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From the Bride…On the day that we got engaged, Mike and I decided that we wanted a small destination wedding in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We took our first vacation as a couple there and felt that the artistic and bohemian feel of the town was perfect for the atmosphere we were hoping to achieve. The Georgia O’Keeffe museum was the ideal venue for our ceremony and served as an inspiration for all aspects of the wedding design. The museum was delighted to have us, and made our day even more special by providing guests with a tour of their special exhibit which included works by Andy Warhol, Alfred Stieglitz, Man Ray, and of course Ms. O’Keeffe herself. Mike is a graphic artist and produced all of the paper products and our invitation suite. He is also an amateur woodworker and made our chuppah in our garage, which he designed to compliment to the natural motifs which were scattered throughout.

After the ceremony we paraded through the Santa Fe plaza with all our guests, led by a Cuban street music guitarist and drummer. We carried a custom “Love Birds” banner made by our wedding planner. She also customized maracas, bells and ribbon wands for a true parade! We then arrived at the Inn of the Anasazi where our reception was held in their lovely library and living room area. The Anasazi’s adobe style interior was the perfect backdrop for our Georgia O’Keeffe inspired wedding – pictures of the artist were displayed on the library shelves beside the rows of books, and framed prints of her bold floral paintings adorned the living room fireplace mantle.

Our guests left us their well wishes by signing our copy of Ms. O’Keeffe’s Poppies which now hangs in our home. We used textures to enhance our design, from the distressed leather deerskin belt I wore over a silk organza Watters gown, to the birch covered pots which held our floral arrangements, to the leafy linen fabric of the table runners (which was also used as the “roof” of our wedding canopy).

Our wedding planner helped us both with the organization of our day and its design. Jessie is truly an artist and brought our Santa Fe organic bohemian meets modern art wedding to life – she transformed our vague ideas (“make it pretty, make it earthy, and give us a little Georgia”) into one coherent, consistent style where every bit appeared to be carved from the same desert stone. She even posted a succulent planter DIY from our wedding on her blog so you can see how some of the woodsy elements came to life.

Ceremony Venue: Georgia O’Keeffe Museum / Reception Venue: Inn of the Anasazi / Wedding Dress: Watters / Deerskin Belt: Mano Bello / Event Design + Coordination: MARRIED by Jessie Abrams Baca / Wedding Photography: Kristen Williams of Articulate Photo / Floral Design: Margaret Bost of Santa Fe Floral / Stationery: The Groom / Musicians: Savor / Wedding Cake: The Plaza Bakery

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Post tags: Articulate Photo, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Inn of the Anasazi, Mano Bello, Married by Jessie Abrams Baca, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Floral, Savor, The Plaza Bakery, Watters
Post categories: Casual Elegance

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From the Bride…As soon as that ring was on my finger (and maybe a teensy bit before), I developed a minor obsession with wedding blogs. I spent countless hours at work home gathering inspiration, and it was probably one of the best decisions I made during the planning process. After a couple months of blog stalking, I had a collection of inspiration photos that were helpful in conveying our ideas to our wedding team. Thankfully, our venue was so beautiful that it didn’t need a lot of decoration, which allowed us to focus our budget on areas that were more important to us (like our amazing photography).

For our centerpieces, my mother and I collected approximately 90 white bud vases, and grouped them on top of squares of navy blue lace fabric that my mother-in-law sewed for us. Probably my favorite detail was our DIY flower pot escort cards/favors. The flowers were made of seeded paper that guests were encouraged to take home and plant to keep our love “growing.” We displayed wedding photos from our parents (both married almost 40 years!) and our siblings’ weddings on our guest poster table. I absolutely loved it.

To us, our wedding was all about creating a new family while recognizing the family and friends that made us who we are. In the end, it really didn’t matter what our decorations looked like. The overwhelming love and support we felt from our family, friends, and each other was the only thing on our minds.

