Adam + Shubha, a Colorful Indian Wedding at Four Seasons Santa Fe

When Adam and Shubha reached out to us about their colorful, garden and Southwestern infused Indian wedding celebration, we knew that it would be one to remember. This gorgeous spring day featured touches from both of these lovers’ cultures and lives, making it that much more incredible.

These cuties first met not too long ago in 2019 while both living all the way on the East Coast in Maryland. They fell in love during their long strolls together amid the picturesque views of their city. Soon after, they decided to take even more amazing strolls while traveling to Canada, Seoul, and London in the fall of 2019. Soon after their sweet dogs bonded and these two really became a tiny little family, Adam’s career opportunity brought them all the way to great Southwest. Soon after, they became engaged and the rest is history!

Adam + Shubha not only included a ton of amazing traditional wedding details into their beautiful May celebration, they also let Shubha’s Indian culture deeply influence their nuptials This day started with a colorful and truly amazing Indian wedding ceremony filled with the most stellar bridal attire, dreamy pampas grass, and all the amazing final touches. Soon after this, these cuties also made their day even more official with a modern wedding ceremony and ring exchange. They followed up these pretty ceremonies with a calm, yet beautiful reception with the most wonderful late spring weather.

We so love all of the amazingly unique and special weddings we get to be a part of every single season, cheers to doing the dang thing in the most remarkable way Adam + Shubha!

Vendors
Venue - Four Seasons Santa Fe
Florals - Two Baroque Girls Florals
Hair + Makeup - The Vanity
Indian Ceremony Attire - Khajana Boutique
Ceremony Jewels - Nazranaa Jewels
Reception Jewels - KR Sons
Decor + Rentals - Colorado Party Rentals
Baraat Drummer - Douglas Cardwell
Cake - Chocolate Maven
DJ - Complete Weddings
Lead Photographer - Bre
Second Photographer - Rachel

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

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

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 - 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 - 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

Wedding Inspo - Fall Wedding Florals

With a new season on the horizon, a lush new variety of different wedding color palettes and trends are on our minds. Wedding florals are always one the most diverse, yet versatile wedding detail, especially in the fall. We’ve seen it allll at autumn weddings, from lush neutral colored bridal bouquets with touches of rust to dark and moody shades of red and violet to simple blends of both light and dark tones. We’re on the brink of amazing fall weddings and can’t freaking wait for all the beauty to come this year!!!

Featured Florists
Florigraphy Flowers
Viva Flora
Bagels Florals
Renegade Floral
Placed by Polito
Shannon Loves Flowers
Barton’s Flowers
Stephanie Yardman Floral Design

Weddings + Editorial Sessions by Alicia, Ashley, and Bre of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Fave Weddings - Bre's Picks

Our third photog sister in our little squad is the amazingly talented Bre who, in addition to owning her own newborn/maternity photography company, also second shoots and sometimes lead shoots for our team! She’s helped us capture some of the most fun weddings the last few years and she’s shouted out her fave moments here on the blog!

Shaun + Jessie (coming soon to our blog) at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast- I love how laid back this couple was. They had a small intimate wedding in a gorgeous venue, a bed and breakfast. Their guests were really sweet and fun as well! My favorite guests at a wedding.

Randy + Elizabeth at the Santa Fe Opera- This wedding was very classy, and I loved it! It had the most gorgeous view, and the navy/rose gold combo was to die for!

Scott + Leanne at SITE Santa Fe- This wedding was the most fun of the year. With Scott being in the creative industry as well, he had a lot of image ideas and they were fun! Plus, the fun black and white wall at their venue was so awesome.

Sarah + Oriol at Gerald Peters Gallery - These out of town lovers just had the most beautiful, intimate unique wedding because their ceremony and reception were both at an art museum. I loved it, and his accent!

