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Posted on August 15, 2008

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Catrina and Frankie: Las Cruces Wedding

Posted on January 3, 2010

Catrina and Francisco were married yesterday in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Tortugas – right next door to Frankie’s parents’ house, where the whole wedding party got dressed. During the preparations, I explored the huge, rambling house; it seemed that every door led to another, and there were people getting ready (or hanging out watching TV, or chatting, or eating, or endless other activities) in most of the rooms. Roz and the girls got ready in the attached mother-in-law apartment.

Everyone walked over to the church – and it was a good thing they did, as there wasn’t any parking left! The church was filled beyond capacity with friends and family; it was so full that the Father even mentioned it in his sermon. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a light and airy church, and always looks good in ceremony photos. While the Father was initially concerned that having two of us there would make our presence more noticeable, he seemed to forget us shortly after the start of the ceremony – and told us afterward that he’d barely noticed us at all. Score one for the photo ninjas!

After family formals at the church, and a few bridals outside while we waited for the limos, we took the bridal party to one of our favorite spots for some photos with the mountains in the background. Then, it was on to the reception, and something new for us – this was our first wedding with a photobooth, which Catrina’s mother told us was on her list of wedding must-haves, and which she asked us about after booking us.

Roz and I had gone over to the Knights of Columbus Hall the day before the wedding to set up the photobooth, and we’d seen some of the preparations while we were there, so we weren’t completely blown away by the decorations – but it was a near thing! The hall was unrecognizable. Catrina’s uncle masterminded the decorations, and he did an amazing job with the space. Lots of friends and family helped out with the wedding: Catrina’s mom made the miniature fudge wedding cakes which each guest received; Frankie’s uncle was the bass player in the band that rocked the reception. Everyone in both families spent 6 months making flowers from crépe paper for the decorations, bouquets, corsages, and boutineers. The love that went into every part of the wedding was evident. Catrina changed out of her heels at the start of the reception; her preferred dancing shoes were glittery red Converse. I kept waiting for her to click her heels together and transport me back to Las Cruces!

After dinner, the bridal party was announced, and lined up on the dance floor for La Marcha. They were joined by a good portion of the guests; I’ve never seen such a crowded floor. At one point, Roz and I were both afraid the cake would go flying, but the line of dancers turned at the last possible instant and made the arch of hands into a horseshoe. Catrina’s mom estimated that 500 people were at the reception; there wasn’t a lot of extra room in the hall! Catrina and Frankie’s first dance was next, and then Catrina danced with her father.

While all of this was happening, Marie was taking pictures of the guests at the photobooth. Catrina and Frankie elected to skip the traditional guest book, and to ask every one to have their photo taken instead. Some of the guests got dressed up, some wrote the couple messages on a white board, and everyone had a great time with the photobooth. It’s sure to make an appearance at future weddings; it was a ton of fun!

Later in the evening, Catrina and Frankie cut the wedding cake, and were (mostly) nice about feeding it to each other – they were both laughing too hard to be very accurate with it by the end! Garter and bouquet tosses were next, and the evening ended with menudo, cooked by another family member and served hot.

Liz and Pat: El Paso Wedding

Posted on December 18, 2009

Liz and Pat were married at the El Paso Country Club in late November. The wedding started late in the evening; we met Liz at the Club at 5pm, and the ceremony started well after sunset. Liz had been over earlier in the day to decorate the reception hall; the Country Club looked amazing! When we arrived, Liz’s aunt was putting the finishing touches on the wedding cake, which was situated in the center of the Country Club’s vintage atrium. The whole hall smelled delicious.

Pat arrived just before the ceremony, already in his full-dress uniform. As her sisters and best friend preceded Liz down the aisle, the anticipation was plain on Pat’s face. He lit up when she appeared and made her way forward, to a processional on the harp.

Liz’s uncle gave the couple some timeless advice on maintaining wedded bliss, some serious, some a bit lighter, garnered from his own years as a husband. Liz’s sister played a solo piece on the cello, which Liz requested – it was Liz’s favorite when they were growing up together. After the rings were exchanged, the newlyweds came back down the aisle, and it was time for dinner – after a few formal photos.

