Leslie and Dustin’s gorgeous summer wedding at the ever so amazing El Monte Sagrado in Taos, New Mexico was truly magical. Leslie and Dustin chose El Monte Sagrado in Taos, New Mexico as their wedding venue because from the moment they pulled up in the parking lot, it felt just right. Stepping into the Sacred Circle tugged at Leslie’s heart strings. She remembers looking over to meet with Dustin’s face and they were both in awe at how magical it felt. Bella and Edward’s wedding from the Twilight saga was the inspiration for their magical wedding day.
Leslie and Dustin met in 2014 in Perryton, Texas (Leslie’s hometown!). Leslie’s sister and brother in law introduced the two. At the time, Leslie said that she personally didn’t think anything of it. Other than that he was a very handsome man and EXTREMELY funny. Later on, Dustin asked her sister for Leslie’s phone number and reached out to her. From then on, he changed her world and their love story began.
Dustin and Leslie’s first date was in Liberal, Kansas (which is about a 40 minute drive from Perryton) so it was also both of their first time in a long car ride together, but they jammed out to Lorde the entire time and had SO much fun. Leslie said, “Seeing this giant hairy man sing every lyric to Lorde’s album was epic. I am a sucker for Italian food. They have an authentic Italian little restaurant in this tiny town. It is located in an old train station, which only makes it cuter. The train passed like 5 times and it made the entire building shake, which startled me… Every. Single. Time. We had some delicious pasta and wine!”
I asked Leslie if she could share a funny story or something unique about their relationship and she said:
“We are both clowns yet the complete opposite of each other. He is strong and I am sensitive. We balance each other out perfectly. We somehow know what the other person needs, whether it’s space or just a hug. We get each other and that to me is something unique, not everybody has that. He is so tall and I am short. Our kisses always have me on my tippy toes.” I also asked her how and when they knew that the other was “the one” and she said: “I knew he was the one when my heart felt full for the first time. I took a girl trip to DFW and I had been dying to go on this trip for a while.. once I was on the actual trip, all I could think about was “oh dustin would love this.. I rather be doing this with dustin” everything on that trip was about dustin, even though he wasn’t there. My girls were annoyed 100% haha. That man changed me entirely into the best woman. He encouraged me to reach my dream of becoming a nurse, even though it meant we would be long distance for 2 years. But he never stopped supporting me and he never stopped pursuing me. He drove 3 hrs every weekend to come see me, even though the only hanging out we did was sit at coffee shops, he watched me study my life away. Yet, he never gave up on me. 5 yrs later here we are, still pushing each other to become our best.”
Dustin proposed to Leslie in Breckenridge, Colorado on January 11, 2017. Leslie told me:
“Dustin Craig took me on a hike, with what seemed like 15ft of snow. During our hike, I noticed there was a random lady hiking along with her dog far in the distance. I didn’t think any of it. At some point we reached our destination with the most amazing view I had ever seen. White mountain tops and beautiful y’all, white trees surrounded us. Dustin said “well this is it”- I was memorized with the view so I didn’t pay attention to Dustin. A couple of minutes later he said “ Leslie, let’s ask that lady if she can take a photo of us.. once she gets closer. I didn’t think anything of it. So I said okay! So I took my snowboarding jacket off because I didn’t want to look too puffy on the picture haha” We stood there holding hands staring off into God’s beautiful creation, freezing for a moment. Dustin then turned back to remove his backpack and set it down, but I was turned away from him. He then says Leslie... I turn around and he is down on one knee, deep in the snow, and says Leslie Reynoso, will you marry me” and I of course cried and said a thousand times YES!” At that moment I heard someone taking snapshots of us! And of course the random lady with the dog was a photographer that Dustin had hired. They planned the hike and everything together. He is the best HUMAN ever and my absolute favorite. He captivated my heart.”
Leslie and Dustin had so many insanely beautiful details for their El Monte Sagrado wedding. Leslie chose neutral colors for their wedding color scheme including whites, greeneries, taupe, and blush. Leslie said that she always thought that neutral colors at a wedding looks more beautiful and a little more classy! They chose Mercedes with Elegante Florals in Taos, New Mexico as their florist and HOLY MOLEY, y’all… the florals for their wedding were GORGEOUS! All of their flowers were white. The chose peonies, hydrangeas, and roses. They also had a lot of greenery as well. The linens/chiffon they chose were ivory colored which matched their color palette beautifully. Leslie said that her absolute favorite wedding details had to be all of their gorgeous flowers and their stunning wedding cake made by Taos Wedding Cakes - Jocelyn Lucero. Leslie found all of her wedding ideas on Pinterest keeping the Twilight wedding theme in mind. Jocelyn and Mercedes went above and beyond with the ideas Leslie sent them. She said she could not have found a better florist/baker for their amazing Taos wedding!
