Things in Alaska - and the rest of the world - got a little crazy at the end of March but looking back, we were all so happy to sneak this elopement in before everything shut down due to the pandemic!

Katie and Ted got married in one of the oldest churches in the area. It was a beautiful day including a small ceremony with each of their parents. Ted is a trapper, and the added detail of some of his own furs was so unique and fitting.

When I asked about the theme and overall look the couple was going for, the answer was ‘Alaskan’. You’ll have to tell me how we did:

It was so fun to work with Alex again, from Luxe and Lumen Events. She was definitely in her element as wedding planner. I also got to work with Bethany again! This time, she was photographer! It’s so fun to work with other vendors so well and feel like a cohesive team.

Vendors

Wedding planner: Luxe and Lumen
Photographer: Bethany Reasoner Photo
Venue: First Presbyterian Church at Pioneer Park
Flowers: Flowers by Ashlee
Cake: Sinfully Sweet Treats
Cookies: Whisktakers Desserts

Right after we moved to Alaska, I knew I was going to have to do a styled shoot to start getting my name out in our new location. Not a lot of work I had done in New Mexico translates over to Alaska, shockingly enough ;) When Alex, from Luxe and Lumen Events, and Kaylee Stapley, from Kaylee Stapley Photography, first reached out to do a shoot only a few months after settling in, I was so excited! It was so much fun putting this together! And only 10 minutes from my new home! I still can't believe I live here...

Here it is! My first styled shoot in Alaska:

Heading into our first winter in Alaska, this was definitely the coldest shoot I had done - it was around 20° F - but as you can see, it was so worth it for that early winter setting with that gorgeous light dusting of snow.

How do you not get a boot shot when you're in Alaska?? Bethany and Jon were so stinkin’ cute and we found out that we’re basically neighbors!

This shoot will always hold a special place in my heart. It was an absolutely gorgeous day but I truly feel like it was the beginning of some very good friendships!!

If you know me at all, or if you've been following along, you know just how much I love White Sands National Monument.  I've been to some cool places, but this place....it takes the cake. Our house in New Mexico was about 15 minutes away from this park and the last time we made the short drive we got pretty sad knowing that we were moving so far away! So you can imagine how I was beyond excited to be contacted by Brittany Miller, from Brittany Miller Photography, saying she had a bride that needed flowers for her elopement taking place at White Sands! My last wedding in New Mexico was going to be at my favorite place, and man....was it epic! 

Some of you may remember when I almost got a ticket for bringing live flowers into White Sands haha. You can read a little bit about it here but, suffice it to say, I wasn't going to chance it again! So when Jessica reached out to me, I asked her how she felt about silk flowers. I had never done silks for a wedding but honestly, it was a pretty cool experience, I think for both Jessica and me! 

Working with silk flowers is different than fresh for a lot of reasons. While I prefer fresh for most of those reasons ;) , both have their pros and cons. Using silks for this occasion was really cool because I was actually able to meet up with the bride-to-be at the local Hobby Lobby and she helped hand pick the flowers that were going into her bouquet. Not only was she able to pick out all the flowers, but it turned into a memento from her wedding that will last forever. 

So the day for the wedding came, and wouldn't you know it, we had a huge New Mexican thunderstorm roll in that afternoon. Brittany called me on her way from Las Cruces asking if I could get there a little earlier to get ahead of the storm. But even getting there earlier than the time we planned, the wind was already pretty fierce. Wind + sand + cameras = disaster! By the time the couple arrived, it was pounding rain and everyone was getting pretty nervous that it might not let up! But Jessica and Ryan were determined because they had a honeymoon to get on! I'm so glad they waited it out because what happened in the end result was....pure magic. 

Are you kidding me with the rainbow?? I'm obsessed with everything about this day from the bride, to the style, to the VENUE, and the photographer...all the heart eye emojis from me. Like, all of them. 

I'm so grateful to Brittany for recommending me to Jessica and for having the opportunity to be part of this amazing day!! It was such a pleasure and congrats to the newlyweds! 

