New Mexico Weddings

This next, totally adorbs wedding, captured by the talented Chris Bailey Photography literally has us tickled pink. Keely Thorne Events travelled to New Mexico with our couple, and we’re so happy she did. Keely’s team worked with Andrea Soorikian Design to create a wedding filled to the brim with absolutely peachy keen details. We’ve died and gone to heaven – or at least the lush florals have us thinking so. I swear, you can almost smell their sweet scent right through your computer screen. When you’ve taken in all you can here, pop into the gallery – there’s more!

From the bride … Patrick and I met 2 years ago, the night he told me he was going to marry me. Little did I know, he was right. I had always wanted a small wedding; I don’t like to be in the spotlight so I only wanted close friends and family. Patrick and I had no trouble deciding where we wanted to have the wedding – my parents rented a house in Santa Fe for the month of July and we instantly decided to have our wedding there.

The David Webb signed diamond and sapphire necklace that was passed down to me by me great grandmother was my biggest inspiration for the wedding. It not only provided the canvas for our wedding but was the perfect accessory for my wedding day ensemble. I majored in Art History and used Georgia O’Keefe’s sunset paintings as an inspiration for my bridesmaids dresses and flowers.  I wanted to reflect the beautiful coral and peach skies that O’Keefe painted by incorporating different shades of pink, orange and peach in our wedding.

This perfect wedding weekend would have never occurred if not for for Keely Thorne and her amazing team. She made the entire weekend flow with complete perfection; in fact, I didn’t have a worry in the world on my wedding day because Keely was always two steps ahead of what we might need or problem solving so I didn’t have to! Keely was so supportive and understanding at every moment of the planning process and I cannot thank her enough for listening to my thoughts and ideas and then making each and every one of them come to life!

Venue: Encantado Resort and Spa / Wedding Coordination: Keely Thorne Events / Florist: Andrea Soorikian Design / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Dress: Oscar de la Renta from Casa de Novia / Shoes: Oscar de la Renta / Groomsmen’s Ties: Vineyard Vines / Bridesmaids Dresses: J. Crew / Linens: Distinctive Details / Photography: Chris Bailey Photography / Officiant: Irene Swain / Transportation: Star Limo / Stationery: Sicily Eason / Lighting: Alliance AV / Cakes: The Chocolate Maven / Reception Band: Patrick Smith Band / Ceremony Music: Bellissima String Quartet / Cocktail Hour Music: Bellissima Music / Hair: Keith Campbell / Makeup: Monica Stark of Makeup Santa Fe

We gave you a quick peek at Adrianne & Stephen’s colorful New Mexico wedding from Twin Lens on Sunday, but that was a mere morsel of the complete picture! Self-proclaimed “foodies,” they planned their wedding around delicious cuisine and the beautiful New Mexico scenery!

From Kitty and Craig … Adrianne & Stephen’s New Mexico wedding was the best of all worlds… rustic, fun, simple, elegant. They were married in an art-deco Catholic church in Downtown Albuquerque and then traveled north to the Hacienda Vargas for an outdoor gourmet luncheon and afternoon fiesta. Going through their photos, it’s hard to find a photo without everyone smiling!! We were honored to have documented their beautiful, flawless day.

You can see more of this delightful day on Twin Lens’ Facebook page and in our gallery!

My fiancé Stephen and I always knew we wanted to get married in New Mexico. Though we both have lived in California for most of our lives, he was raised in New Mexico. We wanted to give our wedding guests a chance to get away for a weekend and explore the beautiful NM scenery.

Stephen’s number one priority was to have delicious New Mexican/Mexican food. We both enjoy eating… our shared meals with family, friends, and one another have been a definitive part of our relationship and love for one another. It was only fitting that our wedding would be a chance to share a delicious meal with our close community. After some internet research, I came upon Marja Catering in Santa Fe. We visited her kitchen and instantly knew that she was our woman! She offered us tastings of carnitas and fresh tortillas as we all talked about our favorite places to eat in San Francisco where we had all lived for a few years. We were sold.

Once we settled on Marja as our caterer, our focus was on finding a venue. We looked at a few locations in Santa Fe and Albuquerque but nothing was quite right. Our vision for our wedding day was to have an outdoor reception that was relaxed, and where our guests could enjoy hanging out and grazing on Marja’s delicious food. We also wanted a venue that reflected the natural beauty of New Mexico. We finally found exactly what we were looking for at the Hacienda Vargas. It’s a quaint bed and breakfast right outside of Albuquerque. It has a beautiful outdoor courtyard with huge trees providing cool shade, and spots of bright turquoise fencing. Once the goat on the property noisily welcomed us when we first visited, we knew we’d found our venue! Hacienda Vargas embodied the perfect rustic charm for our wedding. The owners (Cynthia and Spence) were helpful, sweet, and did a fantastic job assisting us with our preparations.