Wedding Coordinator: Lynn Altbaum of Pure Planning / Ceremony + Reception Location: Inn at Rancho Santa Fe / Wedding Photography: Josh and Ariel of Anika London / Wedding Videography: Darryl Yee of Epic Affair / Ceremony + Reception Music: Promotion Entertainment / Furniture Rentals: Concepts Event Design / Floral Design: Robin Mathis of Twigg Botanicals / Wedding Cake: VG Donut and Bakery / Churro Cart: Churros El Tigre / Officiant: Tie the Knot Socal, Pastor Kreig Gammelgard / Hair: Kelly Trojnar / Make-up: Rita Nguyen

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Post tags: Anika London, California Weddings, Churros El Tigre, Concepts Event Design, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Epic Affair, Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, Kelly Trojnar, Promotion Entertainement, Pure Planning, Rita Nguyen, Santa Fe, Tie the Knot Socal, Twigg Botanicals, VG Donut and Bakery
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, The Blog

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From the Bride…If I wasn’t a graphic designer, I’d probably be a wedding planner. I’ve always had a passion for party planning….I love the creativity and the attention to detail that is involved in planning an event. In a way, graphic design has a similar process – you have an idea or a vision, brainstorm on what will/won’t work and slowly put together the puzzle pieces to form an end result that is cohesive, unique and pleasing to the eye. This is why I was thrilled to be able to combine my two passions – graphic design and party planning – into one very special project…..our wedding day!

My initial inspiration came from a plant. A succulent to be exact. I have always adored everything about succulents: the blue/green colors, the variety of shapes/sizes, the connection to the southwest and the fact that they are not necessarily a cactus, a plant or a flower – but some sort of beautiful and unique combination of all three. In my wedding research, I came across a beautiful bouquet that incorporated succulents – along with billy balls (craspedia), white peonies and scabiosa pods – and I knew this would be the basis for our entire wedding theme. “Casual, rustic, elegance” – were the terms I used in describing my wedding day vision. My husband, Kji (pronounced Kye) and I are both laid back, outdoorsy types – who shy away from anything formal and stuffy – so we knew our wedding needed to have a casual and relaxed atmosphere. We chose Bishops Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa in Santa Fe, NM as our venue – for it’s rustic, ranch like setting and it’s ability to host both the ceremony and reception and allow all our guests to stay where all the events were taking place. I grew up in Santa Fe and my family still lives there – so it holds a special place in my heart and I felt it embodied the “casual, rustic, elegance” theme perfectly.

All of this hard work and planning lead to the most beautiful, most perfect day of our lives. There were certainly some set backs – like the fact that the entire state of New Mexico was basically burning down from all the forest fires in the vicinity (there was even a fire that popped up the DAY of the wedding only 5 miles from the wedding site!) – but none of that really affected much (except that we got an amazing photo with a smoke plume in the background!) and the day went off without a hitch. Brett Butterstein’s did an incredible job documenting the day …his focus on light and shadows combined with the unique New Mexico architecture, created the most breathtaking photos and really captured everything perfectly. All in all – it was the best wedding we’d ever been to (though I suppose we could be a bit biased) and I couldn’t have asked for more!

Wedding Photography: Brett Butterstein Photography / Flowers: Margaret Bost Floral Design / Ceremony + Reception Location: Bishops Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa / Invitations + Paper Products: Sweet Nature Designs + Etsy / Bride’s Shoes: Seychelles / Wedding Dress: Watters via Anna Be / Band: Missed The Boat / Photo Booth: Photo Booth Rentals of New Mexico / Hair + Make-up: Rock Paper Scissor Salon / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s + Groomsmen Suits: J.Crew / Flower Girl Dresses: The Briar Patch / Accessories + Jewelry: Etsy / Pies: Chocolate Maven / Custom Pint Glasses: Custom Glassware +  Sweet Nature Designs

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Post tags: Anna Be, Bishops Lodge Ranch & Resort, Brett Butterstein Photography, Chocolate Maven, Custom Glassware, Etsy, J. Crew, Margaret Bost Floral Design, Missed The Boat, New Mexico, Photo Booth Rentals of New Mexico, Rock Paper Scissor Salon, Santa Fe, Seychelles, Sweet Nature Designs, The Briar Patch, Watters
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Destination Weddings

see more of the pretty details here!

From the lovely, lovely Bride…

It was important for Kyle and I to reflect two things: love and family. We wanted an intimate wedding in a romantic, organic place – Santa Fe stole our hearts. Our wedding day was chaotic, yet calm… filled with laughter and genuine emotion. We are the luckiest.

The decor was inspired by our love for succulents, bohemian vintage design and our American Indian/Irish heritage. Kyle and I hand selected everything from the vintage amber jars to the herringbone kitchen towels. Etsy, vintage shopping and DIY projects saved us. We meticulously designed the invitations, ceremony cards and menu cards (with the help of Suann Song of Simple Song Designs). We successfully incorporated our personalities through each piece …”the good stuff” – ceremony programs, “the yummy stuff” – menu cards, “the sweet stuff” – cake table.

