Timeless Wedding at the St. Julien

We met in law school through friends. Several years later, we attended their wedding and 8 months after that they attended ours!

Josh’s family has deep roots in northern New Mexico. We drove down for a weekend getaway. Josh planned a quick stop at the Villa Philmonte at Philmonte Scout Ranch, and on the lawn, in front of the villa, he dropped to one knee and asked Ali to marry him. We celebrate with a margarita on a balcony overlooking La Fonda Plaza in Taos, NM.

We really wanted to bring the outdoors in, and marry that organic feeling with candlelight and romance. Lots of lush white blooms, rich greens, and sparkling gold felt fresh and glamorous for the time of year, but also intimate. We chose a location that’s a great vacation spot and kept everything accessible for our out-of-town guests by hosting the ceremony and the reception at one location.

Keeping with the romantic and glamorous vibe, we went with classic tuxedos for the men and gowns for the ladies. Josh wanted to keep his look for the day timeless and opted for a black tuxedo with a black paisley tie. Ali surprised herself and chose a ballgown – I thought I wanted something more ethereal, but the moment I saw the dress I knew. It was so much fun to wear and had such beautiful details when you looked closely.

The most important part of planning for us was planning something fun, memorable and effortless for our guests while sticking with our vision. We splurged on food and drink – nobody wants to be hungry at a wedding! We chose to save on paper products – we skipped the save the dates and did not add any extra inserts in the invitation. With so many out of town guests, we made sure the details were handy on our website and wedding app.

Josh’s favorite moment was right before the ceremony leading up to the moment where he saw Ali walk down the aisle – I was surrounded by my groomsmen and my dad, walking to the ceremony, and I was about to marry Ali. It was a feeling of never being more confident in my life about being in exactly the right place with the right people at the right time.

Ali’s favorite moment was right after the ceremony signing the marriage license – We have whisked away to a quiet part of the hotel with our bridal party. officiant and parents, and it was the first few moments of, “We’re married!!” It was such a lovely, sweet moment of taking it in before the party started.

Romance was the keyword. Keeping with the organic, elegant theme, we chose white blooms that would really pop against the lush greens. We wanted the flowers to look timeless and classic, and we liked how they went with the decor of the ballroom.

We have a dear friend who is a wonderfully talented chef and baker. He baked the cake for our engagement party and offered to do the same for our wedding. We loved the multi-tiered look – it was so interesting. He baked two flavors – pink champagne and chocolate Guinness, so something that would please every palate. It was so delicious – we ate leftover cake in bed for breakfast on our mini-moon.

We gave favors with the escort cards and at each seat. With the escort cards, we tied little organza bags containing white and gold acorn salt and pepper shakers. At each seat, we placed a box of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Company chocolates. Ali’s dad really wanted to make sure our guests had a taste of Colorado, and everyone loves a sweet treat later in the evening.

Something that Ali wears every day (since getting engaged) – the stone in her engagement ring is the stone that Josh’s great-grandfather gave to his great-grandmother.

It’s cliche, but don’t sweat the small stuff. On the day, you won’t worry that every tiny detail isn’t exactly how you imagined. Focus on the things that are meaningful to you and your partner. And consider hiring a planner!

– The Bride and Groom, Alec & Josh

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