I did some research on photographers but once we met Kitty and Craig of Twin Lens, we knew they were the ones for us. We first met them at their home (just 5 minutes away from Hacienda Vargas) and we were instantly impressed with their photography; not to mention how lovely and warm they are. Their photojournalistic style was exactly what we wanted for the day, especially since we did not plan to have a videographer. After seeing their photographs and trusting that they understood our vision for the day, we could rest easy knowing they would produce fantastic photographs.

My older brother Christian prepared our beautiful invitations. He’s a graphic designer that’s never done wedding invitations but he created our invitations as our wedding present. We gave him a few ideas of what we wanted, what we hoped our wedding day would be, and a copy of our menu. He exceeded all our expectations. He designed an invitation that gave guests an idea of the mood we wanted to set for the day and a sneak peek of the menu and our wedding attire!

The wedding day could not have gone better. Our ceremony was at the Immaculate Conception Catholic church. Its art-deco style and its location in downtown Albuquerque were in wonderful contrast to our rustic, verdant reception location. My cousin is the priest who married us. This was a beautiful, personal touch to our wedding. He’s also really funny which fit the celebratory mood of our wedding day.

While our guests were whisked away to our reception in a tour bus that we provided, we were off with Kitty and Craig for a few portraits in downtown Albuquerque. We stumbled upon a small farmers’ market and decided to pick up a few things. I love Farmers’ Markets so it was only fitting that we stop by on our wedding day. Locals greeted us with some fresh fruit and hearty congratulations. As it turned out, much of down time during the wedding day was spent with Kitty and Craig. We loved talking and hanging out with this beautiful couple. They stealthily captured many lovely moments during our wedding day and we had the utmost trust in them. Many of our guests complimented us, not only on the wedding photos, but also on how unobtrusive and sweet our photographers were. Because of Kitty and Craig’s style and talent, we consider our photos from the day works of art. I still get teary watching the slideshow they prepared for us and many of the photos are hung up in our home to remind us of our wedding day.

Marja’s food did not disappoint. We had a simple buffet of carnitas, beans, tortillas, fresh salsas, and some roasted shisito peppers that Marja happened to find at the farmers’ market that morning. The food was local, fresh, tasty, and almost all our guests – as well as my fiancé and I – went back for seconds. Everyone feasted. Instead of a cake, we opted to serve sundaes and popsicles. These were both a hit. The sundaes were decadent and the popsicles were a nice way for our guests to cool down since the weather was warmer than we expected. Marja’s staff was friendly and so helpful. We only wish Marja had a restaurant so we could enjoy her food again!

Since we really wanted Marja’s food to shine, we kept our tables pretty simple. We named each table after our favorite restaurants, with the bride and groom’s table named after the restaurant where Stephen proposed to me. We wanted to recreate the feel of an outdoor bistro so we opted for butcher paper and crayons on each table. The crayons were a hit with the kids and the adults. Our guests created some beautiful art work and wrote some fun poems on these simple canvasses!

To add a splash of color and in keeping with our overall food theme, our centerpieces were small silver tins filled with delicious tangerines provided by our florist. We gave our guests small burlap bags so they could take some tangerines home. My aunt did a fabulous job putting these centerpieces together! For our wedding favors, Marja prepared tasty New Mexican biscochitos and I printed and laminated the recipe for the cookies so our guests could make them at home.

Thanks to our vendors, our wedding day was a complete success. We were relaxed and because we trusted our vendors so much, we were able to enjoy our wedding day to its fullest!

Photography: Twin Lens / Caterer: Marja Catering / Flowers: Jessie Abrams / Ceremony Location: Immaculate Conception Catholic Church / Reception Location: Hacienda Vargas / Invitations: Bride’s brother, Christian /  Dress: Deborah’s Bridal

Just when we think we have seen about all there is to see when it comes to gorgeous weddings, a beauty like this lands in our inbox and well, we’re back to square one again. Oohing and awing over yet another totally unique, completely beautiful in ever single way wedding. Jesse Leake photographed this wonder so you know it is going to be a total gem plus the Bride and Groom killed it with unique touches that incorporated Native American and Irish traditions all set against an utterly breathtaking Santa Fe, New Mexico backdrop. Can we say FAB -U-LOUS? See more of this beautiful day and every last perfect detail in the gallery.

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

Happy Monday to all!  We have a super week planned for the LBB blog … so many stunning weddings ~ all sharing that same glorious wedding passion!

First up ~ we have Lexy and Steve’s New Mexico wedding from Kitty & Craig at Twin Lens. The depth and the emotion that Kitty and Craig capture in each and every one of their weddings is unparalleled.

You can see, from this first shot just why Lexi and Steve wanted Kitty & Craig to capture their wedding weekend … AND why they decided to hold their wedding in Lexy’s parents’ Albuquerque backyard!