Is it crazy to anyone else that we've lived in Alaska for three months already?? Just me? While I do feel like we're settling in quite nicely, and the family is dealing with the change pretty well, I now have an overwhelming feeling of needing to play catch up with all the things that took a backseat in the process of moving. Which means, I gotta post of few projects that happened before our move! 
This one was a really special one that took place last August! Having never done a vow renewal, it was really cool to be able to be part of such an intimate event. Words won't be able to do it justice so I'm super happy about the pictures I got from the photographer, Crystal Tompkins (thank you!!!). And when they told me this was taking place in Cloudcroft, NM, I was so excited. Could there be a more beautiful setting with more beautiful people for such a sweet occasion? I submit that there could not! 

Huge thank you to the Sauceda's. It was such a privilege to be part of your special day. 

You guys! It's been so long! It's actually gotten really crazy over here the past few months haha. We had a few trips to visit family at the beginning of the year and we put our house up for sale because we are MOVING! But I had to take some time to put this gorgeous shoot up on the blog today.
The story behind this shoot is a crazy one haha. I collaborated with Jaz & Theo - some amazing photographers out of El Paso - to do a styled shoot at White Sands. I had done shoots there before and thought nothing of it but when we arrived for the shoot, the park rangers came up and told us we weren't allowed to have real flowers in the park! I had never gotten in trouble when I'd been there before so I was a little shocked and we were all pretty bummed. Jaz & Theo worked their magic for that shoot but we obviously didn't get to include the flowers as much as we had wanted. 
We all went home after we were done and Jaz & Theo went to work putting another impromptu shoot together at Red Sands so we could get a few more photos, and I'll tell you, they did not disappoint! With the sweetest couple, Yasmin and Jared, ready on the fly, this is what they came up with and I'm pretty obsessed...

I mean, what a gorgeous couple!! And can I just say, Red Sands?? What a beautiful place to add to the uniqueness that is in this area! I'm going to miss a lot about this area but mostly, I really have been blessed by the people I have met and been able to work with during my time here in New Mexico! People that I now call my friends. That's what I'm going to miss the most!! 

This fall season was a busy one for me! I'll have to do a catch up post soon, but I'm so excited to share this wedding I was part of in October, and I just got these photos from the amazing photographer so, there's no better time for this post! :) 

This was the prettiest fall wedding and Samantha was the sweetest bride! Just the right ingredients for a beautiful New Mexico wedding (insert heart eyes here)!! 

First, the setting was gorgeous at the Farm and Ranch Museum. Their pretty little courtyard in the middle of their building is the perfect place for an intimate ceremony. 

How obsessed are we with these lanterns?? They were just the right amount of detail to add to this ceremony arch - and side note: They are available for rent :) 

Also, can I just say, that I love the idea of "junior bridesmaids" instead of flower girls?? First of all, these girls are KILLIN it and what little girl doesn't want to have some pretty flowers to hold like all the "big girls" at the wedding? ;)

And I mean, does it get any cooler than a glow stick exit? I doubt it! 

Thanks again to the beautiful couple for letting me be part of their day! 
And thanks to Jesse Kay Photography for these photos! And to the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Museum and their venue services! It was such a fun and beautiful day to be a part of! 

Picture this: You're engaged, planning your own wedding. You've got the perfect Pinterest board that shows exactly what you want for your big day. You've set up a meeting with your florist and you're prepared with photos to show him or her the exact flowers you want. You feel great about your meeting and you're excited that everything is coming together....until you see the quote. It's out of your budget! 
Real talk, weddings are expensive, as we know. Not every bride has the luxury of being able to afford every bloom their heart desires. Luckily, in the world of flowers, the possibilities and quite literally endless! Here are four examples of substituting those expensive blooms with some more affordable ones. 
​Ex 1. Peonies

So let's rewind back to our original scenario. Your floral quote is a little beyond what you were hoping to spend. Don't stress out! Work with your florist and see what less expensive alternatives you can come up with. You don't even have to give up the vision you're going for! Did you know there are almost 1/2 a million different types of flowers in the world? Chances are you can find a suitable substitution ;)

Happy planning!! 

