volume 8, number 3 March 2003
New Mexico's Premier Food, Arts and Lifestyle Magazine

Getting married is easy, but planning the wedding can be pretty tough. No matter how organized you are, when that day finally arrives you'll be too busy to worry about all these little details. Until then, however, the way you plan every moment from the rehearsal dinner to the reception will make an enormous difference in how easy or hard your wedding will be. Some basic strategies will help you at every stage. First, you'll need to stay organized and get good at making (and keeping) lists. Books and websites are useful tools, but they are usually geared toward couples with big budgets who are planning traditional weddings. Start by talking to everyone you know who has gotten married: Ask for their advice and take it. If the prospect of doing all of this work by yourself is overwhelming, consider working with a bridal consultant, someone (besides mom) who will help you through every step of the process and be a vital member of your "team."

USING A BRIDAL CONSULTANT OR EVENT COORDINATOR

A Special Memory
Betty Stanford
Albuquerque, NM
505-298-2772
bettyastan@aol.com

Black Tie Optional
Evelyn Spiker
3221 W. San Francisco
Santa Fe, NM
505-983-3200
www.btocustomevents.com

Celebrations
Christine McFall
Albuquerque, NM
505-298-4848
www.celebrationsbridal.com

Enchanted Weddings
Giselle Campos
P.O. Box 67857
Albuquerque, NM 87193
505-804-3239
www.enchantedweddings.biz

Marjorie Charles
Wedding, Event & Party Planning
505-217-0430
mcbc50@earthlink.net

Special Events by David A. Hope
2945 Pueblo Alto
Santa Fe, NM
505-424-9642
SEbyDAH@cs.com

Your Special Day
Fran Myers
Albuquerque, NM
505-296-7402
www.geocities/
yourspecialdaynm.com

THE CEREMONY AND RECEPTION
This is the reason people want to come to your wedding. Sure they want to see the dress and the flowers and try the food, but first and foremost your guests want to witness you and your partner make the biggest promise of your lives. You and your guests will be willing to do a certain amount of traipsing around town, from rehearsal dinner to ceremony to reception, to the hotel rooms, but if you don't plan on having the ceremony at your church or synagogue, then the easiest way to minimize all of this running around is to choose a beautiful hotel as your base of operations. Often, the hotel will have a staff member who works with wedding parties and can help guide you through the process, provide recommendations and advice. Even if you choose to have the ceremony somewhere else, picking one hotel for all of your guests will save you time and money.
Here are some other ideas for creative and fun sites for your wedding ceremony and reception. Most people book the venue at least a year in advance because Saturdays, especially during the summer, fill up fast.
Many reception venues will require that you use their catering service for your wedding. Be sure to ask about that when you make your first call. If you are allowed or required to provide your own food, consider asking your favorite restaurant if they can handle your group. If not, try our catering directory at www.lacocinita.com.

RECEPTION VENUES
Audubon Society
Randall Davey Center
Santa Fe, NM
505-983-4609
www.nm.audubon.org

Albuquerque Botanic Gardens
Marianne Torres
903 10th SW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-848-7150
www.cabq.gov/biopark/

Albuquerque City Parks
Patricia Sena
Park Reservations
City of Albuquerque
505-857-8669

Albuquerque Press Club
Lisa Hertrich
201 Highland Park Circle SE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-243-8476

Double Tree Hotel Albuquerque
201 Marquette NW
Albuquerque, NM
505-247-7000

El Rey Theater
Central at Seventh
Albuquerque, NM
505-242-2353

El Rancho De Las Golondrinas
334 Los Pinos
Santa Fe, NM
505-471-2261
www.golondrinas.org

Four Hills Country Club
911 Four Hills Road SE
Albuquerque, NM
505-299-9555, ext. 131
www.fourhillscc.com

Hacienda de Placitas
491 Highway 165
Placitas, NM
505-867-0082
www.haciendadeplacitasbb.com

Hacienda Manzana
300 W. Meadowlark
Corrales, NM
505-922-1662
877-922-1662 (toll free)