From Lexy …

I know I stand with a countless number of people in saying that my wedding day was the happiest day of my life, but I really don’t know how else to describe it. With all of our amazing vendors and the breathtaking landscape combined with the presence of our beloved friends and family, there was little left to ask for.

The only thing that seemed certain about our wedding was that we wanted to have fun and be relaxed enough to be able to laugh. Beyond that, my fiance and I started with very little.

Location came first. We wanted something a bit out of the ordinary and were hoping for a location with some sentimental value. We started to look at a few locations in Southern California (where we live), when it dawned on us that my parents’ house in Albuquerque, New Mexico backs up to the beautiful Sandia Mountains and has a fantastic multi-level backyard.  New Mexico is definitely out of the ordinary, considering all of our Southern California possibilities, and the sentimental value of my parents’ house seemed obvious. My mother’s excitement for our backyard ceremony idea was contingent upon only one requirement… a wedding planner. My sister suggested that I call Rebeca Reategui. All I can say is that there are not enough words to describe Rebecca’s brilliance as a wedding planner. She was there every step of the way to ensure that every last detail was perfectly in place.

When asking for help finding our wedding vendors in the Albuquerque area, we received some great recommendations from a San Francisco based photographer who spent fifteen years shooting weddings in New Mexico. He only gave us one name for our photographers … Kitty & Craig ~ Twin Lens …

After one look at their website, and one in person conversation, we knew why he only bothered with one recommendation. Craig and Kitty are creative photojournalists with eyes for capturing the moment, exactly what we wanted. They are also two of the most enjoyable people to be with, above and beyond what we expected.

Once we had these delightful people in place, and got to start working on the details, we knew we could embrace our location. One of my favorite things about Albuquerque is the beautiful sunsets ~ they cast an incredibly brilliant glow on the Sandia Mountains.

With this in mind I let my bridesmaids choose any dress they wanted as long as it was somewhere on the color wheel between yellow and red, which actually turned out better than I expected. In the same vein, the groomsmen wore orange ties with tan suits.

Our wonderfully creative florist, Andrea Soorikian, put together fantastic centerpieces. I wanted depth of color and texture which Andrea created from flowers I didn’t know existed before I met her.

Angela Reece, and her crew at Walter Burke Catering, put together the perfect menu with a little southwestern flare. We also had a dessert bar that had even those without a sweet tooth going back for seconds. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

{more of the sweets and florals in their gallery}

Their invitations and accompanying wedding pieces were designed by Elizabeth Hubbell …

Calligraphy by Papineau Calligraphy

This is one of those weddings that we’d love to keep on going and going and going with the photos sent to us by Kitty and Craig. But ~ now that we are able to share the whole gallery with you, we’ll let you check out all the pics right here: Lexy & Steve’s gallery

In the gallery, you’ll see a few shots from the rehearsal dinner as well …

Lexy and Steve’s Wedding Vendors: Photography: Twin Lens ,Wedding Coordinator: Rebecca Reategui, Florist: Andrea Soorikian Design, Caterer: Walter Burke Catering, Invitations: Elizabeth Hubbell Studio, Calligrapher: Papineau Calligraphy, D.J.: Matt Mizell ~ Lighthouse Entertainment, Rehearsal Dinner: Casa Rodena, Gown: Vera Wang

LOVE!!

So ~ if you’re as awed by Kitty and Craig’s work as we are, here are some links to see more …

Lexy & Steve’s Wedding {a fantastic slideshow from Twin Lens}

Twin Lens Website

Twin Lens Facebook page

Style Me Pretty Gallery: Steve and Lexy’s wedding

Style Me Pretty Gallery: More Twin Lens weddings previously published on Style Me Pretty! {23 pages of stunning weddings}

The loveliness of this next wedding is what first caught my eye…the simple details, the pretty and elegant style, the gorgeous bride and the stunning photography by Twin Lens. And yet, it was the bride’s endearing description of her day that actually brought me to tears. This is not only pure eye candy…it’s also a little lesson in planning your wedding with a bit of grace and a bit of beauty.

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

If you’re just now joining us, I’ve been having a bit of a gush-fest about Lauren and David’s beautiful wedding at the Encantado Resort in New Mexico. Santa Fe based photographers Kitty and Craig Fritz from Twin Lens did an amazing job capturing the character, color and elegance of this warm southwestern affair.

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.

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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.

When I saw these photographs by Twin Lens from Lauren and David’s wedding, I just about fell out of my chair. You can do a lot of planning for a wedding… but there are some moments, like the incredible weather for this ceremony, that you just can’t anticipate. So, needless to say, it helps to have an amazing photographer to capture them forever.

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.

So, sorry for the scramble with the previous post… I’ve had a chance to compose myself and now I feel like I can give this wedding a proper introduction. LBB members, Kitty and Craig from Twin Lens, sent us this amazing New Mexico wedding and I have to admit, I’m kind of obsessed. The couple is beautiful, the photographs are extraordinary, the location is breathtaking… it’s a pretty perfect package.

