Las Cruces Wedding: Alyssa + Bill
Posted on May 10, 2010
I have to tell the story of meeting with Alyssa for the first time – she came into the studio to talk to us about her wedding and engagement session, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I KNEW her from somewhere. We went through all the particulars, discussing her plans, and forming ideas. When she signed the contract, I realized by her last name where I knew her – she and her sister could be twins, I swear – and I’ve known her sister for years, as a writer for the Las Cruces Bulletin. Natisha, her sister has a daughter nearly the same age as our eldest, and the two of them posed for the cover of a magazine together. Ever since then, I’ve been looking forward to shooting Alyssa and Bills wedding.
We met with everyone at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Museum, a popular spot for weddings since their patio over looks our beautiful Organ Mountains. Alyssa was a little nervous, but once the dress was on, and the ceremony began, the nerves subsided. She visibly relaxed when she saw Bill waiting for her at the alter. After a short but beautiful ceremony, we took the couple out around the grounds of the museum for some bridals. I have to admit, these are some of my favorite images in a very long time – we couldn’t have had better skies, light, and subjects!
Now I know that some of you who follow the blog are used to our ring shots, and usually I include one with every wedding. But I liked her ring so much that I included TWO this time!
The cake was beautiful too – and we learned that Alyssa made it HERSELF! That pretty much floored me, since my cakes look like something that belongs on Cake Wrecks. Cake, flowers, dress…. it was all gorgeous.
We had a wonderful evening you guys, thanks for letting us be part of your day!
Roz
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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
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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
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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!
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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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Dawn and David: Married in Mesilla
Posted on September 20, 2009
Dawn and David had a great wedding and reception at Josephina’s Old Gate in Mesilla. David and Dawn’s mom decorated the reception area while Dawn got into her dress in the Inn. Aiden, their son, ran around helping everyone with everything – especially dropping his sippy cup everywhere!
Dawn put together all of her own flowers, and the fall theme was picked up in the details of the wedding. David’s parents showed up unexpectedly for the ceremony, and were able to stay for photos, which is always a nice surprise! After the ceremony, under an arch in the back garden, Josephina’s was nice enough to let us capture a few bridals in the antique store. After a few more around Mesilla, we returned to the patio for the reception.
After dinner under the setting sun, DJ Amer spun up the tunes, and the dance floor filled up. Amer is an experienced club DJ, but this was his first wedding, and he did a great job keeping things hopping all night. Dawn and David are such a cute couple, and Roz and I join all of their friends and family in extending our best wishes to them!
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