The El Paso Country Club catered dinner, which was amazing, while mariachis serenaded the guests. Right after dinner, Liz and Pat cut their wedding cake. The cake topper belonged to Liz’s grandparents; fittingly, it depicted an army husband and his new wife. Next were toasts by the best man and maid of honor. When the DJ took over, the crowd broke out onto the dance floor, and the rest of the evening was music and dancing!

Jason

Cynthia and Luis: Las Cruces Wedding

Posted on October 19, 2009

We met up with Cynthia at Crawford’s Salon on Saturday morning. When we walked in, the salon was humming at a fever pitch, and everywhere we turned it seemed another bridesmaid was having the finishing touches put on her hair, or her makeup applied to perfection. Roz and the girls headed from there to Cynthia’s house near Pioneer Park to get dressed. Most of the groomsmen joined them to have their boutineers pinned on, and to sign the engagement matt for the happy couple to hang in their home.

Meanwhile, Luis and Joey got into their tuxes at Joey’s house in the Las Cruces historic district, after a morning of running last-minute errands. Luis wore a white top over an all-black suit, and looked amazing.

As soon as he was dressed, Luis took off for Pioneer Park, where Gina from All You Can Linen had the gazebo and chairs decorated for the ceremony, and family members were already beginning to arrive. Soon, Cynthia pulled up in a white limo, and the bridal party filed down the aisle as music played softly.

The ceremony was relatively short, as a concession to the hot New Mexico sun. It included many traditional Catholic touches; the lasso and arras were featured prominently. Afterward, we took some family portraits before the bridal party loaded back into the limo for the short drive down to Mesilla. There, we spent some time getting some of the most stunning bridal portraits we’ve ever created.

Soon enough it was time to head to the Corbett Center at NMSU for the reception. When they walked into the ballroom, Cynthia and Luis stopped dead and just stared around. The room was eminently elegant; from the centerpieces to the table settings, everything reflected the black-and-silver color scheme of the wedding. The centerpieces especially caught my attention. Each table held a central column, which was filled with water and housed a live beta; each column was gently lit from beneath, and topped with a bowl of calla lilies and greenery.

As dinner was served, Mariachi los Toritos serenaded the guests. The lead singer, Valentin, had a very versatile and powerful voice, and he was backed up by some of the best instrumentals we’ve heard. The lead violinist especially was amazing; her talent was showcased by several solos. After dinner, the best man and maid of honor led toasts to the newlyweds, who then cut the wedding cake. Heavenly Yours provided the confection, which again reflected the elegance of this reception with an ornate pattern of swirls in white-on-white icing.

I’m not sure who came up with the idea of giving the single ladies small veils for the bouquet toss, but the guys who received aprons for the garter toss wore them with good humor. As the evening dissolved into happy chatter and dancing, Luis and Cynthia were having the best time of anyone. We headed for home after shooting a few hours of dancing and merrymaking. Cynthia and Luis, we had a blast at your wedding, and I can’t wait to show you the images!

Jason

Trash The Dress: Rick + Rocio

Posted on September 21, 2009

After their wedding day (and a day off to recover from the party!), Rick and Rocio got back into their formal clothes for a totally different type of photo session. We took them ATV’ing out at Red Sands, east of El Paso on Montana, and we had a blast!

The recent rains in the area washed away some of the tire tracks, and left the sand a bit moist, so we didn’t have to contend with blowing dust. The moisture in the air also contributed to a phenomenon we don’t often see out here – the golden light of sunset started much earlier than usual, and lasted until the sun dipped below the horizon. Combined with the deep rust-red of the sand, we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day to take photos.

Roz asked Rick to take Rocio out on the back of a friend’s ATV, turn around, and drive past us. Rick apparently enjoyed the ride so much that he took the long way around – and caught air coming up over a rise on the dune! We’re betting he has a quad in his garage before their first anniversary, because he was having entirely too much fun motoring around the dunes.

Jason

Aubri + Anthony: Las Cruces Wedding

Posted on September 21, 2009

Aubri and Anthony had a beautiful wedding on Saturday, at Hotel Encanto in Las Cruces. We met Aubri at Crawford’s Studio early in the afternoon, then I walked over to Encanto where the guys were lounging by the pool. This was one of the largest wedding parties we’ve photographed, with 10 attendants on each side of the bridal couple, so there was always plenty going on!