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…

Sorry for the little delay getting everyone their afternoon wedding fix. Abby and Tait are stuck on the train on their way back from New York so we had to do a little shuffling around of our schedule. So, I’m going to cut right to the chase and share this spectacular Santa Fe wedding with you right now…

This stunning wedding was sent to us by Kitty and Craig Fritz of Twin Lens and there is much, much, MUCH more to come in just a few…

“Kitty & Craig ~ How is it possible that you make my wishes come true? Man, when I first set out to plan our wedding, I looked at SMP for a lot of inspiration (hmmm, minus the thousands upon thousands of dollars that some of the brides spend on their weddings). And I said to Mike, “How cool would that be to be on that website”. Never, ever, not even a little bit thinking I’d get slightly obsessed with the whole wedding process. Months later, I was there. Slightly obsessed. Anyhow, long story short, I’d be THRILLED to write up a little blurb and see what happens … Whoopie! See, this just extends all this fun and makes going back to work, gulp, tomorrow, that much more bearable!”

When Mike took me to Santa Fe to meet his mom for the first time, it was love at first sight. I thought, “Here is where I will marry this incredible man.”

Between us, there has always been this feeling of ease and comfort. And while we both love the life we live in Chicago, we wanted our wedding to reflect the same sense of comfort we found in Santa Fe that we found in each other. We are together in part because we have the same priorities; top on the list being family and friends. So, we enlisted our loved ones and their many talents to help us create a day that reflected a “personal touch” and was as lush in love as the garden in which we wed.

Our ceremony took place at the Selby Fleetwood Gallery on Canyon Road. In the initial planning stages, Mike’s mom, Selby, sent us some images of paintings from the gallery and we got hooked on one from an artist we had long admired, Lor Roybal. This image, Adonis and Miranda, became the cornerstone of our wedding.

I borrowed the spiced wine color from the painting when I looked for bridesmaid’s dresses (JCrew) and for the pop of color from my shoes (Kate Spade).

The girls’ flowers, from Artichokes and Pomegranates, were also filled with matching hues.

We used the Adonis and Miranda image on our wedding program fans- a labor of love that took me something like two weeks and a bruised hand (from all that corner punching)! They were worth it, though ~ guests used them as they strolled up Canyon Road to the reception.

My gown was by Marisa. I think it was an older style. It was a sample I got really, really inexpensively and had beautifully fixed up by this wonderful place, Davis Imperial, here in Chicago – they are a wonderful cleaner/tailor/preservation company!

We wanted to honor tradition yet find touches that came uniquely from us, our family and our friends. So we asked Mike’s bandmate and his wife to be our ceremony musicians. They played an acoustic version of Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” as I walked down the aisle. My cousin, who was our ring bearess, carried Mike’s titanium ring and my ruby band (that was his grandmother’s guard ring) in a beautiful ceramic dish created by Paloma’s Nest inscribed with words from “Wildflowers.”

As our numbers grew (115 of our closest came from Kansas to Philly to Spain, including some of my former students) we decided we needed a bigger reception venue and El Farol came to the rescue. El Farol is the oldest restaurant in Santa Fe and legend has it that there are bullet holes in the walls! When an afternoon downpour prevented the party from being outside, we quickly arranged everyone indoors in cozy rooms where an intimate affair took shape. The tables were filled with stunning arrangements done for us as a gift from a close friend of Selby’s. On the morning of the wedding, we all ventured to the farmer’s market to select peonies and wildflowers which were added to the fresh mint, sage and sweet peas from Selby’s home garden.

Our guests filled their plates with flash fried avocados & salsa and seafood paella before dancing to the funky sounds of the Felonious Groove Foundation. One of Mike’s wedding musts (he’s a drummer disguised as a lawyer) was to find a band that would get everyone up and moving and it worked! Our Mayan chile chocolate cakes (3 small round cakes, ours sitting on a vintage cake stand I found a week before the wedding on Ebay!) were from The Chocolate Maven and were like heaven. Instead of a traditional cake topper, we had peg people made to look like us from Naked Peggies on Etsy!

That night, we did just what we wanted: we laughed and loved, hugged and squeezed, danced and ate in the mountains with our loved ones.

You know what else? I totally forgot to add that we used squares of canvas (following the art gallery theme) for our guest book, which guests filled out with a message and hung on clothespins that I modge podged with paper in our colors.

As a wonderful surprise, Mike’s family presented us with Adonis & Miranda, who now live with us in Chicago!

image from Selby Fleetwood Gallery website

To capture the day it was without question that we chose Twin Lens. Mike and I were immediately drawn to Kitty and Craig’s style and their obvious passion for what they do. They went above and beyond , leaving us with the most incredible visual story of our day.

