Shoes - Gianni Bini
Rentals + Decor - Darling Details Rentals
Officiant - Grant Harvey Jr
Cake - Whole Foods
Band - Diamond Empire Band
DJ - Dream Factory Productions
Lights - Black Swan Events
Photo Booth - NM Photo Booth

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Ethan + Leila, a Gorgeous Hacienda Doña Andrea Wedding

Ethan and Leila made it official this past fall with the most gorgeous day just outside of Santa Fe. These East Coast babes’ love story was a decade long in the making and dang was it the most perfect beginning to their new chapter.

Leila and Ethan first met over 11 years ago in Seattle when they were both working at Club Monaco. Leila, who was in training, noticed Ethan looking at her and he immediately broke the ice by trying on a fur hat and asking for her opinion on it (they’ve been together ever since this cute little interaction!). Flash forward about 10 years to a trip back to Seattle after moving to the East Coast and these hunnies got engaged! Ethan proposed to Leila on the very same bench in Madison Park where they both realized they were in love with each other so many years ago (talk about the most cinematic full circle moment of all time).

These lovers knew that the Southwest was the most divine place to make it official and dreamed up the most stunning day at Hacienda Doña Andrea. Along with their tiny baby Quinn, Ethan and Leila held one of the most beautiful fall celebrations we’ve ever seen. From Leila’s bold, yet soft bridal glam by the Betty Rose and A. Salon teams to the incomparable floral design by Floral Fetish to the most perfect rooftop views, this day was everything and then some.

Give us all the epic, romantic, and downright breathtaking wedding days, we’re so beyond obsessed!

Vendors
Venue - Hacienda Doña Andrea
Florals - Floral Fetish
Hair - A. Salon Santa Fe
Makeup - Jackie of Betty Rose by Alanna
Bridal Gown - Wtoo by Watters
Bride’s Shoes - Valentino
Bride’s Earrings - Maris Pearl Co
Engagement Ring - Brilliant Earth
Groom’s Suit - Hawes and Curtis
Catering - Casa Nova Catering
Lead Photographer - Ashley
Second Photographer - Melanie
Assistant - Carolyn

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

2021 Wedding + Elopement Trends

Despite all of the uncertainty and struggle of 2020, we’ve seen so many amazing things start to take hold in the wedding industry. From recognizing how amazing small, intentional celebrations can be to couples taking chances on brand new ideas for their special day, we’ve truly been in awe over all of it. We’re hoping that a few of the trends we’ve been crushing on become major elements of weddings and elopements in 2021!

We’re currently obsessed with:
- unique + colorful bridal gowns
- bright + funky florals
- soft baby’s breath bouquets
- tiny, intimate ceremonies with just friends + family
- unique, avant-garde cakes


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

Valentine's Feature - Florals We Heart

Out of all of the pretty things we’ve laid our eyes on, florals are always the detail that take our breath away. From the bright and bold to the delicate and soft, we’re obsessed with it all!

Over the last year we’ve been beyond lucky to capture so many incredibly divine floral creations from all over Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, and everywhere in-between. We’ve been completely obsessed with the new, brilliant ideas coming out of the tiny weddings and elopements of 2020. All of the insanely beautiful hanging installations and the dainty bouquets have us dreaming forever and ever.

We beyond hyped to see what new beauty 2021 brings to the realm of florals, but until then, feast your eyes on some of the most darling creations of all!

Featured Florists
Floral Fetish (Albuquerque, NM)
Renegade Floral (Santa Fe, NM)
Bagel’s Florals (Albuquerque, NM)
Albuquerque Florist (Albuquerque, NM)
Florecita Flowers (Albuquerque, NM)
A Beautiful Theme (Albuquerque, NM)
Marisa’s Millefiori (Santa Fe, NM)
Flower Loop (Albuquerque, NM)
The Flower Company (Albuquerque, NM)
Floral Elegance (Albuquerque, NM)
Rose Rebels Floral Designs (Albuquerque, NM)
Noble Floral Co (Portland, OR)
Stems Floral (Austin, TX)
Uptown Flowers (San Antonio, TX)
Good Seed Floral (Austin, TX)

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

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

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

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

Scott + Moxi, a White Sands Wedding

After their initial wedding in Vietnam was cancelled back in March, Scott and Moxi were still determined to make the celebration of their new marriage meaningful and beautiful so they decided on a tiny session with just them and their parents at White Sands National Park. We spent an early fall evening with these two at this dreamy Southern New Mexico spot with an incredible full moon in the distance.

