Wedding Inspo - 5 Albuquerque Venues to Fall in Love With

Even though the past few wedding seasons have been filled with the most magical destinations both near and far from our beloved New Mexico, there’s nothing quite like The Land of Enchantment, especially our sweet little hometown of Albuquerque.

While we do spend a huge amount of time up north in Santa Fe, we never say no to enchanting celebrations in the city where everything started for us over a decade ago. On the surface, Albuquerque may not seem like a typical wedding destination, but if you you peek around all of its little corners you’ll be absolutely astonished with the divine wedding venues hidden in our quaint city. From heavenly lavender farms to epic historical landmarks to tranquil gardens, Albuquerque is truly a haven for wedding nuptials.

We couldn’t resist the chance to feature just a glimpse of a few of the Albuquerque wedding venues that continually take our breath away, season after season. Our hearts beat just a little faster every time we get to capture love at these incredibly special locations and we’re forever crossing our fingers for even more “I dos” at a few of our favorite gems.

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Venue - National Hispanic Cultural Center
Located right near downtown Albuquerque, this historic location is known for its grandiose performing arts center, unique architecture, and rich history. However, one of the many details we love so much about National Hispanic Culture Center is the way that it also makes for the most perfect of wedding locations. Its blend of soft garden touches and stunning southwestern flair makes it truly the best of both worlds.

Venue - Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm

While this world renowned lavender farm needs no introduction, we simply can’t help falling madly in love with it time and time again. With its downright bewitching grounds (including an endless lavender field, iconic silos, and countless gardens) this beauty is a place we are always able to find a little bit more charm in every single time we visit. We can’t wait for more of our darling couples to become as spellbound with Los Poblanos as we have been for all of these years.

Venue - Casas de Sueños + San Isidro de Capilla
We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to feature one of the most entrancing wedding location combination we’ve ever laid eyes upon. The pure white, non-denomination beauty of San Isidro de Capilla makes for the perfect blank canvas for any couple desiring a classic wedding chic feeling that still lends perfectly to the even the most modern of fêtes. And truthfully, we think that one of the most delightful ways to follow up a ceremony in this Albuquerque staple is with an al fresco celebration at Casas de Sueños, a tiny garden known for its irresistible beauty. This little spot is close enough to the stunning bosque, yet far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city, making it the most quaint location.

Venue - Old Town Farm
Perfectly tucked away right near Old Town Albuquerque, this darling little venue is truly the most peaceful of locations. From its stellar red barn to its tiny corn field to vast grounds, Old Town Farm is captivating beyond belief. And if its charming features weren’t enough, this alluring little spot perfectly reflects all of New Mexico’s seasons with its constantly changing foliage.

Venue - Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town
Last, but never least is one of our all time favorites and one of the first venues we ever photographed. Hotel Albuquerque is known for its incomparable beauty, from its Spanish-inspired ceremony pavilion to its stunning, open-air garden, to its famous architecture. We adore this space and the way that couples have continually loved it year after year. We couldn’t dream up a more romantic setting to make if official in the heart of Albuquerque.

Jay + Jordyn, a Stunning White Mesa Engagement

We got to spend one of our first 2022 engagements with long-time sweethearts Jay and Jordan. Going back to one of our favorite little desert locations with these stunners made for the absolute perfect winter evening.

These hunnies first met while they were both students at West Mesa High School here in Albuquerque, NM and have been together ever since. Over the last decade of being in love, Jordan and Jay have not only traveled the world together and started their little life together, they’ve also welcomed their sweet little girl, Sophia, into their family.

We already know that Jordan and Jay’s fall wedding at Old Town Farm will be one for the books, we can’t freaking wait for all the beauty.

Location - New Mexico
Makeup - Jackie Sue Makeup
Photographers - Carissa + Jacqueline A.

Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Wedding Inspo - Top 5 Albuquerque Wedding Venues

Albuquerque has been our number one spot for weddings and elopements over the last ten seasons and let’s just say that the cutie venues here never disappoint. Our sweet little city has some of the dreamiest places to say “I do” and we’re constantly blown away by the magical celebrations we get to capture at each of them.

From tiny little farms to lavender gardens to elegant hotels to quiet gardens, there truly is a venue in Albuquerque for every single couple out there. If you’re more of the classic, romantic type, Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town might be perfect for you, but if you’re more of a quaint, rustic kind of lover, Old Town Farm could be your jam. And if you’re looking for a historic, otherworldly place to elope or have a tiny wedding, the ever stunning Los Poblanos could make your dreams come true.

Every single time we visit these sweet little venues we’re reminded of why we adore Albuquerque so much and special this city really is to us. We can’t wait for even more lovers to tie the knot at these incredible spaces!!!

Featured Venues + Love Stories
Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town - Owen + Amelia and Zach + Coli
Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm - Evan + Jocelyn
Casa Perea Art Space - Ysidro + Celestina
Old Town Farm - Russell + Katie and Brad + Kenna
Casas de Sueños - Zach + Coli

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

Where to Elope in New Mexico - A Few of Our Fave Venues

In the aftermath of 2020, so many soon-to-be newlyweds are looking towards celebrating just a little bit differently this year. Couples are trading in giant wedding bashes for much smaller, intimate days and we’re so dang here for it. New Mexico is brimming with incredible places to make it last name official, even if its just you and your boo!

From a tiny adobe dwelling in the heart of Old Town to a majestic hacienda high in the mountains of northern New Mexico to a legendary lavender farm, there are so many unique, equally stunning places to finally say “I do” in the Land of Enchantment. We’ve been overwhelmed with inspiration by seeing our couples do the damn thing no matter what and we’ve been dying to share some of the most stellar spots for elopements.