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Congratulations to Amy & Mike on your positively perfect wedding!!! And thank you, as well, for providing all of the details and inspiration behind your planning. We love to hear that our readers have found Style Me Pretty to be instrumental in firing up your creative juices!!

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When Kitty Clark Fritz & Craig Fritz set out to tell your story, they do so with an obvious love of the arts~ no matter the season, the place, or the media. Their artistic flair for not only painting pictures with their cameras, but telling an incredible love story at the same time, distinguishes them as truly, the best of the best! We LOVE Twin Lens Images!  Thank you, guys for always sending us your stunning weddings!

For more of their sensational work, take a look at the FEATURED WEDDINGS on their website.

Here are some links to a few of their weddings previously featured on Style Me Pretty and The Little Black Book Blog …

Elle & Kevin’s Glamorous Affair (think Fred Astaire + Audrey Hepburn)

Renae & Alex’s New Mexico Hacienda Celebration

Elizabeth & Johnny’s Wedding (Elizabeth’s only rule? No Glue Guns! 5-part feature on SMP)

Eleana & Avi’s stunning Jewish traditions

A humongous thank you to Elizabeth and Johnny for letting us share in their absolutely lovely celebration. And, to Kitty and Craig Fritz of Twin Lens for sending us the awe inspiring photographs. Spending the morning with you guys was a complete and total delight! Here are a few more bits of eye candy and some fun details from Elizabeth and Johnny’s affair!

We had people to tell us we should cut costs by asking a friend or an art student to take the pictures, and I am thrilled that we completely ignored that advice. We set out looking for photographers who could really capture the essence of the day. Cheesy photos of wedding parties jumping in the air and grooms dipping their brides didn’t interest us. We wanted the pictures to not only remind us of how we felt during the celebration, but to convey to those who couldn’t make it a real sense of what it was like to be there. Johnny and I are both novice photographers, and we love a more photo-journalist style.  Kitty and Craig absolutely exceeded our expectations. Not only were they in the thick of everything, but they pulled it off without being the least bit intrusive. They were like ninja photographers! And the pictures represent the day so intimately and honestly, people joyfully tear up when looking at them. The added bonus of them living in the very same New Mexico village where our wedding was held was simply too serendipitous to ignore.

And, some last words that are SO important for every bride on a budget to remember…

Using the resources you have, hunting for great deals, going to local businesses rather than large wedding retailers, and incorporating the talents that you have and the talents of others close to you – all of this is my best advice for creating a wedding that is not only affordable but that is truly your own.

The last thing I would add is that all of the guests made comments about how wonderful the rain was, affirming my belief that working with unplanned events (rather than trying to fight against them), is the best practice. Brides in particular get so caught up in the day being ‘perfect.’ We were rained on, ran people from courtyard to tent back to courtyard, had technical difficulties with the father-daughter dance, had to improvise a plan to fill water glasses, my bustle broke, my dress got muddy, the bus showed up too early to take guests back to the hotel, just to name a few mishaps… and it was the most spectacular day of my life. At least 20 of our guests told me that the evening was “just perfect,” and I couldn’t agree more.

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

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Couldn’t have said it better myself!! Coming up next, we are announcing the Crate and Barrel Favorite Four Giveaway Winners!!! And later today, we have another pretty killer giveaway…in the meantime, check out the AWESOME Gourmet Invitations Giveaway on the Little Black Book Blog!

So much to love from today’s featured affair. First of all, the incredible photography. I know that I’ve said it a million times today, but I am totally and completely smitten with Kitty and Craig Fritz of Twin Lens. Their work is always breathtaking, always captivating. Partner their talents up with a couple that is as gorgeous as they are completely cool…and the result is total perfection!

From Elizabeth, the lovely, lovely bride…

We found that buying silverware at thrift stores was more than 50% cheaper than renting it.  We provided one fork, knife and spoon for each guest, and picked up cool serving utensils as we stumbled upon them – all in all about 375 pieces of silverware.

We borrowed napkins from my cousin. She had used them at her wedding, which was also deluged by a heavy rainstorm. There was speculation among my family members that perhaps the napkins brought the rain with them…

It was my little sister’s idea to name our tables after some of our favorite jazz musicians, a passion Johnny and I share. The night that we met we had a lengthy conversation about the film ‘Sweet and Lowdown,’ and our love for the swing era. The head table was then named after the (fictional) lead characters from that film, Emmet Ray and his love, Hattie. The lanterns came from a decor hunt Johnny and his mother went on in Johnny’s hometown of Durango. The jars and bottles we collected at antique stores and garage sales during our engagement. Julie had sage bushes in her yard, so we used branches from them in the jars, and then attached the table markers to the branches with clothespins.

Our desserts were made by three of our friends. One of them made the wedding cake, her first ever attempt, to rave reviews! It was a chocolate-cocoa cake with buttercream frosting and fresh berries. The coconut cake in particular was too delicious to be described. Finally our third baking friend made cookies and mini cheesecakes for those who prefer something other than cake.

