Howie + Arin, a Quintessential Santa Fe Plaza Wedding

Newlyweds Arin and Howie radiated joy all day long on their sunny, spring day in May. These angels celebrated their new chapter together with the ever-beloved La Fonda on the Plaza as the most stunning backdrop.

The precursor to these cuties’ perfect wedding day began several years ago with a Bumble match while both were living in Seattle. After realizing that they had found their forever love in one another, Howie planned the most thoughtful, lovely proposal for Arin. They had plans to visit their favorite winery on Marrowstone Island for Arin’s birthday and Howie used this as the perfect excuse to propose (he even had family fly in from Oklahoma and California for the occasion!). After a long COVID-related closure of the winery’s art gallery, Howie coaxed Arin to come take a peek at the stunning space. Upon entering, she was met with flowers, candles, and a romantic proposal among beautiful paintings, two of which they took home as keepsakes. As Arin and Howie were walking hand-in-hand out of the winery, they happened to hear one of their favorite songs playing through the speakers, making this proposal perhaps one of the most kismet moments in time.

Fast forward to their wedding, Arin and Howie decided to seal the deal at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe due to its charming, bohemian energy. These angels filled their wedding day with all things beautiful and sentimental, from their emotional first look to their rooftop ceremony to their little adventure around the plaza for golden hour romantics. After the most stunning day, Arin and Howie were greeted with pure joy and excitement from their loved ones during their reception. These two finished off this momentous occasion by dancing the night away with their precious flower girls, friends, and closest family members. Being able to witness Arin and Howie basking in that newly married love was truly the icing on cake for this sweet spring day.

Vendors
Venue - La Fonda on the Plaza
Florals - Artichokes and Pomegranates
Invitations - Minted
Hair + Makeup - A. Salon Santa Fe
Bridal Gown - Flora Bridal
Bridal Boutique - The Dress Theory
Bride’s Shoes - Kate Spade
Rings - Green Lake Jewelry
Bridesmaid Dresses - Azazie
Groom’s Attire - Beckett and Robb
Groomsmen Attire - Men’s Wearhouse
Ceremony Music - John Martinez
Officiant - Chat Piromnam
Bride’s Hair Pins- BHLDN
Bride’s Earrings- Mejuri
Party Favors- Mick’s Peppourri
Cake - Maggie’s Wedding Cakes
DJ - Leif Darling

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

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

Wedding Inspo - A-line Wedding Gowns

If there’s one thing we know, it’s how universally loved A-line wedding gowns have been the past few wedding seasons. Flattering on every body type and unique for every single bride, this type of gown is the ultimate win-win for every wedding! Whether you’re throwing a huge bash and need a gorgeous gown or making it last name official in a more low-key way and just want a simple dress, A-line bridal gowns are any bride’s best friend! We’ve added all of our favorites, from intricately detailed long-sleeved beauties to minimalistic subtlety detailed gems, our little team has a thing for this style of dress!!

Wedding Dress Designers
Lazaro Bridal
Lilian West by Justin Alexander
Rue de Seine Bridal
Terese Rose Designs
Claire Pettibone
Flora Bridal
Monique Lhuillier
Maggie Sottero
Lea Ann Belter
Lihi Hod

Bridal Boutiques
The Bridal Collection (Denver, CO)
Terese Rose Designs (Albuquerque, NM)
Lovely Bride (Charleston, SC)
Dress Me Bridal (Bullard, TX)
Neiman Marcus
A and Bé Bridal (Dallas, TX)
Low’s Bridal ( Brinkley, AR)
d’Anelli Bridal (Denver, CO)
The White Room (Minneapolis, MI)
Felice Bridal (Colorado Springs, CO)


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

Summer Wedding Gowns

If there's one thing we love almost as much as capturing our stunning, wildly-in-love couples, its seeing the dreamiest wedding gowns ever! We have an endless number of favorite dresses so we've decided to share the best of each season. These summertime beauties caught our eyes and still have us daydreaming about them. Can it be summer all year long?!

Dress Vendors:
Made With Love Bridal
Monique Lhuillier
David's Bridal
Grace Loves Lace
Stella York
Flora Bridal
Kelly Faetanini
BHLDN
Hayley Paige
Casa Blanca Bridal
Reem Acra
Lea-Ann Belter Bridal
Allure Bridal

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