Best Ever Bolognese SauceOne of my favorite types of weddings are those I describe as indoor garden. They take the beauty of nature and the great outdoors and funnel all that goodness into a venue like the Inn and Spa at Loretto in Santa Fe. The result is blooms for days by Artichokes and Pomegranates and images by Twin Lens that will make a visit to the gallery a total must.
From the Bride…Will and I got engaged in Santa Fe in front of the St. Francis Cathedral while we were in town visiting my parents. We had been dating for eight years when he popped the question (but I was still completely shocked somehow!), so we had plenty of time to think about what kind of wedding we wanted to have when we finally took the plunge.
We always knew we wanted an intimate destination wedding with close family and friends but we weren’t exactly sure what the right destination would be. After researching spots in Mexico and Belize, it hit us that Santa Fe was the perfect location for our nuptials. I’d grown up going to Santa Fe on family vacations, my parents had just moved there full-time, we’d gotten engaged there and it was just a short flight away from Texas, where most of our guests would be coming from. Not to mention, the gorgeous summer climate in Santa Fe would be a welcome change from the sweltering heat in Houston, where we and many of our guests live.
After deciding on Santa Fe and a summer wedding, we started visiting venues in Santa Fe and researching wedding planners. Since we’d be doing most of our wedding planning from a distance, I knew we would need a great, creative person on the ground in Santa Fe to help us with the details. We met our wedding planner, Jessie Baca, in a coffee shop in Santa Fe a few weeks after getting engaged and we just clicked. She’s the super creative ying to my organized, logistical-minded yang and we couldn’t have been happier to work with her.
Jessie’s first vendor suggestion was husband/wife photographer duo, Twin Lens. After viewing their website, we knew that we had to have them photograph our wedding festivities. Kitty and Craig were such a joy to work with and we were just blown away by the photos they took of our special day. Although I’d always pictured exchanging vows outdoors, the Loretto Chapel’s French gothic architecture and “miraculous staircase” were just too stunning and special to pass up. The Inn and Spa at Loretto is right next door to the Loretto Chapel and was a logical choice for our reception site. Their southwestern decor and pueblo-style design were picture-perfect Santa Fe and exactly what we’d had in mind for our guests.
The overall feel of our wedding was laid-back, vintage, rustic fun. Artichokes and Pomegranates made my floral vision a reality, with loose, pretty arrangements of flowers (THOSE DAHLIAS!) and herbs in a variety of sizes. Almost all of the bud vases were vintage pieces that my mother already had from years of antiquing and collecting. We used succulents from our Welcome Party the night before to accent the flowers and add a southwest element to our tablescapes, along with beautiful birch wood slices provided by Jessie Baca.
We had about 85 guests at the wedding, which was the perfect size for us. After the ceremony, our guests were led to the outdoor cocktail hour by an all-female mariachi group, Mariachi Buenaventura. Following a seated dinner, the reception became a huge dance party, thanks to our wedding band, Santa Fe’s own Soulstice. Our “party shades” were the biggest hit of the night and all our guests loved wearing the multi-colored sunglasses as they danced the night away. At the end of the evening, Will commandeered one of our guests’ motor-scooters for a spin around the dance floor. It was a hilarious moment in a perfect day that we and our guests will never forget!
Photography: Twin Lens | Wedding Planning: Jessie Baca | Ceremony Location: Loretto Chapel | Reception Location: Inn and Spa at Loretto | Floral Design: Artichokes and Pomegranates | Cake: Chocolate Maven | Band: Soulstice | Hair + Make Up: Jess Evans | Mariachi: Mariachi Buenaventura | Mr. and Mrs. + Just Married Signs: Jamie Gordon West | Photo Booth: Photo Booth Rentals of New Mexico | Getaway: Santa Fe Pedi Cabs | Save the Date, Invitation Suite, Table Numbers and Escort Cards: Sicily Easton | Calligraphy: Karla Hamilton | Wedding Dress: Watters | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew | Bridesmaid Jewelry: Kendra Scott | Groom + Groomsmen Suits: Jos. A. Bank
J.Crew and Watters are members of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.