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

We have so much more eye candy to share with you today but before I get into all of that, head on over to the Little Black Book Blog for an AWESOME giveaway by Gourmet Invitations!

We are love, love, loving Elizabeth and Johnny’s featured affair today. I have to admit, it was the incredible photography shot by Twin Lens that first caught my attention…and then, as I read more about the wedding, I realized that it was the ridiculously lovely, completely creative couple that made each photograph shine.

We had a friend growing flowers as her gift to us (as well as for her own personal edification as a novice gardener). We basically found images of flowers that we thought we pretty, and she planted as many of them as she could find. We knew some of them might not grow in the desert, so we developed a plan B of using supermarket bouquets to fill out our floral arrangements. This is ultimately what we ended up doing – combining flowers from Julie’s garden with flowers from Whole Foods to make bouquets, boutineers, and a few table arrangements. We didn’t really need many flowers for decor, as our location was a lush, garden setting. If you think about the average wedding bouquet costing around $250, a few bunches at $15-$20 a piece becomes a really great deal.

My dress was actually a contemporary gown by Lian Carlo. I found it at Belltown Bride in Seattle, ‘a discount bridal boutique.’ The owner sells overstock and sample dress, all of them quite affordable as wedding gowns go. My sisters came with me, and we were on a mission as it was about 10 weeks to the wedding. I had pretty strained dress experiences up to that point, but I found about 5 different possible dresses at this shop. The dress I chose was the one with absolutely no cons on the pros & cons scale. The flower accessory was a bouquet belt from Jcrew (my secret addiction). I thought it made the flower embroidery on the bodice come to life.

Johnny’s suit came from a vintage shop in San Diego called Wear it Again Sam. It’s from the late 1940’s. As a member of the band Le Chat Lunatique, Johnny owns a number of suits for playing gigs with this dapper quartet. He originally bought the suit just because he loved it and his band gives him the perfect excuse for owning gorgeous attire.

So much more to come!

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

“My only rules going into this were no glue guns and no fondant.”

Classic first words from today’s gorgeous bride as she described her vision to Kitty and Craig of Twin Lens Images. The bride wanted a wedding that was all about the love, all about the romance. And most importantly, all about the friends and family that they shared their life with. And the result captured my heart completely!

Elizabeth, the bride, has been sweet enough to share some really beautiful details from her wedding….

It’s funny because we never really talked about a particular theme, but rather just making the wedding a representation of who we are as individuals and as a couple. At one point in the planning process I read something about having a theme, and we decided that if we had one it was likely to be “thrift store chic.”

The most important thing to both of us was to truly involve our families, friends and community in the event. So many weddings feel like a party you just show up at, where you are completely catered to, and where everything matches perfectly. That approach works for a lot of couples, but for us those ideas lend a feeling of being disconnected from the event itself.

I read a lot, and as I read about weddings, I learned that in the early part of the 20th century a wedding was likely to be a gathering of the community with everyone bringing some sort of contribution. Whether it was food or clothing or flowers, or giving their time and energy, everyone pitched in. That was the feeling we wanted to create – that of a truly collective experience and celebration.

Johnny (who is a musician in local jazz band, “Le Chat Lunatique”) and I have many of our own interests, but it was our shared joys that really influenced the wedding. One of our first conversations included a chat about how we both feel we may have been born in the wrong era, and our strong connection to the 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. He’s the only man I’ve ever known who chops wood, drives a pick up, goes mountain biking, yet also understands and loves fashion almost as much as I do.

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

Today’s featured affair, shot by the FABULOUS Kitty and Craig of Twin Lens, is all about the romance. The pure, gorgeous, jump for joy romance. Before we get into details, I just wanted to take a pause and share these absolutely incredible photographs that Twin Lens captured…

Aren’t they right out of a movie? Whenever Twin Lens sends us a wedding, I always have the same dilemma…I get so caught up in the photography, the absolutely breathtaking wall-art-worthy images of the couple, that I can’t ever figure out how to show you the details, all of which are equally amazing. There is just something about the candid photographs that they capture that steal my heart each and every time.

Not to worry though, we’ll be back in a bit with all of the incredible details from today’s affair!

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

One of my very favorite movies (get ready for some serious cheese people) is The Notebook. I swear I’ve seen it 20 times and anytime that it’s on TV, I find myself falling head over heels in love with it all over again. And when I opened the wedding that we are featuring tomorrow, I instantly saw that same vintage romance, that same total and unabashed love. So needless to say, I swooned.

Here is a little sneaky peek of the ridiculously in love couple…

The amazingly talented team at Twin Lens captured these photographs and aside from being total photography geniuses, they also shoot from the unque husband and wife perspective…so each catches all of the little nuances, all of the little details to perfection. More to come!