*All photos came from one of my favorite Wholesalers, Red Mountain Utah. You can check out their instagram for some floral inspiration @redmutah

In late April, we took a family trip to Utah for my sister's college graduation. It was so great to see all our friends and family and it was really exciting to do a wedding while I was there! Fun story, I've known Lance since we were in 1st grade! So it was super fun to be there for his big day. 

When coordinating with Sara to get a feel for her vision, it was clear that she had a good idea on what she wanted and it was so fun to be able to bring that vision to life! Take a look...

I just loved the bold colors of this Spring wedding!! Congrats again, Adamson's!! <3

Oh man, the last couple weeks have been such a blur for my family! I had a few weddings and traveled to some fun places...so I gotta catch you all up on what I've been up too!! 
First, this fun wedding happened a few weeks ago. Let me just tell you, that when a bride requests peonies and garden roses, you know I'm gonna be on board! Throw a little ranunculus in and...well...these are a few of my favorite things....

I love that Cristianna was all about those classic, garden-y, spring flowers but wasn't afraid to add a pop of texture with some large succulents and even a few scabiosa pods. She also went for a lighter palette for her bridesmaids while making her bouquet stand out with corals and pinks. 

And of course I have to include some of my favorite shots by DeGroot Film Co. Heart eyes, heart eyes heart eyes!!

Thank you so much for the photos, Katie and Devin!! It was seriously so fun to do wedding party florals for Cristianna and Kevin! Congratulations to the newly weds!! 

When Jazmine Rubio contacted me to put some florals together for a styled shoot, I had no idea what I was in for. Not until I showed up the day of the shoot did I realize that I was about to be a part of something that so fully embodies the reason I love the creative community here in New Mexico. Jazmine, along with Brittany Miller, Diana Alvarado, and Laura Viramontes are all photographers in Las Cruces, New Mexico. As photographers, and friends, in the photography community here, they put together a styled shoot, that functioned as a "wedding workshop" and invited a handful of photographers to come and learn about the process of shooting a wedding from start to finish. Participants were able to ask questions about everything from help with posing their couples to business practices and get answers from some of the pros :) It was seriously the epitome of #communityovercompetition and I was so honored to be, not only a witness, but a part of it! 

First up, the bouquet! (insert heart eyes here!!) I love how each of the photographers captured it differently! 

Next is this gorgeous backdrop!! Perfect for an exchanging of vows :)

We also had an amazing sweetheart's table set up. Most of the decor was from the homes of the hostesses. It was definitely a collaborative effort if I've even seen one :D

Last, but not least...I mean, no wedding set up is complete without a cake...was this little scrumptious thing. And believe me when I say scrumptious!! 

Everyone did such an amazing job with this shoot!! Styled shoots are always so much fun to do because of all the coordinating involved with each vendor. I love being able to meet each vendor and see the creative process from all angles. It definitely makes you appreciate more the coordinating involved in big events!! 
Before signing off, I had a few more favorites from this shoot that I'm just gonna put here :) I hope you enjoyed going through these as much as I did! Maybe you got a little inspiration for a spring wedding?? Happy planning!! 

Vendors
Hostesses: Jazmine Rubio Photo + Film , FB @jazminerubiophotography, IG @jaminerubiophotoandfilm
                         Brittany Miller Photography, FB and IG @brittanymillerphotography, 
                         Laura's Photography LC,  FB @laurasphotographylascruces, IG @laurasphotographylc
                         Diana Alvarado Photography, FB and IG @dianaalvaradophotography
Dress: Renee's Bridal, FB and IG @reneesbridalnm, 
HMUA: Makeup by Brenda, FB @artistrybybrenda, IG @tarangobrenda
Stationary: Letters and Such, FB @lettersandsuch, IG @letters_and_such
Cake: Busy Bs Custom Cakes, FB and IG @busybscustomcakes
Video: American Faces, IG @american_faces
Models: Justine Fogle & Arturo Casillas