Wedding Date on Jun 11, 2016

From The Bride: Brycen & I met in college when I moved in to the house next door in July of 2010. We were friends for about a year before I finally agreed to let him take me on a date. Brycen planned a trip to Boston for us to visit his lifelong friend Matthew, and his wife, Stephanie in August of 2015. On the second day of the trip, we had planned to go on a sunset cruise in the Boston Harbor. On the way back to dock, the boat turned sideways to give us what the captain later said was “the best view of the city.” It was then that I felt Brycen tapping my arm, and I turned to see him on one knee. I was COMPLETELY surprised and shocked. I felt such a whirlwind of emotions in that moment, it was such a blur. I was told everyone clapped and cheered, and the captain honked his horn. I had no idea! It turns out that Brycen had made arrangements with the captain of the boat, and he was in on it all along. After docking, we went to a near-by restaurant and had champagne to celebrate! We spent lots of time that night facetiming close friends and family. We were on cloud nine. Thinking back on that night makes me so happy. We wanted an outdoor ceremony and reception, so we were looking for a place with pretty scenery. After looking at venues across much of the state, we found La Mesita and instantly knew. The grounds are stunningly beautiful with a mixture of green pastures, beautiful blooms, views of mountains, mesas, and famous New Mexico blue skies. I grew up riding hunter/jumper horses competitively, so I fell I love with the fact La Mesita Ranch was an equestrian estate. Horses graze on the rolling green pastures, and poke their heads out of the stalls in the evenings. They're really what sold me on the venue. I loved that they had a front row seat at our cocktail hour and reception, and guests loved getting to visit with them too. Something about horses is just so magical, and including them in our day was a must! I wanted the wedding decor and flowers to complement the natural beauty that is La Mesita. I found myself loving lots of different styles, and wanted to implement a little bit from them all to create something unique. Stylistically, I wanted it to be romantic, whimsical, and maybe even a little vintage and boho. I did all of the foundational footwork of the planning process on my own. Lots of late nights were spent on the computer researching and finding vendors. We did end up working with the amazing Amy Gallegos of For the Love Events for the last few months leading up to the wedding, as well as the day of. Amy went above and beyond and completely made my dreams come true. We truly couldn’t have done it without her. Although I cherished and enjoyed planning our wedding and being engaged, I would be lying if I said wedding planning wasn't stressful for me. Full time wedding planning and working a full time job almost did me in, but it all came together so perfectly and was totally worth every bit of it. Brycen was so supportive and helpful throughout the process. From helping me decide on bridesmaid dress combos to staying up late going over hundreds of songs for the DJ, he was, and is, awesome. He is absolutely my rock, and I couldn't have done it without him. Our families and friends were also beyond helpful during the planning process and we are so blessed to have their love and support. Finally, each and every one of my vendors were also truly amazing and helpful every step of the way. My favorite piece of advice I received that I would like to pass on to engaged couples came from my bestie and maid of honor in a card she gave me when we first got engaged. “Enjoy every minute, but never forget the most important part; you and Brycen” In the whirlwind of everything that is wedding planning it is so easy to forget what weddings are all about, and that is your love of one another. I found it helpful and comforting to remember that when I ever felt stressed or overwhelmed. Sounds like a lot of styles to combine, but my planner Amy totally "got it" and did such an amazing job of styling. It was as far and beyond what I expected, and to this day when I see pictures, I can't believe it's OUR wedding! It was such a dream