Hilton Albuquerque
1901 University Boulevard, NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-884-2500, ext. 3901

Hotel St. Francis
210 Don Gaspar
Santa Fe, NM
505-983-5700
800-529-5700
www.hotelstfrancis.com

Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa
1300 Tuyuna Trail
Santa Ana Pueblo, NM
505-867-1234
www.tamayahyatt.com

Hyatt Regency Albuquerque
330 Tijeras Street, NW
Albuquerque, NM
505-842-1234, ext. 4432

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
2401 12th Street, NW
Albuquerque, NM
505-843-7270, ext. 337
www.indianpueblo.com

Inn at Loretto
211 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, NM
800-784-0034 (toll free)

JW Eaves Movie Ranch
Santa Fe, NM
505-474-3045

Loretto Chapel
207 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, NM
505-982-0092

Marriott Albuquerque
2101 Louisiana NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-881-6800

Marriott Pyramid North
5151 San Francisco NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-821-3333, ext. 1031

Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort
50 Los Baños Drive
Ojo Caliente, NM
1-800-222-9162 (toll free)
www.ojocalientespa.com

Prairie Star Restaurant
Santa Ana Golf Club
Jemez Dam Road
Bernalillo, NM
505-867-3327

Quail Ridge Inn Resort
Taos Ski Valley Road
Taos, NM
800-624-4448
www.quailridgeinn.com

Radisson Santa Fe
750 N. Saint Francis
Santa Fe, NM
505-992-5800
For event info. request Catering Manager.

Riverdancer
16445 Hwy. 4
Jemez Springs, NM
505-829-3262

Sagebrush Inn
Highway 64
Taos, NM
505-758-2254

Sandia Peak
Sandia Peak Ski Co.
#10 Tramway Loop NE
Albuquerque, NM 87122
505-242-9133
505-856-6419
www.sandiapeak.com

Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown
2600 Louisiana, NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-881-0000
www.sheratonuptown.com

Sheraton Old Town
800 Rio Grande NW
Albuquerque, NM
505-843-6300

Shidoni Foundry and Gallery
505-988-8001
www.shidoni.com

Sunrise Springs Inn and Retreat
242 Los Pinos Road
Santa Fe, NM
505-471-3600
800-955-0028 (toll free)

Ten Thousand Waves
3451 Hyde Park
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-982-9304
www.tenthousandwaves.com

Vista Clara Ranch Resort & Spa
Galisteo, NM
1-888-NMEX-SPA (toll free)

University of New Mexico Alumni Chapel
Albuquerque, NM
Gina Maes
505-277-5808
grmaes@unm.edu
www.unmalumni.com

Wyndham Garden Hotel
6000 Pan American NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-798-4300

Wyndham Hotel
2910 Yale SE
Albuquerque, NM
505-843-7000
www.wynatabq.com

THE REHEARSAL DINNER
If the ceremony and reception venues aren't available or convenient for your rehearsal dinner, consider having this dinner at your favorite restaurant. Make a short list of the people in your wedding party, your parents, maybe a couple of older relatives, and people who traveled especially far. Then make reservations well in advance. This is the night when you have the best opportunity to express your gratitude to your friends and family who have listened to you talk about your impending wedding for the last few months or years. Give them each a small present that conveys how much you appreciate their friendship and support. Consider silver barrettes and vintage hankies for bridesmaids, cigars and flasks for groomsmen, and something special for all of the parents (especially if they're footing the bill). Have a good time, try not to drink too much and go to bed early.
For more ideas on restaurants at which to hold your rehearsal dinner or for a directory of caterers who can put on a feast at any location, see our web site at www.lacocinita.com.

GETTING REGISTERED
No matter how much he or she protests, do not leave your future spouse at home and run off to register by yourself. People will actually buy what you register for and if one person does not like any of the gifts, opening them will not be as fun as it should be. Register for stuff you need in a wide variety of prices and don't get bullied into registering for stuff you don't need or want. Don't register for too much and base the amount of gifts you register for on the amount of people you are inviting. Always check to see if your favorite local stores offer a bridal registry, and pick one store that anyone in the country has access to.

