New Mexico Wedding In An Aspen Grove

E & R’s small wedding took place amongst the aspen trees on a hillside outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. Alongside their closest family & their dog, Melon, they shared their vows during an October elopement that was one of the sweetest, most romantic celebrations of marriage I’ve ever witnessed! This wedding had it all – emotional vows, an adorable dog, loving family, a gorgeous setting & one of the thickest groves of aspen trees you can find in New Mexico!

↓ Keep reading for more photos from this wedding ↓

An emotional first look in the courtyard of their rental.

E & R began their day at Ten Thousand Waves – an amazing spa & lodging location for couples who want a quiet, relaxed setting to stay during a Santa Fe wedding weekend. Because it’s 2020, a space where they could get ready (with their own private courtyard) made for the perfect morning!

They got ready separately – kind of. E stepped into the bathroom to do her hair & makeup, then get into her dress. R put on his suit in their room, then stepped into the courtyard to straighten his tie & wait for his partner to come join him for their “first look.”

The look on R’s face to see E in her dress was priceless! After a long embrace, she helped pin his boutonniere to his blue suit jacket & we all got into our cars to head up to the mountains for their wedding ceremony amongst the aspen groves.

A small wedding ceremony in the Santa Fe mountains.

E & R eloped with a small group of family, all of whom traveled to New Mexico & had to abide by the state’s COVID-19 testing & quarantine protocols. Knowing they could hug & enjoy each other’s company during this momentous moment in their lives meant a lot – it was a beautiful thing to witness family coming together at a time when we’ve all stopped taking our loved ones for granted.

The ceremony itself was a tear jerker – I can’t remember the exact quote, but at one point something was said along the lines of, “we don’t complete each other, we simply make each other’s lives better in the best way we know how.” I’m definitely paraphrasing, but the sentiment stands – I love getting to witness the merging of lives in a way that shows utmost respect for each other’s goals, dreams & deep-rooted individuality. I guess I see a lot of my own goals in the idea – I never went looking for a partner to complete me. As a result, there is true partnership with each side giving as much as they take. Sometimes one has more to give, whereas the other needs more given. That is what turns two incredible individuals into somehow even stronger partners – the ability to support each other. I think eloping has a way of bringing out that kind of balance at the beginning of a marriage – two people are already going all in on a unique, authentic experience that truly represents the best parts of themselves. The individual strength in the act of going against the norm in marriage is probably why I love documenting elopements so much!

Anyway, it was a gorgeous ceremony – perfectly them in every single way. The sort of just-us wedding I deeply wish every couple could experience on the day they say, “I do.”

A family picnic.

After saying “I do,” E & R sat down with their family members for pastries & a picnic! Everyone enjoyed the moment to catch up, tell stories, share heartfelt toasts & play fetch with Melon. At one point Melon was wandering around and discovered a couple of carved pumpkins that had seen better days – for a brave dog, the pumpkins were “not OK.”

Everyone laughed, and it was a beautiful afternoon to sit amongst the aspen groves. If you love this setting & you’re planning your own elopement – Santa Fe might be the perfect place for you! If you’re interested in other New Mexico places perfect for small weddings, check out this guide of NM elopement locations.

A sunset hike through the aspens.

After the picnic, E & R said goodbye to their family members and headed off into the forest for some alone time amongst the aspen groves. I know of a particularly gorgeous stand of hundreds, maybe thousands, of aspen just a short hike into the mountains outside Santa Fe. We hiked up there & stood in awe of the dramatic deep yellows, golds, and almost-orange leaves. Aspen are particular in the way that they grow in groups – families, if you will. If you pay super close attention, you might notice there are almost lines in bigger aspen groves where the canopy seems to change in color tint slightly – but all the trees grouped together are pretty much the exact same color. Those “families” of trees share the same root system & will grow right next to another family of trees to create a patchwork of colorful aspen groves. Hiking from one family of trees to the next would go unnoticed if you weren’t looking for the subtleties in color amongst the forest.

We spent the rest of the evening exploring – sitting by the creek, laughing at Melon playing in the water, and continually commenting on the deepening golden hue around us as the sun got lower in the sky. It was such a pleasure to share this day with E & R – if you want to see more of their sunset amongst the aspen, keep reading. If you want to see another Santa Fe elopement, click HERE.

From the couple:

“Working with Wild Coast Photography was one of my favorite parts of my wedding. Jenn was extremely professional and responsive from the moment we spoke. It was clear from that first conversation that we could work together to create a wedding that fulfilled our needs, not just the expectations of others. She found the perfect location for us, and helped us create a schedule for the day that included both time with family and time alone. My husband and I felt comfortable and relaxed throughout, even though we are not people who like to be in front of the camera; they felt like friends who were guiding us through this milestone. We received our preview gallery within a few days and all our photos within the month. The photos exceeded my expectations in so many ways: they were natural, captured our raw happiness, and told the story of the whole day. Start to finish, I couldn't recommend the experience more highly.”

Ready to plan your own Santa Fe elopement?

There’s nothing quite like a New Mexico sunset – Wherever in the world you want to elope, we can help you plan an authentic true-to-you adventurous elopement!