Here’s to all the tiny, unique nuptials out there, we can’t wait to see even more Southwestern elopements!

Featured Love Stories + Venues
Jeremy + Michelle at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Will + Jill at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Zach + Natalie at The Desert Compass
Nate + Symone at Casita de Cacti
Russell + Katie at Old Town Farm
Brad + Kenna at Old Town Farm
Geoff + Jocelyn at Hacienda Doña Andrea
Chris + Emma at Hacienda Doña Andrea

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

Embracing the Seasons for Your Wedding,

*A guest editorial blog contributed by Kiera Dean*

Sometimes it seems as though everyone has a summer wedding, but booking your wedding around a certain season is not always possible. Not only that, but you may want to plan your wedding based on your own favorite season. If you adore the winter or thrive in the spring, you can still create a gorgeous wedding.

Are you looking for some fun and easy ways to incorporate the seasons into your wedding planning? Read on to discover more.

Spring

A spring wedding can be perfect, though you cannot rely on the weather. It might be dazzling sunshine, a little chilly, or you may even get some snow. Whatever the weather, you can embrace the colors of spring. Pretty pastels will be the order of the day, combined with deeper berry accents to offset the gentleness. You can plan to have your photographs outside, but you probably do not want to organize an outdoor reception at this time of year. Instead, bring some soft floral accents indoors to give that spring fling feeling wherever you are.

Summer

A popular time to book your wedding, when planning for summer you will want to be outdoors as much as possible. Choose a boho theme and head to the woodlands or fields for an outdoor wedding, hiring a gazebo to combine the best of indoors and outdoors for your reception. Remember that, for summer weddings, cute little touches like having an ice cream van at your reception and serving a lighter meal are a great idea in the warmer weather.

Autumn

Plan to start your autumn wedding earlier in the day if you want to take advantage of those beautiful colours outdoors. You can have fun with the color scheme of an autumn wedding, as nature provides you with such a rich color palette as it is. Either lean into it by accentuating your bridesmaids’ dresses and decorations with rich oranges, plums and reds, or go for a gentler option with soft, more neutral caramels and apricots. This will look lovely as a bouquet, which you can combine with real autumnal foliage for a unique twist.

Winter

A winter wedding might not be at the top of everyone’s list, but if you happen to get that magical winter wonderland with real snow nothing is more enchanting! It’s risky to plan for real snow to fall, but you can opt for an immersive wintery theme that will make guests feel like they’re in Narnia! Go for fully Christmas vibes with rich reds and golds to accent your wedding dress and decorations, or keep it chic with silvery sparkles. You can also get away with serving food that is a little warmer and cozier.

Don’t forget to think about timings – the amount of daylight you get during the winter is drastically reduced, so you need to factor this into your photo schedule.

Feeling the seasonal inspiration? Whatever time of year you decide to tie the knot, you can turn your wedding into a beautiful reflection of you.

Featured Weddings + Elopements
Jawara + Jasmyn at Los Poblanos
Morgan + Mattie at Las Campanas
Brad + Kenna at Old Town Farm
Conner + Laura at Los Poblanos

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

Wedding Inspo - Groom Style, 4th Edition

Everyone who knows us already knows that we adore featuring our incredibly gorgeous brides all over the blog, but what about the grooms? Every year, we dedicate a special blog to all of the amazing dudes we get to meet on wedding and elopement days and, of course, take the opportunity feature their killer style.

With all of the changes to weddings in 2020, its no surprise that so many of our grooms opted for unique style choices. Whether it was a pastel blue suit, a simple yet breezy dress shirt paired with slacks, a sleek camel coat with boots, or even a classic black tux, all of the stellar outfit choices these handsome fellas made did not disappoint one bit.

We adore getting to see grooms express their personalities on wedding days, even if its through a simple attire choice, we’re beyond hyped to see what 2021 grooms have in store for us!

Our Favorite Groom Attire Designers + Shops
Bonobos
Ralph Lauren
J. Crew
Limatus Bespoke
Don Morphy
H&M
The Black Tux
Tom James
Men’s Wearhouse
Tommy Hilfiger
Kenneth Cole
Suit Supply
Ted Baker
ASOS
Jos A. Banks
Suits Unlimited

Weddings + Elopements by Alicia, Ashley, Bre, and the ALP Team
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 - Romantics We Heart

Valentine’s Day will forever be one of our favorite little holidays around and what better way to celebrate than with some of our favorite lovers from some of the most beautiful days ever?!

Last year we were treated to so much unforgettable magic and a lot of pretty incredible love stories so we absolutely had to take one more chance to put all of our most memorable romantics together in one little blog.

Cheers to love and celebrating its wonder every single day of the year.

Featured Wedding + Elopement Venues and Locations
Ginger Ranch (Fredericksburg, TX)
Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm (Albuquerque, NM)
Sunset Ranch (Fredericksburg, TX)
Hotel Andaluz (Albuquerque, NM)
Casa Perea (Corrales, NM)
Camino Real Ranch (Austin, TX)
The Desert Compass (Albuquerque, NM)
Cannon Beach (Portland, OR)
White Sands National Park (Southern NM)
Downtown Denver (Denver, CO)
Old Town Farm (Albuquerque, NM)
The Olana (Dallas, TX)
Pecos National Historical Site (Pecos, NM)
Camp Lucy (Dripping Springs, TX)
White Mesa (Albuquerque, NM)
Paradise Ranch (Pagosa Springs, CO)

Weddings + Elopements 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