Kyle and I met on St. Patty’s Day and coincidentally, our families are both Irish. We chose to reflect this by tying miniature gold four leaf clover charms to the invitations and menu cards. Photos of our grandparents were clipped to the menu cards with a “love” clothespin and American Indian feathers were used for added detail. Buckeye seeds (a good luck charm in American Indian folklore) were hand picked by my grandmother and strewn together in groups of 15, to represent the day Kyle and I met. They were placed on the ceremony programs and kept by guests. The bouquet and reception flowers were inspired by my favorite store, Anthropologie. peaches, creams, purples, yellows, pinks … a true bohemian combination.

The ceremony was intimate and meaningful. Kyle and I stood on an American Indian rug and guests were seated on rustic wooden benches. An acoustic guitar strummed our favorite songs and “five promises” were read to replace traditional vows. A unique feature – our first dance immediately followed the vows. For the reception, guests were seated at a long table covered in a natural linen tablecloth and burlap runner. Vintage amber jars, driftwood, turquoise votives, succulents and chunky flowers decorated the table. The food was home style with a New Mexican twist – steak/halibut, mashed potatoes, green beans, calabacitas, green chile cornbread and pecan pie.

Ceremony and Reception: Encantado Resort / Photographer: Jesse Leake / Flowers: Andrea Soorikian Design / Wedding Coordinator: Alicia Troxell of Barnwood & Birch / Paper Goods: Suann Song of Simple Song Design / Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Shoes: J. Crew / Suit: Brooks Brothers

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Post tags: Andrea Soorikian Design, Barnwood & Birch, Brooks Brothers, Encantando Resort, J. Crew, Jesse Leake Photography, New Mexico, Priscilla of Boston, Santa Fe, Simple Song Design
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Casual Elegance, Cultural Beauty, Real Weddings

I think a lot of women probably go into their wedding planning with the idea that it’ll take at least a year. So, let me be the one to assure you it can be done in three months, with a lap top and iphone, while running hockey summer camps with your fiance, in rinks with extremely sketchy internet and phone service. Ladies, it can be done! We picked two dates that we loved in September and began the journey of wedding planning. I remember researching places that we might want to get married. We spent hours upon hours on the internet researching cities and resorts that fit our vision of our wedding day.

There were many places that we loved, but there was just something about Santa Fe and specifically, the Encantado Resort. It looks so peaceful, romantic, organic, chic and serene. It was all the things that we wanted in our day. Once we decided on the Encantado Resort and luckily our quickly approaching day just happened to be available, we received a list of recommended vendors from the wedding coordinator at the Encantado Resort.

It is amazing how important a wedding vendors website is when you’re planning a wedding from 1,917 miles away from the wedding site, without being able to meet anyone in person. I think we had a very similar experience when picking vendors as we did while choosing a resort. We wanted to see who could see our vision, understand it and most importantly make our “vision” a reality. We were looking for a wedding that reflected who we are as a couple. Simple yet elegant. Never overstated, yet delicate and beautiful.

Our wedding was elegant, natural and romantic just as we imagined. An arch of willow-tree filled with fresh herbs and blooms in tones of lavender, white, ecru and silver with accents of green framed the alter to perfection. Our spanish guitarist set the mood and provided entertainment at our ceremony and cocktail hour. We always wanted a small, intimate wedding which we received in our nineteen guests of close family and friends. Since we chose a small wedding we had the benefit of using the courtyard for both our cocktail hour and reception, it was more like a dinner party, which we loved.

Of course not everything on your wedding day will be perfect, there is always something or in my case someone missing. A few years ago my older sister, Bridgitte, passed away very suddenly. I always thought she would be standing by my side as my maid of honor on my wedding day and now I was faced with the reality that I had one vision that couldn’t come true no matter how hard I tried. I have many wonderful friends that would have stood up with me on that day, but to me no one could fill her shoes. It fit us best to not have a wedding party and I think that’s a good thing for couples to remember, you don’t have to follow every tradition. Let your wedding represent you and your fiance. We did find some great ways to include Bridgitte into our ceremony and reception, which was extremely important to us. Our officiant, Martha, suggested mentioning Bridgitte in our ceremony to acknowledge what we were all thinking about that day, and that was her absence there. She was definitely right, on that day she was respectfully acknowledged in the ceremony and although there were tears, it was so nice to think of her during that moment. I also had Andrea place a small charm with the letter “B” on my bouquet, so I could feel her presence with me as I walked down the aisle.