Both originally from Albuquerque , Scott and Moxi have known each other since middle school through their families’ mutual Chinese community ties. However, even though their parents are super close friends, they didn’t really start to get to know each other until a combined ski trip in college where they realized just how much they had in common. At the time, they were attending different out-of-state colleges so after the trip Scott and Moxi moved on with their separate lives. It wasn’t until 2014 that these two really hit it off when they both attended a software bootcamp in San Francisco. They dated for 4 years before getting engaged in 2018 and now these cuties live together in the Bay Area with their two guinea pigs.

Being able to capture this dreamy little evening out on those pearly white sand dunes was such an incredibly special experience for us. From hanging out with their sweet family members to seeing Scott and Moxi being so dang cute and still so in love, this tiny celebration was everything. The biggest congrats to Scott and Moxi, we adore you both so much!!!

Vendors
Location - White Sands National Park
Bridal Gown - Wtoo by Watters
Bridal Boutique - BHLDN
Photographer - Ashley

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

Elopement Inspo - Romantic Dallas Elopement Sessions

Long before the madness of a pandemic took hold of the world, our gal Alicia traveled to Dallas, TX for a few of the most stunning styled elopements we’ve ever seen. Forever wishing we could just live in these absolute daydreams!

For the first session, we journeyed to The Olana, a seemingly real life castle, for a modern day fairytale. Two divine couples in the most beautiful bride and groom wedding styles were just the tip of the iceberg on this day. We loved getting to shoot with wedding planner extraordinaire Traveling Weddings with Taylor for this day!

And on our second day of shooting, we captured just a few sweet moments with some real life lovers at The Emerson venue, aka a tiny white chapel heaven. We loved the dreamy florals by Slow Darling and the absolute bridal beauty created by the glam queens at Hello Flawless Artistry. In a perfect world, every single day would look like this one!

We can’t wait to travel more and to capture even more beauty all over, cheers to all the pretty days ahead!

The Olana Elopements
Location - The Olana
Planning - Traveling Weddings with Taylor
Florals - Moss Floral
Paper Goods - Write This Way Calligraphy
Rentals - Big D Party Rentals
Hair + Makeup - Millionaire Brides Club
Bridal Gowns - Made Bride by Antonea + Eisen Stein Bridal
Grooms’ Attire - Don Morphy
Models - Katie + Jay, Nicole + Bryan


The Emerson Elopement
Location - The Emerson Venue
Planning - The Shootout Society
Florals - Slow Darling
Hair + Makeup - Hello Flawless Artistry
Bridal Gown - Watters
Bridal Boutique - BHLDN
Real Life Lovers - Clay + Erika

Styled Sessions by Alicia of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Wedding Inspo - Intimate Weddings

As 2020 progresses, it feels like there are different possibilities for weddings on a daily basis. And while big weddings, especially in New Mexico, might not be a reality for a little bit, we adore that intimate weddings are starting to become a bigger staple in the wedding industry.

For clarity, intimate weddings and elopements might seem similar, but they’re actually quite different. In a typical elopement, usually just the couple, the officiant, and the photographer are present. However, in an intimate wedding, usually both sets of parents of the couple, the officiant, a few close friends/family members, and the photographer are present. Sometimes, when there’s not a pandemic taking place, an intimate wedding can even look something like 15-45 guests, usually just a short list of the most important people in the couple’s life.

So far this year, we captured one of the sweetest intimate weddings here in Albuquerque at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm, but in the past we’ve captured a handful of tiny weddings that have filled our hearts with absolute joy. Some of the bonuses of intimate weddings aren’t just cost related (or in 2020’s case, health related), sometimes the best things about smaller weddings involved being able to spend quality time with pretty much every single guest. Another factor is even being able to allow moments of the day to feel less hectic such as making timelines that have less rushed portraits and ceremonies with smaller weddings parties (which means a lot less stress too).

While big weddings will someday be a possibility again, having intimate weddings in their place until we can all gather together safely again might just be the next best thing. Here’s to finding new ways to celebrate and never ever giving up on love, no matter what the universe throws our way!!

Featured Intimate Weddings + Styled Shoots
Brad + Kenna at Old Town Farm
Paul + Carolyn for Rocky Mountain Bride at Los Poblanos
Ben + Katy at The Inn of the Five Graces and Hacienda Corta Caro
Zach + Coli at Hotel Albuquerque and Casas de Sueños
Stuart + Kelly at Los Poblanos
Ryan + Jennifer at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast
Daniel + Natzidielly at Los Poblanos
Ryan + Jason at Ghost Ranch
Daniel + Rebecca at Eldorado Hotel and Neptune Art Space
Oriol + Sarah at Gerald Peters Gallery
Angelo + Rocio at Los Poblanos

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