Today we are sharing the fantastic work of Kitty and Craig Fritz from Twin Lens Images. They have documented Avi and Eleana’s traditional Jewish wedding and celebration with unerring sensitivity and charm. It is now time to celebrate the marriage …

The Festive Meal or Seudah

It is considered a mitzvah (the fulfillment of a divine commandment) for guests to bring simcha (joy) to the bride and groom on their wedding day.

There is much music and dancing as the guests celebrate with the new couple; some guests entertain with feats of juggling and acrobatics.

Although the wedding feast is, in itself, a mitzvah, the emphasis is on entertaining the newlyweds. By dancing around the bride and groom, the community expresses its support for the couple.

As a part of the Jewish people, the newlyweds never need fear facing life alone.

We have only touched upon a few of the traditions of the Jewish wedding. We truly thank Eleana and Avi & Kitty and Craig for allowing us a glimpse into this very special day. The emotions and the heartfelt love is so prominent throughout the entire sequence of images from Twin Lens ~ Kitty & Craig, you really ARE the best!

The LOVELY flowers for this wedding were designed by Little Black Book vendor, Margaret Bost ~ floral design of Santa Fe. Event planning was by Heidi Anderson of Santa Fe Soiree. And again, the amazing wedding venue was the Allen Houser Compound.

Twin Lens, Kitty and Craig, are based in New Mexico but shoot weddings … everywhere! Their website is filled with more featured weddings depicting their unmistakable style and talent!

Kitty and Craig Fritz from Twin Lens photography sent us some of the most elegantly captured images from Eleana and Avi’s wedding day. They also included the significance behind a few of the traditions in the Jewish faith. We have a great interest in all customs and traditions of ceremonial marriages and so we are sharing a bit of what they told us and a little more from what we’ve read. This is the second part of Eleana & Avi’s wedding day. If you missed part one, please click here to catch up with us!

From Kitty and Craig …

Eleana and Avi chose the outdoor venue at the Allan Houser Compound south of Santa Fe, NM as their wedding site. The vast rural property honors the work of the accomplished Native American sculptor. His giant stone and bronze sculptures are installed throughout the sandy landscape among juniper bushes, yucca plants, blue sky and white clouds. Eleana and Avi have deep ties to Israel and the Middle East, and many of their guests traveled across the globe to celebrate their marriage. Eleana is the founder of a non-profit group that promotes democracy in Middle Eastern countries, and Avi has spent his career involved as an analyist of Middle Eastern politics. Their wedding day was a sequence of traditional ceremonies, although some of them were new to us despite having shot many Jewish weddings in the past. The following images highlight some of the many traditions we documented that day.

Chuppah: The Wedding Canopy
The wedding ceremony takes place under the chuppah, a canopy supported by four poles. The chuppah symbolizes the new home that Eleana and Avi will create as husband and wife. The four sides are open, recalling the tent of Abraham and Sarah, which was always open to visitors.

The Kiddushin: Betrothal
The first part of the wedding ceremony begins with the blessing over the wine, a traditional Jewish symbol of simcha (joy). Eleana and Avi will share their first cup of wine, symbolic of the joy they will share in their marriage. They then exchange rings.

Nissuin: Nuptuals
The second part of the ceremony consists of the recitation of the Sheva Brachot, seven blessings. The blessings include a blessing over the wine, the creation of the world and for the bride and groom as individuals and as “beloved companions”, united in joy and gladness, laughter and song, dancing and jubilations, love and harmony, peace and friendship.

Breaking the Glass:
Following the Sheva Brachot, Eleana and Avi will once again drink from the cup of wine… Avi then breaks a glass with his foot. The custom of breaking the glass has many interpretations. A broken glass cannot be mended; likewise the promises made by Eleana and Avi are irrevocable. In this context, the glass is broken to protect the marriage with an implied prayer, “As this glass shatters, so may our marriage never break.”

Yichud: Togetherness
After the bride and groom leave the chuppah, they spend a few minutes alone in seclusion known as yichud. These few moments will give Eleana and Avi a chance to relish the sanctity of their new life together.

We love that Kitty & Craig sent us this wedding! They have such an amazing talent for story-telling …

And although we’ve included some of the basics of the age-old, traditional wedding rituals of the Jewish faith, telling the story of Eleana & Avi’s wedding day really requires no words. Kitty and Craig’s photographs have said it all. And that, my friends is an art that isn’t just inherent. It’s obtained through much trial and effort and a passion for what they do and love.

More of the Eleana & Avi’s story to follow …

We have a slightly different twist to today’s post. Kitty and Craig Fritz, two of our very favorite Little Black Book photographers sent us another fantastic wedding … and instead of going into the details documented in the photos, they’ve shared a little bit of what they’ve learned about the significance and meaning behind some of the Jewish traditions captured  in their images. They are stunning … the bride & groom, the rituals and the photos.