Photos by Alicia and Bre of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn of Alicia Lucia Photography

Vendor Feature - Hair + Makeup Artists

Wedding days are filled with millions of pretty details, but we personally think our brides always steal the spotlight and it’s thanks to a little help from the incredible, local hair stylists and makeup artists that make these beauties absolutely glow! From full service to single service, these incredible boss babes (and guys too) work extremely hard to make sure brides look like nothing short of goddess from the second they walk down the aisle to the final dance. We adore these vendors and are soooo grateful to have pros that make our jobs on wedding days that much more fun, glamorous, and downright incredible! We love y’all so much!!

Hair + Makeup Artists
Betty Rose by Alanna + Betty Rose by Ashley
Santiago Romero Hair Stylist
Jewel Hair Design
Genica Lee Hair and Makeup
Diana Rose Hair and Makeup (drs color studio)
Monica Stark Makeup
Jacqueline Chavez Makeup Artist (make it jacque)
Chrome Salon and Blowout Bar
Beauty Bar Santa Fe
The Vanity Makeup
Madeline McCue Makeup
Kata Baron Makeup
The Honeycomb Beauty Studio

Wedding Venues
La Posada de Santa Fe
Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm
Paa-ko Ridge Golf Club
La Fonda on the Plaza
SITE Santa Fe
Santa Fe Opera
Inn of the Five Graces
Hacienda Corta Caro
Four Seasons Santa Fe
Gerald Peters Gallery
Sandia Golf Club at Sandra Resort and Casino

Photos by Alicia, Bre, Jen and Ashley of Alicia Lucia Photography
Blog + Photo Curation by Jaclyn Younger of Alicia Lucia Photography

Randy + Elizabeth, a Santa Fe Opera Wedding

Randy and Elizabeth’s love story may have began in San Francisco (where they currently live with their pup Ryno), but these two traveled all the way to sweet Santa Fe, NM for a simple, yet elegant wedding at the ever iconic Santa Fe Opera.

These two met just over four years ago where they bonded over their mutual love for tacos and coffee and after a few years together, Randy proposed on Thanksgiving Day.

Randy and Elizabeth took destination wedding to a whole new level with the most incredible prep and wedding venues. Elizabeth got ready at the quaint and incredible, Hacienda Rose just off downtown Santa Fe (we’re still swooning over this place’s wonderful New Mexican details and endless adobe architecture). We loved Elizabeth’s effortless yet understated glam wedding day style, from her sleek Monique Lhuillier gown accented with a jeweled BHLDN belt to her glitter encrusted Jimmy Choo pumps, this bride knows how to pull off one of our favorite subtle glamorous looks of the year! Elizabeth also included her grandmother’s turquoise broach (that she had purchased in Santa Fe many years ago) on her bouquet as her something blue. We were so excited to capture their first look at the opera and, of course, explore the wildly enchanting grounds for plenty of stunning romantics.

Besides getting to party at the world famous Santa Fe Opera, Randy and Elizabeth’s guests were also treated to a little Jessie Baca and Viva Flora magic including pashmina wraps to keep out the early October chill, the dreamiest guest seating signage, and all the dusty denim/blush/rose gold table accents for days!

We’ll probably never be over this day or these two babes! Congrats Randy + Elizabeth, you two were an absolute dream.

Vendors
Venue - Santa Fe Opera
Bridal Prep Venue - Hacienda Rose
Planning + Coordination - Jessie Baca
Florals - Viva Flora
Rentals + Catering - Adobo Catering
Hair + Makeup - The Vanity
Bridal Gown - Bliss by Monique Lhuillier
Bride’s Shoes - Jimmy Choo
Bridal Accessories - BHLDN
Bridal Boutique - Bridal Galleria (San Francisco)
Groom’s Suit - Zegna
Officiant - Seth Manifredi
Pianist - George Holdcroft
DJ - Cutmaster Music
Transportation - Santa Fe Valet Limosine Service
Second Photographer - Bre Bloomquist

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