After everyone got into their tuxes, and I pinned on the guys’ flowers, we headed downstairs to where Barb was doing her usual exemplary job decorating the reception hall. The ceremony was held in one of the ballrooms near Azul, and we made great use of the stone cross at the end of the hall as a backdrop for some of the formal photos. The formal images also included a road trip – the guys and girls piled into matching black-and-white limos for the short drive to Sonoma Ranch, where the golf course had graciously agreed to permit us to use the driving range to get some images of the bridal party with the Organ Mountains in the background. Immediately after we got the image, it began to rain, and we all made a mad dash back to the limos. The guys didn’t get to stay in theirs for very long though – when the driver turned out of the clubhouse parking lot, the limo bottomed out, and they all had to get out before it could get over the turnout!

We shot a few more formals after our return to Encanto, then Aubri and Anthony joined their guests for the tail end of the cocktail hour. After the happy couple was introduced, they danced a slow number on the floor, and then dinner was served to the guests. After dinner, the best man and both maids of honor stood up to toast (and share embarrassing stories about) the newlyweds. Anthony took the mic from his brother Jason to say a few words about Aubri’s father, who passed away last November; Anthony’s toast of thanks to the deceased was answered – by a short power outage! We’re assuming that was one way of saying “you’re welcome”. Then, the DJ played a Rolling Stones tune in tribute, and the guests filled the floor.

After the cake was cut, the garter and bouquet were thrown, and the party was on. What a great wedding!

Rick + Rocio: El Paso Wedding

Posted on September 21, 2009

On Friday, Roz and I photographed Rick and Rocio’s wedding in El Paso. Rick and Rocio wanted to have plenty of time for bridal portraits, so they elected to have a First Sight wedding. Rick got dressed at their home on the north end of town, and Rocio got into her dress at a friend’s house. When they were both ready, we took Rick out into their gorgeous backyard, and brought Rocio out. Rick’s face lit up when he saw her in her dress for the first time.

After they chatted and snuggled for a few minutes, we did several portraits around their home, inside and out, before heading to the UTEP campus, where Rocio had made arrangements to take some photos at the Alumi Lodge. Then, we headed downtown to Camino Real, where we placed them in the Dome Bar and on the marble-and-brass staircases for more portraits. We also did a few outside the Plaza Theater next door, where the upcoming production of Wicked was advertised by the inflatable feet of the Wicked Witch protruding from the front door.

Rick and Rocio had budgeted plenty of time for their portraits, so we were running well ahead of schedule by the time we were ready to head to the next location. We spent the down time chilling in the Central Grill and Bar before we met up with the rest of the bridal party at Club Vanilla, in the bar district where we did Rick and Rocio’s engagements. Vanilla was an incredible background for some very compelling group portraits, and we ended the session with Rocio standing on the bar, backlit by the shelves of drinks.

The wedding mass was held at All Saint’s Catholic Church, an older cathedral with plenty of character. The balcony wrapped over the entire seating area, allowing Roz to get very close to the bride and groom during the ceremony, while shooting from above. I shot from the floor as usual; although the church was very small and pretty crowded, I was able to move around a little without interfering with the ceremony in the slightest. After the mass, we photographed the families on the alter, and then headed over to the reception.

When I walked in to Isaron Hall, my first impression was of the huge, octagonal gazebo-like structure dominating the center of the two-story space. My second was of the huge amount of lighting and effects gear hanging from the ceiling! After dinner, the party kicked off in grand style with a waltz by the bridal couple. They’d obviously practiced the dance, it looked very natural and some of the poses provided perfect photo ops (which we took full advantage of!) Then the dance floor opened, the smoke machines and lasers kicked in, and we were off into some of the best dance images we’ve ever captured!

Eventually, Rick and Rocio stopped dancing for long enough to cut the cake (which was decorated with custom bobble-heads, dead ringers for Rick and Rocio) and throw the garter and bouquet, but the party started right back up and was still going strong when Roz and I bowed out sometime after midnight. Rick, Rocio, we had a wonderful time, and we got some incredible images! Keep an eye on the blog for even more incredible images, this time from the Trash the Dress session we did on Sunday, out at Red Sands on an ATV!

Jason

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