What is "The Wedding Different?"

Santa Fe, New Mexico has long been known as the City Different for its rich cultural, artistic, and relaxed ambiance. Perhaps this is why the city is such a popular wedding destination. Couples who marry here often incorporate the local customs – some traditional and some New Age – into their ceremonies. They also bring their own unique flair to their New Mexico wedding.

One November afternoon, a couple from Connecticut showed up elegantly dressed, him in a tuxedo, white shirt, no tie, her in a burgundy chiffon cocktail length dress, a flower wreath crown. I looked at their feet – no shoes. "We wanted to go barefoot because it's Santa Fe," the bride explained. We typically wear our shoes to all events in New Mexico, but this couple obviously felt comfortable enough to suspend with formality. Though no other couple has gone barefoot during their ceremony, some come in interesting footwear. Emily married in late June, easily the hottest month in New Mexico. Rather than wear shoes, she decorated pink flip-flops for her bride's maids to match their hot pink gowns and a white pair for herself. It had a sort of an elegant Ghandian look to it.

At one of the first weddings I shot, the couple both handed their guests bright yellow sunflowers.

It isn't unusual for the bride to wear black, purple, or turquoise, though most wear the traditional white. It is also quite common for the couple to have no best man or maid/matron of honor, and one couple stood up with their beloved dog. Of course, the dog didn't witness the license.

So, with the gamut of wedding styles, I do not try to press couples to purchasing pre-set wedding packages with cutesy names. Instead, I charge by the photographic hour, with minimum requirements, and always deliver a generous number of 5x7 prints per hour. From there, the couple can order a photobook or simply just take the prints a la carte to create their own album. They might also purchase a DVD slideshow of all the prints, or a printable CD of the prints.