The morning of the wedding, Leslie woke up at 5am (she said “thanks to the nerves!). To help tame her wedding day nerves, she made herself a cup of coffee and listened to worship music. She said she took some “Jesus time” to herself. A little later, she made a coffee shop run with only two of her bridesmaids. They knew exactly how to speak into her soul. She also said that before she walked with her dad to head to the aisle, she had some champagne. 🍾
Leslie and Dustin chose to have a first look before the ceremony. Dustin had a HUGE surprise for Leslie during this time. Leslie is a HUGE “Sex and the City” fan. She’s watched every single episode numerous times and both movies. Dustin surprised her with Carrie’s infamous blue Manolo Blahnik wedding shoes! It was AMAZING! Leslie’s excitement and Dustin’s smile was EVERYTHING! Seriously! All of our hearts melted into a huge puddle of goop. Truly one of the most amazing moments I’ve ever witnessed/captured in my entire photography career. I also loved that during their first look, Leslie wore a beautiful flowy wedding gown and then she had a dress change before the ceremony! Her ceremony dress was such a stunner!
Their ceremony was filled with so many incredible and meaningful moments. For both Leslie and Dustin, their favorite part of the day was when Leslie was walking down the aisle, seeing each other’s faces (crying face), and feeling peace inside their hearts. Leslie said “Everything felt so right. It was as if it were only him and I, and God.”
Their reception was truly so perfect! The ballroom in El Monte Sagrado was filled to the brim with laughter, joy, and so much fun. From their heartfelt dances with their parents to the fabulous cake cutting to having a blast on the dance floor with their loved ones! Every moment was what wedding dreams are made of. We even took a quick moment to sneak them away to get a few more romantic photos (and with a gorgeous vintage car!).
I asked Leslie and Dustin what they were most excited about as their relationship grows and she said,
“I am super excited to see what God has prepared for us both on this new journey. The highs and lows, we are ready to concur life!”
Leslie + Dustin — thank you SO much for allowing us the honor and blessing of capturing your best day ever! We LOVE you guys and are so thankful for your friendship, support, and love! May God bless you always and forever!!
I can go on and on and on about how amazing the #BecomingBilderback wedding was, but I think y’all just need to scroll through and feast your eyeballs on all of the magic that was Dustin and Leslie’s incredible El Monte Sagrado wedding in Taos, New Mexico!
Wedding Vendors ::
Associate Photographer: Jenna Peralta with Jasper K Photography
Second Shooter: Mary M Cinema - Mary Margaret + Bryan Loftus
Wedding Venue: El Monte Sagrado
Florist: Elegante Florals - Mercedes Valdez
Wedding Cake: Taos Wedding Cakes - Jocelyn Lucero
DJ/Band: Terry Allen Band
Hair + Makeup Stylists: Josiah Baros (Hair) + Sarah Anne (MUA)
Catering: El Monte Sagrado
Wedding Dress: Willow by Watters
Bridesmaids Dresses: Lulu’s
Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo & Manolo Blahnik
Bride’s Jewelry: Leslie wore her mom’s necklace and earrings - both from a local jeweler in Perryton, Texas - Hickerson Jewelers
Wedding Rings: Thacker Jewelry
Groom’s Suit + Shoes: Calvin Klein - J. Murphy
Invitations + Programs: Minted
Wedding Coordinator: Melisha Sales
I asked Leslie and Dustin if they could share some advice with brides and grooms planning their upcoming wedding day. They shared so much awesomeness and I am so excited to share their insight and knowledge with you all!
Leslie - What advice would you give to future brides for their wedding day?
“Do not procrastinate! (Like, do not plan your entire wedding 3 months before the actual date). It makes you feel like you’re forgetting something but you’re really not. However, the feeling isn’t great! I would strongly advice to just breathe, do what you want, it is YOUR day. Plan that dream wedding you’ve had since you were a little girl. Ask for your future husbands opinion, including him in the planning is important. Especially because most of the time they say “i don’t care” , “you pick, it’s your day”, which us ladies know that is exactly what we want to hear from them haha”
Dustin - What advice would you give to future grooms for their wedding day?
“Enjoy the morning with your men, try not to drink too much prior to. You want to be able to remember your lady walking down the aisle. Be there and be supportive throughout the entire planning. Make time to dance with your wife. You can always talk to your friends. Enjoy your day together.”
What was the biggest challenge you faced in planning your wedding?
“Procrastination. Dustin and I got engaged January 11, 2017 - we were engaged for 1 yr and 5months, and I literally planned the entire wedding in 4 months. I think one of the biggest challenge was our venue being 6hrs away from home. Having to find a perfect weekend / timeline that worked with the coordinator, florist, cake lady, and Chef for food tasting... was a challenge haha but it all got done!”
What photography-related advice would you offer to other couples?
“To choose Jasper K, duh! Haha. I would advice to relax and just be yourselves. Trust your photographer.”
El Monte Sagrado wedding photos in Taos, New Mexico by Jasper K Photography