People always say to enjoy every moment in your wedding day because it is over before you know it. I never believed this could be true, until my day arrived and was over in what felt like an hour! It’s amazing how fast time flies when you’re enjoying the company of friends and family, over great food, wonderful music and, of course, cocktails. I remember the day we received our photos and slideshow from Kitty and Craig, we relived our wedding all over, and over and over! The photos were just stunning. Their style is documentary- which isn’t for everyone- but it was exactly what we were looking for. Their photos are not just pictures, they are artwork. In the end our memories were all captured to perfection. We can not thank them enough.

We want to thank all of our vendors for making our vision a reality and helping us to achieve our dream.

Dress by: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Pedro Garcia / Groom’s Suit: Burberry / Photography: Twin Lens / venue: Encantado Resort / flowers: Andrea Soorikian Design / Invitations: Bella Figura / officiant: Martha Spring / d.j.: Absolute Entertainment

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Post tags: Absolute Entertainment, Andrea Soorikian Design, Bella Figura, Encantado Resort, Martha Spring, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Twin Lens
Post categories: Casual Elegance

This wedding has an altogether joyful, stylish vibe that I just love. Lots of pretty details, a stunning setting and one very happy couple…

Now, normally I like to wrap up a wedding with a photograph of the newlyweds, but I just couldn’t resist this image of the bride Lauren. Sorry David… but your new wife is just having too much fun… love it.

***

Credits: Flowers by Andrea Soorikian Design, Ceremony and Reception location Encantado Resort, Wedding Coordination byHeidi Anderson, Cake by Maggie’s Cakes, Dress by Vera Wang, Shoes by Manolo Blahnik, Music from Sauce, Invitations and Paper Goods by Ceci New York, Calligraphy by Betsy Dunlap and last but not least, photography by Kitty and Craig Fritz from Twin Lens.

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Post tags: Encantado Resort, Manolo Blahnik, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Twin Lens
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Real Weddings

From the bride, Lauren…

The ceremony was my favorite part of the entire day. Dark-colored storm clouds rolled in a few hours before that looked quite ominous for rain (August in New Mexico is known for afternoon showers). We certainly lucked out though because the storm never made its way to the Encantado, yet the clouds created an awesome backdrop for spectacular photos.

Luckily for all us, the jaw dropping doesn’t stop with the ceremony. Lauren was inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting, “White Trumpet Flower”, so she hired Santa Fe floral designer, Andrea Soorikian, to turn her vision into reality and create an evening that was as expressive as the painting itself.

From Lauren…

Overall I wanted the look to be very natural and organic: grasses, succulents, driftwood, pods, etc, with tonal cream blooms, complemented by tons of candlelight. I wanted the floral arrangements to each be unique, so we had a mix of tables with varied vessels to adorn each. The round tables had rectangular wood vases or bamboo bowls, while the long tables had an arrangement of driftwood, white blooms and greens running down the length of each table. I had my heart set on creating a “tree” for the place card table, which I found out is no easy task. Thankfully Andrea did not shy away from the challenge and went above and beyond to create the most gorgeous orchid tree I could have ever imagined!

Credits: Flowers by Andrea Soorikian Design, Ceremony and Reception location Encantado Resort, Wedding Coordination by Heidi Anderson, Dress by Vera Wang, Calligraphy by Betsy Dunlap, photography by Kitty and Craig Fritz from Twin Lens.

More photos of the gorgeous reception coming up next.

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Post tags: Calligraphy, Encantado Resort, New Mexico, Orchids, Outdoor Wedding, Santa Fe, Twin Lens
Post categories: Casual Elegance

From the bride, Lauren…

Santa Fe holds a special place in my heart as I grew up visiting there. It was also the destination of one of our first trips together, so the location was an easy answer for us. Overall, we wanted to create an event that was natural, laid-back, was understatedly elegant, and most importantly, was a fun celebration for all! With the help of some fabulous vendors, we were able to do just that… The very first thing I did was research photographers. I have always been drawn to photojournalistic-style photography as I love seeing background moments and candid shots that might otherwise be missed. I fortuitously stumbled upon Kitty and Craig and instantly fell in love with their amazing talent. They also just so happened to be locally based to Santa Fe, so the partnership could not have been more perfect! They were such a joy to work with during our engagement photo session and the wedding weekend, not to mention extremely easy-going and just plain cool as a couple.

Coming up next, some stunning photographs from the ceremony…

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Encantado Resort, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Twin Lens
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Destination