Aurora and Juan’s beautiful Catholic wedding at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico followed by their wedding reception at the ever so amazing Eldorado Hotel & Spa in Santa Fe, New Mexico was absolutely stunning! Move the heck out of the way, Harry + Megan. Nothing compares to how beautiful and incredible Juan and Aurora’s royal wedding was. Juan and Aurora wanted to capture their Hispanic-Catholic and Native American culture into every aspect of their wedding day and holy moley, it was GORGEOUS!

Juan and Aurora chose to have their wedding in Santa Fe because the catholic chapels in Taos, New Mexico where they were raised in were too small for the size of their wedding guest list. Aurora and Juan love living in Santa Fe, New Mexico and are hoping to raise their family there. Aurora said she “wants to drive by the Cathedral with my kids and tell them it's where their parents got married. I want them to think of the church in the heart of Santa Fe and Catholic tradition when they think of marriage.”

They chose the Eldorado Hotel & Spa because it came with David Stone, the wedding coordinator, who made the whole wedding planning process so easy. The ballroom inside of Eldorado where their reception was held is beautiful and didn’t need to be decorated very heavily, which is something Aurora wanted to stray away from. They also wanted their family and friends to enjoy their evening and not have to worry about cleaning up or tearing down the decor after the reception. Eldorado Hotel & Spa had the best package of all the places they looked at. Aurora said she has also never had a bad meal at Eldorado Hotel & Spa and they have the best happy hour in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

When it came to the choosing their wedding decor, Aurora and Juan went above and beyond choosing the perfect elements to represent their cultures and honoring their heritage throughout their wedding day. Carrie Wood, who runs the blog "Sometimes Classy, sometimes Chizhii" played a big role in styling and connecting Aurora with Native American vendors. They chose Red Willows as their centerpieces to honor Aurora’s ancestors in their wedding decorations. They used a traditional Native American wedding vase, which Aurora and Juan bought from one of the vendors at their San Geronimo Feast day at the Taos Pueblo in Taos, New Mexico. Aurora’s great uncle gave a prayer before the their dinner in the native Tiwa language which was so beautiful. They had a pretty wedding vase pottery on their desert table, which will had homemade New Mexican biscochitos, traditional wedding cookies, and Taos Pueblo prune pies. Aurora was so excited about the details on her gorgeous wedding dress which she purchased from Renee’s Bridal in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Juan's wedding band was custom made by a native silversmith who was a friend of Aurora’s.

For the wedding ceremony, Juan and Aurora had their musicians play songs from our "Pilgrim's Guide" - Juan and Aurora are peregrinos and do the Archdiocese of Santa Fe's 100 mile Pilgrimage for Vocations every summer. Aurora has been walking since she was 13 years old, and these songs are very much a part of her Catholic identity. The songs are "peregrino songs" and also from our church in Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico where Aurora’s late grandfather sang in the choir. They spent a lot of time dreaming up the music for the ceremony which made for a meaningful and spectacular catholic ceremony at the Cathedral Basillica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

After their beautiful catholic ceremony, we explored the Cathedral Basillica park and throughout the Santa Fe Plaza to capture their wedding party photos as well as romantics of the bride and groom. It was a beautiful fall day and the weather was perfect. The fall leaves complimented the color palette they chose (maroon and navy) of the wedding party’s attire beautifully. We were able to get a perfect combo of candid, fun photos as well as the traditional, posed photos that their family loves!

When it came to the reception, it was truly what I would envision a royal wedding reception in New Mexico would be like. From the stunning decor to the joy on all of their loved ones faces as they danced the night away, the Valdez wedding was truly a night to remember! They even had a surprise dance off with The Boy George look-alike! Aurora told me that there is nothing she loves more than watching people, especially viejitos, have a good time. They were hoping to build their wedding day off of that and they wanted to remember their day that way. Aurora said “We want our kids to look through our pictures and see everyone in our families having so much fun that they are jealous they weren't there.” And I truly think they accomplished just that (so sorry future Valdez babies!). Every single guest was out on the dance floor having a grand time. You could FEEL the love and happiness through their photos!

We ended the night with a sparkler send-off in the front entrance of the Eldorado Hotel & Spa and it was truly like witnessing a dream wedding Pinterest board come to life. It was like something you see in romance movies. Their entire wedding day was absolutely magical.

The Valdez wedding was truly a northern New Mexican dream wedding. Every aspect of their day was incredible and so beautifully well thought out. Aurora and Juan began their happily ever after with so much love and adoration from their family and friends and I couldn’t be happier for them!

Aurora and Juan — thank you again for allowing us to capture these beautiful memories for you! May God bless you always! Thank you for your love and friendship! These photos will forever be one of our favorites of all time! <3