A Store
3500 Central SE
Albuquerque, NM
505-266-2222

American Home Furnishings
3535 Menaul NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-883-2211
901 Saint Michael's
Santa Fe, NM
505-988-4502

Bed, Bath & Beyond
Winrock Mall
2100 Louisiana NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-872-1366
3320 Cerrillos Road
Santa Fe, NM
505-471-3388

Dillard's
Cottonwood Mall
10000 Coors Bypass
Albuquerque, NM
505-898-2530
Winrock Mall
2100 Louisiana NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-883-5900
Villa Linda Mall
4250 Cerrillos
Santa Fe, NM
505-473-2900

Foley's
Coronado Mall
6600 Menaul NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-883-3600
Cottonwood Mall
10000 Coors Bypass
Albuquerque, NM
505-897-3600

Las Cosas Kitchen Shoppe & Cooking School
DeVargas Center
181 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM
505-988-3394

Macy's
Coronado Mall
6600 Menaul NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-889-2100

Nambé
216 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte
Taos, NM
505-758-8221
924 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM
505-988-5528
104 W. San Francisco
Santa Fe, NM
505-988-3574

Not Just Pots & Pans
4022 Rio Grande NW
Albuquerque, NM
505-343-1867

REI
1550 Mercantile NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-247-1191
www.rei.com

INVITATIONS
Once you've got the date set, your venues reserved and your registries completed, then it's time to send out invitations. So sit down, take a huge breath, have a pencil with plenty of erasers, and start making lists. Focus on local guests, immediate friends and family, then send invitations to friends and family whom you don't think would come, but might appreciate an invitation. Printing invitations can be really time consuming and expensive. They can be simple or full of flourish and six envelopes, but they communicate to your guests what kind of wedding you will have. They set the stage and are the easiest way to "theme" your wedding. Our favorites are made by the couple themselves, but if you have a large number of guests then it can be too time consuming. If you don't have a specific vision of what you want your invitations to look like, go to a couple of stationers and look through their giant invitation books for inspiration.

THE CAKE
Have you already made so many concessions that your wedding is starting to feel like somebody else's? The cake is a relatively small part of your wedding plans, but it's particularly conducive to individualism. Go wild! Have a six-tier fondant-covered cake that looks like a stack of vintage hatboxes. Order a tower of cupcakes or smaller cakes for each table. Make the cake flavors simple but the decorations lavish. After all, people will look at the cake for far longer than they'll spend eating it.

ABC Cake Shop
1830 San Pedro NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-255-5080

Cakes by Nadine
10900 Menaul NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-293-9356

Chocolate Maven Bakery & Café
821 W. San Mateo
Santa Fe, NM
505-984-1980

Classic Creations
Albuquerque, NM
505-542-8300
sharonwcakelady@aol.com

Cuisine Justine
Custom Wedding Cakes
Santa Fe, NM
505-982-1681

Desserts for all Occasions
Santa Fe, NM
505-474-8431
www.santafedesserts.com

Jocelyn's Cakes
Taos, NM
505-758-4935

Maggie Faralla Wedding & Event Cakes
Santa Fe, NM
505-989-1416

Unique Cakes by Karyn
The Courtyard
1100 San Mateo Suite 22
Albuquerque, NM
505-268 2998
www.uniquecakesbykaryn.com

THE FLOWERS
If you are having your ceremony in a church or synagogue, check and see what decorations they use for major holidays like Christmas or Chanukah, Easter or even Valentine's Day. You can cut out a huge part of your floral budget by factoring in the flowers that will already be there. If you have to buy flowers for the ceremony, consider simple bunches with lots of greenery for the pews and a larger bouquet for the altar and entrance. Simple always looks better. Potted ferns and topiaries also look nice at both the ceremony and reception. Wrap boring terracotta pots in elegant fabrics, and try to maintain consistency with your flowers. Boutonnières and bouquets should be simple, and contain flowers that are in season.

