Seeking the tranquility of open spaces and fresh air for their Southwestern-themed destination wedding, Jack and Kate brilliantly selected the vibrant town of Santa Fe, New Mexico to say “I do” in.

Up until the couple began dating, friends Kate and Jack lived parallel lives, growing up in the same area of New Orleans, attending the University of Alabama for higher education and moving to Texas to start their careers. After reconnecting over dinner and live music at Austin City Limits, the two migrated out of the friend zone and, eventually, ended up moving back to “The Big Easy” together and getting engaged. 

Though they both love and cherish their hometown, Jack and Kate knew what kind of experience planning a wedding in New Orleans would provide. “[A New Orleans wedding] is a big to-do and usually includes several hundred people,” explains the bride. “While that is always fun, we decided we wanted to do something more intimate and different.”

With Jack’s family having a home in Santa Fe, the couple took many visits to the Southwest and fell in love with the earthy color palette of the adobe buildings contrasting the blue skies above. Because the couple desired for their guests to experience someplace new and close to their hearts, New Mexico made perfect sense for a wedding celebration. 

In the northern foothills of Santa Fe lies the newly renovated Bishop’s Lodge, a historic desert retreat founded by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy and now part of the Auberge Resorts Collection. The venue’s adobe-covered buildings showing off Santa Fe’s historical architecture compelled the couple to incorporate it into their wedding. “We used a painting of the chapel at Bishop’s Lodge on the envelope liner for our Save-the-Date,” the couple tells us. “And had a sketch done of the chapel/surrounding landscape to put on our program and screen print onto our custom koozies.”

An important aspect of planning from afar for the couple was having a planner familiar with the venue and its onsite coordinators. Wildsky Events fit the bill and helped handle communication with Kate and Jack’s vendors in-state and beyond to ensure a spot-on Southwestern style.  

On the day of the ceremony, Kate in her lace gown and Jack in his smart suit and bolo tie stood under an arch of garden roses with the chapel as their backdrop. With a close friend officiating,  the ceremony stayed short and sweet (a top priority for the couple) with a toast to a lifetime of happiness to round it out.

The reception featured gorgeous seating areas accented with Southwestern pillows. For cocktail hour, guests were greeted with a signature drink of apricot margaritas made from the fresh apricots that grew on the property alongside a chile-roasting station. When it came time for dinner, a beautiful, clear tent sheltered the party while luminaries lined the walkways and gave the paths a soft glow. Towards the end of the night, the couple incorporated part of New Orleans culture with a “Second Line” for their exit. Friends and family joined their procession as the couple danced down the lane to vibrant music symbolizing a new beginning.

Looking back on the celebration, Kate and Jack offered some great advice for future couples headed down the aisle. “Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks and ask for friends’ and family’s opinions… when you want them, of course! Wedding planning requires you to make a million decisions, and it’s much easier to manage when you just ask for help.”

Vendors: Photographer: Jenny DeMarco Photography; Wedding Planner: Wild Sky Events; Ceremony/Reception Site: Bishops Lodge; Florist: Remi and Gold; Stationery: Scriptura; Cake: Cakery; Hair & Makeup: The Beauty Collective; Gown Designer: Caroline Castigliano; Groom’s Clothing Designer: Tom Ford; Tent: Whim Hospitality; Rentals: Colorado Party Rentals & Metamorphosis; Music: Elan Artists; Linens: La Tavola Linen; Videography: Brad & Monica Films; AV: Santa Fe Audio Video; Brides Bollario: Francesca Miranda; Transportation: Santa Fe Valet