The beautiful Eleana and Avi live in Washington DC but were married at the Allan Houser Compound in New Mexico last June. By the end of the day, you’ll not only feel like you know them personally … you’ll even feel like you were at their wedding! And, if you are unfamiliar with the Jewish ceremony, you will have learned just a bit …

The Groom’s Table – The “choson’s tisch” takes place just prior to the ceremony. Avi was surrounded at a table by his male relatives and friends. He attempts to give a commentary on that week’s Torah  portion, but his guests keep interrupting him with singing and toasts. The tisch is invariably humorous and fun, in an attempt to relax the nervous groom before the wedding.

When Eleana decides she is ready, she sends an emissary to the Groom’s Table to summon him.

The Ketubah – Eleana and Avi have been reunited for the signing of their marriage contract, the Ketubah. The Ketubah is a contract ordained by Jewish rabbinical law around 200 CE which lays out the rights of the wife and obligations of the husband. Eleana and Avi used the same Aramaic text that generations of Jewish couples have signed before to honor the continuity of their people. The Ketubah is an artistically beautiful and meaningful part of the Jewish wedding ceremony. It is an illustrated work of art that is generally hung in the home and will serve as a daily reminder of the vows they have made to each other. Although the Ketubah has its roots in the Jewish wedding tradition, its beauty has recently become embraced by couples from all different religions and cultures.

Veiling of the Bride, Badeken – Having verified that Eleana is the bride, Avi lowers the veil on her face himself just before proceeding to the ceremony- thus avoiding the fate of Jacob, who was tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. As Avi lowers the veil over Eleana’s face, he is also avowing that just as his bride’s face is enveloped by the veil, so will love envelope the couple. In many conservative weddings, this is a private ceremony performed where the ketubah is signed.

We would love to share more of these stunning images from Twin Lens of Avi & Eleana’s wedding, so please join us back here in a bit!

Oh … and if anything we’ve said is incorrect, or should be explained in a different way, please do let us know!

Today’s featured wedding on the Little Black Book Blog was sent to us by the fabulous husband and wife duo, Kitty & Craig Fritz over at Twin Lens. They reside in New Mexico but are available for travel worldwide. After you see these photos, you seriously are going to want to head over to their website to see more of their amazing work!:

Here’s the Sneak Peek we started out the day with : Sneak Peek

Then the first set of awesome images from Renae and Alex’s New Mexico Wedding: Part I

And now for the rest of the story … and photos …

from the beautiful bride, Renae …

Our family and friends exclaimed, “Why are a Canadian boy and a Coloradan girl getting married in New Mexico?” For us it was as clear as the New Mexican blue skies; it was the indescribable feeling and lure of the wild Southwest. Our mutual love for country music and dusty cowboy boots inspired us to learn the country waltz for our first dance. We invited Taos’s own South by Southwest to show our guests a boot-stompin’ good time.

We discovered Hacienda Dona Andrea perched up on a hill south of Santa Fe along the Turquoise Trail. The Hacienda spoiled us with vistas of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the perfect number of rooms to accommodate our immediate family. Built in the adobe style, the Hacienda gave a warm feeling of home with traditional chili pepper ristras hanging from every beam. Our ceremony and reception were held in a big courtyard, filled with sunshine by day and farolitos by night.

The Hacienda and its natural surroundings gave our wedding an earthy feel, allowing us to soar high with bright pinks, oranges and reds. My sister and I set out making hundreds of vibrant Mexican paper flowers, which lined the ceremonial aisle and wrapped around the columns of the courtyard. We arranged our own centerpieces of brilliant dahlias spilling from low-profile glass vases. Everyone enjoyed an amazing selection of home made pies in lieu of wedding cake. We wanted a relaxed and festive atmosphere, where all of our loved ones had no choice but to eat green chili enchiladas and help us celebrate!

Our wedding party felt simple and pure: just our siblings. Alex’s brothers sported bright orange ties and my sister rocked a very pink dress, with gorgeous flowers by Artichokes and Pomegranates of Santa Fe. Our good friend agreed to get ordained and gave us a memorable sermon of his sage advice. My nephews were just too cute not to send down the aisle; they decorated the ground with rose petals and smiles.

Our vows were blessed by a surprise rainbow stretching across the cobalt blue sky (pictured here in Part I), which we couldn’t have planned, even if we tried. We both love photography and we knew that at the end of our wedding day, the photos are all we will have for proof of the bliss. We fell in love with the Twin Lens vision and we had to have them for our own. Their presence the day of the wedding was stealth-like and the photos are proof of their commitment to capture the essence of our wedding.”

Wowww!  Stunning and awesome and downright amazing!

Thanks Kitty and Craig, for always delighting us with such wonderful images! And a huge thank you to Renae & Alex for sharing!

{to see the full gallery, click here!}