The Rainflorist
Town East Shopping Center
6207 Menaul NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-243-0383
www.ftdfloristonline.com/
rainflorist

Artichokes & Pomegranates
Santa Fe Design Center
418 Cerrillos Road
Santa Fe, NM
505-820-0044

Beehive Flowers & Events
435 S. Guadalupe
Santa Fe, NM
505-984-0090
www.beehivefloraldesign.com

Canyon Road Flowers
423 Canyon Road
Santa Fe, NM
505-983-9785

Charlotte's Flowers
Charlotte Evans, Floral Designer
Albuquerque, NM
505-256-9471

Flower Gallery
The Courtyard
1100 San Mateo NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-260-0400

Rodeo Plaza Flowers
Rodeo Plaza
2801 Rodeo Road
Santa Fe, NM
505-471-3200
800-326-8161 (toll free)
www.rodeoplazaflowers.com

Roses of Royce Flowers & Gifts
Albuquerque, NM
505-299-3905
800-823-2489 (toll free)

Something Special with Flowers
Christine Matalucci, Wedding & Party Specialist
Albuquerque, NM
505-881-4331

The Bloomin' Shop
1743 Central
Los Alamos, NM
505-662-6093
1-800-662-1262 (toll free)
thebloominshop@aol.com
www.ftd.com/thebloominshop

The Flowerage
Mossman Center
7400 Montgomery NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-888-4883
800-888-6523 (toll free)

Peoples Flower Shops
Several locations in Albuquerque
505-884-1600
www.peoplesflowers.com

Mauldin's Flowers
Several locations in Albuquerque
505-265-1019

THE DRESS
Silk shantung, crepe, or duchess satin? Beads, bows, faux pearls, buttons or zippers? A-line, empire waist, on the bias, column or ball gown? There are endless decisions to be made about a wedding dress and the cost of a gown ranges from zero to astronomical. Spend some time thinking about how you want the dress to reflect your personality. Do you want understated elegance with modern touches, or a traditional and romantic lace dress? Remember that simplicity is the key to looking and feeling good in your dress. Whether you have your dress made by a department store, bridal shop or private tailor, remember: The dress you choose will be a dress that you will wear for six to eight straight hours.

Brides by Demetrios
1405-B Renaissance NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-342-9850

Chiyoko's Creations
3218 San Mateo NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-884-1075

Christine's Bridal & Formal Wear
DeVargas Center Mall
Santa Fe, NM
505-989-9688

David's Bridal
3101 Menaul
Albuquerque, NM
505-837-2800

Eva's Bridal Boutique
533 W. Cordova Road
Santa Fe, NM
505-982-0814

Helen's Wedding Belle
3301 Central NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-265-0276
888-265-0276 (toll free)

I Do, I Do Bridal
(corner of Monroe and Lomas)
4900 Lomas NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-265-3302

Nancy's Bridal Boutique
3730 Fourth Street, NW
Albuquerque, NM
505-344-1077
505-345-0278

Special Moments
The Courtyard
1100 San Mateo NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-268-9966

Uli's Boutique
208 W. San Francisco
Santa Fe, NM
505-986-0577

Weddings Unlimited
Adobe Plaza
1111 S. Santa Fe Road
Taos, NM
505-758-1184

THE TUXEDO

Burps and Bibs
148 Winrock Mall
Albuquerque NM 87110
505-889-4019

Mr. Tux
4900 Lomas NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-255-7463

Scottsdale Village
3005 Eubank NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-292-7525

College Plaza South
2426 Cerrillos Road
Santa Fe, NM
505-424-9198

The Men's Wearhouse
6307 Menaul NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-888-9669
10260 Coors Bypass, NW
Albuquerque, NM
505-890-5667

Tux & Tails
3225 Central NE
Albuquerque, NM
505-268-5787

<< Taste of Taos

March 2003 Contents

The Flavor of Homesickness >>