Hello! And welcome to the AKP Blog! I’m so glad you’re here, and I’m so glad I’m here. It’s taken me a while to jump on this blogging bandwagon, but now that I have, I’m so excited about having an outlet to share my current work with you all on the regular. So let’s jump right in with one of my favorite weddings from 2016!

DJ & Lily were married in October at Ghost Ranch, just outside of Santa Fe, NM. If you’ve never been to Ghost Ranch, it is so worth the trip. This was my first time there, and the views and the mesas all around were nothing short of breathtaking. Lily’s family actually used to own the Ranch a long time ago, and she and DJ met here one summer when they were both working at the Ranch! So the fact that they chose to get married there was just as perfect as can be, and it set the tone for their day that was just brimming with unique and personalized touches.

These mesas were just amazing, and what photographer’s dreams are made of!

As part of their wedding details, DJ and Lily incorporated lollipops! The story behind this is so great. When DJ and Lily met, they both were arriving as strangers at the start of the summer to work as staff at Ghost Ranch, and their camp Pastor met them at the airport with lollipops to welcome them! This summer marked the beginning of their romance, and lollipops will always be special to them.

Lollipop bouquets for the bridesmaids instead of flowers!

Lollipop boutonnieres complete the story!

Photos like these? These are the best. When you’re hanging with your bridal party squad and the laughs abound. These candid moments are what I live for on wedding days.

Another beautiful and unique aspect to DJ and Lily’s day was how they chose to incorporate their faiths. Their preparation for the ceremony included both a smudging ceremony with Lily’s Mom, as well as heartfelt prayers with DJ’s parents and Pastor.

These next photos right here are my favorite from the entire day. This is DJ’s face when he saw his bride walking towards him. He totally lost it in the best way possible.

When you are planning your own wedding, don’t be afraid to stray from the usual script for your wedding ceremony! DJ and Lily included a tradition Cherokee blanket ceremony and made it their own, and as you can see it was very emotional for them and so meaningful. In this ceremony, both the bride and groom are wrapped in individual blankets and the officiant blesses the couple’s union. Then the individual blankets are removed, and the couple is wrapped in a single large blanket together. This represents the couple’s individual lives being left in the past, and being replaced with one new life together filled with peace and happiness.

The new Mr. and Mrs.! And they are beaming…

By the way, have I introduced you to Moxy yet? He is Lily’s baby, and was a fantastic ring bearer. He also was a killer dancer at the reception!

DJ and his Mom had, hands down, one of the most emotional and lovely Mother-Son dances of the year.

And that’s a wrap… they are officially Mr. and Mrs., and I was so honored to be a part of their day.

xo,

Arielei

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|| Vendor information || Venue: Ghost Ranch || Flowers: Marisa’s Millefiori || Makeup: Britney-Rae Sanchez || Dress: Bliss Bridal Shop || Cake: A Cake Odyssey || Second Shooters: Britianie Tyler and Lyndsey Garber

|| copyright Arielei Kinzer Photography || Santa Fe wedding photographer ||