REAL BRIDE: Laura

Laura + Alex

6.20.20

In order to keep their wedding date as they faced the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Laura and Alex decided to celebrate their union with only 15 of their nearest and dearest loved ones. With a vibrant color palette and a stunning private residence in New Mexico, their wedding was an intimate event and they opted for an epic one-year anniversary celebration to follow. Although the pandemic offered its challenges, Laura and Alex were able to celebrate two days filled with love, gorgeous details and unforgettable moments.

Keep scrolling to see every incredible and personal detail.

How did you decide to get married on June 20th?

“My grandparents were married on June 20th, 1953. When we saw that June 20th, 2020 was on a Saturday, there was no question. We were married on their 67th wedding anniversary with them in attendance. When we had to postpone due to Covid-19, we decided to get married on our original date anyway, move the reception to one year later, and let it be the greatest first anniversary party ever. We got married with a total of 15 people, including us - and my brother was our officiant.”

Tell us about the proposal!

“For background - I grew up going to the same place in Mexico every year for spring break, and my parents have been wonderful enough to let us take our friends throughout the years. As a complete mistake one year in college, we went with our friends on a family- friendly, pirate-themed sunset cruise. We had so much fun, we kept doing it every year. In 2019, Alex and I went to Cabo by ourselves for the first time. So when Alex said he’d booked a sunset cruise for us as an anniversary gift, I thought he was just keeping the tradition alive. We went on the sunset cruise with just the two of us and the two crew on the boat. As the sun was setting, the crew asked if we wanted a picture. Alex got down on one knee, held up the perfect ring, and then forgot to say anything. He just smiled up at me. He finally asked, I said yes, we popped champagne, and sailed around until the sun fully set. It was perfect, very us in every way, and we got to spend the rest of the week in my favorite place on earth.”

How did the two of you meet?

“We met on Derby Day, the first weekend of our freshman year of college (at High Point University - a small school in High Point, NC). We were group-setting friends for a few months, but started hanging out regularly later that Fall. We were best friends by Spring, and we had already planned trips to each other’s hometowns for the Summer. Alex asked me out several times, but I kept turning him down because I was worried it would ruin our friendship if it didn’t work out. He asked me to go on “just one real date” with him, and if it didn’t go anywhere we’d stay friends. I said yes, and the rest is history.”

Did you have a specific theme in mind while planning?

“We started with the plexiglass over-pool dance floor and went from there. I’d seen one (probably on Pinterest) when I was in high school, and had never forgotten about it. I knew it would be incredible in my parents’ yard, and that was the only thing I was dead set on. Otherwise, we kept things simple and tried to make everything as meaningful and fun as possible. Both yards where we had our ceremony and reception are gorgeous all on their own, so I didn’t want to overdo the flowers or decor. For decor, we went with navy, dusty blues, natural lavender, lots of greenery and gold accents. For florals, I love bright colors and summer flowers, so I knew I didn’t want just white or neutrals. I also knew the heat and low humidity of the desert would wilt everything quickly. So we chose a few places to have bright flowers (our arch - which my dad & brother built), my bouquet, the cake, and otherwise stuck with eucalyptus and candles.”

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Where did you draw your inspiration + ideas from?

“Pinterest, wedding pages on Instagram, and my mom. She’s always had a great eye for design and event planning. When we started planning the first time around (in 2019), I was swamped with finishing requirements at school, finding a job, preparing for boards, and getting ready to move across the country. My mom was incredible and took on the majority of planning and decision making. She’d ask for input, give me choices, and then take care of the rest. We incorporated family momentos wherever possible; my dad restored his grandfather's wooden ladder and built shelves to put through it for our whiskey and cigar bar, Alex’s brother drew the picture of our dog for our coozies, I wore my mom’s sapphire ring as my something blue, and pinned her grandmother’s coin necklace to the inside of my dress as my something old. We also used small, locally-owned businesses between KC and Albuquerque as much as we could - otherwise we tried to buy from Etsy shops. Albuquerque will always be my home, so supporting local vendors was high on the priority list.”

What was one of your favorite moments from your wedding day?

“2020 - Signing our marriage license. We each signed our names, got to watch my brother (who did an amazing job with our ceremony) sign as our officiant, and then had the incredible blessing of watching my 91 year old grandparents sign as our witnesses, on our now shared anniversary. It felt so significant, in the middle of all the shutdowns and uncertainty of June 2020, to have that special moment surrounded by family.”

“2021 - An hour or two before the reception ended, Alex and I went up on the balcony above the yard together. We spent a few minutes alone just watching all our loved ones dancing and enjoying the party we’d planned, re-planned, and stressed so much over. It was a quiet moment together that let us really soak in just how loved & supported we are.”

“Also, the late-night breakfast burritos from Golden Pride. Those were phenomenal.”